《The Primitive Age, Lament of an Immortal(A mythological xianxia story)》 Supplementary Material 1 - Cultivation Introduction Cultivation is the internal and external process to enhance an individual to obtain magical powers and longevity. The process of which came into creation when mortal beings sought to transcend heaven and earth and reach a state of apotheosis, or to obtain eternal life. While long and arduous, the realms of cultivation is not uniform throughout all universes in the Chaos Sea, and different locations came up with their. This guide list only the mainstream cultivation practised by the Chaos Godfiends and latter by the inhabitants of Pangu¡¯s Chaos World. It¡¯s emphasises the creation of internal spiritual constructs that act to connect an individual to first heaven and earth in order to study the intricate nature of Dao Laws that govern the physics of the universe. Once an individual becomes a third order celestial being, a state where they have broken free of their home universe. They would begin the creation of their own path/Dao. By mimicking the all powerful source of all things, known by the godfiends as Grand Dao, these immortal being obtain tremendous magical powers and transcend even higher. Chaos Worlds Alternate name for a universe. Chaos Worlds are large ecosystems with their own timespace continuums located within the Chaos Sea. There are countless of them, some being strong while others being weak. Chaos Worlds can be considered living beings but are for the most part inert. They naturally survive for exactly one Chaos Cycle, unless they manage to absorb the lifespan of a dying third order celestial being or another Chaos World, which could expand their existence. Within a normal Chaos World, numerous timelines can coexist with the most successful of which being the main timeline. The Heavenly Dao manages all these timelines and selects the main timeline. Only by breaking out of the Chaos World can an individual exit reincarnation but also unite all their counterparts into a single individual. But prior to that, a person living in a timeline posses a soul, something each variant of them across timeline have. All these souls originates from the True Soul, which resides within the river of time outside all these timelines but still inside the Chaos World. A true soul is why a person is never born in control of themselves and is their truest self. It cannot survive on its own in the Chaos Sea, just like any other Heavenly Immortal. The Primitive World created by Pangu does not have this timeline feature as it was designed to mimic the Chaos Sea. Dao Laws The natural laws of a Chaos World, IE a universe, that are the natural phenomena and laws of physics. They control the most principle functions of existence within a universe, anything from how fire functions, to how life comes to be, even as a record for all native martial arts. They are contained within the core of a Chaos World and can further be commanded by the Heavenly Dao, the will of the Chaos World. A second order celestial being as defined by the Chaos Godfiends are those who would connect themselves to heaven and earth in order to study these laws. By doing so, they can arrest energy from the cosmos to enrich themselves and strengthen their internal construct. To them, it was also a way to have a template for when they would create their own unique Dao paths. Hence, to Chaos Godfiends, Dao Laws were little more than training wheels. In the Primitive World created by Pangu, laws are divided into two levels. The Great Daos were created by arresting the Dao paths of the strongest 3000 Chaos Godfiends who were all Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. The Lesser Daos were created from the weaker 108,000 Lesser Godfiends. These unique Daos are all contained and sealed into the core of the Primitive World, their Dao Law counterparts being only a projection of their true power. As such mastering a Dao Law can never allow one to own these unique Daos. Should the real Dao somehow be taken away from the Primitive World and absorbed by an individual. That person could ascend to the same level as the previous holder of that Dao. Realms Mortal realms (Also broadly categorised as first order) AIM: the creation of a strong foundation, the forging of internal constructs with earthly energy with the explicit purpose of transforming into celestial energy by connecting with heaven and sensing the Dao. 0. No cultivation 1. Meridian Opening Using breathing exercises to absorb natural free flowing qi in the air and manipulating it inside the body, the twelve meridians are pushed open to swell until they become fully active where they absorb qi on their own. They can be tackled in any order until all twelve are fully active. This is when a beginner cultivator converge qi into their lower dantian to fully open up the qi sea. The lifespan of different races would differ, but humans can live healthily upwards of a hundred years. 2. Foundation Establishment Reached immediately upon opening up the qi sea. At the most basic level, the qi sea is a spiritual ocean contained within the body filled with potential energy. To advance in this realm is to construct a powerful foundation where one can build atop of. For cultivators, this foundation is a spiritual palace on top of the qi sea, he completion of which signifies the peak of Foundation Establishment. Human lifespan doubles, around 200+ years 3. Core Formation Condense both the spiritual palace and the qi sea, folding the latter into form a circular core. The colour of the formed core dictates how strong one¡¯s foundation had been and determines future aspirations. The standard for which a person is expected to successfully transcend the Immortal Tribulation is the Golden Core. Hence the Core Formation realm is sometimes called the Golden Core realm. The highest variants of the spiritual core is gold, black, and purple in ascending order. Human lifespan increases exponentially once the core forms to upwards of a thousand years. 4. Nascent Soul This realm is regarded as the true first step into cultivation as the creation of a nascent soul is what allows a person to connect to heaven and earth to sense the myriad Dao Laws. When a Core Formation cultivator is ready, they hatch their core like an egg into a nascent soul which would resemble an infant upon first appearance. As a Nascent Soul cultivator progresses, this infant grows until roughly the age of 16. At that stage, the nascent soul is considered complete. A Nascent Soul cultivator can fly as natural as walking without expending any qi. Previous realms can achieve flight using spells but starting at Nascent Soul, its something that doesn¡¯t require thought. Nascent Souls can also leave the body and survive in the event of physical death. Nascent Souls are NOT the soul of a person, it is akin to a divine spirit within the body rather then the soul that goes into reincarnation upon death. Human lifespan reaches a new limit of sixty cycles worth sixty years. The minimum lifespan is hence 3600 years, but can be extended by various means. 5. Nascent Divinity To reach this stage, a cultivator must study and infer at least one of the 108,000 Lesser Daos. This allows for them to connect with and use diluted forms of immortal qi, the primeval essence of the universe beyond the Five Elements that make up life. Alternatively, a Nascent Soul cultivator can leave their home dimension to the void between realms in order to experience immortal qi, however this method is regarded as suicide for most as the pressure alone kills most individuals. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The aim here is the refine the body and begin the transformation from mortal to immortal, from earthly to celestial. The process of which involves cycling diluted immortal qi through the twelve meridians until they can completely transform. 6. Wordly Saint When the immortal meridians are completed, it is still not nearly enough for a full celestial transformation. As such the creation of an inner cosmos is necessary. Immortals act to mimic the universe they inhabit, hence they light up stars and planets within themselves to create this inner cosmos using immortal qi. 7. Human Immortal/Earth Immortal/Loose Immortal Once the internal is completed, the external is next. An Immortal physique needs to be perfect both internally and externally. With the completion of the inner cosmos, a cultivator has the knowledge and power to handle undiluted immortal qi. Such qi is used to reforge the physical body into an immortal physique. The final goal of which is to break away from the Five Elements be completely celestial in nature. While Humans regard this as the final step before true immortality, hence they call it Human Immortal or Mortal Immortal. A demon regards it as Earth Immortal instead. Those who fail the tribulation but survive using their Nascent Soul collectively calls themselves Loose Immortal, meaning broken immortal. The lifespan of a human peaks at around 10,000 years. It can never go beyond 10,000 years as that is a hard limit placed on mortal life. Immortal (Broadly categorised as second order celestial lifeform) 1. True Immortal Even the weakest True Immortal cultivator are vastly more powerful then a Human Immortal. They are no longer earthly beings and have a degree of cosmic awareness. They can easily predict the futures of mortal men and women and create/destroy small realms. Their unrestrained aura can completely crush an ordinary planet such as earth. A True Immortal progresses by absorbing one of the five immortal qi, not the five elements qi that make up earthly life, but the real quintessence of the cosmos from which everything arose in the first place. The mastering of more Dao Laws helps in this endeavour as it opens the mind to more secrets to how the universe functions. After one qi is absorbed, a True Immortal undergoes a second transformation where their bodies evolve until even another True Immortal can no longer touch them. This new status is the next realm, Profound Immortal. 2. Profound Immortal At this stage, an immortal can fully sense the presence of the Great Dao, something any lesser being would only be vaguely aware of. Profound Immortals must act to unite all five immortal qi towards their origin in order to advance even further. The absorption of one qi alone causes interference from absorbing others, hence mastering Lesser and Great Daos enhances the mind, and power to handle this. When all five qi are absorbed, connect them to the origin within the inner cosmos. This transforms a Profound Immortal into a Heavenly Immortal. 3. Heavenly Immortal The apex of second order celestial beings. A Heavenly Immortal is the birth stage of ancestral innate lifeforms at the dawn of the Primitive World. They posses awe inspiring power compared to any lifeform at previous cultivation realms, completely untouchable by Profound Immortals. At this stage, a Heavenly Immortal works to forge the three splendours, also known as the three flower crowns. Each crown is the culmination of an aspect of cultivation and each signifies exponentially increasing power. They can be tackled in any order but each are difficult to create with the resources available in most ordinary Chaos Worlds. But within the confines of the Primitive World, this difficulty is greatly lessened. The flower crowns are Essence, Spirit, and Qi. Essence is representative of realised power, Spirit being the internal potential power, Qi being life energy. A triple crowned Heavenly Immortal can live up to a single Chaos Cycle, the time it takes for a universe to live and die as this is how long souls are designed to exist for. They could theoretically live past this limit, but need someway to survive the collapse of a dying universe and to extend the health of their soul. Even then, they¡¯ll never be able to breakthrough unless they salvage their true soul from destruction along with the universe. In the Primitive World, a Chaos Cycle is referred to as a yuanhui. The Chaos Godfiends calculated this time as 129,600 years. But since time isn¡¯t consistent within the Chaos Sea(multiverse), where the only constant is how long it takes for a universe to live and die, a Chaos Cycle could be as few as a second to as long as billions of years. It all depends on how a Chaos World experiences time. Advanced Immortal (Third order celestial lifeform) The most basic level of existence one needs to be in order to survive in the Chaos Sea. An individual at this stage have broken free of all chains of a Chaos World and are truly free to explore all possibilities. Completely immune to the flow of time(unless some powerful individual forces that concept on them) In order to break past Heavenly Immortal, a triple crowned Heavenly Immortal have to undergo the Golden Immortal tribulation. Essentially, this is a tug of war with the Heavenly Dao. A cultivator reaches into the river of time, pushing pass all its restrictions with their power to search for their true soul. Then begins the battle for who gets to control their true soul, the Chaos World represented by the Heavenly Dao, or the person. The Heavenly Dao will fight tooth and nail to stop the Heavenly Immortal. But if successful, the true soul will be absorbed by the triple crowned Heavenly Immortal. The individual gains their true self back and in doing so evolves beyond what the Chaos World can control. All their variants across timelines fuse into the Heavenly Immortal and they become singular throughout all existence. They then grow to become larger then what a Chaos World can define. 1. Golden Immortal Most basic level of lifeforms in the Chaos Sea. They are so powerful that even a breath of theirs can totally annihilate a Chaos World. This stage is what chaos lifeforms were born at, most godfiends started at this stage. Innate gods from the Primitive World are also born here, deemed innate gods because they are in full ownership of themselves. They do not reincarnate, and cannot be defined as alive nor dead. They exist and if their existence is extinguished, thats the end. They posses infinite lifespan and infinite energy, limited only by output due to their cultivation. They can infer the full meaning of all Dao Laws at a single glance. A Golden Immortal reaches towards the next step comparatively quick. This is because forging a primal unity is a simple process and only requires a steady mind. Yin and yang, spiritual and corporeal, becomes harmonised. The Dao heart remains steady and firm, a Golden Immortal as defined by the Chaos Godfiends have one mission. That is to seek the Dao in its entirety. 2. Great Unity Golden Immortal The great unity forming is the first step. Inside the inner cosmos, this platform is born as the base from which a cosmic tree will grow. A Great Unity Golden Immortal searches through all kinds of methods to discover their own path. All methods are deemed valid as long as the correct path is determined. The Dao heart, a merger of determination for the Dao, willpower, and utter faith in the chosen Dao path is crucial so that the cosmic tree can grow. The cosmic tree that sprouts atop the unity platform is representative of the growth of the created Dao path. In order for it to be born, in order for a Dao to come into existence, the Golden Immortal cultivator needs to enter a state of self delusion. A Dao by its very nature is a way of defining the universe. It¡¯s creator¡¯s personality and beliefs, as well as gathered knowledge influences its creation, both Dao and cultivator influence each other in a symbiotic relationship. When a Dao starts, to any other person, it would be a ridiculous concept. Something that makes absolutely no sense. Hence, the sprouting of the cosmic tree coincides with the birth of the idea that would go on the become the unique Dao. This is called Delusional Idea, the embryonic stage of the Dao. As a Golden Immortal becomes more and more self assured in that delusional idea, it grows the cosmic tree. The Dao at its core is akin to a conspiracy theory slowly becomes truth until it eventually defines all existence. Through dedication that can only be described as insanity, delusional thought becomes illusionary idea. An illusionary idea represents a Dao about to come into physical form. The cosmic tree has already grown to completion and is about to sprout fruit. This fruit is the true form of the Dao. 3. Chaos Immortal The highest form of immortals. Chaos Immortals are the true apex of existence with unimaginable powers for most people. The Chaos Godfiends all stood at this realm and could easily destroy and create Chaos Worlds if they so wished. A cultivator at this stage does not care for much as nothing but another being at this realm can even come close to hurting them. The progression in this realm is also unlike all previous realms, it relies on understanding of one¡¯s Dao rather then direct power or the creation of internal constructs. While deeper understanding in the Dao and combat ability have a positive correlation, it is not guarantee that a Chaos Immortal with low comprehension is inferior in a fight then a Chaos Immortal with high comprehension. Some would consider Chaos Immortals to be closer to living concepts then an actual person. And that any battle between them is closer to two concepts smashing against each other, or a debate on two topics rather then a true battle. The Chaos Immortal realm itself also contains 4 subrealms. In its entirety, Chaos Immortal represents a greater gulf then mortal to Golden Immortal. Only a Chaos Immortal can call themselves experts in the Chaos Sea. 1 - Great Principle - the Dao has come into physical form, birthing as an actualised Dao fruit. As a Dao fruit, the Dao is now considered an intricate theory with plenty of supporting evidence. When in combat, the Dao fruit manifests when one is using any form of spells or martial arts as it defines anything its owner does. Great Principle Chaos Immortals are the basic level of Chaos Immortals and revered by many in the Primitive World as mighty figures. 2 - Primal Origin - Intricate theory becomes confirmed law as a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal. The Dao fruit physically morphs due to advanced understanding that makes the Dao into a law with very few loopholes that could be argued against. While an intricate theory Dao fruit all look alike, confirmed law Dao fruits all posses engravings that differentiates them from each other. 3 - Primal Zenith - The Dao has become an unquestioned truth. A pinnacle of cultivation referred to as the final realm. A Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals are apex lifeforms inside both the Chaos Sea and Pangu¡¯s Primitive World. The 3000 Chaos Godfiends were all Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals of substantial power. A Dao fruit at this level has no loopholes and cannot be argued against as anything other than a fact. Within its own path, this Dao is complete and can no longer be inferred to have additional meanings. It stops resembling a fruit and now resembles something that defines it. 4 - Limitless Supreme - closer to myth then fact. A Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal was considered a distant hope for the vast majority of the Chaos Godfiend¡¯s existence. In order to advance to this stage, a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal need to learn how their personal Dao can encompass everything. IE how their a Dao can birth every other Dao in existence. TLDR: Delusional Thought = Beginner Great Unity Golden Immortal Illusionary Idea = Peak Great Unity Golden Immortal Intricate Theory = Great Principle Chaos Immortal Confirmed Law = Primal Origin Chaos Immortal Unquestioned Truth = Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal 3.5 Unthroned Dao realm Not an actual realm or even worded in the story, just a description for a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal who is able to but did not take the final step to the Dao realm. Pangu would¡¯ve been the only one at this stage. Pangu had already understood how his Dao can transform into every other Dao. His Dao was the same as a Dao realm being¡¯s Dao but he did not take the final step and transcend. If he did, he would¡¯ve not died from the backlash of creating the Primitive World. Dao 1. Dao realm The final realm within the story. Supplementary information 2-Chaos Godfiends Introduction Before the establishment of this story¡¯s primary setting, Pangu¡¯s Chaos World known by its inhabitants as the Primitive World, the Chaos Godfiend civilization thrived. It was once the dominant power ruling over this area of the Chaos Sea(greater multiverse) consisting of immensely powerful individuals who even in the current era hold tremendous influence. For a member of this group, even the weakest among them were already Chaos Immortals. They roamed the Chaos Sea constantly in search of opportunities to advance themselves, improve their Dao or battle power, often times in groups of fellowships or as lone wanderers. They¡¯d meet up only to compete over said opportunities or to discuss their Dao so as to cross reference for new ideas. As a civilization, the Chaos Godfiends could only be described as nomadic. Compared to the modern era of the Primitive World, the Chaos Godfiends were simultaneously stronger as well as weaker. Stronger in the sense that their average power as a whole is much greater than the inhabitants of the Primitive World. Weaker in the sense that their power ceiling is ultimately lesser than the Primitive World. The strongest of the Chaos Godfiends is ultimately incomparable to the strongest of the Primitive World. In addition, although collectively identifying themselves as godfiends, no single member can be considered to be of the same species outside of perhaps chaos lifeforms(inborn Golden Immortals). This is because the Chaos Godfiends were not single species of archaic godlike primordials, but a civilization of cultivators where each member is inducted into it in a system of random kidnapping and blood sports designed to weed out the unworthy. As such, one godfiend could¡¯ve been an ascended mortal from a Chaos World(universe) or an innate lifeform born within the Chaos Sea. What unified them was ultimately a single ideology to pursue the Dao and achieve transcendence. To reach the ultimate stage of cultivation no matter the cost. However, as the years went on, a true sense of community fostered between many of these godfiends. This slowly warped into a codex of agreed upon laws which became the foundation of the Chaos Godfiend civilization as a whole. Background Their people were not many compared to the Primitive World, not even reaching two hundred thousand in total. But the history of them stretch back numerous chaos cycles in a measurement of time dwarfing anything the current inhabitants of the Primitive World has ever experienced. At the dawn of the Chaos Godfiends, a figure known as Tai Chu wondered into the area that would become the playground of the godfiends. He was an almighty being compared to anything else within this area of the vast Chaos Sea, possessing a cultivation of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. Though much more common in latter stages of the civilization¡¯s lifespan, at the time he was truly unchallenged and almighty. For the few living beings wondering the Chaos Sea at the time, he would¡¯ve been an unstoppable monster. Living beings in the Chaos Sea were born at the realm of Golden Immortal and spawned from pure chaotic energy. But even these connate lifeforms would¡¯ve been little more than ants for Tai Chu¡¯s amusement. Yet despite their fear, Tai Chu did not harm them. No reason was ever recorded why he progeneratedthe Chaos Godfiends, but he constructed a huge temple in a centralized area surrouded by numerous Chaos Worlds. With a single thought, he took in hundreds of living beings in the Chaos Sea no matter their power into his temple. What happened next was a lecture on the Dao and a discussion on the purpose of immortal cultivation. Not many records exist of the first meeting, but the now deceased Two Faced Sage said to newer generation of godfiends, of which he¡¯d induct in a similar manner as Tai Chu, that the purpose of any living being was to pursue the Grand Dao. The Grand Dao being what Tai Chu identified as the origin of all things and the path where one transforms into everything, thereby embodying all things. In the wake of Tai Chu¡¯s actions, he propagated the core ideology of cultivation into the first generation of godfiends thereby creating the Chaos Godfiend civilization. He took in many followers specifically to impart into them the desire to follow in his footsteps to create their own Dao(path). Following this event, Tai Chu wold see the rise of many Chaos Immortals. In Tai Chu¡¯s era, godfiends were incredibly violent in the pursuit of opportunities. Illuminated by their now ancestor Tai Chu, the hunger for the Dao birthed an extreme obsession. As Tai Chu¡¯s opinion on the matter lay in the lane where any decision, as long as it benefits the pursuit of Dao was ultimately correct, he neither dismayed nor encouraged any of his follower¡¯s actions. Not even when they attempted to attack his own person. ¡°Chase the Dao. No matter if you become the most righteous of gods, paragons of justice. Or the most heinous of demons, harbingers of evil.¡± Eventually, the first generation of godfiends reached the summit of their capabilities. The Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals at the time questioned Tai Chu on what to do. They had pursued their Dao, polished it to its ultimate heights, completing their respective paths until it had nowhere to go. In those waning days of the first generation, Tai Chu only smiled. Then he revealed his own cultivation again. Tai Chu had already ascended from the Primal Zenith phase of Chaos Immortality, he¡¯d long since reached Limitless Supreme. After imparting a final advise, to search for the Wuji principle, to chase the Dao no matter what. He then disappeared from godfiend history. Golden of the godfiends Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Numerous chaos cycles passed and the first generation of godfiends perished for one reason or another. Generations upon generations of godfiends came and went, some individuals staying for many while others were unable to endure one. As godfiends were almost always innate lifeforms born from the Chaos Sea directly, due to the rareness of natives of Chaos Worlds to ascend to Golden Immortality, they never experienced the desire to breed for offspring. Their method of propagation remained taking in any wondering individuals they could and inducting them. As time went on, the induction became bloodier and bloodier. They culminated in brutal battles where many perished and only the most powerful and resourceful survived to become full fledged godfiends. The godfiends who emerged were always true talents who managed to reach the Chaos Immortal realm at incredible rates. But over time, these induction trials actually became the only major source of godfiend death. For whatever reason, the godfiends who emerged became less and less inclined to act upon one another with each successive generation. To each other, they were competition yes, but they were also great sources of knowledge. In a certain generation, the value of the Dao overcame the regard for one¡¯s own life so in time. The act of combat ended in the defeat of the opponent but never to the death. Instead, their experimentations turned towards Chaos Worlds or intruding lifeforms who wondered into their territory. To each other, a sense of real camaraderie evolved to a genuine belief in a community. Eventually, the fostering of a shared cultural identity of godfiend took root in their mind. The Chaos Godfiend branched off from a group of people Tai Chu imparted an ideology to and morphed into a culture. Commonly agreed upon rules became ingrained laws that godfiends rarely if ever broke. By the time of the last generation, communication between factions were extremely common. Dao discussions took place all the time, numerous experiments went on around their area of the Chaos Sea, the act of killing one another dropped to virtually zero despite conflict remaining high. Their mentalities towards death or suffering experimentation from each other became an unthinkable one, drastically different from their attitude towards outsiders. So even for violent godfiends like Tian Hai, he¡¯d fear no threat of death from his fellows, at worst a suppression under a mountain. By the time of the final generation of godfiends, they reached their apex. Three thousand of them stood at the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal realm, each with a Dao that became an Unquestioned Truth. The remaining hundred and eight thousand were all Chaos Immortals of varying strength. Such a force, even among the Chaos Sea very little could match. Even the modern Primitive World cannot compare to the amount of elites.(The Chaos Godfiends as a civilization only consisted of elite cultivators. There is no such thing as mortal civilians or civilians in general.) This was a golden age for the Chaos Godfiends for they had reached their apex. Downfall What the godfiends didn¡¯t realize, what Tai Chu probably didn¡¯t realize as well, was that their kingdom existed within the domain of another individual. Cultivating peacefully for an even longer period of time than the godfiends¡¯ entire existence, a super ancient cultivator rested inside his egg shaped cave abode. His name was Pangu. One day, a normal day where the godfiends discussed the Dao with one another in hopes of reaching the Limitless Supreme stage, Pangu awoke. At the time, Primal Zenith represented the final destination. Limitless Supreme was more fiction than reality and many had indeed given up hope for its doors. Rather, the golden age of Chaos Godfiends, which by this point existed far longer than any other, spent their time refining their existing abilities rather than pursing the Dao to its all encompassing heights. Though some continued to hope, the vast majority competed with one another for little reason other then they could. Individuals such as Demon Ape, Destiny Demon God, Tian Hai, or Chaos Sky Dragon tested themselves with their fellows. Some like Tian Hai celebrated their time with their brotherhoods or slept with little care in the world. Modern people would¡¯ve call them truly carefree immortals who remain lofty above common concerns. In fact, such a lifestyle would become one many desired in the Three Realms era. In a time like this, certain individuals thought lesser of their kin. To them, the so called golden age of Chaos Godfiends had lost their way. They were no longer true godfiends and no longer kept to Tai Chu¡¯s ideology. These were the more dedicated godfiends who continued to attempt the path of Wuji and reach Limitless Supreme. Whatever the case, both types of people met the same result when Pangu awoke. Bursting from his egg shaped cave abode, Pangu was bloodlusted. No godfiend knew the reason why or even who. But all the godfiends became alarmed when Pangu began his massacre. In less than a single second, every single godfiend understood the war they¡¯d found themselves in. Like any animal cornered by a vastly superior foe, they fought back. All the godfiends, all Chaos Immortals met Pangu in combat in a bid for survival. A cosmic war erupted and lasted for scarcely a day. Pangu annihilated all of them with his war axe, his Chaotic Sword qi cut through them all until not a single one was left. Using their remains, their Daos most importantly of all, Pangu cleaved through the Chaos Sea. He split heaven from earth and used the three thousand Unquestioned Truths and a hundred a eight thousand lesser Daos to create his Primitive World. Aftermath Despite the massacre, some godfiends clung on to life. Pangu was not very thorough in his killing spree, not that it mattered to him. He didn¡¯t care for the godfiends any longer now that he¡¯d taken their Daos. The collective resentment of the Chaos Godfiends were so powerful, it emerged into the new universe as mindless Primordial Beasts. As for the surviving godfiends? Now bodyless and on the verge of total collapse, they merged with areas of the Primitive World. Their immense presences caused them to incarnate as the very first generation of innate gods(connate lifeforms with Golden Immortal realm at birth) born from the energies of heaven and earth. But for almost all of them, this would only be a prolonged suffering to their eventual deaths. In the succeeding Primitive World era, all of these godfiends would grow to abandon essentially everything that they once considered sacred as a Chaos Godfiend, all but the desire to chase the Dao. In a way, these surviving godfiends came full circle back to what Tai Chu probably intended. Core ideology To pursue the Dao, one must tread all paths no matter the cost. One could become the most righteous of gods or the most heinous of demons, but must always remember that the Dao is above all else. To swerve too much in on aspect is to blind oneself to others, it is only in the in between(a harmony) where one can find the most success in seeking the Dao. Hence the combined name godfiend. As such, do not be indulgent in either extreme ideals nor be distracted by unnecessary thoughts, because all of that can easily become distractions to the ultimate goal. Notable members The strongest godfiend of the golden era was recognized as Destiny Demon God. A lofty figure who rarely interacted with others. The top four strongest godfiends after him were the most famed overall. They consisted of Si Chen the time demon god, Chaos Demon Ape who was incredibly social and gathered a strong following, Yang Mei who specialized in all sorts of plant based techniques, and Huoyun also known as the god of the five elements. Huoyun specifically had a Dao so profound it became the foundational building blocks of life within the Primitive World. Chaos Demon Ape would host the largest faction of godfiends in history. He led numerous followers who saw him as their great leader such as the future beast emperor Shenni and the Four Evils Hundun, Taotie, Taowu, and Qiong Qi who served as his generals. Yang Mei and Huoyun were also part of a triumvirate along with Tian Hai. Despite being a tier below the others, Tian Hai was the most aggressive in challenging others to battle. Yang Mei and Huoyun likened Tian Hai to a raging sea always moving, always violent. The three shared a strong brotherhood persisting since they were inducted into the Chaos Godfiends civilization together. Qiankun, a more secretive but very wealthy cultivator. Qiankun is someone who mastered spacetime and was likened to a living universe. He was friends with Kunwu who practised a Dao in devouring. Luya ruled as the Sun Demon God and had his own palace. Though his faction was far lesser than Chaos Demon Ape, he still competed with other powerful godfiends. His counterpart the Moon Demon God and he did not get along but still respected each other enough discuss the Dao. Prologue In the beginning, before the current world order. Before all the nations of men, demons, ghosts, and gods. Before the cataclysmic battles that decided the course of history. Before the Three realms and even before the oldest of myths of the oldest of gods themselves. The Chaos Sea encompassed the space which will one day house the Primitive World which eventually transformed into the Three Realms. The Chao Sea, the infinite realm which encompassed all existence since the beginning of creation. The vast expansive space which housed all things past present and future. The highest plane of existence thought possible by all manner of celestial beings. It is the colourless yet colourful timeless transcendental void beyond the understandings of even enlightened immortals. A level of space in which anyone who has not truly come into ownership of themselves, their true souls would be torn apart on a fundamental level. That was to say, anybody below the realm of Golden Immortal or equivalent should cease to exist upon entry. This was the boundless nothingness which birthed all things and housed the ever birthing ever dying multiverse. This was due to the Great Dao, the celestial mind which commands the Chaos Sea and brings about creation and the existence of universes. Countless Chaos Worlds, universes with their own individual spacetimes in their own right come into existence and perish all the same as commonly as one would see clouds in the sky. Time and distance was nearly impossible to measure and directions were as confusing as it could possibly get. Even the most skillful of navigators would be lost easily. In fact, this was while societies and large gatherings did not stray far from their place of origin creating pseudo domains where they were active. Very rarely do travelers wonder to far off recesses of the Chaos Sea. Just about the only thing consistent within the vast expanse of chaos was a chaos cycle. An approximate measurement of how long it takes for a Chaos World to be born, age, and perish. A cosmic cycle or a cosmic year if you will. Yet perceptions of this measurement was perceived differently depending on geography. Though the amount of time it takes is consistent across all creation. The universes within could experience anywhere within a single day to billions of years. And it was in one obscure corner of the Chaos Sea where the origins of the primordial Primitive World would exist. Within the area immediate of a white oval, a society of extremely powerful immortals resided. Cultivators, seekers of the Dao, the one truth, the absolute path. A society with an obsessive desire for self improvement and individualism. A society in which each member experimented and cultivated their own path to power. Few in number yet great in strength, the Chaos Godfiends were among the masters of the Chaos Sea. Born chaos lifeforms within the Chaos Sea as Golden Immortal innate gods, they were inducted into the civilization by their seniors and forced through many trials. After which they emerged on the other side as a member of the philosophy. While individualistic in nature, they were not entirely solitary. These beings regularly interacted with each other in exchanges, developed language and friendships. Factions formed and warred over resources, xiantian spiritual treasures born from energy just like themselves or special connate herbs. And even a chaos cycle to them was referred to as a yuanhui. Their language script was mystical by nature and unintelligible for ordinary creatures. Only substantially powerful cultivators or immortals can even begin to comprehend the writing. Their legacies were vast and sought after for their insight into the Dao and the wealth they¡¯ve gathered over many years. In ancient times many, their ancestor and patriarch Taichu past on his mindset to them in the form of cultivation philosophy. To maddeningly pursue the Dao for it is the ultimate absolute truth in all things. Nothing else truly matters and all things are but a means to an end in seeking the Dao. This this way, they gained enlightenment and infinite power. All in service of reaching the final realm. The mythical Dao realm. Cultivation was a long and arduous path. Many died wether in conflict or by accidents. From Golden Immortal as a starting point, forming the great unity and growing the cosmic tree in Great unity Golden Immortal, to finally sprouting the Dao fruit as a Chaos Immortal. Taichu, also known as the Ancestor of Grand Beginnings founded the Chaos Godfiends civilization due to his desire to pass on his mission. He arrested chaos lifeforms at random and brought them to a safe haven, his Taichu Temple and imparted to them the single minded philosophy of seeking the Dao. Taichu was greatly admired and worshipped even. But if there was thing the Godfiends will always hold against him, it was his refusal to speak of the Wuji principle. Cultivation was hard and arduous, the aspect of the final steps, the steps of attaining and perfecting the Dao was the hardest above all. Chaos Immortals sprout their Dao fruits hence they gain the Great Principle. This was why first step Chaos Immortals were known as Great Principle Chaos Immortals. They enhance and improve their Dao until phenomenas begin forming on their fruits, thus their Dao transform to show their insight. This was the second step, Primal Origin Chaos Immortals. Reaching the pinnacle, the stage where further improvements of the path is no longer possible was attained at the third step. The step in which an immortal has reached the limits of their path. This stage, Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal was where the Chaos Godfiends reached their summit of strength. But Taichu was never at this stage. He stood above and beyond at the fourth step of Chaos Immortal realm. The step in which the unbound infinite inception of the Dao representing the supreme ultimate and limitless ultimate are comprehended. By studying and attaining Wuji, Taichu was a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. This legendary stage was the final realm, the precursor before finally reaching the transcendent state of Dao realm. But he never imparted the secrets as to how to attained that step. Taichu left the Chaos Godfiends after teaching them but never imparted the final steps. Wether he wished for them to learn of it themselves or lost interest was up for debate. Hence for many Chaos Cycles, this race of immortal gods reigned in their corner of the Chaos Sea. Supreme and indomitable, inducting countless others and producing many illustrious experts. By the time of the current era, over a hundred and eight thousand Chaos Godfiends had reached between the Great Principle Chaos Immortal stage and the Primal Origin Chaos Immortal stage. Yet they were ultimately small fries. The true masters numbered three thousand. Three thousand absolute beings of unimaginable strength. Each and every single one of them perfected their paths reaching the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal stage. They stood heads and shoulders above the rest and reigned like kings becoming beings similar to living concepts. But ultimately, they could not progress further. The mystery of Wuji was simply too much. So while some still desperately clung onto the ideology, searching for the way to progress such as the Chaos Cricket and his devilish companion. Many choose to vie for dominance instead. In the vast expanse of the Chaos Sea, the three thousand Chaos Godfiends formed factions. Clans of immortals with similar mindsets that set out to prove their supremacy. The largest of these were the Demonic War Alliance led by the Chaos Demon Ape and his second in command Beast Emperor Shenni. This faction in terms of overall strength was the strongest of them all. Another noteworthy group was the trinity of experts including the Great God of Vast Oceans Tian Haii, the god of the Five Elements Huoyun, and the Great Immortal Yang Mei. In the constant fighting and struggles, a hierarchy was somewhat established. The invincible and solemn Destiny Demon God stood lofty at the very peak never having suffered defeat. He was a true abomination of creatures possessing many heads and eyes and the power to perceive destiny itself. Every battle was guaranteed in his favour. Below him were the Four Great Chaos Godfiends. The Chaos Demon Ape, mighty god of war who single handily tore the civilization a new one. Sichen the lord of time who with his sands, blew away the competition. Yang Mei and Five Elements Huoyun also entered this group as invincible immortals. The former was a master of spacetime greater then even the Ancestor Qiankun while the latter could sever the connections of an immortal and their treasure. Glorious and unparalleled, the Chaos Godfiends were truly invincible. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Except. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Nothing lasts forever. There¡¯s always someone out there better then you. And the Chaos Godfiends learned this the hard way. Eons ago, long before Taichu even had the idea for Chaos Godfiends. The ovoid structure of pure white stone existed in this corner of the Chaos Sea. Everyone had thought this to be a natural geographical feature, another oddity of the Chaos Sea. But that was false. This egg like structure was not an ordinary object. It was instead the private cultivation grounds of a far more ancient and far more powerful expert. His name. PANGU!!! Pangu lived for nearly fifty thousand Chaos Cycles. He had been around since the earliest time periods of the Chaos Sea. His mastery was extremely high and his attainment was at the peak of Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. Except he wasn¡¯t just that. He was so much more. Pangu reached the Limitless Supreme stage aeons ago. For countless Chaos Cycles, he has been cultivating, adventuring, tempering himself to the absolute limit. Even as far back as Taichu¡¯s creation of the Chaos Godfiends, Pangu had already been capable of attaining the absolute pinnacle. Dao realm, the omnipotent summit of all existence. One¡¯s existence at that stage would equate to that of the Great Dao itself, the instinctual will which brought all things to life and acts as the supreme authority of the Chaos Sea. Dao realm was the final stage that a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal sought for, a stage too far away for even the Chaos Godfiends to think about. Yet Pangu was capable of reaching it long ago. The throne of the Great Dao was already created, Pangu¡¯s own Dao had long reached the Dao realm. It was not a recent breakthrough, but an ancient one. A solid foundation for the Dao realm where Pangu could just step upon the throne to ascend. Yet for whatever reason he never chose to do so. Pangu remained as a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal till the very end. He ignored history even as it went on around him, caging himself from outside influences. Meditating and contemplating, Pangu to the outside world appeared heavily conflicted. It was unknown what his thoughts were or why he did the things he did. Those that knew Pangu personally would¡¯ve likely all been long gone by know and the Chaos Godfiends never had the chance to ask him. For the tragedy that caused the downfall of the Chaos Godfiends had no true causes within their control. The incident was due to the selfishness of Pangu. The feelings of grief, despair, rage that the godfiends felt was palpable to their final moments. Pangu¡¯s emergence from his cosmic egg was a solemn event. The hairy giant was bare chested, naked except for a leaf loincloth wrapped around his waist. He stood upon a massive green lotus possessing thirty six petals. Behind him floated a massive jade disc with the engravings of a butterfly hovering like a halo. In Pangu¡¯s hands was a single handed axe that possessed horrifying might. These treasures were all extremely powerful artifacts. Treasures far more powerful than even the strongest of xiantian spiritual treasures or even their upgraded chaos spiritual treasures. These were Dao realm spiritual treasures. Pangu Axe. 36 petals Chaos Green Lotus Chaos Jade Dic Three protective which in unison exploded in power. The incident drew the attention of every godfiend who was alive at the time. Their presences were the first thing Pangu saw. Yet the great god never attempted to communicate with them. He seemed to stare at them with regret for a short period of time. His eyes carried conflicted messages and his face was one of hesitation. Yet his look of resolve obviously indicated he had come to a decision. Future generation praised Pangu for his sacrifice. For his gift. Yet this generation of archaic lifeforms saw him as the greatest of all evils. A curse, a blight, a monstrous destroyer. Faster then the godfiends could even realize what was going on, Pangu had already made his move. In a single instant, a hundred and eight thousand lesser godfiends were drawn towards the giant. The Chaos Godfiends were not small. Each and every single one of them were massive in size, incomprehensible large compared to modern lifeforms. They easily eclipsed tens of thousands of kilometres in length. Yet they were but mere specs of dust in front of Pangu. Pangu who stood in the infinite void as a giant billions of kilometres tall. Pangu who only gave them a pitying look of regret followed by a sigh of guilt. When he struck, Pangu felt guilt. He could only feel guilt. But his resolve was simply too strong. He had long made up his mind and nothing could¡¯ve stopped him. In a flash, all of the lesser godfiends were slain. They were ground down to the last atom and transformed into mystical clouds of gas. Their Daos floated into Pangu¡¯s open hand into a swirling ball of energy. Realizing their danger, the Chaos Godfiends attempted to flee. Yet in one breath, Pangu caged them all in sealing spacetime in a barrier impenetrable by even the strongest of Primal Zenith experts. Towards these greater godfiends, these three thousand supreme ones. Pangu lifted his axe in greeting. ¡°I am Pangu,¡± he said. ¡°Chaos Godfiends, please die.¡± The godfiends felt despair, but they also felt anger. Their prides were hurt and seeing no other option, they charged forth towards their deaths. The first one to fall did not charge with them. The Chaos Cricket leapt in front of Pangu¡¯s strike and was killed on the spot joining the orb in Pangu¡¯s hands. He was followed by an army of mighty beings. One after the other, these powerful immortals fell. Chaos Sky Dragon. Sun Demon God. Moon Demon God. Shenni. Hundun. Sichen. Yang Mei. Huoyun. The Chaos Demon ape was the most ferocious in his assault. After the Destiny Demon God was mercilessly cut down powerless to do anything, the monkey of war dialed Pangu with vigor. In his final moments, the monkey had reached a breakthrough. Among all the others, he was quite possibly the only one to have seen the Wuji principle and realized how to reach it. Yet it was all too late. Pangu obliterated him until there was nothing left. His Dao of war joined up with the rest transforming into a nascent world core in Pangu¡¯s hands. ¡°Damn you! Pangu you call yourself? You¡¯re just a barbaric beast!¡± The Chaos Godfiends were swiftly cut down. All perished save for one final soul. The immortal of raging seas, Tian Hai who was part of a trifecta with Huoyun and Yang Mei. At the last moments, his brothers saved him, pushing their weakest comrade away while they perished. Tian Hai, stubborn and ruthless attacked anyway. Pangu received his blow with a pitying look. He was not injured in the slightest. This Tian Hai might as well have been a bug to him. ¡°I may¡¯ve killed you all, yet you may soon find yourselves waking up to a new world. It is a gift you must not squander. Those of you with the will and strength to be reborn. Please die godfiend,¡± Pangu said with a tone of regret. ¡°Damn you Pangu! Damn you and your cursed gifts! Why don¡¯t you die instead!¡± Tian Hai screamed transforming into an all encompassing wave. To this Pangu only sighed regretfully. He was impressed with Tian Hai¡¯s power and commitment. But he also found the raging sea god lacking. Pangu was not ignorant of the individuals he had slain. He had seen them all from within his cosmic egg. Tian Hai in particular was ruthless and lawless. He had no qualms about slaughtering Chaos World¡¯s worth of living beings if it meant he could improve. Suffice to say, he was not a particularly pleasant individual. Seeing as he was so committed to killing Pangu, Pangu decided to attack harder then he tried with the others. His axe swung down cutting through the wave. Along with it, Tian Hai was extinguished in mere moments. His soul was cleaved apart, destabilizing and began breaking down even as it was sucked into Pangu¡¯s hand. Unlike the others, Tian Hai¡¯s chances of reincarnating as significantly lower. His labour done, Pangu went on to his real task. His axe was raised high, its edge shone. Swirls of chaos clouds swirled into his axe producing a protrusion. Chaotic Sword Qi, named after the tool specialized in cutting for having the most lethal cutting power ever seen. This substance was something Pangu not only invented but also a master at using. With it, Pangu attacked the fabric of reality itself. Like a blacksmith beating their metal, Pangu cut into the Chaos Sea itself. His harvested Daos coursed forwards transforming into a golden orb. Seeing this, the resigned Pangu smiled. ¡°To hell with the Chaos Sea. Let me rewrite you!¡± Pangu declared. His aim was to change the Chaos Sea entirely. With his power, he desperately tried to force his desire into all creation. Was the plan crazy? Yes. Was it stupid? Yes. Did Pangu know? Yes. Will it actually work? No. Was he going to stop? No. Pangu used all his might. He began burning his ow Nascent Soul for power. He hung his life on the line for this one singular great deed. A deed that will change the fabric of reality as it knew it. In far of distance, a set of blue brothers turned their heads feeling something off with the Chaos Sea. A sleeping god deaf to the world did not notice, but a multi coloured serpent far away felt it too. But the most prolific person who not only felt but saw Pangu¡¯s actions was the original lifeforms. The primordial spirit and turned his gaze for the first time in aeons. ¡°Foolish,¡± he said before ignoring the world again. Pangu¡¯s actions grew desperate. The Chaos Sea was not easy to destroy, Pangu knew this. Even now, his body suffered backlash after backlash from the Chaos Sea¡¯s fabric¡¯s tear down. His own body tore apart as he relentlessly attacked. ¡°This shall be my greatest will. Pangu Manuel Final Art, Heavens Opening Slash!¡± He declared. He swing his axe harder then it had ever had before. He combined his Jade Disc and his lotus into his attack. An attack who finally broke through the fabric of the Chaos Sea. An attack that shattered his axe, broke apart his lotus, and heavily damaged his disc. ¡°I apologize old friend,¡± Pangu said weakly. The rift before him opened up to horrifying sounds. Pangu manifested his Dao and attempted to push it forwards. Along with the golden core in his hand he tried to fuse them into the Chaos Sea. If successful, he would rewrite the Chaos Sea into a new iteration to itself. A new world for which he would¡¯ve created. A mad suicidal yet dastardly beautiful move. This move meant to penetrate into Great Dao within the Chaos Sea. Ultimately though, it was foolish. Yet it was not an unexpected result. the rift spewed forth chaotic energies enveloping Pangu and his harvest. The void swallowed them whole along with the former civilization of the Chaos Godfiends. But afterwards, everything seemed to return to normal. The only difference was that now there was a new Chaos World forming. No. Rather then a Chaos World which had a limited lifespan, this could not be called that. This creation of Pangu was something else entirely. It had so much going on, so much chaos, so much powerful materials within that it was collapsing in on itself. The parts going in was simply too powerful, the natural course of events was a massive explosion expelling all the Daos, Pangu¡¯s damaged treasures, and the fragments of the Chaos Sea. Pangu had failed in his intended goal. But he had expected that for it was a suicide gamble to begin with. A great deed that could never had worked. Within the new Chaos World, spacetime was already collapsing. This new creation simply did not have the ability to withstand the pressure of its own weight. It flatted like a closing rift that was stretching horizontally while the space within minimalized. It would¡¯ve been a hopeless thing if not for Pangu. Pangu floated within the new collapsing Chaos World. He had shrunk from his previous immense size to a now comparatively normal human size. Space had also flattened with him to a now almost two dimensional plane. Pangu was dying, his attack caused him to suffer tremendous damage to the point where his death was assured. But he did not immediately die. His body, broken as it was was still functional. However given time he would waste away and perish, alone and unknown. Seeing this, Pangu stood back up. Space may be collapsing around him but he did not care. He raised his arm and grabbed hold of the Chaos World¡¯s roof. In his final moments, he refused to allow his work to go to waste. Hence Pangu steadied his feet and arms. Then he pushed up. And up. And up. And up. And up. And up. Pangu grew as he pushed. He separated the top(Heaven) from the bottom(Earth). He forced the two apart and thus facilitated the Chaos World¡¯s ability to start coming into being. Pangu continued to push upwards even as he felt himself breaking down, he forced himself to last just a little while longer. The Chaos World accepted Pangu¡¯s labour. His Dao along with the golden orb merged fully into the universe becoming its core. They helped stabilize things and his Dao began the process of creating life Below him, the land slowly formed. This Great Wilderness forming around his feet took in the the hairs and sweat that fell from Pangu¡¯s body. Each strand transformed into forests, each droplet into rivers. Eventually, the Great Wilderness consolidated into a single landmass broken down by barriers into five portions. Five continents connected by land, circular in nature and surrounded by four seas. Small islands floated at the furthest edges of Great Wilderness becoming poles. But as creation was processed, Pangu¡¯s Dao began spewing forth life. Innate creatures born as immortals. But they were not in true ownership of themselves, not Golden Immortal and their true souls inhabited the river of souls bound to Pangu¡¯s Chaos World. For many years, Pangu continued to grow, all the while living beings came into existence underneath his watchful eye. Yet it was not just innate creatures who were born. The hatred, the rage, the fury of the Chaos Godfiends. The manifestation of Pangu¡¯s ruthless actions had taken form as well. The black muck produced conglomerated into creatures around the world. Creatures who while powerful, were mindless and always hungry despite their immortality. These primordial beasts roamed the land even before the first innate creatures. When the first lifeforms appeared, theses beasts acted out their impulses. And thus, the great scourge of beasts hunting living beings began. Pangu was powerless. He could only watch as these beats consumed the newborn living beings. But ultimately, Pangu felt regret. He looked at himself, looked at the world around him, analyzed his current state and everything that led up to it. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of self loathing. But it was too late to change anything. Above Pangu¡¯s head, the Starry Skies formed as another dimension to complement the Great Wilderness. It was a vast world of stars floating submerged in near invisible starry water. It was separated only by the barrier that was a skybox of sorts that projected the Starry Skies to the Great Wilderness. And thus, eighteen thousand years past. The Chaos Godfiends decided to measure a Chaos Cycle as a hundred and twenty nine thousand six hundred years. Thus the time cycle of Pangu¡¯s Chaos World was the same hundred and twenty nine thousand six hundred years, a single yuanhui. Sadly, Pangu¡¯s physical form could only last for eighteen thousand. On the eighteen thousandth year, Pangu¡¯s form gave out. Since he died, the sky should logically crash into the earth restarted the destruction of this Chaos World. Yet this was not the end. As a final act of kindness, Pangu transformed his body into a mountain. A tall celestial construct that sprouted into the sky. Its peak touched upon the heavens themselves permanently acting as a pillar that kept heaven away from earth. Pangu had as a final gifted, transformed into the celestial mountain Mt Buzhou. Thus marked the true beginnings of the Primitive World. Chapter 1-First Birth of the Great Sea In the earliest periods of the Early Heavens Phase, in the time in which creation was still undergoing its due process. In a time when the Primitive World was still incomplete, in the very first yuanhui of history. Pangu had held up the sky for eighteen thousand years before his body gave out. His skin melted, disintegrating into the air leaving behind his skeleton. His cranial bones disappeared into the halfway point above the Great Wilderness and the Starry Skies. This left his spine which transformed into the colossal Mt Buzhou. A celestial mountain that towered over all other spiritual mountains. Whether it be Mt Yujing or Kunlun in the east, the mysterious volcano in the south, or Mt Sumeru in the west. None were comparable to Buzhou. It''s sheer presence was so massive that it transform the Central Continent from where it stood into a barren wasteland. The primordial qi that emitted out of Buzhou was simply too heavy. The pressure killed all vegetation and any life that had previously resided there. This left the Central Continent rich in qi but barren in everything else. Primordial qi was the archaic qi of the olden days, before it degraded into true qi of the Three Realms Latter Heaven phase. It was far more effective in cultivation and the production of living beings and xiantian spiritual treasures. As such, the Primitive World became ground for many such treasures coming into existence. Living beings, innate creatures also came into existence during this time. However, they were relatively weak and susceptible to being hunted by the vengeful primordial beasts. Safe to say it was not a pleasant time to be alive for living beings. Only one type of connate lifeforms were powerful enough to remain dominate. Though they did not appear when Pangu was still holding up the sky, after he disappeared from the world, they chose to finally reincarnate. When Pangu eliminated the Chaos Godfiends, he did not entirely destroy them. Though the vast majority could not withstand the pressure of Pangu''s actions and succumbed to death, a minority was able to hold on. Those powerful godfiends saved themselves and descended into the burgeoning world. Their forms and foundations were destroyed, but they already possessed the groundwork''s to restore themselves. By merging with parts of the land, they were able to transform themselves into native beings, reincarnating into powerful individuals. This was how the first generation of innate gods came about. They were not native deities, but the reincarnations of survive in Chaos Godfiends. Returning to the world as mere Golden Immortals, they were a far cry from their former selves. Their Daos fruits were lost, taken by the Primitive World to be used for its foundation. This drastically slowed down their recovery time. Though they still had their Daos, they had to recreate their Primal Unity, Cosmic Tree, and Dao fruit from scratch. It would be many ages before they could fully recover. Nevertheless, these Golden Immortals were still immensely powerful for this nascent universe. Their ability for destruction eclipsed even the strongest of primordial beasts and no innate creatures could compare to them. In this era, in the far corners of the east. Beyond the shores of the East Continent and into the relatively calm waters of the East Sea. A brilliant light fell from the heavens. The remnant soul of an archaic Chaos Godfiend. A water god who defiantly stood against Pangu till the bitter end and had his soul severed for it. This remnant soul remained part of his Dao fruit during the time when Pangu still lifted the sky. But when Pangu gave way for Mt Buzhou, his soul finally fell off the peak of Mt Buzhou. In a forty five degree angle, it rapidly descended towards the east most body of water in rapid speeds. It was a sight that many infant creatures witnessed. This even included some of the earliest innate gods. One of the godfiends who had transformed in the East Continent''s forests, an elderly looking man looked up curiously at the light comet making its way for the East Sea. This was Hongjun, a relatively unknown member of the Chaos Godfiend civilization despite being one of the supreme three thousand. "Hm? Who could that be?" He mumbled. Further south, a conglomerate of the five elements of fire, water, wood, metal, and earth formed into the vague shape of a person. Huoyun would''ve taken notice of the comet were he not currently focusing on creating a new body for himself. The only other innate god who had taken notice was another elderly man who was planning on entering the Starry Skies for cultivation. Yang Mei looked at the comet and raised an eyebrow. He had felt something familiar and debated wether he should investigate or try to hurry along his recovery. As for the East Sea? Its waters began swirling. One would think this ancient mystical body of water was bracing itself for impact from the descending soul remnant. But it wasn''t. In another direction, another much fainter light descended. It was unknown by anyone where this comet had come from. It was in comparison to the other comet, quite mundane. It was nearly invisible and barely felt like much of a living being at all. Never the less, these two comets were closing in on the East Sea. Wether by miracle or by predestined fate, their paths crossed. Above the skies of the East Sea, above where calm waters swirled into a whirlpool. In the sky where two lines traveling in opposing directions but towards the same destination. A collision occurred. The first sky born phenomena in history occurred. A wave of force emanated from the impact forcing the sky to be clear of clouds. The gathered energy of the explosion rocked the surface of the ocean itself kicking up a massive tsunami. Yet due to the isolated geographic location of the collision, no one noticed it. From the explosion, a tired single trail of light fell straight down. It splashed harmlessly into the sea, aimlessly floating towards the depths. From a distance, it had seem like this event was over. Yet that was not to be. As the light disappeared, the oceans stayed quiet for a thousand more years. Yet as this time passed over, the oceans suddenly changed. Calm waves started rioting violently. The clear skies were suddenly covered by dark ominous clouds which blanketing anything that may hint at the blue sky. Thunderous sounds threatened the ears of all things that heard it. From the sky, lightning jumped from cloud to cloud like dancing dragons sounding like chirping birds. The waters below swirled into whirlpools and tsunamis. The wind picked up violently, spinning into typhoons. Very quickly the East Sea transformed into the worse storm in the Primitive World''s history of storms ¡­ A few thousand years later, the East Sea was an ocean in chaos. A storm had been raging for decades now without any visible end. The tides rose and fell like the maws of a hungry beast. The waves constantly and violently crashed again teach other. In this roaring ancient body of water, something had happened. Near an island resting upon the violent waves, a horde of fish type primordial beasts had just been slain by a tribe of innate creatures. The innate creature tribe was a species of immortals resembling seagulls who had assumed human form. This was a sign of the high enlightenment beings who were born as innate creatures inherited from heaven and earth. Assaulted nearly from the first they they were born, they had weathered storms of beasts. Luckily, their ancestor named White Feathers had lead them to victory after victory eventually finding some shelter down on this island. Yet this was not the cause of the rough storm. These immortals were ultimately small figures. They too were fearful of the East Sea''s endless storms. Despite their patriarch growing power as a single crown Heavenly Immortal, they still felt unconfident. The world was still very young and they lacked good martial arts to use. Self creativity could only go so far and without guidance, even their esteemed patriarch could not claim superiority to all opponents. Luckily for them, primordial beasts were mindless. Easy to handle if one knew what they were doing. However, whatever is causing the storm is another story entirely. "White Feather," one of the gulls asked. "Yes?" "Should we flee? The storm is getting worse. Lightning has been striking the waters continuously for two years now." The patriarch of the seagulls looked at his subordinates with an expression that screamed, ''really?'' He gestured towards the rising waves, the heavy winds, the typhoons, the lightning, and the heavy downpour. "Feel free to fly out there," he said scoffing walking back into a cave. In the distance, thunder and lightning crackled through the sky. The rain accompanied them smashing ferociously into the roaring waves. The seagulls collectively gulped and accompanied their patriarch. Even though the weakest of the bunch were True Immortals, they would still be washed away by the waves and be roasted by the lightning. The lightning wasn''t even normal electricity, it was in actuality heavenly tribulation lightning. The same kind that only manifest when those who would later in history undergo the Immortal Tribulation instigate it or when a being of extremely negative karma was chosen to be punished. The clan of seagulls were not sure of what had occurred to the East Sea to make it so. The storm had at first been a good way to deter primordial beasts, but nowadays it had continuously gotten worse. In the distance, violent waves crashed against the island''s rocky shores kicking up water upsurges that rained down near the cave where the seagulls stayed. "Say lord patriarch, what do you think we should do? If the storm doesn''t let up in another hundred years, we may be stuck here for life." "Hm." "Curses, why is living so difficult? Why can''t things be easier?" "Shut it, things could be much worse. Didn''t you see what happened to the long necked beast tribe a couple centuries back?" The group kept on making small talk to past the time. Outside, the lightning ferociously struck the water in roaring attacks. It was as if the lightning was penetrating into the water itself and hitting something far below the waves. Absentmindedly, the sharp ears of the Heavenly Immortal patriarch perked up. He looked around but then dismissed it. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "What is it patriarch?" "Don''t know, sounded like hissing but it could just be the waves rushing into each other." "Hissing? Like the Elephant Swallower Serpents on the mainland?" "Kind of, yeah now that you mention it, it does sound somewhat like¡­" All the immortals quieted as a thunderous roar reached their ears. They quickly got up and felt a sharp sense of danger course through their bodies. The distinct aura of bitter malice hit their souls sending chills down their spines. "Damn these primordial beasts, don''t they ever let up? Can''t they see its a thunderstorm around here?" "Yeah its like they have no survival instincts at all." They quickly rushed outside knowing the primordial beast had likely smelled them, quickly exiting the cave, they caught sight of a titanic beast larger then any they''ve encountered before. Unlike previous beasts who were relative to themselves, this one who''d flown down was a behemoth. A winged serpent with spikes running down its body instead of scales. It was struck multiple times accidentally by lightning but never seemed to care even though it roared in pain. "Brace yourself, it smells us," the patriarch said. The snake was big enough to envelope half the island with its body along. It was easily five thousand meters in length with a head that was hundreds of meters in size. It was a threatening creature who''s roars blended in with the howling wind. Despite themselves, the seagulls chose to fly into battle. Using their experimental methods, they pelted the beast with their magic. Rudimentary manipulations of wind splattered all over the its body as if they were nothing by sand. The beast chased after them with bites forcing the seagulls to fly run away. They had to take on their true forms for the speed boost and subsequently attempted to claw the beast''s eye out. Yet it seemed like each time they tried, the primordial beast would swerve out of the way. It was much faster then they had anticipated. Its tail sailed through the sky smashing into the island with enough force to split the structure cleanly in half. "No! Our shelter," the patriarch released a screech. Reaching into himself he activated his innate ability and blasted the serpent with a geyser of scalding hot air. "Gah! Why won''t you burn?" The serpent beast hissed splitting out its forked tongue. It attack waved away the hot air blast before charging at the Heavenly Immortal. With few moments to spare, the seagull dived out of the way. Yet he was saddened to see the serpent suddenly change directions and swallow one of his fellow comrades whole. "No!" The battle continued on as the brute force of the beast proved itself too great. Despite attracting lightning every few moments, it was undeterred. The seagulls on the other hand had to avoid the lightning, fly through the tough wind, as well as deal with the serpent beast. They soon found themselves trapped within the eye of the storm while still being chased. A sudden realization that this may be the end of their short lives rang through their minds. Feelings of unwillingness emanated through their minds and they began fighting like madmen. But they themselves were merely lambs for the slaughter. White Feathers was the strongest member and even he could barely do anything to the serpent beast. His comrades who were comparatively much weaker, being mere True Immortals and Profound Immortals had little chance to stand up for themselves. Very soon, the serpent beast swallowed them one after the other. Its fangs bit them in half, its tail smashed them to bits, its tongue grasped them in strong binds before pulling them into its mouth. In the end, it left the patriarch of the seagulls as the sole survivor of its initial assault. In this moment, the lone immortal felt hopeless despair. The Primitive World was unkind to innate creatures. They were born as immortals yes, but what are immortals in a primeval world where beasts more powerful than them were abundant? Even a newly christened Heavenly Immortal was not safe. Their techniques were crude, their enlightenments were rudimentary. The control of Dao laws provided by the world they inhabit were fundamentally weak. As such, the primordial beasts of the era dominated them. The patriarch fell onto a the earth, a small section of land of the destroyed island. He was beaten, battered, and broken. His bleeding form was no longer capable of any continued fighting nor was he able to get away. The beast assaulting him seem to take sadistic glee in his current state. Its aura gave off pure negative emotions of hatred, contempt, and vengeance. He roared at the seagull''s form as if it took pride in humiliating him. "After all these years," the patriarch coughed out in spews of blood. "After so long of surviving. This is how it fucking ends? Food for this thing? Heaven, you birthed us. But what is the point of that if you condemn us to this hell? Creator god Pangu, why did you bring us into existence only to torture us so?" His desperate crying went unnoticed through the heavy thunderstorm. His voice wasn''t even legible by the serpent beast. If it did comprehend speech, the serpent wouldn''t even care. It opened its mouth and dived its head down for a bite. THOOM! The water ten thousand kilometres away from the location exploded upwards. The sudden surge of motion sent a massive way that engulfed the surrounding in a massive radius. Water was only water however, and this wave though heavy passed over the serpent and seagull beneath its shadow without harming them much. In an ironic twist of fate, the serpent was the one whose body protected the seagull from the force of the wave. Yet the immortal could only feel dread from what his divine sense picked up. Innately, connate lifeforms were born with inherent knowledge of their surroundings. An ability cultivators possessed was the divine sense, a sixth sense of sorts that allowed for the detection of spiritual energy. The seagull patriarch White Feather was no different. Primordial beasts on the other hand being mindless brutes were incapable of such. That was why White Feather felt him before he saw him. An utterly massive qi signature washed over his body. A titanic shadow bathed both him and the serpent in darkness. A harrowing roar that possessed so much power behind it that the ferocious winds and typhoons around them were all pushed away. It was deafening. The primordial beast drew its head back to gaze at what new prey had wandered into its hunt. Yet its eyes only met a straight wall of blue scale. It rose high into the high many tens of thousands of kilometres tall, easily dwarfing the serpent beast. The newcomer creature''s head was so large that the moment it bent down and its pale white eyes met the beast, it was clear the head alone could swallow the serpent in one bite. The newcomer was also a snake. A gigantic snake larger then anything the seagull had ever seen. His head was smooth and his fangs hidden within his lips. His eyes were a dull shade of white that indicated no consciousness behind the mind signifying the berserker nature of the snake. Behind his head was a mane of spongy yellow hair that danced across the sky. The seagull wondered if this was another primordial beast, it certainly looked like one. But he was clearly sensing primordial qi coming from the massive snake. It wasn''t a being of negative karma at all. It was in fact, reading quite similar to a connate lifeforms like himself. The only thing was, he was far too strong to be one. Far stronger then any innate creature the White Feather was familiar with. The snake had obviously taken notice of them for he opened his gaping mouth to a near one eighty degrees angle. His forked tongue wiggled in the air and complementary sets of fangs were revealed alongside rows of jagged teeth. His second roar was so strong that it blew away the primeval storm that has been tormenting the East Sea for years. For the first time, rain ceased and thunder silenced. Lightning was banished and typhoons were dismissed. The ocean screamed along with the snake. Its waves parted and drifted along, erupting into weird patterns of current. If one viewed the waters below, they''d notice that the way currents traveled was very chaotic. It was naturally clashing against each other in an emulation of war. But fortunately, White Feather could finally get a clear view of the yellow haired snake without the darkness of rain and clouds in his way. The snake''s neck reached down into the ocean below. But what was curious was that its body doesn''t seem to exist below the neck. In fact, the head and neck of the creature seem to be forming out of the ocean itself. It was like the seas had manifested an avatar to display its wrath. Yet the serpent beast roared anyway. Its mindless instincts registered the snake as a sinful enemy that needed to be purged. A corrupt existence brought about by the ruthless slaughter of thousands. It lunged for the snake like a frenzied animal. The result was as one would expect. The snake moved at light speed, far surpassing the primordial beast and White Feather. Faster then both could blink, his mouth had already swallowed the beast whole. "Fitting," the broken seagull said with sad smile. The snake tilted his head at the sound. Like any other mindless animal, he snarled at the seagull. But the immortal was already resigned to his fate. He didn''t bother getting to his feat, not even as the mouth of the snake closed in around him. In moments, he joined the primordial beast in death, his soul and body devoured entirely by the far more powerful snake. With both individuals dead, the snake roared. He twisted and thrashed violently above the surface of the ocean. His actions also had the consequence of kicking up multiple wild waves that traveled many kilometres high. He was like a chaotic incarnation of the ocean, untamed and violent. But he was also stationary and immovable. His scales at the base of the neck melted into the water and no matter how much he thrashed, he would not budge. And as the snake continued to react violently, a second explosion of water occurred not far away from it. From which, a second snake head with dead pale eyes rose up higher than the first. This head followed its ascend with a descent with his jaws open, right into the neck of the first head. Chapter 2-The Mindless Sea Monster CHOMP! CHOMP! SWISH! CHOMP! For another thousand years, a war broke out upon the surface of the East Sea. A titanic conflict no one had seen fit to interrupt. The aftershocks alone were enough to deter any would be curious explorers. Without failure, the East Sea constantly radiated rough waves, ferocious typhoons, and whirlpools that constantly harassed the entire ocean. Even the coastal areas surrounding mainland was barraged by an endless assault of waves. The source of which lay near the centre of the sea, in a place of water far beyond the reach of any lifeform. A battleground in which a multitude of snakes fought each other in a mindless violent fit. From the emergence of the first snake above the water, more had followed in his wake. Massive long necks connected to a ferocious serpentine face of blue scales. Pale eyes appearing almost dead, mindless and without conscious. The spongy yellow mane dancing atop their heads. They roared and they thrashed. They pounced and they bit. These snakes assaulted the first thing they saw which was conveniently each other. They ferociously attacked each other each time drawing blood and chewing off scales. They impaled each other with their fangs endlessly. Gnawed at each other¡¯s throats, impaled each other through the eyes, beheaded one another, strangled one another. Yet each time they seemed to do fatal damage, the heads would just regenerate. They would were always soggy, oozing with clear water that regenerated the heads. Even when entire heads were decapitated, they simply fell into the sea as a blob of water and more liquid will rise through the neck to form a new one. Hence, the brutal violence was endless. A total of six heads were currently fighting each other. All of them looked the exact same, like clones of the same being. They were both blind and deaf to the outside world seemingly only focused on tearing each other apart. But the commotion they were causing had not gone unnoticed. The large waves they spewed out, the typhoons, the aftershocks of their clash? People on the mainland had long noticed them for centuries. In the first yuanhui before the hundred and twenty nine thousand six hundred years limit was up, most individuals just assumed it was more primordial beasts causing a ruckus. After all, personal survival during this time was the most important aspect of living. This was why no one was really interested in finding out what the commotions were about. All except one type of living being. Innate gods, Golden Immortals born from heaven and earth. Born with full ownership over their true souls. This first wave of supreme beings were born wielding the apex of power available in the Primitive World. In fact, Golden Immortals were so powerful that even the strongest of Heavenly Immortals could never even hope to touch a hair of their body. Golden Immortals would be completely unbothered, wouldn¡¯t even notice their attempts. They were existences that belonged to completely different dimensions. Due to their power, these beings could afford live unbothered and lofty. They cared not for the safety of innate creatures nor the primordial beasts that haunt the land. To them, these factors may as well be annoying flees who occasionally wandered too close and needed to be swatted. In truth, Golden Immortals were never supposed to exist in a Chaos World. They were a type of being who should only be born within the Chaos Sea. For them to exist here is an anomaly in and of itself. But reality would often have surprises that break the norm. This first wave of innate gods was not in actuality, native to the Primitive World. While their bodies were born within it, their minds and souls had long existed prior. Out of the entirety of the Chaos Godfiend civilization, a number had survived Pangu¡¯s massacre. These survivors belonged to the tippy top, the three thousand venerated ones. A number of them managed to retain themselves and not be torn apart in the aftermath of the Heaven Opening Event which referred to Pangu¡¯s act of creation. They specifically waited until Pangu¡¯s presence had completely disappeared after eighteen thousand years before attempting to force their way back to life. Since Pangu ripped out their Dao fruits to create the core of the Primitive World, they lost full ownership over their Daos. This meant their progress would be capped at their previous peak and any theoretical breakthroughs to beyond would be impossible. However, they could use the connection to gain some benefits. In doing so, their incorporated their presence into the world by using the connection they already had with it through their Daos to their arrested Dao fruits. However, this was as far as it could go. Ultimately, the Primitive World utilized Pangu¡¯s own Dao as a foundation. Its power was so that the godfiends could never try anything malicious to the Primitive World even after Pangu was no longer around. Essentially, it created a clean slate for these godfiends to start again. Hence they transformed one by one in the years that followed. In the East continent, it was a bright and sunny day. A shadow had descended from the sky, specifically the Starry Skies. He had been reincarnated in the dimension just above the Great Wilderness and yet had chosen to descend to the Great Wilderness. This was Lu Ya, the Sun Demon God of the three thousand Chaos Godfiends. A master of Pure Yang Sun Fire which burned the hottest in the world with terrifyingly strong purifying abilities. This Golden Immortal was among the deadliest in combat. He was however not alone, accompanying him was an elderly man with an indifferent look to him. He wore his head in a tall pony tail and had a short beard. This was Great Immortal Yang Mei of the three thousand Chaos Godfiends. The two descended from the stars to the East Continent and were immediately taken aback by the storm in the East Sea. ¡°Hm?¡± Yang Mei was startled. ¡°It¡¯s still ongoing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Ya asked his companion. ¡°Oh? A thunderstorm? Its not so strange. Some of the stars are perpetually covered in them. Don¡¯t you have to bring gifts for that lass?¡± ¡°It was here before I ventured to the Starry Skies,¡± Yang Mei said nonchalantly. Lu Ya made a curious sound and looked eastwards. The two of them were floating gently in the sky as if gravity meant nothing to them. They emitted no aura nor did they register on anyone¡¯s senses and were they not visible to the naked eye, they might as well have not been present. ¡°Perhaps a fellow brother reincarnated. Its not that strange, I found Kunwu a while back in a similar storm,¡± Lu Ya suggested. ¡°Kunwu? If he made it then there¡¯s a larger chance Tian Hai made it as well.¡± Lu Ya made a face at Yang Mei¡¯s musing. ¡°Huoyun for sure would¡¯ve made it but I doubt Tian Hai would. That man is as unbalanced as it gets. All brawn and no br¡­¡± Suddenly, the Sun Demon God found it hard to breath. His eyes widened slightly and he witnessed Yang Mei glancing at him from the corner of his eye. The pressure on him felt bone chilling. ¡°Apologies,¡± Lu Ya hurriedly said. ¡°I do not mean to badmouth daoist Tian Hai.¡± ¡°Be careful what you say Lu Ya. I may consider you a friend, but Tian Hai is my brother,¡± Yang Mei threatened before taking his attention away from Lu Ya and walking away. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t are what I say any less true,¡¯ Lu Ya mentally added. He meekly followed after Yang Mei though he puffed up his chest to attempt to look like an equal. Appearances are important, even if no one is here to witness it. Yang Mei had made a decision to investigate the storm in the East Sea. His reasoning? Its related to water, Tian Hai had a Dao specialized in vicious aquatic abilities. Therefore it must be Tian Hai. The only other possibility was Si Hai but that godfiend had already made his debut a few centuries back in another part of the world. Quit loudly in fact, very difficult to miss. Lu Ya supposed he couldn¡¯t stop Yang Mei even if he wanted to. He still needed the godfiend¡¯s aid with some of his own difficulties other Qiankun, Yang Mei was the only one skilled enough in spacetime to help him retrieve his favoured treasure, the Sun Chakram. In exchange, he would help Yang Mei track down his old comrades. Yang Mei, Huoyun, and Tian Hai were fairly odd for how close knit they were. Very few godfiends formed friendships as loyal as that much less the arrogant and rowdy Tian Hai. Thinking about it more, Lu Yan ultimately relented to Yang Mei¡¯s lead. ¡°Yang Mei, I honestly do not know what you hope to accomplish in this storm. But I can tell you right now that I do not sense any strong leanings towards yang within it. Your brothers Huoyun and Tian Hai preferred the yang based form and associated themselves with it. I would be able to easily identify the male and female form but I can¡¯t tell in this case.¡± Yang Mei heard Lu Ya¡¯s words yet he ignored them completely. There were explanations for it, Chaos Lifeforms pre emergence and even some time afterwards do not really have a form that leaned towards either extremes of male or female. It was only when they began associating themselves with yin or yang do they begin transforming further. At this early stage of birth, innate gods likely hadn¡¯t completely come into full consciousness yet. As such Yang Mei disregarded Lu Ya¡¯s thoughts and traveled ahead. But most importantly, it was because Lu Ya was simply making up excuses to avoid the ferocious storm. ¡°Do not think your excuse can fool me you silver tongued brat. You¡¯re too far away to even come close to identifying that type of information. Now lets move, we¡¯ve wasted enough time,¡± Yang Mei began moving forward after finishing his speech. Though as they did so a murder of crow shaped primordial beasts neared their location. It seemed they saw the pair¡¯s outlines and followed along. They wore their bloodthirst upon their wingtips as they neared with open beaks. Lu Yan witnessed the approaching birds and sighed in annoyance. ¡°Again? Wether it is the Starry Skies or the Great Wilderness these things just don¡¯t know when to quit. You¡¯d think a Chaos Work made by an expert on Pangu¡¯s scale would have a better karmic sin filtering system.¡± ¡°Annoying as they may be, they are a product of our making,¡± Yang Mei retorted. ¡°Hmph, for rightful reasons.¡± Lu Ya made his move without Yang Mei¡¯s interference. He swiped his hand sideways at the crows. The flick of his wrist that accompanied the swipe ignited a wave of fire that spread through the air rapidly. The primordial beasts were too traveling too fast to make a u-turn to avoid Lu Ya¡¯s attack. Hence they flew into it with little self preservation in mind. Not to mention, the wave of fire also had a gravitational affect which subtlety sucked the beasts in. Lu Ya being an experienced expert utilized extremely hot yang based solar fire in his attack that reduced them to ashes. Yang Mei made no sound at the quick actions Lu Ya took. He had seen much better from his fellow godfiend. Lu Ya had just been playing around, these primordial beasts were never a danger to any of them to begin with. At the end of the day, they were just annoyances, nothing more. ¡°So many of them even after all these years,¡± Lu Ya mused. ¡°You¡¯d think the others would finally get around to clearing them out. What if Shenni taking charge of his old faction as I last heard.¡± ¡°Enough, primordial beasts are a problem for another day. Let¡¯s stop wasting time and go,¡± Yang Mei hurried the Sun Demon God, pulling him along in a platform of mist. They quickly flew off eastward making good progress along the way. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. At their current speed, they flew of hundreds more years through and endless barrage of ferocious wind and water. It was like the further they went in, the more violent the East Sea became. A characteristic that was very different from the other four relatively peaceful seas. The pair of godfiends were unharmed by the natural disasters. As Golden Immortals, they were impervious to most forms of damage the Primitive World could throw at them. As they neared the centre of the East Sea, they noticed the distinct lack of primordial beasts. Living ones at least for they did notice corpses floating in the waves. Each time they encountered them they made sure to incinerate them with disgust. While living beings at a sufficient cultivation level no longer experienced rot naturally even after death, primordial beasts still did. Primordial beasts however didn¡¯t rot quickly enough due to their high resilience. Hence the godfiends tend to disintegrate them having grown tired of seeing their race again and again for so many years. Eventually, they followed a trail of floating corpses all the way to a wild storm of typhoons. The distant sound of roaring wind and thunderous clashes were heard clearly by both individuals. A rather distinct sign of battle was visible from the aftershocks as well. That was also when the two saw the brutal battle between identical body less serpent heads. Thrashing about like maniacs, biting each other mindlessly, constantly finding new ways to stab each other with their fangs. It was a physical brawl that cased no less then a dozen harsh maimings in the seconds since the two arrived. ¡°What is this?¡± Lu Ya uttered in stupefied shock. ¡°A primordial beast of some sort?¡± ¡°No, it emits primordial qi. This is an immortal,¡± Yang Mei said with narrowed gaze. ¡°This presence is not unlike our own. A Golden Immortal¡­yet.¡± ¡°Incomplete,¡± Lu Ya finished for Yang Mei. ¡°Looks like you were wrong.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be. This feeling I¡¯m getting.¡± Before them, a snake carrying multiple bleeding wounds lunged for another snake. The target however swerved out of the way rising high into the air. Then it descended in a ferocious bite, piercing his fangs right into his would be attacker¡¯s neck. The blow drew red blood like essence that leaked from the wounds. The snake being bitten screeched weekly and the one biting swung his head around. His thrashing kicked up more waves, some of which made for Yang Mei. Yang Mei defended himself by pushing up his index finger. His action split the oncoming wave in have allowing it to bypass him before allowing it to merge back into one after passing him and Lu Ya. ¡°How brutal, reminds me of how desperate godfiends brawled,¡± Lu Ya made an observation after observing the killing. The snake had ripped the other¡¯s head off cleanly before dropping the head into the water. He was then assaulted by two more heads that just attacked him out of nowhere. Yang Mei observed all of this blankly. He was muttering things to himself with each observation made. His divine sense was analyzing the creatures down to the most minute detail. Through that, he could already identify that the presence of Tian Hai¡¯s remnant soul was here. Yet he remembered that Tian Hai while practicing a water based Dao, was aquatic and scaled. But he had never taken the form of a serpent ever. While this could just be a consequence of the Primitive World or Tian Hai¡¯s admittedly damaged soul, it was still a large change of pace. But Yang Mei also noticed the head being dropped melting into the sea. It dissolved into salty seawater that just broke apart. The headless neck was also began resembling an unstable mass of water swishing in the air. It was a puzzling sight for the immortal. As for Lu Ya¡¯s analysis. Now that he was closer and was able to witness the individual first hand, he felt its alignment leaned a lot closer to yang then anything else. He clicked his tongue but seeing as Yang Mei looked to have entered deep contemplation, Lu Ya chose to take the initiative. ¡°Fellow daoist, identify yourself!¡± Lu Ya spoke up towards the six heads that were too busy killing each other. ¡°Which fellow brother are you?¡± His words were heard loud and clear and one of the snakes turned his gaze. He instantly hissed at Lu Ya before exploding into an all out roar. The offensive action greatly displeased the Sun Demon God and his hands itched towards attacking the snake on reflex. ¡°What is the point of this? Can you not¡­¡± Lu Ya was stopped mid sentence as the head that roared at him was torn apart by its contemporaries. Other snakes who rose out of the ocean, three in total bit into the snake simultaneously. They ripped him apart releasing a gross amount of gore that fell out and quickly dissolved into seawater than returned to the sea. ¡°What the?¡± Lu Ya uttered feeling weirded out. It was rare but sometime infant innate gods are a little frazzled at birth. But this level of self violence was insane. Lu Ya could tell that the aura of a Golden Immortal belonged only to one source. This meant there was only one innate god in the water. The same aura came from all six of these heads meaning they were the same individual. The same individual who mindlessly attacked himself. THOOM! Below Lu Ya, the water exploded outwards as another head breached the surface. Lu Ya gazed down and witnessed in slow motion as another snake emerged from the waves. This one also looked identical to the first six he saw and was set in devouring the godfiend. ¡°Hmph,¡± Lu Ya snorted. It was clear this innate god was a hopeless case. He immediately unleashed an attack. Rings of orange light manifested below his person but above the snake. This was Lu Ya¡¯s unique Solar Cycle arts, his own magical martial arts which created from his understanding to his Dao of Extreme Yang. Though his Dao fruit was arrested and his ownership to his own Dao effectively lost, he was still capable of displaying many wonderful powers. His rings expanded and contracted to wrap around the snake¡¯s mouth. They exerted a heavy pressure on the snake¡¯s mouth and despite his thrashing, they bound him shut. ¡°Sixth art, Celestial Order Binds,¡± Lu Ya chanted. He lifted his right hand and pointed down. A spear of light manifested from his fingertips, quickly descending into a pillar of white hot flames. It scorched through the snake and into the ocean, all the way to the ocean floor. Tons of seawater evaporated on the spot having felt the powerful heat of the sun. The snake was incinerated leaving a huge pit in the middle of the ocean. Lu Ya¡¯s attack had the consequence of wiping out the other six heads in the blast. The pit he made could be measured with a fifty thousand kilometre radius. Yet Lu Ya was on edge. ¡®The Golden Immortal¡¯s presence is still here. No, its more accurate to say its been all around me this whole time,¡¯ he concluded looking at the rapidly moving sea. Water hadn¡¯t even finished sealing the pit when snake heads popped out of the sea again. One after another they swam from the sea uninjured as if nothing had happened. They were like a part of nature, just an extension of the East Sea it seemingly formed from. Now that Lu Ya looked at these snakes closely, he identified that their necks were essentially attached to the water surface. ¡°You¡¯re not even a complete being yet. Yet you¡¯re already trying to take physical form? But you clearly have no consciousness like a primordial beast. Oh this is confusing, what the heck are you?¡± Lu Ya demanded out of frustration. But Yang Mei rested his hand on the godfiend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°His presence, it is so familiar,¡± Yang Mei explained. ¡°But so different. I¡¯m not sure what is¡­just¡­Tian Hai is here I know it but¡­¡± Yang Mei appeared frazzled. He soundlessly pushed Lu Ya back as more heads manifested from the East Sea surface roaring. Seven complete heads all looking identical emerged roaring in a conjoined screech of fury. The sky warped with spatial tears as the snakes dragged their fangs across the air. The every movements threatened to generate typhoons and did create massive waves. Yet he never seemed aware of his actions. ¡°You are Tian Hai are you not? I am definitely not mistaken. That is his soul I see in you,¡± Yang Mei strolled forwards with a confused expression. The snakes seemed to react to that name and they all perked up simultaneously as they heard ¡®Tian Hai¡¯. This gave Yang Mei hope as he stepped closer attempting to reach out but Lu Ya shouted at him. ¡°Fellow daoist, beneath you!¡± Yang Mei however did not react was he was swallowed by an eighth head that emerged from beneath the waves. The sudden events stunned Lu Ya who grew furious. Without Yang Mei, he¡¯d be forced to track down Qiankun. Said godfiend was about as elusive as it could get. But Lu Ya did not need to make much of a fuss. As before he knew it, the eight head was suddenly decapitated from the base of the head. The head floated in space unassumingly as if unaware it was already dead. The top jaw was then torn from the bottom jaw and both halves were sucked into two black holes above and below a newly Yang Mei. ¡°So you really are just a beast,¡± concluded Yang Mei as he dusted himself off. ¡°Tian Hai, what has happened to you? Just what has infected you.¡± ¡°Infected?¡± Lu Ya asked having moved beside Yang Mei. ¡°Yes. When I was swallowed just now I sensed a second presence. Its very faint, almost non existent. But there¡¯s a second soul or something similar within this snake.¡± ¡°Is that even possible? Any complete living being only has one true soul and Tian Hai¡¯s had transformed into this just as you and I reincarnated.¡± ¡°Clearly something else is trying to invade. No matter, I¡¯ll cut it out myself,¡± Yang Mei spat. ¡°To reduce my brother into a mindless beast? You have made a grave mistake.¡± Yang Mei entered combat against the snakes. It would not be a pretty battle for the snakes. They were tacticsless, mindless, and behaved like a schizophrenic animal. They were no match if Yang Mei actually tried. Despite the snakes knowing somewhat Yang Mei was a danger, the seven heads were actually a bit more interested in fighting each other still. Even a newly regenerated eighth head chose to attack another of himself as his first course of action. Yang Mei saw this and felt sickened. He quickly formed a rope made of starlight and threw them towards the snakes. The rope split eight ways transforming into eight hoops. They all wrapped around the necks of the snakes tightly strangling them in Yang Mei¡¯s hands. In a second motion, Yang Mei pulled them all towards him. The heads screeched in unison and were yanked towards yang Mei. Yet after moving a distance, they became stuck. ¡°They¡¯ve reached the limit of how far their necks can stretch,¡± Lu Ya realized. ¡°His only half formed, still attached to the East Sea. Yang Mei you might as well be pulling the entire worth of water in this ocean up with you.¡± Yang Mei made a grimacing face. For all his strength, attempting what Lu Ya just said was very much impossible. But since the beast hadn¡¯t emerged completely, it was also next to impossible of ripping him out of the East Sea without killing him. ¡°Hmph. Lu Ya, can you try purifying him with your fire? Target the foreign presence as I¡¯ll describe to you,¡± Yang Mei ordered. Lu Ya felt grumbling rile up in his throat. Yet he shoved them down and chose to obey. Yang Mei had securely restrained the heads so Lu Ya approached them while listening to Yang Mei¡¯s descriptions. Thus he began generated a ball of heat in his hand. ¡°Radiant Sun Most High,¡± he chanted. The ball of heat in his hand was so hot and powerful that it seemed as if spacetime was distorting around Lu Ya. He quickly shoved it into the ocean and began burning through the infant innate god. The East Sea boiled as a result. Steam was released into the air creating a heavy smog. Lu Ya continued to burn for many days straight and equally in that time, steam continuously expanded from the centre of the ocean. As he did so, the snakes all screamed in pan and thrashed violently. Yet Yang Mei¡¯s hold over them were so strong that they could not budge one inch. But their cries were so sickening to hear that even both godfiends found it revolting. ¡°Lu Ya, how long do you plan on taking?¡± Yang Mei asked in frustration after three months. ¡°I am as sick of his screams as you. But I simply don¡¯t know. I¡¯m avoiding Tian Hai for sure. But the other presence isn¡¯t being harmed either, not without harming your brother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Its like they¡¯re bonded so tightly that they¡¯ve become one being,¡± Lu Ya reasoned. ¡°Nothing foreign or infectious is here. My flames can¡¯t do anything. Instead, its¡­its¡­wait a minute. It¡¯s only encouraging his growth? What? I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°GRRH!¡± Yang Mei gave the snake a glare. His hold over his rope tightened and in response, the snakes¡¯ necks started popping. CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! SPLASH! As four heads had their necks snapped, water below parted as a set of webbed forelimbs with an elongated index claw reached out of the water. They grabbed hold of the ocean surface as if it were a ledge and he a creature holding on for dear life. Yang Mei felt his breath quicken as the fifth snake head inched back. That head¡¯s pale milky white eyes med Yang Mei¡¯s own. But instead of the blank look he¡¯d gotten months prior, a small pupil contracted. A pupil Yang Mei was sure wasn¡¯t there before. ¡°Brother¡­Yang¡­Mei.¡± A weak voice whispered into Yang Mei¡¯s ear. A startling revelation that caused the godfiend to quickly release his ropes binding the snake. That was Tian Hai¡¯s voice, Yang Mei was sure of it. Yet he also felt a strong sense of doubt wallowing inside him. With the hold broken, the snake sank back into the water. This time, an upper chest had emerged showcasing what the heads were attached to. Below the waves, energy swirled in a whirlpool. They gathered into a forming skeleton and flesh that seem to stretch on below the surface for a huge distance. As this went on, the eight headed snake began slipping into the East Sea. It very easily drowned back into the waves as Yang Mei and Lu Ya watched in dismay. ¡°So our task here is accomplished? We can look for your other brother?¡± Lu Ya asked hopefully. ¡°Your task is accomplished,¡± Yang Mei sighed. ¡°Leave me. I still need to confirm.¡± ¡°Wait a minute fellow daoist. You can¡¯t be walking back on our deal right?¡± ¡°Here,¡± Yang Mei threw something at Lu Ya impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s one of my spacetime seeds. It can grow a bayberry plant that¡¯ll tear hole through whatever barrier you find your treasure in. Just leave me be.¡± Lu Ya nodded and graciously accepted the seed. Seeing Yang Mei no longer wishing for his companionship, he quickly fled the scene. Let Yang Mei despair over his problems, he¡¯s got more important things to take care of. Meanwhile, beneath the East Sea. A massive eight headed snake was slowly completing his full manifestation. Chapter 3-Second Birth of the Great Sea Floating. Drifting. Existing. Thinking. Aimless. ¡®I don¡¯t know how long I drifted. All remembered was. Huh, I remember alot of things actually. Tall blocky towers with clear square holes in them, four wheeled metal boxes, devices. Wait but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve always been underwater.¡¯ It¡¯s odd, it feels as if I am living in an illusion. An mirage world that allowed me to experience another world full of events. Like that Heartfelt Dream World technique Shangxia liked to pull. Shangxia? Where have I heard. No I definitely know the guy.¡¯ Yes, yes, I was in the Chaos Sea before being reborn here. I was¡­I was¡­was. Hm, its a bit hard to remember clearly. I think I was fighting. Yes I loved combat, the improvements to my Dao it brought me and the victories I reveled in.¡¯ Hm, those were good times. Me drifting in the sea letting my mind go to rest. This way I can cultivate in peace and be unbothered by everyone else. I¡¯m sure when I emerge at a sufficient realm, I¡¯d be able to safely wrestle away powerful treasures from the competition.¡¯ Hm? Oh yes, yes this is great. Actually this is fantastic even. I have reincarnated into the Primitive World of Chinese mythology. How do I know this? Well its cause I sensed it all around me that¡¯s how. Well actually its cause I briefly saw Pangu as I was being reborn. Oh the opportunities are endless. I¡¯m practically salivating.¡¯ Huh? What was that? Oh yes treasures, gods, immortals, demons, devils. Crap it sounds really terrifying. This place is a brutal universe where the strong eat the weak. So all the more reason for me to hunker down with some strong treasures so I can defend myself.¡¯ But actually, most of these immortals would just be new born cavemen. As a person of the twenty first century, my compulsory education would realistically mean he was more intelligent then anyone he would run across.¡¯ Then I can assert my superiority by defeating them in combat, eating their hearts in front of their faces before letting them go in shame. I¡¯ll finally prove my Dao once and for all as the infinite oncoming ocean that tramples all beneath my wake. I can see the potential, I¡¯ll rip out by Dao fruit from the thief¡¯s Chaos World and finally cultivate the Wuji principle!¡¯ Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!¡¯ Nothing can stand in my way when I finally dominate the godfiends. I¡¯ll be the one to dethrone old man Destiny Demon God and find out what happened to Ancestor Taichu. And in the end I¡¯ll be the sole winner, not the Three Pure Ones, not the Jade Emperor, and most certainly not Hongjun. Most importantly, I need to hide and not go out for as long a possible.¡¯ Because the Primitive World is extremely dangerous. I should just discretely loot battlegrounds and wait for others to come to me. When the dragons arrive, I should loot them after their whole sinful war tribulation business. That way I can stay safe and untouched.¡¯ An unidentifiable amount of time past. The celestial being dreaming up these thoughts lay floating beneath the waves for a very long time. The result of a cataclysmic collision, the infant god representative of the East Sea unconsciously yet continuously stockpiled power for his emergence. He was one with the sea but to come into existence, he must leave his place of origin behind and become his own person. Yet was he even that to begin with? Nothing he was dreaming of belonged to him, not even his thoughts. Mere injections of experiences of his origins. His thoughts were rapid and transitioned from one extreme to another. His mind was a place of chaos and ultimately, a very weak one. Susceptible to influences of stronger wills. Because the reality was that this new consciousness was at the very bottom of the ocean, far in a way cut off from the forefront. A simple byproduct of greater senses of selves that collided, irrelevant and out of mind. A collision that resulted in a number of anomalies. A being that should not have existed, a being who pushed into emergence despite not being ready. A snake who was so torn inside that it couldn¡¯t even recognize what is what. Two fundamentally opposing consciousness who wished to reincarnate. The end product? They/he pushed through in a desperate attempt to get out. To detach from the sea and become his own being. To become the innate god he were meant to be. The surges of these minds only hurried along this desire. To defeat the other and finally secure his place in the real world. The same creature identified himself as his own enemy and thus began a grudge match that perfectly reflected the inner turmoil of the multi headed serpent. Biting. Tearing. Stabbing. The snake heads who emerged to do battle could not truly be considered alive. Just the first step into the world of reality from the womb of conception. Immortal and unkillable, they were simply a extension of the ocean in which the innate god was attached to. A projection. A war of the mind became a war in the physical world. The arrogance of man and godfiend personified into a struggle for control and dominance that had the consequential affect of an all encompassing storm. A result of a mindless beast easily mistaken for primordial beasts were it not for its energy signature and lack of karmic sin. An number of years later, two godfiends arrived to a scene of struggling violence. A short scuffle ensued in which the snakes were stopped and captured. While one left soon afterwards, the other remained behind out of a desperate hope born from recognition. Because the godfiend who fell from heaven to become the innate god was Tian Hai. However, it would seem fate had other plans. Lu Ya¡¯s attempt to burn out the other mind had not worked. Tian Hai and the other guy had become bonded on a fundamental level. They were less so two beings but more so a singular being with two distinct sense of selves. Attacking one meant attacking both, weakening both. But from a Golden Immortal¡¯s senses, all this conflict registered as weird unintelligible garbles. Yang Mei could not tell for sure what was going on after Lu Ya left. The snake had fallen into unconsciousness finally sinking into the sea. Miraculously, its emergence had not halted. Instead, it accelerated. The heads and upper body were present but everything below was just flowing water. But as time goes on, water condensed alongside the natural elements from heaven and earth. The Wuxing Five Elements emerged as streams of invisible primordial energies that brought matter to form a colossal beast. Bones, arteries, tissue, muscle, organs formed one after the other. As time went on, a creature fully manifested into completion. Eight heads connected to a single body. Six limbs around its torso with the front claws superficially having an elongated sickle like claw. The tail was long and possessed a fin at the end, it swished in the water dragging the long mass of the appendage behind it. The memories of the worlds that was blazed through his mind like a dream. Chaos Sea and Earth, two radically different settings inhabited by radically different values. Yet the only solid thought that passed through the innate god¡¯s mind were despairing voices. Voices that decried him, raged and languished in despair. Regretful messages and entitled demands also came to mind. Yet all were pushed down, diminished until they became naught but echoes of distant memories within the mind. Yet the snake did not open his eyes. He made no announcements as to his identity, no cry of attention, no anything expect peaceful slumber. Drifting about far away from where worldly events took place, he was like a distant object far out of someone¡¯s reach even if they could tangibly see it. To Yang Mei who was eyeing the snake from the surface, this became irritating. The eight headed innate god seemed content to be sleeping. Or perhaps he was gathering his thoughts and waiting for an appropriate time. After all, he could just be meditating. ¡°No he¡¯s definitely sleeping,¡± Yang Mei said after a single second of observation. After all, who can miss the peaceful snoring? This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Tian Hai! Wake up,¡± Yang Mei demanded. ¡°It has been too long since you were struck down. We have much to catch up on.¡± Though his message appeared sensible and familiar, his tone had a sense of unease to it. Yang Mei was not truly sure of himself at this moment. But he held on to hope that Tian Hai was still alive and well. Them three, Yang Mei, Huoyun, and Tian Hai had all known each other for a very long time. They had each aided the other in the pursuit of the Dao as companions. They were brothers in all but blood and Tian Hai¡¯s wellbeing was very important to Yang Mei. Yet Tian Hai was always the weakest of the group despite being the most prone to being triggered. He was volatile and violent, a true tyrannical storm god who was willing to even fight Chaos Demon Ape. But the fact of the matter remained. Yang Mei will not leave until he had confirmation. Growing annoyed that the serpent had seemingly not heard him. He raised his hand and closed it into a fist. Water currents reversed with his actions and a pulling force caught onto the snake. Yang Mei was not large, he was only one point eight meters tall. Practically a spec of dust before the gargantuan eight headed sea snake. Yet of the two, Yang Mei felt like the larger figure and not by a small margin either. In moments, the surface parted and a sleeping snake was ripped out of the sea with gusto. Now that he had a clear look at the innate god, Yang Mei frowned displeased. Reincarnated godfiends all resembled their previous lives. Tian Hai despite possessing aquatic features, for certain did not look like a snake. But the energy he felt from the snake was so familiar that it was a one to one compared to Tian Hai. It can¡¯t be a coincidence right? ¡°Tian Hai, can you hear me? Wake up it is Yang Mei,¡± the immortal announced. This time his voice injected itself into the snake¡¯s eardrums. It was impossible for him to have not heard Yang Mei. Yang Mei represented a titan of strength. Diminished as he may be, but he was once a Chaos Immortal at the Primal Zenith stage. Even now as a Golden Immortal, his presence can only be described as great. His aura bore down upon the the ocean and the eight headed snake like a monsoon. His qi felt like the swirling collision of spatial anomalies. If Yang Mei was not forcibly suppressing it, he too would generate a storm of cosmic phenomena simply by walking. Yet Yang Mei¡¯s voice towards the snake had shaken the creature. Functionally, they were beings of the same realm as Golden Immortals. Yet Yang Mei was far more powerful. Ultimately, simple words were enough to force the serpent awake. His first sight into the Primitive World¡¯s Great Wilderness was the sight of a clear blue sky meeting reflective seawater. His second sight saw from eight directions the presence of Yang Mei. His first reaction was panic. Like an animal cornered, the snake innate god reacted upon instinct. He breathed out a geyser of water by reflex and attempted to wrestle his way free. His mind was a bit scattered from the sudden force, but he knew enough that he wanted to get away. ¡®Run.¡¯ ¡®Flee.¡¯ ¡®I am no match¡¯ ¡®Kill this fucker.¡¯ ¡®My life is most important.¡¯ ¡®I must seek out a defensive treasure to survive.¡¯ ¡®I must teach him a lesson for daring to obscure me.¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ The snake¡¯s eight sets of pupils all contracted as his awareness returned to him. Sleep had dulled his senses previously but in moments, he had begun to regain clarity. Yet almost as soon as that happened, Yang Mei was already upon him. A spherical cage resembling a bubble subtly manifested around the two of them. Space was locked down and from the snake¡¯s point of view, distance seemed to stretch on indefinitely between the barrier despite appearing to share the same geological location. He didn¡¯t know what was going on in this strange new magical world. He was greatly terrified of the meaning behind this actions and what it means for his personal safety. Yet at the same time he identified this as special locking and the formation of a new dimension imposed upon the Great Wilderness. A means to trap others. ¡°Tian Hai I want to know,¡± Yang Mei said steadily yet his face was devoid of any visible reaction. He was like a stone statue in how expressive he was. ¡°Tian Hai is it really you? Are you my brother?¡± ¡°Senior,¡± the snake said. ¡°I don¡¯t really. Ah¡­GRRh!¡± The snake heads swished through the sky in pain. His claws were brought up to hold his own heads which bent down in a position not dissimilar to a person holding their heads after experiencing a headache. ¡°You¡¯re¡­Yang Mei?¡± The snake narrowed his eyes in recognition. ¡°Yes I know you?¡± He almost questioned. Wether this was aimed at Yang Mei or at himself was unclear. Not even he knew for certain. Because Yang Mei was a person very familiar to him. Some spots were blurry but the vast majority of his friendship and brotherhood with the godfiend was easily recognizable. ¡°Brother¡­Yang¡­Mei,¡± the eight heads echoed slowly tasting each word upon their lips. His voice did not sound like hissing at all, nor was it booming. In fact, it sounded rather young. Yang Mei starred into the snake¡¯s eyes for a time. He could see the recognition in their eyes. But he could also identify the feeling that this was their first time meeting. It stirred a bunch of complex emotions from the aged godfiend. So much so that he was unsure how to proceed. ¡°Yang Mei¡­Yang Mei¡­Yang Mei,¡± the serpent muttered over and over again as more and more clarity emerged from deep within his psyche. He lifted multiple heads up to stare at Yang Mei each with gazes of recognition and questions. ¡°Th¡­that¡¯s right. My brother Yang Mei who joined Huoyun and I during the broken cauldron scramble incident. You aided us and became family for so many yuanhui,¡± the snake said in realization. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right I do know you!¡± ¡°Thank you for waking me up! Truly thank you big brother. I was trapped in darkness for so long and¡­¡± he continued rambling words of gratitude and thanks. However Yang Mei was only half listening. Yang Mei starred questioningly at the snake in silence. ¡®Wrong. This is so wrong,¡¯ he concluded in his mind. Tian Hai would never react like this. He should know, he¡¯d been with the man through thick and thin for countless years. Tian Hai was more likely to puff his chest out and proclaim, ¡°I was fine before.¡± Then he¡¯d deck Yang Mei for strangling him with the ropes. Finally he would embrace him for their reunion before proclaiming they should retrieve Huoyun and adventure again. In addition to the strange anomalies leading up to this point. Yang Mei could only come to a single conclusion. ¡®Tian Hai. Yes my name is Tian Hai? Yes that¡¯s definitely right?¡¯ The snake¡¯s own thoughts coincided with Yang Mei¡¯s movements. Yet contrary to expectations, Yang Mei appeared anything but friendly. In fact the air around him was rather hostile, something the snake picked up on with surprising speed. This was when the serpent showed his true colours. Feelings of fear and panic erupted from within his heart. His pupils constricted and his heads jerked backwards. This only alienated Yang Mei more and his face darkened. His look frightened the innate god and all eight heads flinched as Yang Mei approached. This only induced a sigh from Yang Mei who shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Such skittishness is unbecoming of an innate god much less you Tian Hai¡­no,¡± Yang Mei paused mentally kicking himself for his slip of the tongue. ¡°No, you are just remnant.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The serpent was startled. ¡°What does big brother mean. I am Tian Hai, I remember my name and bi¡­birth. I remember you and Huoyun!¡± His voice was higher pitched and contained plenty of uncertainty. More factors that alienated him from Yang Mei. The mention of his own name being Tian Hai in fact served to enrage the godfiend. Yang Mei¡¯s power erupted in a crushing motion but for an instant. But that instant was enough to pressure the snake in a thick veil of force. The snake felt crushed and plummeted into the ocean struggling to move. He felt despair and abject fear at Yang Mei¡¯s sheer power. Logically speaking, he knew he was in a cultivation realm on par with Yang Mei. He should have the raw power to resist. Yet he find himself frozen unable to retaliate. Even after Yang Me calmed down suppressed his power, the serpentine innate god was still paralyzed. A look of utter scorn flashed through Yang Mei. He felt personally humiliated on his brother¡¯s behalf. ¡°Do not call yourself Tian Hai. You are just stranger. You and I have nothing to do with each other,¡± Yang Mei spat descending to meet the snake at eye level. ¡°You sully Tian Hai¡¯s legacy with your existence. Do not ever dare claim relation to him!¡± Feeling Yang Mei¡¯s presence up close, the snake felt betrayed. Yet that was overwhelmed largely by his fear towards Yang Mei. It was comical how much smaller Yang Mei was in comparison to the planet sized eight headed snake. Yet reality could not be denied, the innate god cowered before Yang Mei. ¡°I¡­I understand,¡± he stammered out. Yang Mei sighed again and turned around. He couldn¡¯t even spare one look at the snake and walked away. In his march, he wasn¡¯t shy about shedding a few tears of his own. It only made the snake feel terrible yet he could not find it in himself to speak out. ¡®But that name is the only one I know. I¡­he does not have the right to decide my name. I am the destined one! I reincarnated into this world and I swear to reign supreme above all gods! Huh?¡¯ The snake swerved from side to side feeling a bit strange. In his absentmindedness, Yang Mei had already long disappeared. ¡°What was that? What came over me?¡± He muttered. Left alone in an isolated ocean, the snake felt extremely lost. The East Sea was empty, largely devoid of life. The snake didn¡¯t know how he knew but the world was still very young in its creation phase. The Earlier Heavens phase of the Primitive World had yet to be completed and living beings were scarce in the first place. But connate spawned xiantian spiritual treasures should already be abundant. Suddenly, greedy thoughts crossed into his mind as soon as he thought about it. Greed and use for wealth filled the serpent at breakneck pace. For some reason he knew he must hurry and gather up as much as he can. Yet he had no idea where he would even start which caused his confusion to return. This caused him to look westwards towards the direction of mainland. Wordlessly, he decided to follow in that direction. After all, what else could he do? Chapter 4-Tian Hai Distance within the Primitive World¡¯s Great Wilderness was vast. The East Sea alone stretched on for billions upon billions of kilometres. As such, travel between anywhere took a long amount of time, even if they¡¯re not fully aware of it. The eight headed serpent cut a path across the ocean on his own for thousands of years. Three thousand and forty years was how long had passed since his meeting with Yang Mei. Over three thousand empty years where the innate god continuously swam through endless water. Despite his great power as a Golden Immortal, the world was simply too vast to cross that easily. During his long journey, he witnessed the movements of the water calm down from its previously rough state. The sky overhead returned to a tranquil blue and aside from currents created by himself, the East Sea became peaceful again. Occasionally he would see forests of undersea plants and plains of sea grass beneath the ocean. Yet aside from some interesting rock formations, the East Sea was devoid of any and all life. The snake found himself curious as to what was the current situation of the world for it to be so barren of life. Perhaps it was just the sea and mainland was a different story. But in his mind, he was also a bit torn on two separate opinions regarding this fact. A half, a quieter side dismissed lifeforms as a waste of time. But this voice was fading more and more as time went on. A larger louder voice was screaming how they were worthless for now and only treasures mattered. But they had the potential to be a good resource when the right species come. However the sea serpent had little knowledge of such matters. Each time these thoughts came up he just found himself receiving more headaches. Frankly it was annoying. Time past quickly however. To an immortal creatures who was immune to age, even tens of thousands of years could pass without them noticing. What was a mere three thousand? Wether he was consciously aware of it or not, the snake¡¯s perception of time is far more warped then a mortal beings would be. Eventually, his journey came to a stop and eight great heads rose out of the waves. There no less then eighty kilometres away from him was a beach. A shoreline leading to the greater East Continent. All eight serpentine faces gasped in amazement. The sight of the sandy beach, the hilly grounds beyond and what looked like a forest beyond even that. There was a mountain range an even greater distance away and the serpent could only see the shadow of it. All these sights was completely new and fresh to his young eyes. ¡°Amazing, so pretty,¡± he muttered. His leftmost head however scoffed. But this went without much notice and even said scoffing head seemed to have forgotten in mere moments. The innate god swam closer to shore until he could begin dragging himself out of the sea. His titanic bulk eclipsed the size of the beach and in moments he had already crossed the sandy distance into the hills. His tail was not even out of the water yet his head could already stretch into the edges of the forest. The heads all took in large breaths of air and released organismic cries. The primordial qi in the air was so rich that it was euphoric. It was superior than the open air of the East Ocean and comparable to the deeper layers of the ocean. ¡®Perhaps the quality of qi is reversed as how it is in the East Sea?¡¯ The snake wondered. If qi was rich on the surface, was it less so below ground. It made sense to him as the East Sea was richest in qi quality at the bottom of the ocean. ¡°Marvelous, simply marvelous. The primrodial qi of ancient days is far superior than the true qi of later generations. Hm?¡± The snake twitched after making the statement. He looked at himself and his own heads oddly. Shrugging off the odd experience, the snake used his limbs to trek on land to continue his journey. The novelty of walking rather then swimming felt good to him. It sparked a childish wanderlust that nearly eclipsed the greed for treasures. Yet some feelings were too strong to ignore. It was both logical to seek defensive armaments yet also illogical in how greedy he suddenly felt. Both feelings that came and went in flashes so quick that the snake barely noticed his own mood swings. The rest of the days he spent on land was spent wandering aimlessly. The snake did not truly care where he went, just as long as he kept moving. So far, he had yet to encounter any other living beings. But on the twentieth day of landing, the snake who had passed through the forest encountered another creature for the first time in thousands of years. Arriving out of the forest, the snake had encountered very little in the way of unique objects. He encountered a few special spiritual herbs which he stored away in his own pocket dimension. The innate spiritual inheritance and knowledge of beings born as Golden Immortals were not to be underestimated. His instincts guided him into creating it and he was able to do so after a minute of trying. Now that he was through, the mountains in the distance appeared quite interesting. But the snake stopped his march suddenly. ¡°Hm?¡± His heads perked up as soon as the noise of footsteps reached his ears. At once, his eight heads jerked towards the direction of the sound which was closing in fast. The footsteps were large and heavy from what he could gather. They were also rapid and caused small tremors in the ground. Instincts told him to prepare to retaliate. But nothing ever came. The serpent waited, and waited, and waited some more. Yet for whatever reason it seemed no creature ever reached him ¡°Was I mistaken?¡± He muttered aloud. Yet he could also tell something was wrong. He didn¡¯t quite know how he knew, but perhaps if he were to use his divine sense. The snake closed his eyes and began pulling on the knowledge to detect spiritual energy. As a Golden Immortal, his divine sense was far stronger then regular True, Profound and even Heavenly Immortals. He was capable of identifying the intricacies of karmic ties, unique energy signatures, and disguised transformations. Though his foe never gave him the time. One of his heads on the right jerked as a large mass bore down upon its neck. This caused a violent knee jerk reaction from the other heads who flinched away as a pale mass suddenly appeared from the sky. In the quick sequence of events, the snake thrashed around with the creature attached to his body. It was the same kind of reaction if a small monkey suddenly jumped on top of a human from out of nowhere. He was both startled and felt terrified. His claws could not reach that far up his neck and no matter how much he thrashed the creature wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡®What do I do? What do I do? I¡¯m just a nor¡­nor¡­get off me!¡¯ The snake grew enraged by the audacity of the creature. One of his heads roared and rammed into the beast¡¯s body flinging it off of his neck. With the creature off of him, he could see his scales were still pristine aside from droplets of saliva that coated it. Otherwise, the creature had failed to puncture his body and he was perfectly uninjured. ¡°What was that?¡± The innate god felt a little disturbed. He turned his head to focus on what had attacked him. The pale mass that got onto its feet was disturbing to look at. It had no eyes, just a face with a circular jaw and rows of created teeth like a leech. Its ski was a pale white colour with plenty of short wrinkly worm like appendages covering its body like hairs. It had two thick legs and no arms. But the most crucial detail were the large wings. ¡®It flew,¡¯ the snake immortal realized. The day did get quite windy but he never expected it would be from the beating of wings. ¡®The Primitive World really is full of hidden dangers.¡¯ ¡®Hm. I should destroy it now. Blast it with a concentrated laser. Or if it comes close I¡¯ll tear it apart. Then I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll¡­I¡­ But I should flee first, who knows if it has any special abilities. I cannot be distracted by side quests. Who knows what hidden dragon is just prowling around waiting to carve my body far parts¡­¡¯ The creature, a primordial beast born of sin leapt into the innate god using its full weight to wrestle against the serpent. Thoughts constantly flip flopping led to indecision of utmost degree, the serpent toppled to the ground with a gasp. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. A normal person would be panicking of an animal just pounced on them. The serpent surpassingly wasn¡¯t different. The sudden shift in his mind caused him to be unable to retaliate. The beast continuously tried to bite into the innate god attempting to devour him. Yet each bite failed to even penetrate his scales. Yet the beast continued anyway as if it hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡®Oh god! What the hells is this thing?¡¯ ¡®What a pungent smell.¡¯ ¡°Get off me!¡± The snake snapped after finding his footing. His movements suddenly shifted. Whereas before he had an awkwardness to him, suddenly his movements became raw. He was almost animalistic as his heads snapped forwards ripping into the primordial beast. The creature of karmic sin screeched as it was ripped off of the serpent and dragged into the ground. The fangs of the snake heads treated the beast¡¯s flesh as if they were butter being cut by a hot knife. They easily sank in and tore out chunks of flesh. With seeming ease, the primordial beast that had bothered the innate goof of the East Sea so much was suddenly dead. Its remains lay in over thirteen different pieces scattered across the immediate vicinity. What¡¯s more, its flesh released a pungent odor that flowed into the air like black smoke. ¡°Karmic sin,¡± the snake said in recognition. ¡°This feeling. Rage, grief, despair, sorrow, the swearing of vengeance.¡± ¡°Chaos Godfiends. My brothers,¡± the he murmured in solemn. ¡°Yang Mei why did you say such things to me? I am a godfiend just as you are even now.¡± For a moment, he stood silent. Then he began moving again. No sooner was he doing so, he left the events of yesterday behind and wandered off to focus on admiring the beautiful scenery. He neither acknowledged how fast he got over his attack nor did he seem bothered about it. Rather, it was accurate to say it had been sort of a trance. ¡­ Decades passed as the serpent wandered across the East Continent aimlessly. His pace was slow and leisurely. Time passed quickly for the snake who had little goals and only focused on sightseeing. Though the hunger for good treasures remained, he had found nothing of the sort. During this time, he had witnessed more primordial beasts whose sent he now recognized. He fled always wary of anymore confrontations with the abominable creatures. He did not understand them nor did he have any wish to. He¡¯d prefer if they¡¯d just leave him alone. He was the epitome of the phrase, ¡®carefree immortal¡¯. But after sixty one years of trudging along an endless journey, he encountered living beings for the first time. The meeting took place unexpectedly. The snake was clawing his way past a mountain that was at least five the the size of his own body. His heads slithered around the ranges while his main body continued to find footholds to cross. Spiritual mountains were not rare, in fact they were very common. They were natural gathering spots for large amounts of primordial qi and hence made great basses of operation. But not all mountains were made equal and the mountains the serpentine innate god encountered were sub par at best. ¡°Heavens, its another of those beasts!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Through the mountains, one of the heads made it past a gap and into a valley. It was an area conveniently hidden by a veil of mist that did not register as a natural phenomena. But the valley was a place filled with lush plant life and constructed shelters. ¡®People? Society?¡¯ The snake thought. But the people present were anything but pleased. There weren¡¯t many of them, just a gathering of around a hundred individuals. But here people were all of fairly high cultivation. Even the weakest of them were Profound Immortals while a majority were Heavenly Immortals. These beings were all first generation innate creatures. Connate lifeforms born from heaven and earth. But unlike the innate gods, they did not posses full ownerships of their true souls. They had yet to transcend into the Golden Immortal realm and were still bound to a finite lifespan. These beings were all refugees. Fleeing immortals from various clans of living beings who¡¯d survived the constant attacks of primordial beasts and eventually found their way to the East Continent. Here they lived in a place which allowed for some semblance of peace. ¡°A primordial beast has found us. Quick, signal the others!¡± One man called out. The serpent with one look identified him as a transformed fish with feathery wings. He absentmindedly wondered how they could assume these smaller humanoid forms. In his head, he managed to recall them being known as Dao bodies. They were a natural transformation of celestial beings who had become enlightened to mystical knowledge. As one advances in their Dao comprehension, this transformation becomes more and more stable. It was essentially one representation of attainment into the Dao. ¡®They look like¡­look like humans with that form,¡¯ the innate god pondered before narrowing his gaze. ¡®Humans. Wait what am I thinking of? How do I know this? Did I¡­did I cross over from the twenty first century?¡¯ Questions he had in his mind were answered with a barrage of attacks. The immortals living in the valley regarded him as a primordial beast due to his enormous size and monstrous appearance as well as the tremendous amounts of power rolling off his body. They were all frightened by him. A barrage of crude qi energy struck him across his face causing him to close his eyes at the bright light. His head flinched back and grunted retreating back. ¡°Did we get him?¡± One of the immortals, a man whose true form was that of a hairy monkey asked. ¡°No Hou Pi, we barely did anything,¡± the one who answered was a beautiful woman who had nine swishing tails behind her. She was the leader of this bunch of ragtag immortals named Hu Lingji. She narrowed her eyes as the snake turned his back back down towards them. ¡°Stop this at once,¡± he said. ¡°I mean you all no harm.¡± ¡®You pieces of trash.¡¯ Yet despite their attack, the innate god was unharmed and merely spoke back with concealed annoyance. It was clear from his voice alone that he was not a primordial beast. Primordial beasts were exactly that, beasts. They had incredibly tough bodies and sometimes weird supernatural abilities. But they were mindless animals who lived only to consume living beings born of Pangu¡¯s world. They possessed no empathy, no rationale, no higher thinking. Only the endless need to consume. For these young immortals, they were a nightmare. Even to the strongest of them, they could be swarmed and eaten. ¡°He speaks?¡± One of the Heavenly Immortals spouted in shock. ¡°That is not the behavior of a primordial beast!¡± ¡°I am not one of the primordial beast!¡± The serpentine innate god roared back in uncharacteristic rage. ¡®The audacity to compare this deity to abomination.¡¯ ¡®How could a dumb animal compare to an educated person?¡¯ It was then that multiple of his heads finally arrived. Seven others descended through the veil of mist as his body made its way into the valley. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, there¡¯s more of them?¡± ¡°No! They¡¯re all the same being. Look they share the same body!¡± ¡°Unbelievable, they broke through our concealment barrier so easily!¡± Hou Pi the monkey especially keeled back in fear. ¡°Hey lady Hu, I¡­I think I know what he is.¡± ¡°Hm? Speak up,¡± the nine tailed fox ordered. ¡°That power and the intelligence. Not to mention the way his aura interacts with the world,¡± the man pointed out at the subtlety changing atmosphere. The serpent¡¯s power interacted with nature in strange ways. Already a storm cloud had gathered and droplets of rain poured down. But within he clouds, lightning danced through the sky in the shape of flying dragons coloured in a beautiful azure. Even the water droplets that rained down resembled crystals more then water despite being liquid. ¡°I think this is also a connate being like us. Specifically the innate gods. I once witnessed them from a distance, they felt similar,¡± he said with a visible grimace. ¡°Innate god? The coveted Golden Immortals?¡± The female fox exhaled in shock. Her skinned paled as she imagined what kind of power such a being would posses. Hailing from the South Continent, she had never truly seen an innate god in action before. ¡°Stop please, I told you all I have no ill will,¡± the eight snake heads all said in unison. He descended from the mountains and fully into the valley shaking the grounds with each step of his claws. ¡®Well this is a bit awkward,¡¯ he thought to himself bending his head down to look at the immortals. They were all so small and looked so fragile. It made him feel extremely sorry for them. ¡®Just a few ants, what¡¯s even the point?¡¯ ¡®Perhaps they can be of use? I sense merit from worship is good.¡¯ The snake shook his head feeling a bit dizzy. He grimaced as the nauseous feeling that had continuously plagued him resurfaced every now and then chose this moment to do so. Instead, the serpent chose to observe the immortals slowly. He immediately identified their techniques as crude and unrefined. It was as if they barely knew how to use their own powers to fight. Was it their young age or lack of proper guidance? The snake was also a bit lost. But he instinctually had knowledge that far eclipsed these immortals. It was so much so that despite never performing complex usage of spell work himself he felt he could easily perform a thousand times better then them. By observing their Dao bodies, the snake made a decision. His titanic body glowed with the brightness of stars. His scales shrunk and his necks and his heads shrunk into him. The immortals took a step back preparing for an offense. However none ever came. Instead, the innate god acquired a humanoid Dao body of his own and walked out of the light. Standing there was a completely nude Golden Immortal with the appearance of a child. He had a dull yellow blond coloured hair and childish features. In total he appeared no older then the age of ten and stood a hundred and twenty centimetres. ¡°Hello I¡¯m,¡± he greeted. He paused to think of what to call himself. There was only really one name that he knew to refer to himself. Even though Yang Mei had so cruelly rejected it when they last spoke, he felt that it was still his name. ¡°I am Tian Hai.¡± Chapter 5-Innate Creatures Living among the lesser natives of the Great Wilderness was a vastly different experience from experiencing the world alone. Tian Hai had found the tranquil environment of the hidden oasis to be quite comforting. A week had already passed since he made his grand debut and he had spent it mostly trying to get to know the locals. Naturally, none of them were too thrilled about it. Tian Hai¡¯s presence made them all skittish. While all of them knew of greater beings of power beyond the Heavenly Immoral realm, very few had actually seen the coveted Golden Immortal. From birth till now, these innate creatures had struggled with gaining strength. Knowledge of cultivation was difficult to infer and they had very little to work off of. That was why they had stayed stagnant in their realms even after hundreds and thousands of years. As immortals, they possessed the great magical abilities. Yet the Great Wilderness is a super stable primeval environment. So even if it was still growing in strength, immortals still did not have the capabilities to tear apart the environment. In this era, they were little more then prey. Tian Hai had trouble fitting with them. He looked far younger then any of them, more inexperienced. Despite that, his power was overwhelmingly far above that of theirs. He introduced himself as an innate god of the East Sea yet he could still not seem to gain their trust and hence learned very little about them. But his curiosity had been piqued so despite his own mind telling him to move on, he elected to stay. Headaches and whatnot be damned. So here he was, sitting on a rock next to the river side with his feet tucked to his chest and head resting atop his knee. Tian Hai resembled an immature boy and had dressed himself in a set of plain grey robes. It had not been difficult to learn how to manipulate matter after observing the innate creatures and drawing upon his down memories. He had experienced performing plenty of such deeds within the Chaos Seas but had almost forgotten until reminded he could. Day in and day out, the innate creatures performed various patrols into the mountains. Most of them stayed and experimented with cultivation, attempting to ascend. It was a sight strangely familiar to Tian Hai. In his eyes, he saw pass what their humanoid Dao bodies hid. Their true forms tucked within and hidden beneath a guise of enlightenment. A union of creatures of fur, feather, and scale. In this, a memory came to him. A story of an unpleasant event most probable to take place in the future. ¡°Creatures of fur, feather and scale,¡± he murmured. ¡°The archaic war between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans. Oh how could I have forgotten until now.¡± It was strange how easily he remembered things once certain thoughts and phrases crossed his mind. Yet he could not easily recall in any other circumstance. It was a mystery he was beginning to grow irritated with. ¡°It¡¯ll be an easy way to farm treasures. A lot of benefits there. Hehe.¡± A rather dark smile crossed his face. Yet just as quickly as it came, it disappeared and an innocent smile returned ¡°Huh? What was I? Oh yeah, the archaic war. Oh well, it¡¯ll be a while until that era of history actually begins.¡± ¡®Letting opportunities like that slide is unacceptable. I must prepare for the tribulation. This could be a hidden base I can use.¡¯ ¡®Sitting here dong nothing is pathetic. I should be practicing the Dao and restoring my strength!¡¯ Tian Hai rubbed his forehead feeling slight pain again. He cradled the back of his neck and looked dizzily into the misty sky. ¡°I wonder how I¡¯ll breakthrough to the next realm?¡± ¡°Next realm? There exists a level above the lofty Golden Immortals?¡± A feminine voice snapped Tian Hai¡¯s attention away from the clouds above and back to the earth below. The foxy visage of Hu Lingji the Nine Tailed Fox Golden Immortal was standing before him. She wore a plain set of orange robes and her water jug hung off her waist tied to her sash. ¡®Heavenly Immortal but no crowns,¡¯ Tian Hai immediately concluded. Then he widened his eyes and examined what that information meant exactly. It was then that he realized that he too possessed flower like splendorous crowns within his body. Specifically contained within his inner cosmos within his soul. The representation of his completion of the three aspects of qi, the physical body, spirit, the soul, and essence, life force as well as what allowed him to sense the Dao. Completing all three made one eligible to attempt to tear their own true soul out of the river of time and merge it onto their own body. This would transform them into Golden Immortals. The difference between being in full ownership of oneself and incomplete ownership. ¡®Yet she has accomplished none of the three. Is this why the immortals of Daoism are called Zhenren(true person)?¡¯ ¡°Ahem, lord Tian Hai?¡± The fox immortal asked. ¡°Ask away. There is no need to be formal.¡± ¡°Right. I wanted to ask your purpose in staying here for so long. But you just said there exists realms beyond Golden Immortal?¡± ¡®Yes, they were¡­uh.¡± Tian Hai closed his eyes to think. It took him a moment but the knowledge came to him. ¡°Great Unity Golden Immortal is when we sprout the cosmic tree to bear a Dao fruit. To ascend pass that is to reach Chaos Immortal where I was formerly at.¡± ¡°Formerly?¡± ¡°I existed before the current Chaos World. We were the Chaos Godfiends and far beyond you insects. But Pangu¡¯s actions diminished us and as we were too strong to be contained within the river of souls, we reincarnated as innate gods,¡± Tian Hai instinctively said with a dismissive snort. His lips curled down as if remembering an unpleasant memory that great angered him. ¡®What gave him the right?¡¯ ¡®I want to reach Pangu¡¯s strength!¡¯ ¡°Uh sorry, we got a bit off topic.¡± Tian Hai massaged his temples before relaxing his posture. ¡°As for your actual question. I was curious I suppose. You are the first innate creatures I have encountered ¡®It¡¯s my natural superiority as a chaos lifeform.¡¯ ¡®Irrelevant information. I really need to clear these animals out less they become an information leak.¡¯ ¡°The first. Well that is to be expected. Even with the Mysterious Saint of Profound Mysteries regularly clearing out primordial beasts, the population is simply too big for him to be effective at it. That is the sad reality of the world. You are lucky to be born strong, nothing can even harm you.¡± Tian Hai stopped at her words. After she uttered the phrase, ¡®Mysterious Saint of Profound Mysteries¡¯, he could not help but recall a famous figure from mythology. Until now, he had no knowledge of him but suddenly feelings of dismissal and fear coursed through his mind at Mach speed. There was only one man with such a title and that was the founder of immortal cultivation and teacher of the legendary Three Pure Ones, Ancestor Hongjun. Tian Hai¡¯s eyes diluted as he rapidly thought of the possibilities. Hu Lingji¡¯s words became background noise to him as he experienced panic and concern. It was said in ancient days that Hongjun and another figure, Luohu had an ideological clash that coincided with the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin war. While the three Beast Sovereigns controlled the universe, Hongjun and Luohu resided in the east and west respectively. They were far in a way stronger than the Beast Sovereigns and were the true major players during the tribulation. In the end, Hongjun bested Luohu and went on to spread immortal cultivation which latter transformed into Daoism through the efforts of the Three Pure Ones. In this way, Hongjun could be considered the founder of Daoism. With this revelation in mind, Hongjun has likely claimed the East Continent as his territory. ¡®Hongjun? That little cricket? Impossible.¡¯ ¡®Oh shit, that¡¯s someone who can really interfere with my plans. Oh shit what do? What to do? Can I kill him while he¡¯s weak? No he¡¯s definitely stronger then me. All the more reason to tunnel down and hide!¡¯ Tian Hai felt an overwhelming headache and keeled over with his head in his hand. His groans stopped the fox immortal¡¯s ramblings and she looked at him with concern. ¡°Senior do you require medicinal herbs? We have managed to cultivate some mind soothing flowers over the years that works wonders with stress.¡± ¡°No hallucinogens are needed. A Spirit Stillness Pill would be appreciated but I doubt you primitives can make them,¡± Tian Hai bit back with aggression born through annoyance. ¡°Gah I¡¯m fine anyway.¡± ¡°Pills?¡± Her questions caused more memories to suffice in Tian Hai which drove his headache all the more painfully. He closed one eye and glared at her to zip it with the other. The influenced bloodlust he oozed no doubt encouraged her to do so. ¡°Alchemi¡­ whatever. And I¡¯m not a senior, I¡¯m barely three thou¡­wait three thousand? I could¡¯ve sworn I was only¡­Bottom line is you¡¯re far older then me. Your bone age reads twelve thousand at least.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± It took several minutes for Tian Hai to fully calm down from his episode and this only concerned the Nine Tailed Fox more. From her perspective, Tian Hai while a rich source for cultivation knowledge, was volatile. He was too strong to get rid of and needed to be placated. Her sisters back in the South Continent learned the hard way not to cross innate gods. Despite being so far removed from them, she wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistakes they did. She wondered if she¡¯d made a wrong move by approaching him. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know what came over me,¡± Tian Hai said with regret after recomposing himself. He pulled at his robes awkwardly before standing up on the rock and sliding off. ¡°So what did you originally want me for again?¡± ¡°Ahem, I wanted to know your intentions to be exact. You¡¯ve been here for several days now and my compatriots are on edge,¡± she said tilting her body. Her gesture revealed many distant individuals who were eying their actions. It made Tian Hai disheartened by their distrust. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡®Pathetic, who cares what rabble think.¡¯ ¡®Must¡¯ve been tough.¡¯ ¡°I care,¡± he whispered in an almost trance like state before shaking his head and regaining clarity. ¡°Anyway, Please stop asking me questions anymore. I just wanted to know what it was like living here is all. So consider me a guest, a regular immortal among fellow immortals.¡± The fox immortal shuffled uneasily. She glanced back and it was as if she was having a psychic discussion with her comrades. Tian Hai wasn¡¯t privy to it nor did he intrude on their privacy. Eventually, they settled on an agreement. Since Tian Hai wanted to live alongside them, he may. And while they won¡¯t push him to do chores around the place, he may participate as well. In terms of the latter though, there wasn¡¯t actually much to do. Just a few people to keep watch for intruders and to cultivate some special herbs that were good for meditation. As such, Tian Hai mostly acted as an odd guest who would help keep watch over the valley. The attitude he received in turn was cold to say the least. There was an air of curiosity and awe when others approached him. But it was never with a friendly nor warm air he had wanted to experience. Neither did they provide him any comfort to his headaches with their questions every so often. In the current world order, everyone was some sort monstrous creature. Even if Tian Hai¡¯s physical form reassembled that of a child, he was not viewed that way. The innate god wouldn¡¯t say it was unwarranted nor unexpected but there was a side of him that felt disheartened. The feeling of lost had never really gone away and remained ever present even now. Yet a vindictiveness also lay present within the recesses of his mind. Not for the aforementioned reasonings but for another reason altogether. Who were these lesser beings to not be groveling at his feat. Who were they to not be appreciative of his presence? On the plus side, he did learn some interesting information regarding the Great Wilderness. Previously, he was already innately aware of the structure of Pangu¡¯s Chaos World referred to by the natives as the Primitive World. The majority of space was taken up by two dimensions separated but closely linked. These were the Great Wildness where he stood and the Starry Skies which he saw every night when he looked up and it was cloudless. The separation of the two dimensions occurred through a barrier, a sky box that was the sky which projected the image of the Starry Skies towards the lands of the Great Wilderness. In addition, Mt Buzhou was the sole pillar holding the two apart and balanced the universe. The Great Wilderness itself resembled the triliocosm Tian Hai was somehow familiar with. It was a name the he became aware of the longer her pondered upon the topic. A single piece of landmass divided into four quadrants with a fifth circular domain int he centre known collectively as the Five Continents. They in addition to the four seas that border the four shores made up the Five Continent Four Seas. But that was common knowledge. What Tian Hai learned instead was that the lands were constantly prowled by hordes of primordial beasts. Be it the North, South, East, or West these deadly creatures lived hunting living beings. It was especially bad in the North and South Contents where these animals ran rampant and the local innate gods didn¡¯t care. The West Continent was too far away for concrete news and only the East Continent was well known by this group. It was here that he learned that the east was a safe haven of sorts due to the presence of the innate god Hongjun. Hongjun had taken up residents at a mountain called Mt Yujing which was south of his location and one of three exceptional mountain ranges in the east. The others celestial mountains were known as Kunlun and Mt Tai. Hongjun had practically claimed the continent as his own and occasionally cleaned out primordial beasts. Though he didn¡¯t interact with the local nor immigrated population, his actions had afforded them spots of safe haven. As such, over time many who had lost the majority of their clans had gravitated into communities to defend against the wilds. Tian Hai pondered on the news he received. As time went on, his thoughts became more complicated and more information about himself surfaced. Listening to the facts about the time period and state of the world caused more prominence memories to surface. It was deeply confusing for the young immortal. So he often found himself using watch duty as a means to think. He compartmentalized his knowledge and began contemplating upon his life up till this point. He knew for a fact that he had lived in the Chaos Sea as a godfiend. He saw himself as one and he knew of his relationship with others as one. But at the same time, he remembered a blue star named earth by its people. A planet devoid of the supernatural and had its roots in the technological. A world wherein the place he was in resembled the fantastical world based in Chinese myths. Pangu, Primitive World, Great Wilderness, Mt Buzhou, Hongjun? These were all names and places he knew the moment he heard them. While Tian Hai couldn¡¯t quite piece together that part of his life yet, he could conclude he had quite a bit of knowledge of mythological stories. He remembered reading internet novels about legendary figures and locations all stemming from this setting. As such he had likely reincarnated from earth into the Chaos Sea. ¡°That last strike by Pangu must¡¯ve split my head and caused some amnesia,¡± Tian Hai whispered looking up at the night sky. Complex thoughts and memories were hard to process for the young immortal. Everything felt so new to him even now thousands of years after his birth. But really, it felt like a matter of days from a certain perspective. It was easily deduced as some dissonance between his experiences with time from his memories of earth and his experiences as an immortal cultivator. But really? He preferred to push these things to the back of his mind. That was when he was most comfortable. Nothing to bother him from experiencing the little enjoyments he found in just living. There was something about it that he loved, a lazy yet carefree lifestyle where he did not worry about anything. It was cloudless tonight and the stars, all three hundred and sixty five of them were visible. The Lunar Star especially glowed with a hauntingly chilly, yet radiant and enchanting light. It sent a wave of resonance through him and he enjoyed bathing under its rays. His natural affinity with water no doubt helping in this feeling. ¡°Hey Hou Pi, don¡¯t you find the world beautiful?¡± Tian Hai called out to his partner for the night. Hou Pi was similar to Hu Lingji. They were both immigrants but whereas the Nine Tailed Fox hailed from the South Continent, Hou Pi was from the North. He was a grim and solemn man who always looked at Tian Hai as if the latter would kill him in his sleep. Honestly, he was pretty sure Hou Pi had something against him on principle. ¡°You know the stars in the sky actually exist in another dimension beyond what we physically see? That each celestial body is actually a construct millions to billions of kilometres in size?¡± ¡°Each of them posses unbound resources and natural spiritual veins that dwarf most gathering spots of primordial qi in the Great Wilderness. For a Profound Immortal like you, you can easily find chances to improve if you go there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll encounter many wonderful phenomena as well¡­.¡± ¡°Disastrous phenomena is what you mean,¡± Hou Pi interrupted Tian Hai rather harshly. His scathing attitude did not go unnoticed and Tian Hai was visibly upset. Yet he did nothing to retaliate physically. Hou Pi¡¯s gaze was on Tian Hai. He eyed him as if one would eye a predator who wondered into his village. A potential wild animal who would attack them at any random interval. ¡°Fellow daoist,¡± Tian Hai addressed Hou Pi using the standard greeting among equals. ¡°Do you have something against me?¡± ¡°I do not know what you mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I can see your look. With the others I see suspicion and fascination. But in you? All I see is revulsion.¡± Hou Pi scoffed and looked away. He couldn¡¯t help but hug his forearm after being called out by the innate god. His presence suddenly felt reduced and it was as if he was experiencing a memory of fear. Before long he looked back at Tian Hai with a bitter gaze. ¡°Do you know where I¡¯m from?¡± ¡°North Continent, Hu Lingji told me. She said primordial beasts there are even more vicious then the South Continent.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know the half of it. Those sinful abominations are just the least of my worries.¡± Hou Pi glared directly at Tian Hai with an accusatory look. ¡°Innate gods like you. I¡¯ve encountered your kind before. Lofty arrogant beings who believe themselves above the world. Treating me, my family, my people as livestock!¡± Hou Pi¡¯s mouth curled revealing an animalistic set of fangs. His breathing became heavy and rapid, his humanoid face briefly flickered to something more primate and the hairs on his body rose up. Tian Hai leaned back in shock at the sudden shift towards aggression. He swallowed a gulp and did not really know how to proceed. He hadn¡¯t thought Hou Pi¡¯s revulsion towards him ran this deep. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s all in the past,¡± Hou Pi sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not even in the north anymore.¡± ¡°What happened in the north?¡± ¡°Have no one ever told you it was rude to pry?¡± Tian Hai gasped. Then he gripped his head in visible pain. Ultimately he nodded with Hou Pi¡¯s statement. ¡°If keeping watch is such a pain for you, then just sleep or something. I¡¯ll keep watch for the both of us,¡± Hou Pi said dismissively before leaving Tian Hai on his own. Left to his own devices, Tian Hai began suffering his headaches again. It seemed the longer he spent around these people the more this problem keeps coming up. He sighed and stared into the sky. ¡®I¡¯ve never seriously tried to cultivate before. Then again I¡¯ve never needed to since I¡¯m way pass the point of needing to circulate qi. But I can use the meditative stance. Perhaps I can finally get a grip on myself if I try it,¡¯ he concluded. He shifted into a lotus position and began meditating. Cultivation as a Golden Immortal was second nature to him due to his time as a member of the Chaos Godfiend civilization and meditation was just an aspect of it. This was because cultivation from the point of Golden Immortal realm required the contemplation, creation, and nurturing of one¡¯s own original Dao. A path they create that would use the primal unity as a platform to sprout the cosmic tree before birthing a Dao fruit. As such he could start meditating just fine. Like this, Tian Hai fell into a trance. A deep trance where he could comfortably examine his knowledge and memories of his two previous lives. It was confusing at first as both sets melded together as if they were the same person just in different settings. He was familiar with all the ones he¡¯d recalled so far. Everything from trying Italian food to visiting Singapore to fighting for domination in the Chaos Sea over a treasure map and spending time with Yang Mei and Huoyun. But even though there was a deep familiarity with his memories, it still felt a bit foreign. To was almost like he was watching a film reel. Tian Hai contemplated on the nature of his previous lives. ¡°Reincarnation is so strange,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no Granny Meng to wipe my memories nor six path to dictate where I¡¯ll end up. But neither of those even exists. I doubt Houtu is even alive in this era.¡± Tian Hai¡¯s murmuring regarding deities of Chinese myth only served to assault him with more miscellaneous information. Trivia that he couldn¡¯t really find an answer in. ¡°I lived two radically different lives one after the other. I guess human came first and then I ended up in the Chaos Sea before the universe¡¯s inception. God damn it why is my head so fuzzy!¡± How he reincarnated to begin with ultimately did not matter however. Right now his most urgent issue was resolving his constant headaches. In order to do so, he began trying to dig out as much memories from his fractured mind as he could. In doing so, he hoped he would have anymore sudden recalls. In this state, Tian Hai became almost like a statue in the outside world. He was unmoving with closed eyes and ignored everything around him. He was practically dead to the outside world and deaf to all its problems. This was extremely common among immortal cultivators. They could go into these cultivation states for very long periods of time lasting tens of thousands to even millions of years. Even mortal cultivators could wander into caves and leave only to find out generations had passed and all their loved ones were dead. For Tian Hai, he only experienced this self induced meditative coma for a short while. A few short days in fact. Yet those short days were enough for him to awaken to a world of chaos. Chapter 6-Bloody Reality Tian Hai¡¯s eyes fluttered open to the sight of a severed head. It had sailed through the air leaving behind a trail of blood that were disintegrating into the air in the form of light specs. The head smacked the newly awakened Tian Hai right in the noggin causing him to flinch. ¡°Gah!¡­Huh?¡± Head still filled with dizziness, Tian Hai groggily got to his feet. He starred down at the object that hat hit him and the fearful face decorating it. Suddenly, he felt the urge the vomit. ¡®Oh fuck! Get name out of here!¡¯ ¡®Who dares?¡± Tian Hai¡¯s feet moved in two directions and he lost a bit of balance. The sudden shift within him almost made him fall over. Unsteadily, he managed to steer his body but made no progress in moving any significant distance. ¡°Who is¡­I know you,¡± he muttered towards the human head. Without him even needing to, the head transformed. Within moments, the head regained its true form as a horse. Its snout extended past Tian Hai¡¯s body and its width was easily five times Tian Hai¡¯s own height. Its tongue stuck out of its mouth and its eyes only showed a dead stare. Nervously, Tian Hai turned his heads towards the community he had been staying with. He might¡¯ve not known them for long, but he did like the place. There in the distance, a gargantuan monster sat. It was shaped like a sloth with a lazy head filled with large molars. Its eyes were slanted, almost shut except for one sliver of opening. Its arms were long and resembled shovels with claws curving inwards. Tian Hai was struck speechless at the sight of the primordial beast. He took one step forward. ¡®Let¡¯s kill it and be done with it.¡¯ Then his other foot swerved back. ¡®Fuck this! I¡¯m outta here!¡¯ Then he toppled onto the floor gasping in pain. Both his hands held onto his head as he groaned. Tian Hai glanced up admits his new headache only to see the beast swallow another immortal and swatting another aside. The victim was turned into meat paste upon the first impact. ¡°Damn it!¡± Tian Hai rose onto his knees yet swayed from side to side. His feat unsteadily stood up and managed to hold his upper body firmly. Yet he could not find it in himself to move. He wanted to go forwards, yet wanted to retreat at the same time. He experienced both fear and rage at the same time. It was so disorientating that he did not know what to even do. The primordial beast was content sitting on its read taking swings at the community of immortals. This creature was also far more powerful than any primordial beasts Tian Hai had encountered before. It was closer in strength to a Golden Immortal than it was to Heavenly Immortals. Logically, Tian Hai knew these people had no chance against it. Not even the few Heavenly Immortals they posses would be able to defend themselves if the creature focused on them. It seemed they¡¯d also realized it too for they were attempting to flee the scene. ¡°Run away!¡± ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Seek help from the Mt Xiao group!¡± Tian Hai gasped as dozens of Profound Immortals neared his location. The primordial beast, sickened that its prey were running away began moving after them in a lumbering fashion. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t lead him over here!¡± Tian Hai found himself saying without really meaning to. He struggled to come to a decisive decision and could not move even an inch. He looked as if he was experiencing muscle spasms from an outsiders point of view. ¡°Ggggrrrraaaahhhh!¡± The primordial beast¡¯s roar shook the earth. The cursed creature born of rage slammed its claws into the earth, heaving itself into the air. It sailed across the sky and landed in the space the immortals were attempting to flee to blocking them. ¡°Watch out!¡± Tian Hai reached his hand out trying to warn them but it was too late. Dozens of splats were heard in the air as the the creature took them all into its paw. What followed next was a gruesome scene of consumption. ¡°Damn it!¡± Hou Pi cried out. He was holding onto a heavily injured Hu Lingji and both looked to be in no condition to fight at all. In his other hand was the water jug the fox immortal had been using up till now. ¡°Even your treasure couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°That thing¡¯s skin is too tough. Hou Pi, we don¡¯t have anything else that can work against it.¡± Tian Hai felt his heart racing in both fear and rage as the creature continuously attacked. He reached out with his hand, then retracted it. Like this, he was trapped in a position of indecision, only managing to observe the tragedy unfolding before him. The monster was ferocious, it seemed nigh on unkillable even after being ganged up on by so many. ¡®Why am I not doing anything? Come on body obey me!¡¯ Tian Hai desperately wanted to get rid of the primordial beast. Yet his body refused to obey him. One minute he was etching forwards yet in the next he stumbled back again. Hou Pi had also caught sight of Tian Hai and descended with a huff. ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you some hot shot Golden Immortal? Help us!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tian Hai gasped and whirled around. ¡°Wa¡­where did it come from?¡± He stammered out? ¡°No idea. It just stumbled in and started attacking. Why weren¡¯t you keeping watch?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I bet you were laughing at our misfortune weren¡¯t you? Just like the rest of your kind in the north!¡± ¡°Hou Pi enough! Tian Hai, are you able to aid us in being rid of this monster?¡± Hu Lingji called out chastising the ape immortal. The primordial beast in the distance roared with a booming voice. It looked directly at the three of them and its mouth formed what looked to be a smirk from this distance. With sudden speed, it charged at them with ferocious steps. ¡°Oh no,¡± the fox blurted out as the ground beneath them shook. The sloth primordial beast was moving towards them in strides so big that it wouldn¡¯t take ten seconds before it reaches them. The three seemed to have reached a unanimous decision and fled at once. Even the previously frozen Tian Hai jumped into the air albeit he was stumbling upon landing on the wind. The young innate god stumbled around on his feet as his head was assaulted by more headaches that only served to compromise his thinking more. He grunted in pain and his face contorted into a snarl where even a trail of drool leaked out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Hu Lingji asked with concern. ¡°Forget about it my lady. We should worry about our own safety first,¡± Hou Pi said. They narrowly rolled to the side to avoid a mighty swing, barely having enough time to catch their breath. ¡°Ggggrrrraaaahhhh!¡± Hou Pi held up Hu Lingji¡¯s water jug and fired off another blast of water into the primordial beast. But just as it had not done anything to Tian Hai, the blast didn¡¯t damage the sloth beast at all. Instead it only walked through it to take a bite at them. ¡®They won¡¯t survive this,¡¯ Tian Hai thought as he watched them do battle. He had barely managed to repress the pain he experienced and already he could identify the vast strength gap. ¡®Perhaps if Hu Lingji had formed two crowns then she¡¯d have a chance. But as the weakest class of Heavenly Immortals, she¡¯s helpless. Hou Pi is also just a Profound Immortal. Weak the both of them,¡¯ he concluded after only a few glances of analysis. ¡®But then again. Am I any different?¡¯ Tian Hai got up unsteadily to his feet. Through the swaths of water, the creature retaliated multiple times solely using its brute strength. It was both fast and aggressive easily pushing the two to their limits. Just as he was about to bite, Hu Lingji pushed Hou Pi away from her and held her water jug with both hands. ¡°Die!¡± She screamed and used all her power to blast the creature in the face. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Only it merely opened its mouth and swallowed the both of them at the same time. Hou Pi could only watch on hopelessly as he was the only remaining individual from this valley¡¯s community. ¡®How could this happen? Our leader acquired such a strong treasure too¡­That Golden Immortal. Why isn¡¯t he doing anything?¡± He glared at Tian Hai who was still high up in the sky. ¡°I see, just like that faceless man in the north. You must find us lesser creature¡¯s suffering so amusing,¡± he grunted. ¡®I need to get away asap. I can¡¯t stay in this hell hole!¡¯ He gripped his forehead and frowned. This unfortunately caught the primordial beast¡¯s attention. Tian Hai only had little time to react. But he was yet frozen with indecision. CHOMP! In a single bite, the primordial beast swallowed him whole. ¡­ ¡®Oh fuck! Me as well?¡¯ ¡®This isn¡¯t how the story is supposed to go!¡¯ ¡®Where¡¯s my system damn it!¡¯ ¡®I should¡¯ve locked myself in a cave for a million years.¡¯ ¡®How dare that thing eat me?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll rip it limb from limb!¡¯ ¡®I refuse to bow!¡¯ ¡®Once I¡¯m rid of you I¡¯ll¡­¡¯ ¡°Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!¡± Tian Hai screamed again and again as he tumbled down the throat of the primordial beast. Dark tendrils and sickening liquid splashed over his body from all sides causing sizzling noises from his clothing. Yet the attention of the innate god has always been towards himself ¡°JUST SHUT UP!¡± He screamed with such volume that sound waves were sent ripping through the space he was trapped in. The fleshy walls around him shook and a loud groaning sound was heard. When Tian Hai came to, he was floating in a dark space engulfed in liquid. ¡°Stomach acid,¡± he murmured. He waved his hands around in disgust Nothing against the creature, but just being surrounded by a substance formed from emotions of pure hatred left a terrible taste in his mouth. He shivered as he remembered what had happened. The Primitive World was shockingly scary. It was not in the non serious self reminding way his memories of earth seemed to suggest. But in a tangible fear inducing moment of his life. Tian Hai even without the influences he was suffering from was scared. That much he knew. But he could¡¯ve done something, he was more then strong enough. Just remembering his indecision sent waves of depression into his body. THUMP! ¡°Hm?¡± Tian Hai turned around to see what had bumped into him. It was a jug, an archaic looking water jug with two handles. Its coloring was a dull brown and decorations were present. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Hu Lingji¡¯s treasure?¡± He wondered aloud before reaching out and grabbing it. Feeling its smooth surface made him realize that the treasure was ownerless as well as its classification. ¡°Unbelievable, you on your own should¡¯ve been able to crush this beast,¡± the influence of the godfiend¡¯s life surfaced in conjunction with his analysis. The jug was in reality a middle grade xiantian spiritual treasure. A weapon of pretty high quality even within the Chaos Sea. But in the hands of a little Heavenly Immortal, it could not show even a fraction of its strength. ¡®The hell? Just middle grade? I wanted a top grade man. Oh heaven is so unfair!¡¯ ¡°You mistress is dead,¡± he stated. He looked around the sea of acid and caught sight of a floating object. It wasn¡¯t even whole, just disintegrating remnants of a few scattered pieces of bone. But Tian Hai recognized the qi signature from his divine sense. ¡°The first sign of civilization I meet. The first semi friendly faces I speak to. Then they died just like that. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. No¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything about it. Such a waste of life. It¡¯s like they had no value in existence at all.¡± ¡®Just hurry along with it.¡¯ ¡®In the end myself is the most important.¡¯ Tian Hai looked down at his palm in disappointment. Then he gripped it into a fist and began a breathing exercise. ¡°Ignore it, ignore it, just ignore it. I have to kill this thing. Hopefully Hou Pi is still alive.¡± Then he grew. ¡­ On the outside, Hou Pi lay on the floor with a defeated look. The sloth beast had ate everyone in his community. Now just like his clan from the North Continent. Eaten just like all his brothers and sisters. ¡°Heaven is unfair,¡± he said. ¡°Ggggrrrraaaahhhh!¡± The monster roared. After eating the innate god it turned to walk towards his own downed figure. ¡°Figures he was bad luck. Just as much of an abomination as primordial beasts. I don¡¯t know what is worse, being eaten by them or eaten by you.¡± He shivered remembering the scene that made him flee. His infant son swallowed up by the brutish tiger. That creature built like a bull with massive wings that had feathers that more resembled swords. The beast with a eyeless massive mouth with eyes on its shoulders. The human faced cat with long tongue. So many things wrong with the north that he thought running to the east would ease up on it. There was only one innate god here and Hongjun didn¡¯t bother them much. The sloth lumbered towards with with hunger in its eye. It held onto its wobbly belly with its claw and tried to reach for him with the other. ¡°Ah! What a cruel life,¡± Hou Pi whispered with indignation. The sloth released groaning noises and fell to its knees. Yet it didn¡¯t take its eyes off of him and kept reaching. Its stomach region wobbled and contorted. A grotesque sound registered in Hou Pi¡¯s ear. ¡°Huh?¡± The ape immortal sat up in complete shock. A sickle had cut its way out of the stomach region of the sloth. Lumps of its flesh stretched outwards in multiple areas. ¡°Ggggrrrraaaahhhh!¡± The primordial beast kept its eyes on Hou Pi but its body shook uncontrollably. The flesh from its body extended and the result was what looked like a balloon ready to burst. SPLATTER! Blood and gore rained from the sky as the first convex bump burst open to reveal a gargantuan serpent. This was followed by another, and another, and another, until Tian Hai completely emerged. He grew out of the body, exploding out of it and tearing it apart with ease. His gleaming scales were covered in dirty blood and gore yet there was no injuries on him. He instead tumbled out of the sack of flesh and stomped on the primordial beast¡¯s fat head. One strike was all it took to crush his foe underfoot. ¡°You,¡± Hou Pi uttered in shock. Tian Hai shook of the blood from his faces and refocused on Hou Pi. His heads released sighs of relief and he moved forward. As he did so his body began being shrouded in a cloak of mist. They enveloped and transformed him converting him back to his humanoid Dao body. The boyish Tian Hai ran up to Hou Pi and said, ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re alive.¡± Hou Pi stared at Tian Hai with a wide eyed stare. ¡°You killed it? Just like that?¡± ¡°Yeah. Apologies for the delay. I couldn¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know how to explain it¡­.but I.¡± ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± Hou Pi exploded in rage. ¡°You could¡¯ve killed it at any time? But you stayed sitting while we got slaughtered?¡± ¡°I am sorry. My personal headaches held me back from participating. If I had had a better¡­¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Hou Pi screamed. ¡°I bet you were rejoicing weren¡¯t you? Happy to watch as us ants got stomped underfoot. You innate gods are all the same. Cruel animals no different from primordial beasts!¡± ¡°I am nothing like those abominations,¡± Tian Hai retorted back. ¡°Enough with your torturous games!¡± Hou Pi spat. ¡°Just kill me know and be done with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you Hou Pi. I saved you!¡± ¡°Oh I see how it is, a cruel joke of a mercy from your kind¡¯s sick games.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m sorry for not acting faster, that¡¯s on me. I found no enjoyment in this tragedy¡­this this¡­waste of life.¡± Hou Pi glared angrily at the much shorter Tian Hai. His eyes trailed down a little more to see Hu Lingji¡¯s jug tied at Tian Hai¡¯s waist. He released a defeated chuckle. ¡°So that was what you were after. We never stood a chance.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®Treasure yes, but it feels¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯ll do, its not as good as my old one but I can manage¡¯. Tian Hai gasped as Hou Pi turned around. ¡°Where are you going? You can¡¯t possibly expect to survive out there on your own,¡± he cried out in concern. ¡°Safer then with your kind,¡± Hou Pi spat. He wasn¡¯t even willing to look at Tian Hai. He only bet his legs and jumped away leaving Tian Hai on his lonesome. On his part, Tian Hai felt a strong sense of guilt. He turned back at the destroyed valley then back the fleeing Hou Pi. In the end he decided to give the ape immortal space to cope with his loss. Immortals were also living beings after all, they too had emotions and attachments. Tian Hai walked out of the valley on his lonesome. He did not stop to look back wither less he be reminded of his fault. His footsteps were steady yet there was an unease in each of his steps. In his mind, he could hear two quiet voices giving out commands. ¡°What is happening to me?¡± He muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve lived two lives prior to this and yet I¡­¡± He marched continuously forward without any real direction. Just as long as he was away from the valley he had been at. He encountered no signs of life along the way. Eventually, he found a small spring with clear water. The only source of disturbance was a waterfall and a flock of crow shaped primordial beast. They glanced down all witnessing Tian Hai¡¯s juicy form. ¡°Abominations,¡± Tian Hai growled in anger. ¡®Oh fuck not again!¡¯ ¡°YES! kill them.¡¯ Tian Hai reached out and manipulated the water from the spring to extend. They reached high into the air and formed into Chinese dragons. Each one gripped a beast in their mouths. Each one crushed a member of the flock to death. In the end, not a single one remained. Tian Hai released the water back into the pool and sighed. ¡°So easy. Yet I did nothing,¡± he looked at his hands and the bloody remnants of the sloth beast still clinging to his hand. He looked around his body, at the blood and gore that he still wore. He stunk to high heavens. He quickly ran to the waterfall and began scrubbing himself. He was desperate to rid himself of the sickening feeling of solid karmic sin sticking to his body. With the water, he managed to get it off his skin in a timely fashion. But that was when someone else found him. ¡°Oh what luck. The heavens are really looking out for me today. I finally found you.¡± A jovial voice caught Tian Hai¡¯s attention. It also startled him as he had did not even felt the presence coming. He twisted his head around to see a terrifyingly familiar face. One that brought him dread based on the last time he encountered a brother. ¡°Huoyun?¡± He said uneasily. Chapter 7-The God of The Five Elements Three thousand years ago. Huoyun stepped out of a fiery mass of rainbow light. The first thing he did was stretch. The second thing he did was yawn. The third thing he did was scratch his itch. Specifically the phantom mark left behind by Pangu¡¯s strike. ¡°By Tai Chu¡¯s wrinkly balls, what a strike,¡± he chuckled. Even now tens of thousands of years he could still feel it. Even throughout his entire transformation process. With one step, Huoyun rose into the air and glided into the sky like a gentle kite. He breathed in the air around him and condensed the little qi he absorbed into his inner cosmos and activated some of his abilities. In this way he experienced the world as if he was one with it. Huoyun did not appear old. In fact he was fairly young looking with a red shade of hair. His article of clothing was a luxurious set of robes decorated with cloud pictures. But most importantly were his eyes. Starry orbs that continuously changed from red, green, yellow, black, and white. His presence was rich in primordial qi and contained an immense amount of knowledge into the Dao. Despite not doing anything except stretching. His very presence caused nature around him to experience an overgrowth from his nourishment. ¡°My Dao has been repurposed for this eh? Not a bad use for it,¡± he said in amusement. Yet there was also a sense of regret as he caressed his chest with his palm. ¡°But I still feel empty without it.¡± The Dao of the Five Elements was conceived from breaking down all matter into its most fundamental components before being reshuffled into a defined diagram. As such, Huoyun¡¯s Dao was perfect for becoming the building blocks of life within the new universe. Pangu¡¯s act of creation truly was a miraculous deed, the paths to power created by the many godfiends worked harmoniously into a system which maintained all functions within the world. Yet the returning godfiends couldn¡¯t help but feel resentment. Nevertheless, Huoyun was unsure what he wanted to do. With his Dao fruit arrested, while he could return to his previous level of power, it would be impossible to advance anymore less he created a new Dao. But such an act was already tremendously difficult that he was unwilling. He observed the sky for a large period of time. Days past and he witnessed the changes of the day night cycle as well as the affects of weather upon the earth. It was a commodity to him who had rarely ever interacted with Chaos Worlds. It was certainly different from the cold emptiness of the Chaos Sea. But it was also during his musing that he detected a familiar presence. Huoyun resided in the southern areas of the East Continent within a cave he named Fire Cloud Cave. It was located within a valley that was itself pretty secluded from the outside world. Yet for someone whose Dao specialized in the natural energies of life, his senses to living beings were among the sharpest there was. He detected Yang Mei¡¯s presence just within his range and considered himself extremely lucky. ¡°What luck!¡± He exclaimed with a wide smile. ¡°The Great Wilderness is so vast yet I discovered my brother so soon after mine own birth. Heaven truly shines brightly on me.¡± Huoyun raised one foot and stepped into the air. Beneath is feet, a manifestation of five colours took place. They conglomerated together into a long mass, transforming into an archaic sailboat. Faint images of living beings manifested within he boat and began rowing, sailing across the sky as if it was the ocean. His creation was utterly gigantic. It easily stretched five thousand kilometres long and a thousand wide. Did it need to be that big? No. It was just aesthetics that had no affect on the spell¡¯s utility. Despite this, Huoyun gained great speed from from casting his boat. His travel to the eyes of lesser beings resembled that of a rainbow comet. He streaked across the East Continent outpacing any primordial beasts who saw him. Innate creatures of the East Continent also witnessed him and wondered if he was a natural phenomena or some sort of primordial beast. The latter option caused them to hide away in fear. Huoyun naturally payed them no attention. Why should he? They were not a threat to him and he didn¡¯t wish to be involved in stranger¡¯s businesses. Experience taught him that it¡¯ll just lead to bad ends. Tracing Yang Mei was actually rather easy. Yang Mei had a distinct energy signature that was resembled a blob of cosmic smoke. In addition, Yang Mei detected Huoyun as well. Both Golden Immortals were pleasantly surprised and greatly appreciated their immense luck. The two met up above the skies above an ordinary mountain. It¡¯s natural spiritual vein was weak so it was not a strong gathering spot for primordial qi. But it was special for the mere fact that two immense presence bore down upon it. Huoyun descended upon the mountain in a blaze of glory. Yang Mei landed gracefully after walking down a row of tree branch like steps. The moment his feet touched ground, Yang Mei¡¯s tree branches burned until there was nothing left. ¡°Still as showboats as ever,¡± Huoyun said in greeting. The manifestation he made transformed into ordinary clouds and returned to the sky becoming part of nature. ¡°Reincarnating has really improved your performance.¡± ¡°Showboating? You need to get your eyes checked,¡± Yang Mei sniped back with a chuckle.¡±Only you can travel with fake entourage as big as that.¡± ¡°Well that just proves which one of us is more exciting. Good to see you again Yang Mei,¡± Huoyun said with a soft smile. He cupped his hands and saluted the older looking man. ¡°And I you Huoyun,¡± Yang Mei happily saluted the Five Elements Daoist back. ¡°It has been too long. You and I, we have much to catch up on.¡± ¡°Not much on my end. I only recently transformed. We¡¯re talking hours ago. But you on the other hand. Your bone age indicates you were reborn thousands of years ago.¡± Yang Mei nodded and stroked his long beard in remembrance. Huoyun was always extremely sharp and among their trinity, he was the leader. Of the three, he was also the most accomplished when it came to enlightening into the Dao. ¡°Hahaha, heavens I really am lucky. To be reunited this soon is a wonderful thing. Now if only a certain someone can show up. Bet you a giant tsunami will wash the East Continent. Lord knows he can¡¯t not make an even bigger showcase.¡± As Huoyun spoke, Yang Mei suddenly became awkward. He grunted an uneasy noise and appeared a bit reserved from his earlier demeanor. ¡°Hey brother, aren¡¯t you needlessly getting your hopes up?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± There was a moment of silence while Huoyun processed what Yang Mei had just said. He gave the older gentleman a weird look before leaning back and taking a breath. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, jut a bit un...¡± Huoyun wasn¡¯t stupid, he knew why Yang Mei would say what he did. Because even though Pangu had cut down all of the Chaos Godfiends, that didn¡¯t mean they blacked out. In fact, all of those who managed to hold themselves together were still very much aware of their surroundings. Huoyun had seen Tian Hai charge towards Pangu like a maniac. He had seen Pangu obliterating the aquatic godfiend like it was nothing. There was a very real possibility that Tian Hai was extinguished on every level. As beings who had transcended the basic makeups of a Chaos World at birth. The Chaos Godfiends were all at a stage where their true souls had merged into their bodies. There was no such thing as an afterlife, no reincarnation for them. Destruction of their soul means total annihilation. No failsafe unlike mortals and ordinary immortals. The godfiends who managed to hold on t themselves were lucky enough to save their true souls and merge with natural forces of Pangu¡¯s Primitive World. This way, it allowed the to transform nature itself into new bodies hence allowing them to reincarnate. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like a downer Yang Mei. You know how much I hate it,¡± Huoyun sighed. ¡°If anyone¡¯s stubborn enough to not die. Its our brother Tian Hai.¡± Yang Mei sighed. ¡°What if I have proof?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen him!¡± Huoyun was immediately in Yang Mei¡¯s face with an urgent look. It shocked Yang Mei how quick Huoyun could move and he kicked up a dust storm in his wake. But in retrospect, Yang Mei felt he shouldn¡¯t even be surprised. ¡®You¡¯ve always favored Tian Hai.¡¯ If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Yang Mei, what do you mean you¡¯ve got proof?¡± ¡°In the East Sea,¡± Yang Mei said. ¡°Our brother Tian Hai perished in the East Sea.¡± Huoyun stood frozen. Then an enraged look crossed his face. Then that easily identifiable rage evaporated and Huoyun had a more restrained expression. However, above the godfiend was another story. This section of the East Continent was suddenly covered by an intense storm in the form of ominous dark clouds. The trees swayed beneath the pressure of mounting wind. The air felt cold and an invisible suppression was taking place. ¡°You should be careful about exercising your power like that,¡± Yang Mei said with a shake of his head. ¡°Hongjun has laid claim to the East Continent as his territory. He doesn¡¯t like it if he finds you just causing a storm out of nowhere.¡± ¡°And what would I care for the opinions of that little cricket?¡± ¡°Since that cricket is a lot stronger then we ever thought,¡± Yang Mei replied pointing towards himself. He didn¡¯t like showing it but he revealed a small injury on his person, a chip on the side of his waist that began leaking Dao essence. He hurriedly hid it and felt slightly embarrassed. ¡°I got arrogant. It was a while ago when this took place. We competed over a treasure, one of the pieces of Pangu¡¯s axe and I was defeated.¡± Huoyun frowned. ¡°Even you? Oh no matter. Go back to the matter of Tian Hai. I refuse to believe he would just die like that. He¡¯s survived way worse.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie and we both know it.¡± ¡°Still, this is too much to take in. Yang Mei did you see a corpse? Or pieces of his soul? If so he could feasibly crawl back to us after merging with something.¡± ¡°Huoyun¡­¡± Yang Mei sighed with a regretful gaze. Truth be told, he himself had still not gotten over the shock of rowdy Tian Hai suddenly being gone. He looked at Huoyun aggrieved. This wasn¡¯t how their reunion was supposed to go, nothing was turning out like he¡¯d expected nor wanted. ¡°I found an innate god,¡± Yang Mei said. ¡°One that was born of Tian Hai¡¯s soul. But its just an inheritor, there was nothing left of our brother there anymore.¡± Huoyun was frozen in disbelief upon hearing this revelation. But he quickly took a moment to recompose himself and think. ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already confirmed it. Lu Ya was there as well. We found a new innate god, one that was likely spawned from Tian Hai¡¯s remains. But its just fake, a cruel twist of fate. I can confirm it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seeing Huoyun¡¯s mood dampen, Yang Mei waved his hand and manifested a tea table on the mountain where they stood. It was complete with some snacks and drinks as well as cushions to sit on. He invited Huoyun to sit down in an attempt to cheer him up. Huoyun absentmindedly followed Yang Mei¡¯s lead and sat down. Slowly, the storm overhead cleared and the environment returned to a more tranquil state. However Huoyun remained impassive as if he was contemplating something. Eventually, Yang Mei decided to make a bid at convincing him. ¡°Huoyun, now that I¡¯ve found it. It¡¯s best you come with me to the Starry Skies. You probably don¡¯t not know this right now the Great Wilderness is in a bit of a pickle. You remember Shenni?¡± ¡°Demon Ape¡¯s dog?¡± ¡°Yes him. He¡¯s¡­lets just say he¡¯s causing quite a bit of stir in the North Continent. Not only has he built himself a power base there, he¡¯s also recruiting people.¡± ¡°Fancying himself king? What does Demon Ape think about it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Dead?¡± ¡°Never reincarnated. He perished in the Chaos Sea,¡± Yang Mei said taking a sip of his tea. He raised his hand and projected his memories of the North Continent and sent them to Huoyun. Huoyun stared at them. Then he looked out towards the world. Specifically, his gaze was aimed at far away primordial beasts and their innate creatures prey. He looked back at Yang Mei¡¯s memories then at the primordial beasts in the distance again. ¡°Well he¡¯s certainly living up to his name,¡± Huoyun said dismissively. ¡°He giving you trouble?¡± ¡°He¡¯s skyrocketed in power. I transformed relatively early in this new world. But Shenni, Hongjun, Luohu were also among the firsts. Shenni has already restored himself to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. Huoyun raised an eyebrow at the proclamation. ¡°Impressive, he¡¯s certainly stepped up his game. Well ultimately this has nothing to do with us. Let Shenni play at being emperor. You and I have more important things to worry about.¡± ¡°Have I not already told you? Tian Hai is gone.¡± ¡°I refuse to believe it.¡± Huoyun put his tea cup down on the table and leaned back with a frown. ¡°Yang Mei, you above all else should believe. What changed?¡± ¡°When I saw it with my own eyes,¡± Yang Mei said placing his own cup down. He stared in a deadlock with Huoyun but he could see the conviction in the latter¡¯s eyes. ¡°You really are stubborn. And here I thought Tian Hai was bad.¡± ¡°I have to. Will you really not accompany me?¡± ¡°I have since found more important things that concern my intention,¡± Yang Mei said before proceeding to show Huoyun what he meant. He goaded Huoyun to use his divine sense on him and willingly subjected himself to it. There he revealed a stunning revelation for Huoyun. As Chaos Godfiends, they maidenly pursued the Dao. All methods were valid and as such, many unique paths were discovered. All eventually culminated int he budding of the Dao fruit and its cultivation to its logical extreme. These Zenith Heaven Chaos Immortals were beings who created their own path and held it dear to their hearts as it represented their everything. That was why they were all furious at Pangu for arresting away their Dao fruits. He essentially stole away a part of themselves to create this new universe, an act considered sinful for the Chaos Godfiends. Many as such wished to find a way to dig into the world and find their Dao fruits again. But some were a bit different. Despite personal Daos being important to an immortal. It wasn¡¯t something that was unchangeable. In truth, an immortal can effectively abandon their Dao and cultivate another. However, this process was essentially restarting from scratch and the new Dao cannot be in any way related to the old else it¡¯ll just be a retread back to the original. Yang Mei had abandoned his old Dao. He never had any intention of gaining his Dao fruit back. Rather, he chose to start again. Huoyun gasped at what Yang Mei had done. ¡°You understand how difficult this will be right? This isn¡¯t like cultivating as a mortal. Finding a new Dao and progressing with it. Yang Mei you can¡¯t guarantee that you¡¯ll ever rise to the same power you were at!¡± ¡°Oh but this is the perfect opportunity to do so,¡± Yang Mei said in denial. ¡°All our brethren is restoring themselves. But what we should be doing is cultivate new Daos. My old Dao had its flaws, I can see them now. There are new things I want to try and I believe I¡¯ll see even greater heights then with my old Dao.¡± ¡°That is why I cannot accompany you brother Huoyun. Since I¡¯ve found you and I now know where you are. I can safely go into retreat in secluded cultivation with peace in mind.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But I must tell you. You¡¯re setting yourself for heartbreak if you¡¯re looking for Tian Hai. Our brother¡¯s gone.¡± Huoyun stood up and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. You said he was in the East Sea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s where I left the snake.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m looking for a snake?¡± ¡°An Eight headed one. He feels like Tian Hai, but trust me when I say he isn¡¯t him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yang Mei. I just have to see it for myself.¡± The two parted on good terms. Ultimately they knew each other very well and still considered teach other brothers. But a distance seemed to have grown between them. Yang Mei unlike Huoyun, retreated to the Starry Skies above the Great Wilderness. Huoyun meanwhile continued to journey around looking for clues. Using his skilled life detection, he visited the East Sea. There he began tracking. Following the waves to shore, following the trail through mountains and forests. He encountered many primordial beasts who¡¯d love nothing more than to eat him. He found these creatures sickening just as any other godfiend would. Hence whenever he encountered them, he expelled them with prejudice. Thousands of years later, he finally succeeded in finding what he was looking for. It started when he saw a mountain collapse in on itself. He deduced it was mostly from the shockwaves of a battle. But along with it, he felt a very familiar aura. One that got him excited. Hence, Huoyun sprinted forwards in a trail of red clouds. It didn¡¯t take long for him arrive at a spring. There, a young boy was fiercely washing himself of red stains. A boy who wore ones stained in immortal blood and had a xiantian spiritual treasure attached to his hip. Immediately, he could tell what Yang Mei had meant. Tian Hai would never subject himself to such behavior. But still Huoyun decided to make his move. He called out with the most jovial voice he could manage. ¡°Oh what luck. The heavens are really looking out for me today. I finally found you.¡± The young boy flinched. Then he turned around and allowed Huoyun to see him in full for the first time. In mere nanoseconds, Huoyun studied the boy over and over again. He was both familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. It was confusing for him. Everything pointed to that fact that he was Tian Hai. But that face, that innocence, that lack of experience evident in his eyes. ¡°Huoyun?¡± The boy replied in a voice of familiarity. A tone Huoyun found hope in for although he appeared unfamiliar, he clearly recognized him. It wasn¡¯t just a simple passing recognition either, the boy knew who he was with clarity. ¡®Some form of mental damage is a strong possibility. Yang Mei was not thorough enough. Tian Hai, I¡¯ll be here to help you until you recover.¡¯ He made his decision and proclaimed his invitation. ¡°Indeed it is I! Now then. What¡¯d you say we do some good old fashioned adventuring eh brother?¡± Chapter 8-The Great Wilderness It was completely new experience, traveling with Huoyun that is. Tian Hai wanted to say he knew him well. He did know him well in fact. He knew his tells, his habits, he could even predict what Huoyun would likely say next. Yet there was just something. Something so strange about their interaction. Almost as if they were strangers meeting for the first time. The closest analogy Tian Hai could come up with was if two online friends met up in real life for the first time. Familiar yet stranger. Five thousand years had passed since the incident at the valley. Five thousand short years going by what Huoyun told Tian Hai from time to time. Not that the eight headed immortal would know given that he hadn¡¯t notice much of the passage of time. That was another aspect of being an innate god that came as a confounding experience to him. The sheer passage of time he experienced that he knew was logically true, yet could not experience it the same way as the mortal mind he once was did. Five thousand years was enough for dozens of civilizations to rise and fall yet Tian Hai felt as if only five days had passed. It just wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d notice unless pointed out. Even Huoyun was much the same even if he could instantly tell the time anyways. Speaking off, Huoyun became anther constant aspect of Tian Hai¡¯s life over the years. He¡¯d much appreciated it after what happened. He didn¡¯t know where Hou Pi went and while he was curious he did not wish to disturb the ape immortal. Huoyun on the other hand was much more pleasant to be around. Tian Hai found him to be cool the hang out with. He was patient, friendly, and very knowledgeable. Just speaking to him filled in the gaps of history within the Chaos Sea. He was like that perfect older sibling character who you can never live up to from how perfect he was. The two¡¯s joining up was much to Tian Hai¡¯s benefit in his personal opinion. For a time they wondered the East Continent with no company but each others. Huoyun did most of the leading and even tried to teach him how to fight again. Rekindle he called it even if Tian Hai was a bit clumsy. And it was shocking how much more powerful Huoyun was compared to him. Back in the Chaos Sea, they were somewhat equal. At least that was what he¡¯d liked to say. Sure the Five Elements deity definitely held the advantage but he was no slouch either. Huoyun was a master of fire, water, wood, metal, and earth. Yet he was also an expert of many esoteric powers such as spacetime, weapons, formations, alchemy, mind etc. He was like an arc mage who had dabbled in all forms of magic. The Immortal cultivation that they Chaos Godfiends practiced was magic in the first place. Daoist magic that focused on exploring the myriad possibilities of the Dao and manifesting them as supernatural abilities. Wether this was done by hand to hand martial arts like Tian Hai in the past or through meditation and more spiritual practices like Huoyun didn¡¯t matter. It was a sad reality for Tian Hai. Goes to show how much he¡¯d regressed since he¡¯d transformed. He remembered not being much during his life on planet earth. Little more than a new high school graduate before the pandemic hit. But he also remembered how much he thrived during his time in the Chaos Sea. He was a terrifying martial menace. Each of his punches sent his opponents fleeing and the force of his kicks had shattered the physiques of many proud martial warriors. ¡°Hey what¡¯re you thinking about? Concentrate on our match!¡± THWACK! ¡°Gah!¡± Tian Hai¡¯s crossed arms could not withstand the blow of the gigantic ethereal punch Huoyun had sent his way. He skirted across the surface the lake and barely managed to stop his body from moving back any further. Another constant to their days were regular sparing matches. Ways Huoyun hoped to rekindle Tian Hai¡¯s fighting spirit or something of the sort. Truthfully, the snake immortal found it all a bit ridiculous. Huoyun was relentless in his attacks. Though he did not move much from his own position, he manifested twin serpents from his hands. One had the face of an old man with fire for hair while the other had the face of an old woman with steel for hair. They roared like dragons and blasted out two coloured beams at him. Tian Hai horridly retrieved his water jug from his waist and swung it at Huoyun¡¯s attacks. The force of his blow managed to offset Huoyun¡¯s own which brought a smile to Huoyun¡¯s face. The godfiend chuckled and chose to goad Tian Hai on a little longer. ¡°Come on, is that the best you can do?¡± Huoyun came down on Tian Hai¡¯s position with strike consisting of clouds shaped like a hammer. Tian Hai threw up a barrier of water to separate himself from Huoyun. Yet the impact of the blow was so great that Tian Hai¡¯s temporary barrier was smashed apart near effortlessly. Huoyun threw his arm out and a part of his clouds split way. They transformed into a palm made of solid wood that struck Tian Hai right in the face. THOOM! Tian Hai flew across the late again, skirting across the water multiple times before smashing into a rock formation on the other side. The consequence was that the ground beneath him cracked like spiderwebs along with rubble that tumbled down. Tian Hai groggily got out of the rubble holding his head in his hands. His visible grimace was a sign of another headache he had had. ¡®He could¡¯ve avoided that easily. Could¡¯ve easily countered with his Flood Gates Palm,¡¯ Huoyun thought with concern. He straightened his back and made a goading gesture at the smaller immortal. The smirk on his face would no doubt send Tian Hai into an irritated frenzy. ¡®How dare he? Smash him to pieces!¡¯ ¡®Beat him up!¡¯ Tian Hai grimaced and released a snarl like noise. ¡°Fine!¡± He spat and pushed his hand into the lake¡¯s edge. Using his immortal power, he lifted all the water of their arena into the air. The two were testing their powers upon one of the East Continent¡¯s many lakes. One that was easily several tens thousand kilometres in diameter. On a small planet like earth this would be an unimaginably sized ocean. But here in the Primtivie World, it was only so so. Tian Hai¡¯s movements created creatures from his memory of earth. A mythical feline with a fiery mane formed with a wide gaping mouth. An azure lion with nine heads made completely out of water. ¡°Cute,¡± Huoyun commented with a nonchalant shrug. ¡°Come on Tian Hai. This is just a crude animation from your powers. It¡¯s barely a technique. Show me some of that aggression like you use to.¡± Tian Hai felt sweat glistening on his forehead. Huoyun¡¯s comments hurt hence he angrily ordered the lion to smash into the godfiend. The controlled the construct with all his might and amplified it with his immortal energies. It should be easily capable of shattering mountains in the Great Wilderness. One must know that the stability of the Primitive World¡¯s environment was astronomically high compared to small planets like earth. Even though the world was still young and can still be described to be in an unstable state, it was still thousands of times above that of ordinary planets. Breaking a mountain in the Primitive World would be the equivalent of annihilating galaxies in the observable universe. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you like that¡­huh?¡± THOOM! Huoyun¡¯s frown was very evident. Tian Hai could even see it even as the stronger immortal held back the lion¡¯s heads with a single hand. His other hand traced up in a slicing motion. What followed was a bright flash of fiery light and the complete destruction of the water construct. Tian Hai stood back stunned. The lake was gone curtesy of them both. But while he felt exhausted and a little scared, Huoyun was completely unfazed. ¡°Tian Hai,¡± Huoyun said. ¡°What¡¯s with all the cheeps tricks. Where you not an unparalleled martial artist? What happened to your invincible scaled fists?¡± Tian Hai released a groan. His hand reached down to grab ahold of his jug with a desire to prove Huoyun wrong. He had already refined Hu Lingji¡¯s old treasure and made it his own. He should be able to unleash a much more powerful attack then she ever could. ¡°Relying on the power of a xiantian spiritual treasure?¡± Huoyun asked with displeasure. ¡°We¡¯re you not the one bragging about how you refined your fists and scales to the same level toughness as high grade xiantian spiritual treasures?¡± ¡®Oh right,¡¯ Tian Hai recalled with a slight flush across his cheeks. ¡®No I¡¯m stronger using a treasure then not. No matter what happened in the past my current body is not my past one.¡¯ ¡®I never needed such treasures.¡¯ ¡®Ooh, treasure¡­¡¯ Tian Hai sucked in a deep breath. ¡®No he¡¯s right. I¡¯m Tian Hai of the Chaos Godfiends formerly a human from earth. My martial arts should naturally be much more impressive then Huoyun¡¯s.¡¯ He examined his opponent and noticed he wasn¡¯t moving. He threw his jug out and slapped its side. This released a scalding torrent of water in a high pressured blast. Huoyun Humphrey casually waved his hand. Five colours of red, black, white, green, and yellow gathered within his body. All of a sudden, it was as if the perfect harmony that was the origin of all life had manifested within the godfiend¡¯s body. From his palm, a prism created from five coloured lights penetrated Tian Hai¡¯s water blast splitting it in multiple directions. But Tian Hai had already known Huoyun would likely do this, wanted him to even. Tian Hai felt incredibly nervous for what was about to come next. His heart quickened as he commanded the water he¡¯d released to transform into their gases state. Through daoist magical arts, Tian Hai created a massive blob of steam clouds that acted to burned Huoyun. ¡°Hot, but did you forget I¡¯m a master of fire as well? It¡¯s in my name for heaven¡¯s sake,¡± Huoyun groaned shaking his head. He wasn¡¯t injured in the slightest and only absorbed the heat from the water. With another thought, he began willing the water vapor away into the form of its liquid state. This was when Tian Hai attacked again PAH! Huoyun¡¯s hand reacted near instantaneously. His palm caught Tian Hai¡¯s punch and he looked back with a raised eyebrow. Tian Hai punched and kicked aggressively, so much so that Huoyun leaned back startled. Tian Hai followed this up with another punch complete with a growl. He roared and snarled and attacked with ferocious punches and kicks. His skin had even taken on the texture of his true form, scaly and rough. ¡°Rah!¡± Tian Hai punched with his arm and transformed it into five twisting serpent heads. They wrapped around each other into a fist aiming for the fleeting Huoyun. The godfiend in response held his arm out to block, allowing the giant arm to scrape past his own. He however wore a frown. One would think this was what he wanted. After all, Tian Hai was showing a display of strength which he once exhibited in the Chaos Sea. But he was not pleased whatsoever. ¡®This is pathetic.¡¯ ¡®I could¡¯ve done better.¡¯ This thought did not come from Huoyun. It came from Tian Hai. Because the display Tian Hai was putting on was far from up to standard. In the Chaos Sea, Tian Hai was a combat maniac. A never ending barrage of assaults. He was like a raging ocean filled with endless fury. A tsunami that would never stop even after its consumed its prey with its sheer scope and power. That was Tian Hai¡¯s martial arts as intended. But in the current Tian Hai¡¯s hands. His fists which were supposed to resemble humongous tsunami waves were more like rapid water flows of a stream. Fast moving, but with none of the force nor the ferocity. A pale imitation and they both knew it. Tian Hai stopped after the forty eight punch. He stood stare staring at his own hands, the water jug tied securely to his waist once more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said like a child who¡¯d been told off. ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± Huoyun asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Your attacks were pretty good. I mean they could be a little more aggressive but¡­¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Aren¡¯t you underselling it? That was a pathetic display,¡± Tian Hai sighed. ¡°Brother, one day you¡¯ll gain back your fighting spirit again. I know losing your Dao fruit was rough. Trust me I know that feeling too. But we¡¯ll get them back one day. Then we can sour in the sky again as the mighty figures we once were.¡± ¡°You really think so?¡± Tian Hai asked. But what he really meant in his head was, ¡®Do you really think that¡¯s it?¡¯ ¡®My Dao, how dare he take it! Filthy Pangu!¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll form the Dao of the supreme emperor and rule uncontested in the Primitive World!¡¯ Tian Hai groaned and clutched his head once again. His breathing became rapid even as he sorted out the pain. Seeing his sworn brother like this, Huoyun approached with worry. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°No, head hurts.¡± Huoyun scratched the bottom of his chin in thought. ¡°Hm, now that you mention it you do seem to do that a lot. Has this been a chronic issue?¡± ¡°For years. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t comment on it faster.¡± ¡°Mmh I haven¡¯t given it much thought until now. But it might have¡­¡± Huoyun trailed off as studied Tian Hai¡¯s face. Rather he was actually looking through the sea god to see his soul and inner cosmos. As an innate god, Tian Hai should be born complete from inception. As such Huoyun studied him closely for any signs of anomalies. But he couldn¡¯t find anything substantial about him, he appeared entirely normal for the most part. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been recalling more and more events as time goes on.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking the recall might¡¯ve something to do with your headaches. Might just be the influx of information that¡¯s disturbing you. Either way, its not exactly a bad thing.¡± ¡°So you say,¡± Tian Hai muttered unconvinced. ¡°It¡¯s hampering. Whenever I do anything I get these¡­well it¡¯s unpleasant alright?¡± ¡°I can guess. I¡¯ll say this, at higher cultivation realms you¡¯ll be able to handle larger doses of information faster. You¡¯ll just need to recover back to the Great Unity realm and your mind would be more at ease.¡± On the road of cultivation, the higher realm one attains the more information they would be able to store in their heads. Tian Hai nodded at Huoyun¡¯s suggestion but he didn¡¯t find much hope in it. For one, he had little clue on how to become a Great Unity Golden Immortal realm being. The two discussed things a little more and Tian Hai communicated his doubts about reaching that realm. However Huoyun merely told him that given enough time he¡¯d be able to recover enough. Because in Huoyun¡¯s mind, they were not cultivating so much as they were healing themselves. ¡°So, where to now?¡± Tian Hai asked after they¡¯d settled down. Their plans were essentially over and Tian Hai did fear Huoyun would leave him be. He was his only source of companionship as well as true protection in the Primitive World. Huoyun made a humming noise. ¡°Well where do you want to go? Because I don¡¯t have much interest aside from closed door cultivation and the occasional spell technique testing.¡± ¡°I was thinking we should make our way to Mt Buzhou,¡± Tian Hai blurted out. It hadn¡¯t been his original intention, it was just something that immediately popped into his mind the moment the discussion of destination came up.¡± Mt Buzhou was extremely far away. But despite that, it was the most powerful mountain in the universe. Deep down, Tian Hai did want to visit the legendary mountain of Chinese mythology. The fact that it was also said to be the birthplace of numerous powerful spiritual treasures were a natural bonus. For anyone who reincarnated into the archaic world of Chinese mythology, Mt Buzhou was definitely a destination they cannot miss. ¡°Buzhou?¡± Huoyun closed his eyes and opened his mind to the Dao. Within a few moments, he divined what Tian Hai had meant. ¡°Ah, Pangu¡¯s spine correct? The celestial mountain that lies as the lynchpin of this Chaos World?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to see if I can gain any fortune there.¡± ¡°Hm, understandable. I too am lacking suitable treasures. My old Five Pointed Star and Crimson Robe were destroyed by Pangu. Okay then, let¡¯s go to Mt Buzhou.¡± The two got up and looked westward. Buzhou may be far, but it was also clearly visible. In fact, Buzhou was so big that it was visible from every corner of the world. It was a mountain that stood trillions upon trillions of kilometres high. And even that may just be a lowball estimate of a single peak of the mountain. It¡¯s true peak was invisible high up in the clouds. ¡®It¡¯s majestic,¡± Tian Hai thought as he observed the distant mountain. It was so mesmerizing now that Tian Hai was fully appreciating it. But while he was being hypnotized by the mountain¡¯s sight, Huoyun turned his head in another direction. ¡°We got company,¡± Huoyun said. Tian Hai took one step forward. Then Huoyun pulled him back. The action was abrupt and forced a gasp out of the younger sea god. ¡°I said watch out!¡± Huoyun commanded in a serious tone. He had narrowly saved Tian Hai from a monstrously hideous creature with a wrinkly face resembling a corpse. ¡°Ah!¡± Tian Hai screamed at the sight of the thing. The primordial beast seemed to take this chance to lunge for Tian Hai with a roar. ¡°ROAR!¡± It cried with earth shattering power. ¡®Fuck! What do I do? Punch or was it water blast?¡¯ Tian Hai thought in a panic. In the heat of the moment he backed away instinctually. ¡®Attack!¡¯ ¡®Pull back first!¡¯ It was almost comical the way Tian Hai just tripped with his head in his palms again. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Just as soon as the primordial beast came, Huoyun had also taken action. His attack was not seen by Tian Hai because he had his eyes closed. But by the time he opened them, the primordial beast was already ashes scattered to the wind. Huoyun only had an exasperated look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t sense it before me,¡± he said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you counter attack?¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± ¡°You head again?¡± Tian Hai nodded in anger. It wasn¡¯t directed at Huoyun but at himself. He was scared when the creature popped up out of nowhere. But he was also frozen in indecision. Huoyun sighed and approached Tian Hai. ¡°Things just aren¡¯t ever simple are they? I¡¯ll see what I can do. Hold still.¡± Huoyun placed his fingers on the sides of Tian Hai¡¯s head and began chanting. His magical daoist arts was felt immediately by Tian Hai who felt a stream of elemental energy meld into his consciousness. Rather then resist, he chose to trust Huoyun and allowed him to do what needed to be done. ¡®Attacks! Mind! Kill!¡¯ ¡®No one is trustworthy in the Primitive World. Kill or Run!¡¯ ¡°Nrrggghh!¡± Tian Hai felt a sharp pain through his scalp but managed to just barely hold down his flinch. Huoyun frowned by continued anyway. As he worked, Tian Hai felt his mind clear more and more. Then it was just silence. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Clearer now?¡± Huoyun asked. ¡°Uh yes. What did you do?¡± ¡°I made a barrier in your head with the five elements. It¡¯s uh¡­meant to block out parts of your mind. A seal if of one¡¯s mind if you will. You won¡¯t have any recall moments but you should be more comfortable now,¡± he said almost in a regretful way. Huoyun had a far away look that was hard to deduce by Tian Hai. ¡°Anyway, you said Mt Buzhou right? Well let¡¯s go to Mt Buzhou.¡± ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go,¡± Tian Hai replied happily. He felt great now that his head was a lot clearer. ¡­ North Sea Thunderous waves crashed upon the the rapid waters of the coldest sea of the Great Wilderness. Countless bodies pools of blood had long mixed into the icy waters, bathing them in a layer of red. Just as how the East Sea of the past knew no calm in its infinite storm. The North Sea was currently covered by a storm of its own. An aftershock from a titanic clash of experts that had lasted for thousands of years. Dozens upon dozens of innate gods travelled to the North Sea after sensing something thousands of years ago. Since then it has been a non stop scramble to attain a prize that would move even the hearts of the most reserved godfiend. Yet the end result was dozens dead and many fleeing southwards back to mainland. Even Yang Mei had briefly been a part of the scramble. Xiantian spiritual treasures were connate existences. They were spawned complete from the energies of heaven and earth and the chaotic source energies of the Chaos Sea. Normally they could only ever exist outside the world in the Chaos Sea as ordinary universes do not posses the power needed to birth them. They were separated into three main grades and an extra even stronger grade. Low rank, middle rank, and high rank were the norm. Even rich godfiends only possessed a few high ranks at any given time. It was common to not even posses a single one even for accomplished experts. Top rank xiantian spiritual treasures were both incredibly rare and also incredibly powerful. Treasures that would make the deciding difference of any battle they appeared in. In the Chaos Sea, only a few such treasures existed. The Kunwu sword and Qiankun ruler being among them. So strong where they that they even allowed a middling godfiend like Ancestor Kunwu to brawl against top tier powerhouses like Yang Mei or Huoyun. Yet even top grade xiantian spiritual treasures could not cause such a scramble. That was because there existed realms above even these kinds of supreme treasures. Two in fact. The fabled Dao artifacts and their lesser versions, chaos spiritual treasures. When Pangu first appeared, he wielded three Dao artifacts. His infamous axe which split apart the Chaos Sea, the 36 Petal Chaos Green Lotus, and his Jade Fortune Disc. But when the Primitive World was created, these three mighty treasures were lost admits the chaos. The raw essence of the Chaos Sea in addition to the powerful backlash Pangu suffered managed to break all three nigh omnipotent weapons. The Chaos Godfiends had witnessed this at the moments of their reincarnation and as such, knew that even their degraded forms would be powerful items to own. Now, not one but two had appeared. Well, only one appeared in the North Sea. The second one was unexpectedly already owned by someone else. ¡°Curses,¡± a deep rumbling voice of a titanic creature said bitterly. This was a gigantic terrestrial mammal, a tortoise with size of such magnitudes that he would qualify as an island in and off itself. Considering the size scale of the Primitive World, his shell alone had more landmass than galaxies. This was Ao, the best defensive expert of the Chaos Godfiends. He did not qualify to stand among the top experts, but he was still a very capable immortal who was able to survive for many yuanhui on his own. Solitary and benevolent, he was non violent by nature and rarely if ever fought someone to the death. Ao looked up regrettably at another figure, a burly old man dressed in purple robes. He had wrinkly skin and long white beard and hair. He looked to be the stereotypical wise old immortal master of Chinese fantasy. An immortal who stood upon a cloud of purple light. In his hands there were two treasures. In his left hand was a swirling mass of black and white. They complimented each other and existed alongside each other yet were also separated. Constantly spinning and changing. A diagram that was said to depict the nature of the Dao itself. If Tian Hai was here, he¡¯d instantly recognize this treasure. The Chaos ranked Taiji Painting. It was originally the handle of the Pangu Axe but now stood as a treasure of its own. In the old daoist¡¯s other hand was the treasure these godfiends were scrambling for. A flagpole held steadily in the daoist¡¯s hand with the flag itself fluttering in the wind. A treasure transformed by the axe head of the Pangu Axe, a banner with a depiction of Pangu attacking the Chaos Sea on one aside, and an image of Pangu lifting heaven on the other. This was the Pangu Banner. The old daoist who owned them was naturally Hongjun, the Mysterious Saint of Profound Mysteries. He was an ancient godfiend who was lucky enough to reincarnate into the Great Wilderness just like many others. Unlike others, he had restored his powers extremely quickly. ¡°Hongjun, I respect your strength. But I too have desires,¡± Ao the tortoise said trying to rise up to the sky. His shells as cracked and he was bleeding everywhere. But he clearly still had fighting intentions. ¡°You already posses a chaos ranked spiritual treasure. Do you not think it unfair?¡± ¡°Ao old friend,¡± Hongjun began. ¡°Nothing is ever fair in the world. The only fairness is the law of the jungle. I desire this treasure too just as you and everyone else.¡± He swung the Pangu Banner down at Ao but his eyes held no true malice. Neither Ao nor Hongjun really disliked the other. But in a competition to gain benefits, they¡¯d naturally become enemies. Of Ao was too pushy, Hongjun would be forced to kill him as well. A third party watched the two do battle yet had no intention of interfering. He was faceless and wore a robe what covered his entire body. Neither side payed him attention at all for this godfiend had already given up and was only enjoying the fireworks. Ao was ultimately powerless before the Pangu banner¡¯s might. Despite regaining his strength as Great Unity Golden Immortal shortly before, the Pangu Banner easily split apart his shell and forced him down into the northern ocean. Here at the furthest extremities of the world, Ao crashed near the small bit of land that was the North Pole. Hongjun watched Ao in deep thought. He went over his own thoughts and plans for his future. ¡°Ao, it has been a pleasure doing battle with you. You were an exemplary opponent.¡± Ao did not respond as he was already too injured. Instead the third party asked Hongjun a question. ¡°Do you intend on killing him?¡± The hooded man asked. Hongjun raised an eyebrow at the question. ¡°No of course not Hundun. Ao and I have no grievances to settle.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hundun sounded almost disappointed. ¡°But for the¡­hm¡­¡± Hongjun lifted the Taiji Painting and unleashed it down at Ao. ¡°Ao old friend. Apologies for this action¡± ¡°What? Hongjun I already lost. Leave me be!¡± Ao cried out in desperation. He stomped with his legs and shrunk back into his shell intending to roll away. ¡°Attack? No. I simply need a few contingencies in case I am not successful. You will not see harm done to you and I¡¯m sure in time you¡¯ll realize the necessity of this when the will of heaven comes into being. Restore your power well. Taiji Painting, unleash the Cosmic Weight Seal!¡± Before Ao could even respond, a titanic mass crashed onto his body. He sank into the ocean, his legs standing square on the ocean surface as he was enveloped by the ocean. Though Ao had become a Great Unity Golden Immortal, he was powerless to resist. Hundun watched impassively. ¡°That seemed pointless. Ao is hardly a threat to you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a contingency. In case things do wrong,¡± Hongjun said mysteriously before turning his full attention to Hundun. Suddenly, Hundun felt an invisible yet crushing pressure upon his person. He felt as if he could neither run nor fight back before Hongjun. ¡°I¡¯m a sensible man so I¡¯ll tell you this. Tell Shenni to give up his mission else I will destroy him. That is all.¡± ¡°You really think you can measure up to Shenni? You who rank among the lowest members of the three thousand Chaos Godfiends?¡± ¡°The only reason I¡¯m not counted in the big four is because I never bothered,¡± Hongjun chuckled. ¡°That goes for that idiot Luohu as well.¡± Hongjun spared one last look at both Hundun and Ao who was beneath the waves and left. He had been away from the East Continent for too long and he longed to see home again. Hundun looked away. Ao was making noises similar to weeping sounds and to Hundun it was a bit pathetic. But he supposed the tortoise had no choice in the matter. Perhaps if he were to return to full power he would be able to escape from Hongjun¡¯s seal. Ao¡¯s cultivation specialized in size and stability. He simply did not have much offensive options other then size. Perhaps if he were to grow big enough? Nevertheless, Hundun left for mainland. He had news to report to Shenni. That and he could give his brothers in arms aid with their campaign as well. Chapter 9-Trek To Mt Buzhou The road towards the sacred celestial mountain at the centre of the universe was long and arduous. For ordinary immortals that was. Golden Immortals like Tian Hai and Huoyun walked that distance with little issue. It still look an immense amount of time, but for immortal creatures it wasn¡¯t something to be concerned about. Tian Hai throughout his journey thoroughly enjoyed having someone else around. However, the fact that Huoyun was constantly bringing up his past and their adventures got old and annoying after the fifteenth thousand time. Nevertheless, Tian Hai didn¡¯t really complain. He was very thankful now that he didn¡¯t suffer much from pain inducing episodes. As the two made their way across the primordial soil, Mt Buzhou did not seem to be getting any closer. Their pace was leisurely and unhurried. In fact, two resembled tourists sightseeing the view more then anything. Sometime¡¯s they¡¯ll walk on foot, other times they¡¯ll ride the clouds. As an exercise, Tian Hai would even create constructs out of water to ride upon. Five thousand years of nonstop trekking later, the two finally neared the borders of the East Continent. Since their starting location was closer southwards, the dimensional barrier they encountered merely linked to the South Continent. However, through that and a little more would lead to the Central Continent where Mt Buzhou lay. Neither Tian Hai nor Huoyun had ever been to the South Continent before. But from his human memories, Tian Hai could deduce many details about it. When the part of him that was originally human still resided on earth, he had read many internet novels about the same general setting of the Primitive World. While details would change, large story beats remain the same and thus predictable. In many stories, the south was the place in which true qi used for cultivation was largely dried up. This lead to it being the cradle of human civilization after the investiture of the gods event. But it was still many yuanhui before that even becomes a possibility. Primordial qi had yet to degrade into the true qi of the future and the ten thousand clans who competed to become overlord of the Primitive World had yet to even take place. In this early period, everyone was prey to the rage of the Chaos Godfiends. According to Tian Hai¡¯s information, it was said that the South Continent was the domain of the ancestor of the Phoenix Clan and the king of all avian creatures of the cosmos. She was supposed to be a master of a celestial type of flame rich in both yin and yang known as the Nanming Divine Flames. As such, Tian Hai wondered if he would meet the younger self of the legendary phoenix in the southern part of the Great Wilderness. Even if he couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d still be expecting to see a land rife with bird type immortals. That was if they haven¡¯t been preyed upon by primordial beasts already. ¡°What are you so happy about?¡± Huoyun asked the skipping Tian Hai. He found the younger immortal¡¯s strangely cheerful behavior to be not only strange but a bit irritating as well. Nothing major but Tian Hai had the habit of always having his gourd down. ¡°Hm? Oh nothing, nothing major. Just wondering what sights we¡¯ll see in the South Continent is all.¡± ¡°Tian Hai we¡¯re not here to sight see. You still need to restore your cultivation and we are also in need of treasures to augment us.¡± Huoyun¡¯s reminder wiped Tian Hai¡¯s cheerful expression. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong brother I like seeing the natural view as well. But you must remember there are many dangers in the world.¡± ¡°Primordial beasts aren¡¯t much of a threat brother.¡± ¡°Who says anything about primordial beasts? Our fellow godfiends are also a threat. It¡¯s ingrained in our brain.¡± Tian Hai nodded. He recalled what Huoyun had said about the godfiends over the years. Are you a righteous god or a despicable fiend? Either one does not matter as they¡¯re ultimately the same, people trying to seek the Dao. The Dao was all that mattered in the end. This mentality created a cutthroat style of life within the Chaos Sea. Godfiends would not hesitate to betray one another to steal benefits. But this did not mean they were without camaraderie. Even if two godfiends were mortal enemies, they would almost never go for the kill and would rather sit down and trade notes on the nature of the Dao. Ultimately, seeking the Dao was the most important. But that was the past. Who knows if anything had changed after the godfiends had reincarnated into this new world. Huoyun observed Tian Hai¡¯s thinking position and chuckled. It would be good if this new Tian Hai could develop more situation awareness. The old Tian Hai would not allow any creature who did not qualify form nearing him. ¡°There¡¯s also the Chaos Sea to consider. When we leave, and we eventually will as we are restored to full power. Other chaotic lifeforms also exist in the Chaos Sea not unlike us godfiends. Don¡¯t you remember how we were originally like them as well before our induction at Tai Chu temple?¡± ¡°Tai Chu temple?¡± Tian Hai scratched his head and only nodded along dumbly. He¡¯d never really given that part of godfiend history much thought and now the onslaught of headache inducing memories were muffled. Whatever instinctual voices in his mind was also suppressed to a degree that he could barely feel a thing. But Huoyun never responded as he¡¯d already stopped walking. This was because around a kilometre in front of them, past the forest foliage they were progressing through and along a wide hilly grassland. The semi permeable barrier that separated east from south came into view. It was almost mesmerizing, like a bubble even. It was clear and the other side was visible. But there was also flickering energies within the barrier that glowed in different coloured lights. Tian Hai and Huoyun crossed that distance hurriedly to reach the barrier. While Tian Hai found it interesting to admire, Huoyun didn¡¯t think much of it. The separation from the East Continent to South Continent wasn¡¯t that tough. It was instead very stable and seemed to come from the centre of the world itself ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not dawdle,¡± Huoyun reminded. He pushed out with his hands and easily passed through the barrier. Once on the other side, he turned back around and waited for Tian Hai to make his way through. The childish unease and hesitation Tian Hai was subsequently displaying was concerning for Huoyun. Nothing he¡¯s seen was anything he¡¯d describe as desirable. Perhaps if he was just a happy go lucky mortal. But Tian Hai was part of the top three thousand Chaos Godfiends. It was unnatural. ¡°Woah!¡± Tian Hai explained and patted himself once he passed through. He looked back at the barrier and brushed his hands through it again trying to test it out. He found it fun in a strange sort of way. ¡®This kid.¡¯ Huoyun could only shake his head exasperatingly. The South Continent was much drier then the lush East Continent. Not to say it was devoid of greenery, it was still a location with a vast variety of environments. But the average temperature was much hotter then Tian Hai had previously experienced. He could feel the Dao laws governing the forces of fire being stronger and easier to sense in this part of the world compared to the east where wood was more prominent. Huoyun being the progenitor of these elemental subset of Dao laws instantly recognized them and could merely sigh regrettably. The Daos carefully cultivated by the top three thousand Chaos Godfiends and the hundred and eight thousand lesser godfiends were swallowed by Pangu¡¯s Chaos World. Hidden deep within its core, they only displayed themselves on the surface in the form of these Dao laws. Natural physics which governed the world. For True, Profound, and Heavenly Immortals they were needed to progress. But they were ultimately pointless to the Golden Immortal godfiends who could only look at them regrettably. On the other hand, Tian Hai felt strangely that he couldn¡¯t give less of a crap. He could see the hidden agony in Huoyun but he himself just didn¡¯t feel it. It also didn¡¯t help that he was slightly confused about the whole thing. Didn¡¯t novels like these dictate that all immortals sensed and cultivated Dao laws and used them to break through to the Primal Origin realm? But here in this world, they stopped mattering as far back as a measly Golden Immortal. No measly wasn¡¯t the right word. Even Golden Immortals were universal monsters who¡¯d transcended the confines of a Chaos World. It was only the Chaos World created by a borderline Dao realm existence like Pangu could it turn out this way. Thinking about it, Tian Hai doubted wether the Primitive World could even be considered a Chaos World. These were just some of the theories he would think about as the two companions continued their way through the South Continent. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Months into years. And soon years would approach decades. Mt Buzhou loomed ever closer as Huoyun and Tian Hai turned an angle to approach the Central Continent. ¡­ On one fine afternoon within the South Continent. At a lake which Tian Hai and Huoyun was passing through. They encountered other innate creatures. Profound Immortals and even some Heavenly Immortals just like the community Tian Hai encountered thousands of years back in that valley. Huoyun noticed it first standing atop his stool of five coloured clouds. Tian Hai was seated in a lotus position beside him silently cultivating according to Huoyun¡¯s advice. Huoyun, seeing as Tian Hai was wasting too much time looking at everything forced him to finally sit down to restore his power. This would not be the first time he¡¯d attempted to do this and he could only hope reaching Mt Buzhou would settle the sea god down. Nevertheless, Huoyun deemed the approaching immortals too unimportant and unrelated to his business. Unnecessary troubles were just that, unnecessary and a bother to incur karma. The paranoid part of Huoyun had no intention of getting entangled with what could potentially be larger issues. The Great Wilderness was large and living beings were actually fairly sparse. What¡¯s more, since the current Tian Hai wasn¡¯t that sensitive in using his divine sense, Huoyun has been keeping tabs on their surroundings in his place. Primordial beasts were useful in reminding him of the warrior he once was but weak innate creatures were a hindrance at best. Huoyun noticed the fleeing group almost immediately. He sighed feeling a pang of pity for them. These innate creatures of the South Continent were much like the eastern ones. Always fleeing from primordial beasts and occasionally picking up stragglers from other regions of the world. Despite his indifference, Huoyun was not an emotionless machine. He regretted that his brethren¡¯s hatred and indignation spawned this pest. Perhaps with time as cultivation civilization developed, these native living beings would be able to wipe them out. But for Huoyun, regaining what he lost was most important. This was the case as well across all godfiends currently still alive. ¡°Huoyun what¡¯s that?¡± Tian Hai¡¯s sudden caught Huoyun by surprise? Not expecting his companion to notice as well he was secretly delighted. This meant Tian Hai was improving his senses and perhaps would even be a positive correlation to his restoration. ¡°Native innate creatures. Looks like they caught the interest of primordial beasts,¡± Huoyun replied honestly. From his eyes he could see half a dozen similarly sized gigantic monkey like creatures with the heads of a ram and ran on three legs. Their eyes held no signs of intelligence and only bloodlust. The fleeing innate creatures were of a variety of races. Huoyun did not know what they were called but he did recognize creatures who resembled lizards with a sauropod build, mammalian creatures with long trunks, feline creatures, canines, and a whole host of others. All of them had some potential with cultivation and had survived for hundreds, some even thousands of years. But it would seem their luck had ran out with this recent encounter. The primordial beasts chasing them were each of similar strength to the strongest beasts Huoyun and Tian Hai had encountered. These creatures did get stronger as well as long as they continued consuming living beings. A twisted form of cultivation feeding only on the destruction of the Primitive World¡¯s living beings. ¡°Regretful,¡± Huoyun muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± But despite saying that, Huoyun suddenly noticed Tian Hai¡¯s missing presence. His eyes went wide and he panicked. ¡®Fuck! Was I that lost in my thoughts?¡¯ In mere nano seconds, Tian Hai made an extremely hasty decision. Leaping off of Huoyun¡¯s cloud and protection, he rocketed for the horde of primordial beast. ¡°Look! What¡¯s what?¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Another beast?¡± ¡°Wait no its an immortal!¡± ¡°Run you fool, don¡¯t you realize what these things are?¡± Tian Hai similar to Huoyun pitied these creatures. The world really was unkind placing them with little knowledge and power in a world filled with monster who would like nothing more than to prey upon them. Unreasonable and hungering, that was primordial beasts. A natural part of Tian Hai, the part inherited from the life of a human man. Though his thoughts and feelings always lied in a delusion of grandeur, there was an underlaying empathetic feeling there. It was the same as if someone sees another person suddenly trip on the street. They¡¯d feel compelled to help them up. This wasn¡¯t a feeling unique to humans, all living beings possessed some degree of empathy. But in Tian Hai, the feelings of the life of one was within him. As such, Tian Hai acted on those impulses. Despite knowing Huoyun would disapprove, Tian Hai chose to face these six primordial beasts in combat. After blitzing past the group of scared innate creatures, Tian Hai only felt his feelings of pity grow. They looked utterly miserable compared to the community he¡¯d encountered in the past. Tian Hai did not like reminding himself about them at all. He reached for the jug he acquired from them and swung it at the first beast he encountered. CRACK! The force of his strike staggered the monster so hard that it was lifted into the air and flung into the direction of another one. ¡°BAAAA!¡± It cried out as two of them crashed onto the soil kicking up a large dust storm. Tian Hai breathed heavily feeling the adrenaline. He was a bit shocked at the force of his physical blow. But he had little time to react as he was immediately smacked down by another primordial beast. ¡°GAH!¡± Tian Hai smashed into the soil and rolled for a few distance. He looked up just in time to see a beam of energy drill into the primordial beast that hit him. An irate Huoyun was walking with a hand held out and a look of fury written clearly on his face. Tian Hai turned his gaze back to the primordial beast and got back to his feet. He could sense that the various immortals behind him were stupefied at what they¡¯d witnessed. How could they not? Since when has an immortal been able to smack aside primordial beasts like nothing. Thinking about the situation made Tian Hai deeply displeased. So much so that he released a roar of frustration. The sky darkened and lighting rumbled through the heavens. Eight repenting heads shot onto the sky wrapping themselves around four of the six primordial beasts and bit into their furry hides. ¡°BAAAA!¡± ¡°BAAAA!¡± ¡°BAAAA!¡± ¡®Fuck these guy¡¯s skins are tough!¡¯ Tian Hai realized as his fangs only made small progress in sinking into their flesh. His own physical strength wasn¡¯t the most impressive but it was still pretty high. But these primordial beasts were cut from a different cloth than the ones he¡¯d faced prior. ¡°Tian Hai!¡± Huoyun cried out as a fifth beast smashed their fist into Tian Hai¡¯s back. He immediately used a palm art to smash the beast away. Then he made several hand seals and unleashed a torrent of fire. These flames swirled like an inferno and roasted to goat headed beast, burning it so severely that only a skeleton remained within a few seconds. Looking back Huoyun narrowed his eyes at Tian Hai. ¡°Brother! Use your magical abilities. Destroy these pests at once!¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know how!¡± Tian Hai fried in a panic. He was only wrestling with the primordial beasts and while he was succeeding, he couldn¡¯t find a way to kill them. ¡°Drown them, crush them with water. Use your martial arts!¡± Huoyun suggested even as he finished off the sixth beast. The first four turned out to be suitable opponents but Huoyun knew Tian Hai had the raw power to annihilate them. ¡°I¡­¡± Tian Hai felt panicked just as he did before. But even know without voices of indecision in his head, he still felt unsure of what to do. His instincts told him nothing even while his neck was being tugged. The loud noises from these goat heads was also aggravating as it was distracting. ¡°Think Tian Hai think. Hydrokineses? These things don¡¯t breath air. I could¡­Wait I could crush them with the force of the water powered by my qi!¡± Tian Hai struggled against the powerful tugs of the beasts yet his necks remained in place. He lifted his seventh and eighth that were free and opened their mouths. Gathering his qi and control of water around him, he created a massive bubble of water that drowned all five them. The envelopment was successful and Tian Hai ordered the small ocean around him to crush his opponents. While he was immune, Tian Hai was able to untangle himself and swim away as the primordial beasts were unable to pursue. ¡®This is rudimentary at best. It barely qualifies as daoist arts.¡¯ Tian Hai felt disheartened by his own performance. Now outside their grasp, he willed blobs of water within the spherical ocean into, the first underwater weapon he thought of, crab claws. Said crab claws manifested in the open and slammed down on all four goat headed primordial beasts. Their bleating were drowned out by the water even as their bodies were sliced apart Once his kill was achieved, Tian Hai swallowed the ocean in its entirety. It was as if it was never there in the first place. Only afterwards did Tian Hai realize that he¡¯d never thought to use his xiantian spiritual treasure beyond the initial hit and mentally kicked himself. ¡°Tian Hai!¡± Huoyun called out. He stepped to the side of Tian Hai¡¯s sixth head. ¡°You gave me a spook. Why¡¯d you run off like that?¡± Off in the distance, hundreds of innate creatures immortals were praying in Tian Hai and Huoyun¡¯s direction. They were all on their knees and spewing words of thanks and praise. There were even requests to take them as apprentices and servants, even mounts as an option. Their desperation and cries touched Tian Hai¡¯s heartstrings and made him feel even worse. Innate creatures truly were pitiful. No it wasn¡¯t really innate creatures, it was weak creatures in general. ¡°I¡­I felt sorry for them,¡± Tian Hai admitted. ¡°Look at them brother. Let¡¯s settle down at some place first. Then we can head for Mt Buzhou.¡± ¡°Tian Hai!¡± Huoyun¡¯s voice was sturdy and strong, his look one of disapproval. ¡°Do you know how many of these creatures there are across the cosmos? They are not unique. You forming karmic ties to them binds you to a responsibility. It¡¯s better to leave them be, you¡¯ve already done enough for them.¡± ¡°But brother Huoyun, how could they survive long in this harsh world?¡± ¡°How did any progenitor creatures survive in their home Chaos Worlds? Or how did innate gods of the Chaos Sea find their way initially? Chance and experience both play a piece. You were their chance and saved their lives but you¡¯re not indebted to them. You have your own life and your own goals. Are you really going to stay here and safeguard them your entire life?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be the right thing?¡± ¡°Keeping thinking that way and soon enough you¡¯ll trap yourself in an eternal mission. Brother its not that good deeds are wrong. But you cannot, must not ever become their crutch in living. you¡¯re not responsible for them.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not going to. I¡¯ll only settle them, give them some protection. Then we can head for Buzhou.¡± ¡°Well what about the second time you find a group like this? Or the third? I¡¯ve seen plenty of innate gods fall into this trap. I do not want you to be guilt tripped into their servitude. Once is already enough. I just¡­I just don¡¯t want you to get into that mindset, I¡¯ve seen where it could lead. All it takes is one inciting incident. They¡¯ll cling on to you and chain you by cause and effect, they¡¯ll wine and complain for every little incident. Tian Hai it¡¯s not a position worth having.¡± While the two were arguing, the creatures of the the fleeing group were already busy at work. Perhaps it was some hope that these beings would shelter them permanently, but they constructed statues using their own powers. These statues were like shrines that the innate creatures immediately began worshipping. Gods were responsible for their people. They looked after their people dutifully. These innate creatures would enshrine Tian Hai as their god if they had to so he¡¯d look after them. Unfortunately for them, Huoyun noticed this as well. He blocked out Tian Hai¡¯s senses after seeing his hesitation at his words. With another motion, he brought Tian Hai away as fast as possible. Karmic ties were a mysterious things. They represented relationships between two parties, cause and effect that needed to be resolved else consequences could be incurred. Now they weren¡¯t necessarily big issues, it could be as small as bumping your head on a branch or just getting the answer to a question wrong. But a lifetime of conflicts had made Huoyun wary of any form of karmic ties. Karmic luck born from merit and karmic sin were their own separate can of worms that Huoyun also didn¡¯t really want to bother with. It was so troublesome living in a Chaos World. In the Chaos Sea, things were much simpler. ¡­ North Continent Plates upon plates of dishes were placed before a massive throne. A banquet hall had been set up within an undecorated cave. A spartan like base for a brutal godfiend. Shenni sat upon his uncomfortable stone chair with a grim expression. He observed the dishes served to him with disgust. Innate creatures unfortunately turned out to be quite delicious as observed by his subordinate Taotie. Soon, other godfiends found this out as well. The northern clans that had yet to be exterminated such as the bejeweled sheep, the yellow scaled croc, the green haired ape etc were all served. Shenni found no comfort in them whatsoever. But they were a necessity to butter up to some potential friends in his campaign against the resistance further north. Looking around, Shenni could only feel contempt at the way Kunwu, Shen Feng, Yinyang and dozens of others were digging in. ¡®Filth of Pangu,¡¯ Shenni thought with contempt. What was so great about the Primitive World anyway? This forsaken world of garbage born of murder. Oh how Shenni hated this world with a passion. It¡¯s luster were naught but curses, it¡¯s so Calle opportunities poison. How could his brethren not see it that way? The very thought that so many were content living in the Primitive World and treating it as a new home sickened him. They did they not realize what it took to create this place of filth? Who it took? ¡°There are fewer godfiends here then expected. How many rejected my invitation?¡± Shenni asked the hooded figure beside him. Hundun stood by his side as always. His brothers, the remaining three of the four evils were busy chowing down. Shenni felt grateful. At least the four evils who¡¯d once followed the same master as he still remembered their loyalties. Hundun, Taotie, Qiong Qi, and Taowu were all remarkable warriors who were committed to his cause. While they were not the brightest sort, but Hundun was a fairly competent general for him. Hundun shifted awkwardly. ¡°Originally we sent out hundreds of invites to all corners of the world. All the brothers and sisters who¡¯d transformed into their new selves at the time should¡¯ve received them. But only twenty two of the eighty one currently active godfiends arrived. Most of the invites were rejected.¡± ¡°And whatever was left died in that incident in the North Sea?¡± ¡°Correct your majesty.¡± ¡°Fucking pathetic! Fighting over that fucker¡¯s axe head? We should¡¯ve destroyed it when we found out,¡± Shenni spat. He was incredibly brazen about his dislike of Pangu and all who attended this banquet knew it. Shenni had crowned himself the Beast Emperor succeeded the Chaos Godfiend who governed war, the Chaos Demon Ape. He was a master combatant who¡¯s current abilities actually managed to surpass many of his old rivals and reached into the top echelons of the currently alive godfiends. Many years ago, the furious Shenni was the first lifeforms to transform and gain his new body after Pangu vanished. Back then, he made a single goal. A promise to avenge his beloved master Demon Ape. Now years later, his power base had finally been built up and he could enact his plans. Unfortunately, many of his previous brethren had an unfortunate fondness for the Primitive World. When he found out, Shenni was apocalyptic. But he swallowed his rage. After all, he needed their help. He wasn¡¯t the only strong man within the world. Near the same time as him, others had managed to gain great strength. The Mysterious Saint of the east and the rascal in the west to name a few. The imperial sea god Si Hai had also gained a strong foothold in the South Seas. Not to mention many godfiends were content living carefree lives, peacefully restoring their power. Shenni simply would not have it. These godfiends, none of them desired the Primitive World¡¯s destruction. ¡°My fellows!¡± Qiong Qi¡¯s boisterous voice reached the Beats Emperor¡¯s ears. The winged tiger godfiend in his Dao body strode up and stood before everyone else. ¡°May I present my gift for you all!¡± He swerved his hand and from his sleeve, a figure was retrieved. It was a young woman from the Green Haired Ape tribe, one who held an infant in her arms. ¡°No please!¡± She cried. But her voice was silenced with a wave of Qiong Qi¡¯s hand. Her body was frozen and it was as if she was trapped in time. Shenni scoffed. Qiong Qi and his little games were fun to watch but got old quick. Wasting time playing with his prey was a bad habit for him But in such a setting, he wouldn¡¯t criticize Qiong Qi too much. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Kunwu, one of the wielders of a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure asked. He was a monstrously powerful powerhouse who had already returned to the Great Unity realm. His true form was that of a massive void fish but he rarely showcased it. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already tried the meat of her kind. The Green Haired Apes are one of the tastiest meats available in the North Continent. Powerful spiritual effects too for those who cultivate fleshy techniques. I¡¯m sure many fellow daoists here have enjoyed them during dinner.¡± Clamors of agreements stretched out across the various tables. ¡°This one here came from the farms Taotie and I started. Freshly alive where the spiritualism is at its highest,¡± Qiong Qi walked up to the woman and grabbed the infant from her arms. Despite being frozen, her desperate pleas were evident in her eyes. She¡¯ll receive no sympathies from the Chaos Godfiends present. Godfiends where creatures who wholeheartedly pursued to the Dao through any methods necessary. While some leaned towards the qualities of a righteous god, many also leaned towards the qualities of a terrifying fiend. Some of those present had refined Chaos World¡¯s in the past and ended quadrillions of lives in an instant. What was the life of one measly creature before them? Of course while most didn¡¯t care, others who were in attendance did find Qiong Qi¡¯s actions a bit distasteful. Lu Ya the Sun Demon God chief among them. He¡¯d accepted the invite on a whim and because he knew Demon Ape personally, but he found Shenni¡¯s crew a bit wanting. In his and others similar to him¡¯s eyes, Qiong Qi¡¯s taunting seemed excessive. The benefits of eating these creatures wasn¡¯t anything special to begin with, the whole thing was just a performance. However, Shenni was also a terrifying monster in terms of power. He was single minded Lu focused and driven. One look was all Lu Ya needed to know that any defiance before the current Shenni would mean death. As such, he didn¡¯t interfere under the presence of not being rude. Qiong Qi toyed with the innate creature before these godfiend¡¯s eyes. He consumed the infant first and enjoyed the mother¡¯s horrified stare and subsequent cry of anguish. Then he killed her and divided up her flesh for those in attendance served with Taotie¡¯s help. Shenni naturally denied the dish. He abhorred consuming anything that came from Pangu. Others like Lu Ya and Yinyang denied for their own reasons. After that horrifying freak show, Shenni exposed his true intentions. It was an expected one given his title as Beast Emperor. ¡°Join me and we shall return glory to the name of Demon Ape¡¯s Beast Army!¡± Shenni¡¯s aura exploded flaunting outwards. The might of a Chaos Immortal, the first in the Primitive World¡¯s history since Pangu split heaven from earth. Shenni had already entered the Great Principle realm. As of this moment, he returned to the great realm that the Chaos Godfiends were all at. Great Principle Chaos Immortal, the first stage of Chaos Immortals and the beginning of the bridge towards omnipotence. Chapter 10-Mt Buzhou The Central continent could only be described with one word; Barren! The Central Continent was many things but pleasant was not one of them. It¡¯s most obvious quality was the gravity. The crushing suppression of supernatural powers and the pressure of a congregation of primordial qi that would boggle the mind of anyone. Not even special locations in the Chaos Sea could necessarily compare to the Central Continent of the Primitive World¡¯s Great Wilderness Given that primordial qi is only a renamed form of chaos qi from the Chaos Sea, this was an extremely impressive feat of architecture. But the consequence was that the natural qi was simply too rich. It killed any plant life, even the most resilient spiritual herbs could not withstand the pressure. No innate creatures lived here for they too would be crushed into meat pastes upon entry. This was the world Tian Hai and Huoyun had ventured to. The barren rocky piece of land that was the Central Continent. Where the soil was arid and filled with spider cracks, where flying was almost impossible, where the extent of Tian Hai¡¯s abilities was to just walk around like a mortal visiting the Himalayas. ¡°Good heavens,¡± Tian Hai gurgled out clutching his chest. His knees were bent and his face strained. ¡°How are you resisting this brother Huoyun?¡± Huoyun in contrast appeared mostly fine. There was however trails of sweat dripping down his forehead which was the only indication to some fatigue. ¡°I¡¯m pushing against it with my own immortal qi,¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°Something you are also able to do you know that right? You don¡¯t have to rely purely on physical ability.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tian Hai stood back up after circulating his qi with full intent. He blushed and looked away from Huoyun who merely sighed with a shrug. But even then, the suppression of Mt Buzhou was still insane. In a normal Chaos World, Golden Immortals have already transcended the confines of a universe. They were free beings capable of traveling through the Chaos Sea. The Primitive World is breaking all sorts of norms outside of Huoyun¡¯s experience. But now that they were in the Central Continent, Mt Buzhou was closer than it has ever been. Just standing at the southern edges, the two could feel the deep power emanating from Mt Buzhou¡¯s depths. To Tian Hai, it was as if he was facing God almighty himself. But to Huoyun, he wondered if it was the lingering power of Pangu. Despite dying many years ago, Pangu¡¯s influence on the world was still strong. Every once of his qi still permeated the environment, even the bodies of innate gods were not exempt from it. But Mt Buzhou was where the vast majority of said influence was at. Being Pangu¡¯s spine, Mt Buzhou was gargantuan. It dwarfed all other constructs within the world by an order of magnitude. It¡¯s peak was not visible beyond the clouds and its base covered over three quoters of the available land within the Central Continent. Only on Mt Buzhou was greenery visible. Even then, both of the innate gods present doubted anything growing on Mt Buzhou to be ordinary. It was a cosmic celestial mountain that held the universe in place. A lynchpin necessary for the continued existence of all things in this universe. Thus, the two headed towards the southern base of Mt Buzhou taking one careful step at a time. Each step dug into the soil leaving behind footprints several inches deep. Over time, the suppression only got stronger. However, this was also an extremely good body tempering exercise. As Tian Hai and Huoyun progressed, their bodies suffered the brutal suppression of Mt Buzhou. Slowly, they became accustomed. Though it was still strong, they felt their flesh gradually strengthen beneath the training. After dozens of years of non stop trekking, they¡¯d finally managed to reach Mt Buzhou¡¯s foothills. There for the first time since entering the Central continent, they saw a semblance of greenery accompanied by a mind boggling amount of qi. ¡°Mt Buzhou,¡± Tian Hai whispered. ¡°It¡¯s as wonderful as the legends described.¡± ¡°Legends?¡± Huoyun inquired with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they wrote legends about this mountain already. Although, coming from Pangu¡¯s spine it is quite impressive.¡± Truth be told, Huoyun greatly admired the mountain. It was the only thing keeping the sky above their heads and the universe stable. Through his expertise in the five elements, Huoyun could identify that there was no deciding will in this universe. As such, Grand Dao¡¯s influence from the Chaos Sea creeped in. He wondered how long before something like a Heavenly Dao would spawn. By the time that happened, the freedom of immortals would be a lot more restricted then things currently are. Hopefully, he would be able to reclaim his Dao and leave by then. ¡°You know,¡± Tian Hai said. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve arrived, I¡¯m kinda lost what to do.¡± ¡°Did you not want to try for opportunistic encounters? With energy as rich as this, you¡¯re bound to find something useful.¡± Huoyun advised. Tian Hai nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right brother Huoyun, just like always. Yeah I¡¯m sure there would be many wonderful things in the mountain. Let¡¯s try and scale it.¡± Although Tian Hai was optimistic about climbing Mt Buzhou, reality was a lot different. The suppression starting on Buzhou¡¯s bottom to the top was an exponential increase. In the end, Tian Hai and Huoyun could only linger around the lower quartile of Mt Buzhou before the gravity became too tough. Not even when Huoyun activated his full cultivation base could he make it far up Mt Buzhou. It was simply an impossible task. It was an unbelievable experience to Huoyun. So much so that he wanted to laugh out loud. To be denied so profusely by a mere mountain, such an event had not happened for millions of years. Not since Huoyun was first conceived in the Chaos Sea as a Golden Immortal. Over the next ten years, the two wondered around Buzhou aimlessly. Huoyun experienced the myriad changes of qi that carried essences from all the Daos the Primitive World has swallowed in its conception. All the while, he had also listened to Tian Hai recount tidbits about Mt Buzhou. Tian Hai turned out to be quite a blabbermouth once he got started. Somehow he had come across information that Huoyun wasn¡¯t even aware of. Said information all turned out to be true or at least was very likely to be true based on Huoyun¡¯s own divination. For example during the sixth year of climbing, Tian Hai told Huoyun that on Mt Buzhou was a piece of Pangu¡¯s legendary Dao artifact the 36 petals Chaos Green lotus. A lesser 12 petals Green Lotus that stood at the head of all lotus treasures in the world. Such a treasure was surely a top tier spiritual level, perhaps even at the chaos spiritual level. Time went by and eventually hundreds of years had passed, Tian Hai and Huoyun had looped around Mt Buzhou¡¯s lower levels exploring all kinds of mountainous features. Yet they had not encountered any spiritual treasures at all. ¡°This is strange,¡± Tian Hai muttered. They¡¯d found their original starting location where they ceased climbing and started going horizontally. In his head, he was cursing the novels he¡¯d read in his past life. Wasn¡¯t the transmigrated protagonist supposed to easily encounter treasures? ¡°Heaven really is unfair!¡± Tian Hai cursed at the sky. Naturally as the world currently lacked a Heavenly Dao, he received no response. ¡°Brother what are you doing?¡± Huoyun sighed exasperatingly. ¡°We can only blame our poor luck. Even if we couldn¡¯t find anything, we still gained a lot from this trip.¡± Huoyun¡¯s attempt to cheer up Tian Hai didn¡¯t do much to uplift his mood. The sea god didn¡¯t feel like leaving empty handed. He sat down on a boulder and began to think. ¡°Tian Hai, where do you feel like gong after this?¡± Huoyun asked. ¡°Because I feel as if we should retreat for a time to breakthrough. You especially are still at the Golden Immortal realm for nearly ten thousand years already.¡± ¡°Are you not the same though?¡± ¡°Heh. I can restore to Great Unity at any time. It won¡¯t take too long for me to be a Chaos Immortal again. What I¡¯m concerned about is you. Have this quest managed to relieve some of your obsessions?¡± Tian Hai perked up. ¡°Obsessions? I¡¯m not obsessed with anything.¡± ¡°Well you do seem pretty concerned with the prospect of obtaining spiritual treasures.¡± ¡°Have I?¡± Tian Hai looked down and rubbed his scalp. Within the deep confines of his mind, a minute quiet voice could be heard drumming up a scene. But it was so isolated that Tian Hai could barely notice anything. ¡°Umm,¡± Tian Hai appeared very unsure and couldn¡¯t respond for a time. ¡°Let¡¯s stay here and explore some more, say five years?¡± Huoyun frowned slightly. His gut told him he really shouldn¡¯t but a few more years shouldn¡¯t be a problem right? He sighed and ultimately relented. In the end they wondered for another ten years. Another decade passed before Tian Hai had even noticed. To him, that amount of time felt so short that it barely registered as a few days. The constant changing of day to night, movements of the sun and moon, blue sky and starry night sky went unnoticed by him. But Huoyun couldn¡¯t find it in himself to chastise the younger immortal. Because Tian Hai¡¯s quest had ultimately payed off. ¡­ On the twentieth year of Tian Hai and Huoyun¡¯s stay on Mt Buzhou, Tian Hai wondered through the forests covering Mt Buzhou¡¯s base when his nose caught a sweet scent. His tongue flicked out and he tasted the qi in the air. An odd feeling came about him, a feeling that was very soothing to his mind. It was as if all worldly concerns were being drained away and his body was purified of all toxins. ¡®There,¡¯ Tian Hai concluded and followed the direction of the scent. Huoyun who followed closely behind followed shortly after. The latter had not noticed anything and he doubted Tian Hai found anything either. ¡®What could it be? Could it be the legendary Nine Heavens Soil that the seven gourd plant sat upon? Or perhaps it¡¯s one of the many mirror like treasures of myths. But I hope it¡¯s the lotus, since the Heavenly Dao isn¡¯t around there¡¯s nothing deciding fate and who deserves what in the universe.¡¯ The reason Tian Hai wanted the 12 Petals Green Lotus was simple. It was because it transformed into three of the most powerful treasures of all time within Chinese mythology. Three top grade xiantian spiritual treasures. It was the head of the five lotus treasures of the Primitive World and it¡¯s grade would likely exceeded the xiantian level. The flower of the Green Lotus transformed into a horsetail whisk. This was the same whisk carried around by the Grand Pure One, the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue also known as Grand Supreme Elder Lord of Daoism. In history, he incarnated as the figure Li Er who introduced Daoism to the mortal world and became renowned as Laozi. His whisk, the Void Refining Whisk was among the most powerful treasures in the world capable of bending spacetime to trap its opponents. The leaves of the lotus transformed into the most terrifying sword in existence, the Qingping Sword. The personal weapon of the second of the three pure ones, the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasures also known as Grandmaster of Heaven Tongtian. Tongtian was said to represent the annihilation of all things and his sword cleaved through all matter and transformed them back into the void before creation. Last but certainly not least was the stem. The stem had transformed into the legendary Three Treasures Jade Ruyi. This scepter that was the favorite weapon of the first of the three pure ones Heavenly Lord of the Primordial beginnings. The god who represented the limitless ultimate Wuji that birthed the supreme ultimate Taiji. There were even talks that this scepter could control the three treasures of heaven, earth, and man. Which was to say it splitting into three pieces birthed three top grade xiantian spiritual treasures worthy of absolute existences. How could Tian Hai not be moved at information like that? Hence he pushed past the forest eagerly. Pushing his head out from the foliage, the first thing he saw was blinding light. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Tian Hai had penetrated deep into Mt Buzhou¡¯s base. But he¡¯s never been to this specific area before. The white light of the treasure stunned Tian Hai and almost blinded him right there on the spot. Huoyun who followed soon after was also startled. Even he had to shield his eyes from the light. ¡®This feeling, a treasure far superior then my Five Element Pearl!¡¯ Despite the light, Tian Hai pushed forwards. He was met with no resistance as the light wasn¡¯t gravitational force of any kind. It was simply a luminary emittance from a splendid lotus flower. The more Tian Hai approached, the more comfortable he felt. He felt his body getting stronger, relieved of all his tiredness and all his mental fatigue. This orgasmic feeling of relief was followed by hi touching the flower itself. Only then did the blinding white light died down. Huoyun lowered his arm after the light dimmed. It would seem the flower was being drawn to Tian Hai and deliberately lowered its light for him to see it in full. Xiantian spiritual treasures had minimalistic intelligence but they still held spiritual awareness. To some degree, they had preferences to their would be owners. Tian Hai starred down at the small lotus in his hand. Despite having so much power in it, the flower was surprisingly small. It fit perfectly in his two palms spinning with twelve petals. It¡¯s bright white texture came as a a surprise to Tian Hai. ¡°White.¡± There were few mentions of a 12 Petals White Lotus in any myth he¡¯d recalled back on earth. The only figure linked with a white lotus was the Jade Emperor. but even in honghuang web stories that he was more familiar with, the white lotus was seldom mentioned. It was always Green Lotus of Destiny, Red Lotus of Sin, Black Lotus of Destruction, Golden Lotus of Merit. It was likely that other lotuses that were of the twelve petals rank never existed in the first place. Yet Tian Hai learned the name of the white lotus in his palms at a single glance. It came through to his mind without resistance. 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification. ¡°It seems you and I have fate,¡± Tian Hai quoted. ¡°Very well, you shall become my second xiantian spiritual treasure. You¡¯ll be junior brother to this jug at my hip. Though I¡¯m afraid its still unnamed yet. I¡¯m still thinking of one.¡± ¡®Oh great now I sound like Zhunti,¡¯ Tian Hai thought slightly taken aback. Tian Hai looked back at Huoyun seeking approval. He was satisfied with Huoyun¡¯s nod. ¡°Refine it now brother Tian Hai,¡± Huoyun advised. ¡°I can tell it¡¯s gonna come in handy.¡± He chuckled at the irony of the situation. If Tian Hai had listened to him they would¡¯ve never encountered such a treasure. Even Huoyun felt envious for Tian Hai¡¯s fortune. But he respected him enough to not have any ill intent. Rather he¡¯d also gained a lot by being near the 12 Petals White Lotus as well. His mind and body was purified to a staggering degree allowing him to think clearer and sense the Dao better. While Tian Hai sat down to refine the white lotus as his own. Huoyun sat down and began cultivating. Since now they had free time, Huoyun decided to finally join the two extremities within his body. Yin joined yang as a massive platform of black and white appeared in his inner cosmos. From there, a tree began sprouting. Huoyun had officially returned to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. ¡­ Huoyun and Tian Hai descended from Mt Buzhou in a joyous mood. Their gains this time around were vast and it was years well spent. For Tian Hai, he could now be considered an extremely wealthy individual simply by possessing both the unnamed xiantian level water jug and the 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification. Huoyun on the other hand was just happy for Tian Hai. With this part of the journey completed, Tian Hai may¡¯ve solved some lingering doubts and be more at peace. After all, a calm and steady Dao heart is the most ideal for cultivating the Dao. Perhaps the unique qualities of the white lotus could also aid in this endeavor. According to Tian Hai, this lotus was one of the many pieces of the lotus flower of Pangu¡¯s 36 Petals Chaos Green lotus. It made sense to Huoyun who had indeed seen the Dao artifact split off into multiple branches of lights that descended into the Primitive World. The lotus specifically was part of a set of flowers that were birthed from five seeds contained within the 36 Petals Chaos Green lotus. Green, black, red, gold, white were the results and they¡¯d just found the white one. With these gains, the two were able to resist the suppression of the Central Continent much easier than before. Walking out of Mt Buzhou, Tian Hai felt as if he could take flight with the white lotus. ¡°Well brother,¡± Huoyun said. ¡°Since you¡¯ve obtained what you¡¯ve been seeking, I think it¡¯s time you break through to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm.¡± Tian Hai flinched. ¡°Oh yeah, returning to that realm. I¡­I¡¯d need to form the great unity within my body and create a platform for a cosmic tree right?¡± ¡°Of course, do you not remember?¡± Huoyun would be deeply concerned if Tian Hai was actually ignorant of that fact. ¡°No no I remember. It¡¯s just¡­I¡¯m not too sure exactly how I¡¯d achieve it?¡± Tian Hai looked as his toes in embarrassment. Huoyun narrowed his eyes. That was a strange tidbit to bring up and one Huoyun didn¡¯t know how to respond to. ¡°Can you not just retrace your steps? You¡¯re cultivating to restore yourself not to enter a new realm of power.¡± ¡®Does he wish to be like brother Yang Mei?¡¯ Huoyun secretly wondered in his mind. Yang Mei had casted aside all his previous attainments and would now be seeking a new path to advance. Unlike Huoyun, Yang Mei would be cultivating to advance forwards rather then restoring one¡¯s state. If Tian Hai abandoned his old Dao as well, it could potentially take many yuanhui before he¡¯d be able to advance to the Chaos Immortal realm again. Huoyun had known countless amounts of godfiend initiates who were never able to find their Dao while in the Great Unity realm causing them to reach a bottleneck. The three thousand Chaos Godfiends and the hundred and eight thousand Lesser Godfiends were the products of a much larger number of initiates. Their combined population would¡¯ve been less then zero point one percent of all living beings brought to Tai Chu temple many aeons ago. ¡°Tian Hai do you actually want to,¡± Huoyun began to ask. He needed to know if his hardheaded second brother would also tread down the same path Yang Mei did. Because if he did, that would cause much worry for the God of the Five Elements. ¡°Hm?¡± But Huoyun wasn¡¯t able to complete asking that question as his divine senses picked up another presence. Tian Hai looked at Huoyun in confusion as the immortal stepped away from him to face Mt Buzhou once more. ¡°Someone else is here,¡± he said without looking back. ¡°Was always here actually. I¡­we never sensed any other presences most likely because this guy was staying at a higher strata of Mt Buzhou.¡± ¡°Higher?¡± Tian Hai was also alarmed. He readied both his treasures with anticipation. ¡°Don¡¯t brother, it¡¯s just the cricket.¡± Huoyun shook his head with his arm held out before Tian Hai. ¡°Cricket?¡± ¡°Yes, the Chaos Cricket.¡± ¡®What cricket? I don¡¯t remember any Chaos Cricket. No character in honghuang novels ever portray a¡­wait.¡¯ Tian Hai began thinking. It was hard to recall even with vivid memories of reading web novels as a human youth. But he seemed to recall that there was a statement somewhere that said that the ancestor of celestial immortals and progenitor of Daoism, Hongjun the Profound Saint of Profound Mysteries was a cricket who listened to Pangu¡¯s pondering in the Chaos Sea. Could that little bit of conspiracy theory actually be true? Just as they were speaking, a purple ball of light descended from far above them. Mt Buzhou was host of many mysteries, it was no wonder some other people would visit and cultivate here. Tian Hai was kicking himself for not expecting this possibility. Naturally, Huoyun was right and a burly elderly man dressed in purple robes manifested from out of the purple. His eyes shone in wizened light brimming with power. Each globe was like a swirling abyss of purple storms and his every steps radiated the beautiful air of the Dao. ¡®Holy shit it¡¯s Hongjun Laozu!¡¯ Tian Hai was mentally freaking out. Forget every other deity in myth, this guy was the teacher of the highest gods themselves. He honestly didn¡¯t know wether it was a good thing or a bad thing to encounter him this soon. ¡°If it isn¡¯t fellow daoist Five Elements and the All Encompassing Ocean fellow daoist Heavenly Sea,¡± Hongjun greeted the both of them politely. His tone was respectful though there was a hint of disdain at the title ¡®All Encompassing Ocean¡¯. Though the childish form Tian Hai took clashed with his mental image of him, that aura was easily recognizable. Tian Hai only vaguely recognized the title as his own. However, it still felt strange to attach such an epithet to him. Huoyun on the other hand greeted Hongjun back amicably as well. ¡°Fellow daoist Hongjun, I did not expect to see you here so soon. Congratulations are in order, you¡¯ve nearly returned to the Chaos Immortal realm.¡± Huoyun cupped his hands and returned Hongjun¡¯s greeting. ¡°We¡¯re you cultivating this whole time on Mt Buzhou?¡± ¡°No no fellow daoists. I was just staying temporarily. Checking up on things is all.¡± Tian Hai stood off to the side eyeing Hongjun curiously. Chaos Immortal? Hongjun was already so far ahead. The first yuanhui since creation shouldn¡¯t have elapsed yet Hongjun was already nearly at the apex realm. It did make sense to him however seeing that Hongjun was supposed to be the most powerful person ever. As Huoyun and Hongjun made chatter, Tian Hai couldn¡¯t help but ponder over Hongjun¡¯s presence on Mt Buzhou. Historically, Hongjun did not make any appearances until the end of the Dragon Phoenix tribulation. The final act of the war between the three beast sovereigns was the Devil Ancestor Luohu facing off against the Dao Ancestor Hongjun. It was a battle of fate to decide wether the world would cultivate the path of the Celestial Immortal or the Devilish Dao. There was plenty of blank details regarding their actions before hand. ¡°¡­nd since the North Continent isn¡¯t particularly pleasant at the moment. I hope fellow daoist would consider my warning.¡± ¡°Hm I¡¯ll think take that into consideration thank you.¡± Tian Hai perked up as the small talks died down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the North Continent?¡± He found himself asking. From his memories, nothing should be occurring there at all. Hongjun peered over. His expression was one of amazement as his eyes zeroed in on Tian Hai. The latter felt as if he was trapped within a vortex of indescribable power. That focus was deeply unnerving to him. ¡°Strange,¡± Hongjun muttered. ¡°Uh¡­yes the North Continent is currently under the control of Shenni. Demon Ape¡¯s former right hand has proclaimed himself Beast Emperor and is wrecking havoc among the local populace. Sooner or later, he¡¯s gonna try to fight the rest of the world too. Already he¡¯s shown himself to be unhesitatingly in destroying fellow godfiends.¡± ¡°This Shenni holds imperial aspirations? That¡­that is a cause of concern.¡± Tian Hai¡¯s concerned look was noted by Hongjun. The purple robed immortal however found this situation baffling. He was expecting Tian Hai to start swinging hands and demand to fight Shenni at once. If Shenni wanted to force all godfiends into his service like Hongjun¡¯s words could be interpreted, then someone like Tian Hai should definitely feel offended. Yet the nervous kid in front of him was destroying that image. ¡°My brother is experiencing some troubles at the moment,¡± Huoyun sighed. He stepped in front of Hongjun and saluted him a farewell. ¡°Nevertheless, I shall remember your warning. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s always nice to talk to polite people,¡± Hongjun chuckled stroking his beard. His gaze then turned one last time to Tian Hai. ¡°You¡¯re strange, very strange indeed.¡± Then he disappeared into a beam of light that shot into the sky. Then his transformation became one of roving purple clouds that flew eastwards. That act of defying the suppression of living beings within the Central Continent alone was enough to prove his accomplishments. ¡°He abandoned his too,¡± Huoyun muttered after Hongjun left. ¡°What?¡± ¡°His Dao, the Chaos Cricket¡¯s Dao is definitely not whatever I sensed from him just now. He¡¯s restarted his Dao cultivation as well. So fast as well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand. Brother what dud Hongjun do?¡± ¡°He severed his connection with his original Dao which is still within this universe¡¯s core. He¡¯s started seeking a new Dao path instead. He¡¯s created a second Dao in less then one yuanhui. What¡¯s more he¡¯s already close to actualizing the Dao fruit. Once that¡¯s done he¡¯ll enter the Great Principle stage of the Chaos Immortal realm properly.¡± Huoyun had a complicated look as Hongjun¡¯s purple figure disappeared past the horizon. After seeing Hongjun, he too was tempted. But he was also extremely hesitant. ¡°Tian Hai, let¡¯s seclude ourselves for now. Breaking through is the most important action now. ¡± ¡°Brother Huoyun, I think you¡¯re right. I think the environment of Mt Buzhou will be very beneficial to me.¡± Huoyun was taken aback. ¡°Mt Buzhou? Why? Restoring your power and reconstructing your inner cosmos doesn¡¯t require such a strong qi rich environments. All the inner factors are still there just shredded apart but can easily be put back together. I¡¯d rather we head back to the East Continent where its not as conspicuous. Mt Buzhou is a celestial mountain that is the pillar of the world, if Shenni is conquering the world this¡¯ll most likely be an ideal place for him to control.¡± ¡°I¡­I still think staying on Mt Buzhou will be for the best. Just think about how big it is and If there¡¯s a big threat like Shenni coming, we should prepare ourselves. Mt Buzhou would be a perfect place to perfect our techniques no?¡± Tian Hai knew about Shenni from internet webnovel. Shenni was the tribulation the world faced before the dragons, phoenixes, and qilins came to prominence. He was the great scourge that drove the Primitive World¡¯s negative karma to absurd levels. He just wasn¡¯t sure he should tell Huoyun about his human life for fear Huoyun might turn on him. He had not recovered those human memories until his introduction into the Primitive World after all. As Tian Hai the godfiend, he was absent of such thoughts. Would Huoyun identify him as a stranger like Yang Mei did and abandon him? In a time where the Shenni tribulation was imminent, he didn¡¯t want to risk it even though he felt pangs of guilt. In a tribulation, everything would be thrown into disarray. Divination would no longer be available, people would have murderous thoughts, societies and factions would be toppled, the blood of all living beings will soak the ground. The three major wars of ¡®Dragon vs Phoenix vs Qilin¡¯, ¡®Demon Heavenly Court vs Wu clan¡¯, and ¡®Investiture of the Gods¡¯ were all bloodbaths. Tian Hai wanted to avoid such situations like the plague. It wasn¡¯t inaccurate to say he was terrified of them. His motivation to reach the Great Unity Golden Immortal and then to Great Principle Chaos Immortal bolstered. ¡°Yeah brother Huoyun, Mt Buzhou already bestowed one of the highest ranked treasures out there to me. I¡¯m sure with its strong environment I can forge an even stronger foundation than before.¡± ¡°So you really are progressing forward with a new Dao path then?¡± Huoyun asked with unease. ¡°I¡­maybe? Recreating the great unity doesn¡¯t require inventing a new path.¡± ¡°Tian Hai, your great unity is forged from your internal yin and yang harmonizing and after that, it would¡¯ve become apart of the foundations that became your Dao of Allheaven¡¯s Raging Seas. If you remake that unity you¡¯ll just be setting yourself up for your old Dao again.¡± Huoyun¡¯s correcting account made Tian Hai scratch his head in embarrassment. He had forgotten another crucial detail again. ¡°Hai whatever,¡± Huoyun chuckled. ¡°Since that is your choice then¡­then I¡¯m with you. Forge a new unity and seek a new Dao is your depiction right? I cannot force you on such a matter relating to the Dao.¡± ¡°Thank you brother Huoyun.¡± After Hongjun left, the two finally scaled Mt Buzhou again. This time they sought a cave for Tian Hai to undergo his seclusion. Breaking through to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm required him to forge a platform of yin and yang through harmonizing all his internal components. No chaos should exist within his body for the platform that the cosmic tree would grow on to be formed. Chapter 11-Troubles Arise North Continent, a place of blood, coldness, and the harsh tyrannical rule of Shenni. The Beast Emperor had within several thousand years transformed the once peaceful mountainous regions of the northern regions into a hell scale. Here, primordial beasts were the least of anyone¡¯s worries as Shenni¡¯s forces were the apex predators. The Beast Emperor himself cared little for the people or as he liked to call them, ¡®filth of Pangu.¡¯ His disposition allowed the most vile of godfiends to commit heinous actions that appealed many who¡¯d heard about them. In the early days, the North Continent would¡¯ve just been like the east, south or west. It would¡¯ve had a more mountainous terrain but one filled with lush forests, rivers, and plenty of life. At the same time, primordial beasts would also prowl the area hunting for the innate creatures who spawned from heaven and earth. But now, tens of thousands of years later that scene was no longer the case. Primordial beasts, connate lifeforms who were born mindless filled with naught but hunger and rage were no longer hunting. Innate creatures, connate lifeforms born weaker and with finite lifespan were farmed and forced into cages. Their wardens? The very same primordial beasts. Reality had long set in. The postnatal creatures the innate creatures birthed through natural processes were like livestock. Food for both primordial beasts and their masters. Who was that master? Why Shenni of course. As unbelievable as it may seem, Shenni held control over the primordial beasts within the North Continent. A fact that shocked the minds of all his brethren who were informed of this. No wonder primordial beasts didn¡¯t hunt freely. No wonder they weren¡¯t attacked on their way. Shenni¡¯s grip on the North Continent was only getting stronger every day because of this fact. Lu Ya watched one of the farms Taotie used to breed livestock and frowned with distaste. The four evils of Demon Ape were famous for their callous nature and cruelty. Taotie specifically cultivated a Dao relating to devouring all matter. His apatite especially was extremely grotesque. ¡°There you are Lu Ya, Qiong Qi has a missive from his majesty. He¡¯s gathering us for another offensive.¡± The voice of another godfiend did not startle the Sun Demon God. Lu Ya breathed a heavy sigh and turned around. ¡°So enthusiastic? Hmph, already so loyal Kunwu?¡± ¡°Hmph, course not. But you think Shenni would tolerate anything less?¡± The two had an uneasy silence among them. There was an uncomfortable fact among all the godfiends who¡¯d accepted Shenni¡¯s invitation years ago. There was no refusing him. Shenni was a Chaos Immortal. More then that, his power as a Chaos Immortal exceeded his old form by an order of magnitudes. The Great Principle Shenni of today would obliterate the Great Principle Shenni of yesteryear like a flea. How could Lu Ya, Kunwu, or any others say no? Lu Ya deeply regretted the day he came to the North Continent. He solemnly wished that he had ignored Shenni¡¯s letter and went to the Starry Skies to cultivate instead. Now he was stuck in a campaign against his own fellow godfiends. Shenni was not particularly pleased with other godfiends who¡¯d lived in the north yet refused to join him in his crusade. He was even sent scathing words from several individuals chastising him for his wanting brutality and how it was a waste of time when he should be focusing on restoring his Dao. The result was an ongoing war that pushed further northwards into the North Sea. Who knew what Shenni¡¯s main force was currently doing there. People like Lu Ya and Kunwu stayed on mainland guarding Shenni¡¯s power base just in case. Above them, a murder of crow like beasts flew. They were a regular patrol unit functioning like drones. Shen Feng the Ancestor of Divine Winds should also not be far then. Lu Ya did not put that man much in his eyes but he was surprisingly loyal to Shenni. He could babble Lu Ya¡¯s descending opinions and get him in trouble easily. ¡°Curses, if only Lin Yue was here,¡± Lu Ya spat. ¡°With the both of us together, even Shenni cannot entrap me.¡± ¡°Regurgitating that whole thing again? Even if she was here there¡¯s no way she¡¯d help you. Your falling out was legendary. Hahahaha!¡± Kunwu broke into outright laughter. He stopped laughing when the screams of living beings being eaten occurred in the farm they were both overlooking. Grimacing, he turned away and sighed. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get out of this depressing place. Qiong Qi is targeting border villages close to the West Continent¡¯s barrier. Stragglers who thought they¡¯ll be safe away from the North Continent¡¯s centre and its major events.¡± Lu Ya raised an eyebrow. ¡°West? Alright then.¡± They both transformed into beams of light and shot off into the distance. While Shenni was leading Hundun and Taowu to clean up loose ends in the North Sea, Qiong Qi and Taotie were left in charge of continuing their conquest further south. Though it would seem most innate creatures are opting to migrate westward these days. The two flew for a long time. Many weeks, nearly a year in fact passed before they reached their destination. Ultimately, they were late as Qiong Qi had destroyed most of the villages already. Lu Ya witnessed the seen of a flooding filthy water covering the land. Primordial beasts numbering in the hundred thousands swam through them looking for any signs of life. He could also see many other godfiends who stood in the clouds overseeing the result. ¡°You are late,¡± Shen Feng stated after approaching Lu Ya. ¡°You missed all the fun.¡± ¡°I¡¯d hardly call this fun Shen Feng. I¡¯d rather be making more progress in my cultivation,¡± Lu Ya said. ¡°We¡¯ll really fall behind otherwise.¡± ¡°Hm, can¡¯t really deny that. But the rewards for these raids are very nice,¡± Shen Feng said holding his arm out. There dangling on the interior of his coat were collections of various low grade xiantian spiritual treasures. The amount drew Lu Ya¡¯s curiosity and envy as well. ¡°I¡¯m a wealthy man. We¡¯ll all be in fact,¡± Shen Feng chuckled before putting all his treasures away. ¡°Plenty more if you¡¯ll only join the raids. Anyway, gotta go. Qiong Qi is that way in case you want to find him,¡± Shen Feng flew off after gloating. Kunwu beside Lu Ya could only scoff. Shen Feng was always regarded as a broke fellow among the three thousand. He didn¡¯t have many treasures having always lost scuffles over them. Unlike Lu Ya and Kunwu who both owned top grade xiantian spiritual treasures, he was naturally much worse off. Kunwu left Lu Ya afterwards to find his own circle of friends. The two knew each other but weren¡¯t particularly close. At times like these, Lu Ya remembered how much he missed his old Dao companion Moon Demon God Lin Yue. Even Yang Mei¡¯s bossing ways would be preferable. Lu Ya descended from the sky and scanned the earth for living beings as well. He avoided the lumbering primordial beasts and made an attempt to look like he was working. His feet never touched the filthy water and kept him floating to whole time. ¡°No please!¡± A distant cry caught his attention. Qiong Qi was in his true form, a tiger with wings built like a bull. Beneath one of his paws was a white fox whose coat was bloodied. The fox¡¯s lips were stained with a trail of blood and one of his eyes was also gouged out. On Qiong Qi¡¯s wings were metallic feathers. Several of which impaled another innate creature being who was already deceased. This one though wasn¡¯t a fox but an elephant with four tusks, a female to be exact. ¡°Hehe, cross species relationships? And here I thought you barbarians weren¡¯t so accepting of others,¡± Qiong Qi mocked stroking the male fox with his tail. Said tail reached sideways and wrapped itself around up another figure. ¡°Go to hell innate god scum,¡± the fox spat. But his tune quickly changed when the figure the tail wrapped itself around was brought up. ¡°NO! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Qiong Qi took a whiff at the infant flailing around in his tail. His feline face grinned as he licked the fur of the hybrid postnatal lifeform. ¡°Good breed. I should let Taotie know.¡± ¡°No! Not him please! I¡¯ll be your mount, your slave. Don¡¯t¡­¡± CRUNCH! Lu Ya looked away and sighed. ¡°Always so obsessed with these games.¡± The fox wailed and spat out curses. He hurled insults in all the ways he knew at Qiong Qi who merely laughed merrily and ate the rest of the corpse. Eventually, Qiong Qi got annoyed and stomped on the fox¡¯s head cracking his skull and causing him to scream in pain. ¡°Oh? If it isn¡¯t fellow daoist Lu Ya. Wanna try this one?¡± He offered pointing at the fox. Lu Ya¡¯s only action was to point and burn the fox to death. In an instant, the innate creature was reduced to ashes and his soul dissipated into nothingness. It¡¯s fragments faded from the world returning to the true soul hidden within the river of time. ¡°Oh come on, why¡¯d you have to do that?¡± Qiong Qi growled. Qiong Qi had already returned to the Chaos Immortal realm and Lu Ya cannot say he was his match with his Great Unity Golden Immortal strength. ¡°You were wasting time Qiong Qi,¡± Lu Ya said unabashedly. ¡°Hmph,¡± Qiong Qi snorted. ¡°Remember your place Lu Ya. Things may¡¯ve been different in the Chaos Sea but now is not the same as then. Remember that I am your superior now and I will not tolerate your attitude again.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lu Ya replied with monotone. Qiong Qi turned away and mouthed back to his Dao body. Hs humanoid Dao body was just as hideous as his true form. Burly and muscular, tanned with an evil look, wild hair with fangs for teeth. Lu Ya regarded hi just as barbaric as the innate creatures the godfiend ate. Truthfully, Lu Ya was greatly embarrassed at being ordered around by Qiong Qi. It should¡¯ve been the other way around, he was the Sun Demon God for fucks sake. He used to be able to trade blows with Demon Ape and get away unscathed. What was a mere Qiong Qi to him? ¡­ The operation neared its close as more and more stragglers were rounded up. Millions had already died curtesy of the flood. Not even primordial beasts were spared. After all, there were just canon fodder for Shenni. Toys dominated by Shenni to act a his vanguard and nothing more. As time went on, more godfiends left the area and returned to whence they came. Their tasks were completed and there was little reason to stay. Many of them also desired to cultivate their strength back to what they were. But Qiong Qi and Taotie stayed behind. These people wanted to age sure so as to not screw up and be scolded by Hundun or worse, Shenni himself. For a time, nothing much occurred. But a commotion began being noticed. Qiong Qi sense send many primordial beasts near the western barrier being killed. The sudden disappearance of such masses of sin caused concern to grow within the sadistic tiger and he left to investigate. He had expected a rogue godfiend killing them. It wasn¡¯t eve that strange, primordial beasts drew forth feelings of disgust from their unintentional creators. Even Qiong Qi wouldn¡¯t care if that was the case. But what he found was different. Instead, Qiong Qi encountered an innate creature. An immortal who was strong enough to destroy multiple primordial beasts on his own. His power was already considered great by the native population as he showcased dual crowns. The converging powers from the two flower crowns of showcased the might of a late stage Heavenly Immortal. For innate creatures who had no guidance until now, this growth was a major feat. Qiong Qi¡¯s curiosity caught the better of him and he descended. The innate creature wielded mighty magical powers. His immortal qi was expunged to release fiery hoops in the sky. From these hoops released thousands of bestial faces what¡¯s attacked primordial beasts with no remorse. ¡®Clearly a daoist technique and a well trained one at that,¡¯ Qiong Qi praised in his heart. ¡°Hm? Another beast?¡± The innate creature Heavenly Immortal witnessed Qiong Qi near. ¡°Hurry, you lot retreat west. Head to Mt Nongpan.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. There, Qiong Qi noticed a large gathering of stragglers fleeing under the immortal¡¯s protection. The winged tiger revealed a scowl upon his lips. ¡°But senior, what about you? These innate gods are absurdly strong!¡± ¡°Do not worry, I have been taught powerful devil arts by the ancestor. I can look after myself just fine.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Qiong Qi crashed into the watery surface with gusto. His eyes revealed bloodlust and an oozing aura of malice enveloped the area. The Heavenly Immortal who was so lofty previously suddenly felt insignificant. ¡®What? What is this?¡¯ The immortal felt himself descending into extreme panic. Every pore of his body ordered him to run. Yet he couldn¡¯t move. Qiong Qi slowly walked up to the Heavenly Immortal cultivator and snorted. ¡°A little insect dares to be so arrogant in front of me?¡± His body convulsed and grew. He grew and grew until a winged tiger standing thousands of kilometres tall stood before them all. His stature eclipsed the mountains, his roar silenced the storms. His figure was so almighty that numerous primordial beasts disintegrated on the spot. With a single swipe of his palm, all the creatures the western Heavenly Immortal was trying to save were all wiped out. ¡°So, what were you saying?¡± Qiong Qi mocked. ¡°You killed them all and you¡¯ll kill me. But so what? I am but one among many. We follow the ancestor and the ancestor is far superior than you!¡± The Heavenly Immortal spat. His eyes transformed into red orbs and black mist rose from his body. ¡°Still resisting insect? Who is this ancestor you speak of? Which pitiful worm is he?¡± ¡°The ancestor is the ancestor of all devil cultivation! The lord of the West Continent!¡± The Heavenly Immortal did not mind saying such. He was proud of his lineage and had full faith in his teacher¡¯s superiority. ¡°The Devil Ancestor will destroy you for your transgressions.¡± SPLAT! The cultivator was stomped to death in a single instant. Qiong Qi wiped his paw with disgust. ¡°What Devil Ancestor? Lord of West Continent? How arrogant.¡± Qiong Qi peered westwards. ¡°It seems I have to check this out myself.¡± ¡­ Hundreds of years passed in the blink of an eye. Without knowing it, a thousand years passed on Mt Buzhou. During this time, Tian Hai was stumped. Huoyun watched with concern for his longtime friend. He doubted Tian Hai¡¯s decision to seek a new Dao path from the beginning and he only felt confirmation now. Even though a thousand years had passed, Tian Hai should¡¯ve returned to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm by now. But instead he was still the most basic of advanced immortals. As cultivators, immortals sought to attain the Dao. Every step of the way was to seek the Dao and in doing so, transcend their current measly existence. This gave rise to the phrase ¡®cultivate the Dao¡¯ which itself categorized different stages within the long path of cultivation itself. Within the confines of mortality, one built their foundation in preparation transform themselves into divine immortal existence that could sense worldly Dao laws. This was the first step. Once that was done they used such laws to forge a perfect foundation and capture their true souls so that they would evolve into advanced immortals who could freely roam the outside Chaos Sea and have true eternal life. This was the second step. The third step, natural chaotic lifeforms from the Chaos Sea were all Golden Immortals at least. Each and every single one of them possessed the power to destroy ordinary Chaos Worlds which were the common term for universes in the Chaos Sea. As they grew stronger, this only became easier. These advanced immortals perfect their foundation and seek out their own Dao, free of sensing the preset Dao laws of their home universe. They transcended Chaos Worlds completely. Tian Hai was at the very weakest of this classification of immortals. And he, even after so long could not find the harmony within him to form the great unity. His eyes darkened as his latest attempt failed. ¡°Don¡¯t be disheartened,¡± Huoyun tried to brighten the mood. ¡°These things takes time. Why it took me¡­¡± ¡°Sixteen tries over three hundred and twenty years,¡± Tian Hai cut him off swiftly with a regretful tone. ¡°Contrast me who after a thousand years and hundreds of tries.¡± He looked up and met Huoyun¡¯s eyes. ¡°What am I doing wrong?¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve forged your old unity,¡± Huoyun did not hesitate in responding. ¡°Walking your old path is the most ideal. Once you¡¯ve reclaimed enough strength we can dig into the Primitive World and regain our Dao fruits. There is not universal will to stop us.¡± Universal will was also another way to refer to a Heavenly Dao or Will of Heaven. ¡°Hm.¡± Tian Hai was troubled. He didn¡¯t want to say it but the truth is that he had no idea what his old Dao even was. Even if he wanted to, he didn¡¯t know what kind of great unity he originally made and what kind of cosmic tree he grew, nor what kind of Dao fruit he bore. It was all a haze to him. It was incredibly embarrassing for him. He was Tian Hai, the great warrior sea god Tian Hai. Tian Hai who toppled mighty godfiends and reached an unparalleled position. He held his head in his hands and groaned in irritation. ¡®What am I doing wrong?¡¯ For the first time in many years, the thumping in his mind grew louder. If Huoyun¡¯s mental barrier was not in place, he¡¯d be going through another severe episode. ¡°So¡­back to my plan?¡± Huoyun asked. Tian Hai whispered something. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what my original Dao is!¡± Tian Hai cried red faced. ¡°I forgot okay! I can¡¯t even feel it. I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Huoyun swallowed a gulp and felt incredibly embarrassed. Of course, he blocked off a portion of Tian Hai¡¯s mind in order for him to not be disturbed by headaches and suffer flashback episodes. It could¡¯ve also disrupted his connection to his Dao. The god of the Five Elements felt guilt welling up inside him. He raised his hand but dropped it again. ¡°My apologies brother. You would not be in this situation were it not for me.¡± ¡°What? No don¡¯t be,¡± Tian Hai denied. ¡°Without you, I¡¯d be a broken indecisive wreck suffering from headaches after headaches. I can¡¯t handle that kind of pain.¡± Tian Hai¡¯s eyes met Huoyun¡¯s own with a pleading look. ¡°Please don¡¯t undo the barrier.¡± If Huoyun did try, Tian Hai would¡¯ve taken action. The head inducing pain was still vivid in his mind and he did not ever wish to go back to that state. The two were at an impasse. A silence erupted between them that held on for a long while. But eventually, Huoyun made a suggestion. ¡°Perhaps a change of scenery is needed. We¡¯ve been on Mt Buzhou for the better part of this yuanhui. Let¡¯s return to the East Continent.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The two descended the mountain on foot. It took another three years to do so but they descended down the same slope from whence they came. The southern slope of Mt Buzhou exposed them to the barren expanse of the Central Continent once more. Its heat and arid land had none of the beauty Mt Buzhou itself held. The route they took once again crossed the South Continent. As Huoyun¡¯s place of origin within the East Continent was very close to the South Continent¡¯s eastern dimensional barrier to begin with, it was actually faster this way. And despite making no progress towards a breakthrough, Tian Hai was much more adapted to the pressure of the Central Continent than before. They crossed the land much faster this time. ¡­ Passing through to the South Continent, Tian Hai immediately saw dark clouds in the sky. The sun was no longer exposed like it was in the Central Continent and subtle tremors in the air was very noticeable. These were changes that he had no felt within the centre of the world most likely due to Mt Buzhou¡¯s natural suppression. Still, it made him both curious and worried. ¡°Huh!¡± Right beside Tian Hai, Huoyun made a noise. ¡°Primordial qi is in chaos. These tremors.¡± He looked westwards narrowing his eyes and uttered several words. ¡°Chaos Immortals are fighting.¡± ¡°Already? Has Chaos Immortals already appeared in the Great Wilderness? Even Hongjun was still at the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm right?¡± ¡°The Chaos Cricket was nearly there to begin with. I would not doubt he¡¯d have reached it by now. But yes, Great Principle Chaos Immortals are fighting somewhere in the west. They¡¯re beyond this continent so in the West Continent proper.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡®West would mean Luohu is fighting someone right?¡¯ Tian Hai assumed that was the case. Luohu was Hongjun¡¯s counterpart in the west according to legends. He was the original owner of the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, one of the world¡¯s strongest formations. ¡°Let¡¯s go, this doesn¡¯t concern us anyway,¡± Huoyun said dismissively. Just as he said so, a wave of malicious aura washed over them. Despite not being in the epicenter, both felt an immense foreboding feeling from it. One could just imagine how powerful the sources were. Tian Hai and Huoyun trudged on. Soon enough, Tian Hai felt a golden light start conglomerating in the air the further he went south. It was like a trail that was leading him to a familiar location. Huoyun also noticed the golden light and frowned even more. ¡°Curses,¡± he spat. ¡°But at least it¡¯s not going to anyone specific.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Incense merit, the power of worship.¡± Tian Hai was taken a back. It was then that he remembered that the few innate creatures he saved had also enshrined him years back. However they didn¡¯t know his name so in truth there was little correlation to their idol and him. He had thought nothing of it but now he¡¯d actually received bits of faith power. It made him feel a sense of satisfaction. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a good thing though?¡¯ He thought. He voiced the same thoughts out loud to which Huoyun rebuked him. ¡°Incense merit is largely useless. It relies on the continued belief of something to work. The commitment is not worth the reward.¡± Tian Hai just thought Huoyun had some dumb takes. After all, couldn¡¯t powers like this be used to strengthen cultivation foundations, increase karmic luck, and forge powerful divine treasures? Success in cultivation would also be improved. They soon found the site of Tian Hai¡¯s worship. There beside the lake they¡¯d once visited, a large city had managed to prop itself up. Millions, perhaps even tens of millions of innate creatures were gathered around in hopes of communal survival. The recent burst of incense merit Tian Hai received was actually due to these creatures feeling the tremors from the west and assuming it to be an ill omen. Not even they could divine anything without suffering terrible backlash hence they didn¡¯t know about the individuals fighting. ¡°The population has grown,¡± Tian Hai said in observation. ¡°So many of them despite constant primordial beasts prowling about.¡± He stood among crowds of people going about their daily lives. Farming herbs, cultivating, training, these were the activities a city of immortals performed daily. ¡°It¡¯s the influx of immigrants friend,¡± one friendly passerby said. He didn¡¯t recognize Tian Hai nor Huoyun and just assumed them to be residents of the city. ¡°I hear things are even worse off in the North Continent. Primordial beasts are far more numerous there then here.¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s quite a long journey.¡± ¡°Indeed friend, the Central Continent¡¯s pressure is so crushing that no one can pass through it. These immigrants all had to pass through the West Continent and circle around here. With all the dangers prowling around, not many even made it through.¡± Tian Hai felt pangs of pity. Innate creatures truly were pitiful existences. Heavenly Immortals, Profound Immortals, True Immortals were supposed to be monstrous existences within normal Chaos Worlds. But in the Primitive World, they were relegated to nothing. ¡°Shenni¡¯s ambition must¡¯ve had something to do with it,¡± Tian Hai concluded. Huoyun nodded in agreement, to be willing to cross trillions of kilometres at a moments notice said something about Shenni¡¯s methods. Then again, it could be more to do with primordial beasts. Huoyun always regarded Shenni as a dog. He was Demon Ape¡¯s yes man and biggest hype man with little opinions of his own. So the sudden shift to Beast Emperor Shenni took him by surprise even after so many years. ¡°City lord, please accept my request. The fourth caravan still has not arrived and we need to find the.¡± ¡°The answer is no Lang, it¡¯s too dangerous outside. We must remain together.¡± ¡°But city lord.¡± Tian Hai looked over at the commotion occurring. A large protesting crowd had appeared talking to the leader of this settlement. ¡°Caravan?¡± ¡°Immigrants friend, immigrants from the North Continent traveling through the west. Did you also just arrive by chance? You seem pretty ignorant.¡± ¡°Uh yeah.¡± Tian Hai nodded. He felt little reason to deny it ¡°Please city lord, my family is with the fourth caravan.¡± ¡°Mine too!¡± ¡°Me as well!¡± The more voices sounded their reasons, the more sorry Tian Hai felt for them. His empathy caused him to feel non stop guilt at the pitiful experiences of living beings. ¡®I¡¯m a Golden Immortal, I can track them down.¡¯ ¡°Come on brother, let¡¯s go,¡± Huoyun said turning around. ¡®These living beings truly are pitiful.¡¯ He silently offered a few prayers their way but prepared to leave. ¡°Wait Tian Hai what are you doing?¡± Huoyun asked in surprise as Tian Hai took a step into the air. Tian Hai¡¯s boyish face glowed with strands of transparent light. Eight pairs of eyes manifested all over his face much to the shock of the city¡¯s residents. These eyes merged into one allowing Tian Hai to gain an advance level of sight. Tian Hai wondered why he was so motivated to do this? Kindness? Out of the compassion born of empathy? Or was it pity and the hopeless looks in these people¡¯s lives. But either way, the result was the same. The innate god born of the East Sea wanted to help them. ¡°West right, I¡¯ll track these people down.¡± ¡°Tian Hai get back here!¡± Huoyun called out. But Tian Hai wasn¡¯t listening. The Golden Immortal¡¯s hands tore into the fabric of reality. In these early days, the Heavenly Dao has not come into being. The suppression of the world was weak and so was reality. Even a Golden Immortal like Tian Hai, when applying enough pressure could cut into the void between realms. The Great Wilderness, the Starry Skies and whatever other realms all existed in a sea of void within the Primitive World. It was a universe after all and the void was often besieged with spatial currents. Tian Hai¡¯s actions ripped a whole in reality and he rushed through the void. In this way, he could cut travel distance by an order of magnitude and directly skip to his destination. Breaking reality and teleporting if you will. However, such a method was also dangerous and reckless. The void was chaotic and accidents can easily happen where spatial currents carry you off to places unknown. Tian Hai had to use the majority of his power to not be thrown off course while he travelled through the void. Within the black abyss, Tian Hai¡¯s feet transformed into a long river that stretched out in the direction of the West Continent of the Great Wilderness. His face was already urgent and he pushed himself to make the journey as fast as possible. ¡°Wait Tian Hai!¡± Huoyun cried out also entering the void. He took a few moments to steady himself and gathered five coloured lights around him to form a platform. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless and come back here.¡± But Tian Hai wasn¡¯t really listening to his advice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry brother Huoyun. Let¡¯s go to the West Continetn and quickly retrieve this fourth caravan and then we can return to the East Continent.¡± With that said, Tian Hai merged his river into one of the spatial currents leading towards the west. Using that, his speed increased even more and he traveled down like a comet with Huoyun desperately following behind. Chapter 12- Encounter The Devil THOOM! BOOM! THOOM! KAKOOM! Wild tears in spacetime, apocalyptic explosions, stray blasts of power tore across the surrounding lands of the West Continent. Trillions upon trillions of tons of rocks flew across the sky every time an ounce of energy smashed into the ground. Lakes the size of oceans evaporated, mountains the size of worlds disintegrated. The clash of Chaos Immortals was tearing the world asunder. To the extend that the damages to the fabric of reality revealed large portions of the void. Spatial tides ripped into the world sucking an uncountable number of things in. Primordial beasts, innate creatures and geological features alike were not spared. The combatants? They did not give a single crap about those caught int he crossfire. Chaos Godfiends were a civilization of people who were self centered by nature. All things in the service in the pursuit of the Dao. Wether one becomes a righteous god, or a malevolent fiend, the Dao was most important. The path of moderation was emphasized by Tai Chu long ago, to walk the balance in between extremes hence the motto. But very few could truly live up to it. In Luohu¡¯s opinion, any path was valid as long as the goal was achieved. Extremes or moderations were just arbitrary figures. This was where Hongjun was wrong. But then Hongjun was always arrogant, it was always his way or the highway. Luohu sat upon the sky relaxed. His posture lay on his side with only one arm holding up his head. His seat was a massive lotus floating completely and utterly still. A pitch black flower with twelve petals. A top grade xiantian spiritual treasure, the 12 Petals Black Lotus of Destruction. It too was one of Pangu¡¯s 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus¡¯ five seeds. Luohu despite his appearances was fighting hard. Around him, a wild transformative scene was taking place. A virtual ocean of filthy water manifested as a gigantic tiger swinging its paws and wings at him. It seemed nothing could survive the blows of this beast. Each droplet of water held the weight to crush mountains and fill seas. But the answer was equally valid. Luohu¡¯s figure emanated mysterious undefined light. It constantly changed on a spectrum of many colours and formed an illusionary figure. This figure had seven heads and six arms. The heads each had a distinct expression showcasing a different side of living beings. Happiness, anger, sadness, fear, love, hate, and an expression of deep desire. These heads spat out orbs of qi that clashed against the blows of the water construct. A ferocious onslaught of power that would¡¯ve torn universes apart were it not for the suppression of the Primitive World. Even then, the natural suppression was still at its weakest at this point in time. It could not stop these deities from performing absurd feats of power that deformed the environment. The constant struggle of power both spectacular and horrifying. For decades, this brawl raged on with no clear winner in sight. Luohu nor the northern invader could gain one foot over the other. A battle that seemed to never end. So why did Luohu look so bored? Qiong Qi, one of the four evils and a top contender among the currently active godfiends. An innate god who was a survivor of countless wars. His battle instincts were second to none and his abilities were top notch. Just based on pure brute power, Qiong Qi had his brothers beat. In addition, he also had his filthy water which dampened the abilities of others giving Qiong Qi a home field advantage at any given time. Qiong Qi was mighty, this cannot be counter argued. And Qiong Qi was furious. Because how dare he? How dare he be so bored? How dare he not try? How dare Luohu regard him as another bug in the wind? Who was Luohu? He was nobody. He was among the last the die at Pangu¡¯s hands because of his cowardliness. Hongjun¡¯s companion and assistant, he barely qualified to stand in the top three thousand. How did something so insignificant like him treat the exalted Qiong Qi as he is right now? It was always strange how events up till now went. Hongjun came and went as he pleased disregarding Shenni¡¯s authority and the four evil¡¯s presences. His threats to Hundun were remembered and disdained upon. Luohu was no different. The Chaos Cricket and the Chaos Desire Beast did not have the same social status as them. But they acted as almighty figures unconcerned and unbothered. Just what gave them the right. Qiong Qi roared and roared. His figure attacked and attacked unleashing every daoist spell and battle technique he knew. His tail flailed like a mace, his teeth struck down like axes. His wings made hurricanes, his paws struck in gargantuan waves. His water spewed everywhere uncontrollably, enveloping the hot lands of the west. The thick gunk contained within the watery spills corroded the land decreasing its fertility and damaging its spirituality. Any living creature unlucky enough to be caught would find themselves sucked in and drowned. But the western ruler reacted to none of it. Sure, he may¡¯ve given some pointers, taught a bunch of people, spread his teachings and eliminated primordial beast to the point where the west statistically had the fewest primordial beast attacks out of anywhere in the world. Yet Luohu made no attempts to save the western people. ¡®Save yourselves, only the best of the best of the best survives in this world. Only they are worthy.¡¯ ¡°Qiong Qi,¡± Luohu said in a long drawn out manner. ¡°You really are remarkable. Your strengths have been so fascinating to experience first hand.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your strikes, your brutality, your unhesitatingly to kill. Reputation truly doesn¡¯t speak of you enough.¡± ¡°You mock me?¡± ¡°No no! I praise you.¡± Luohu broke out in a smile. He had the appearance of a dashing young and virile man. His long black hair was tied in a pony tail and his eyes carried no malice during the many decades long altercation. His robes were tidy and he rather appeared jovial. Luohu never considered Qiong Qi an enemy in the first place. He was an opportunity. And like any good godfiend, Luohu used that opportunity to its fullest. He tempered himself, tested his own techniques against Qiong Qi¡¯s. Qiong Qi was battling to kill, Luohu was battling to train. ¡®Perfecting ones own Dao within a life or death battle, what a careless madman.¡¯ Qiong Qi was secretly impressed by Luohu. In his opinion, Demon Ape would¡¯ve liked him if he knew this was how Luohu truly was. But he did not show it on the outside. Despite his opinions on the man, Qiong Qi still felt deeply insulted he was being treated like a testing dummy. He pushed on with all his efforts bringing out whatever he could muster with his current cultivation base. The two godfiends had already returned to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm. Their powers were extraordinary already within the current Primitive World. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡­ Tian Hai entered the West Continent with a grunt. His state of dress was messy, his hair was wild and unkept. A trail of blood leaked from his mouth and his skin was marred by injuries. ¡°The hell.¡± He dusted himself clean of remnant void energy and observed his surroundings. His heart tightened when he witnessed the scene before him. He was alarmed and felt fearful because what he saw looked like something out of revelations. ¡°Is this the end of the world?¡± He uttered. Furious gashes into realty littered the sky. Void energy poured in forming tons of sediments and living creatures into spatial tides only to be torn apart within the wild void. The ground in man y places wasn¡¯t even visible, covered by layers of water. It was simply chaos. Tian Hai braced himself as a wave of powerful qi washed over him. His hairs stood on end and he felt a terrifying amount of bloodlust emanating from the source. For a few seconds he froze. It was the same fearful feeling one would experience when facing up against an apex predator. Tian Hai second guessed his decision to be here. ¡°No, I have to continue on.¡± He convinced himself to move forwards against the storm of chaos. Were it many years ago, he¡¯d be stuck in a loop of indecision. Even now, he still felt voices screaming at him no matter how toned down they were. But Tian Hai also had his own thoughts an opinions. He believed the pitiful innate creatures deserved a chance and that they he was needed in this moment. With that in mind, Tian Hai morphed his body into into a stream of water and shot across the sky. It was a crude attempt at creating a movement technique. Huoyun has shared bits and pieces of his own but Tian Hai wasn¡¯t that creative in spell crafting activities. He was always blocked off when conjuring them up and could only manage half assed replicants. Even so, Tian Hai traveled fast using his own divine sense to search for people. It was only then that he realized he didn¡¯t even know what the, ¡®fourth caravan¡¯ looked like. His eyes widened at the realization and suddenly he felt lost. ¡°Fuck! Where do I even look?¡± The chaotic forces of the west was insanely wild. Creatures below the Golden Immortal realm would find it hard pressed to survive in such an environment. Heck even Tian Hai found it difficult to resist the currents in the air. The wind was too strong, the void spatial tides were too strong, the water was filthy, draining and heavy. So many factors designed to kill you. WHOOSH! A groan of the wind washed over Tian Hai and another wave of qi sent shivers down the innate god¡¯s spine. Tian Hai looked towards the epicenter of the conflict and couldn¡¯t help but avert his eyes. ¡°Insane,¡± he muttered. Chaos Immortals were beasts on another level. It was as if they were destroying the very universe they inhabited. Throughout his short time in the west, Tian Hai encountered no less then thirty stray blasts and disasters. Each of whom would severely damage him if they landed a direct hit. Each one deeply affected his mentality regarding his quest. THOOM! A nearby mountain collapsed beneath the pressure of the constant barrage of qi waves. It¡¯s rubble plummeted into the soil bringing about a tide of sediments. The avalanche was so aggressive that it spread out in all directions at an immense pace. ¡°No,¡± Tian hai called out with an outstretched hand. He manifested a blast of water that stretched into a wall of liquid. He blocked off the sediments and forced it into a dome of water before transforming it into ice. ¡°If that had spread, countless living beings would be harmed. Speaking of.¡± Tian Hai scanned the land desperately searching for living creatures. He can¡¯t have possibly came to the west for nothing right? In truth, the chances of him finding any people were monstrously low. The stalemate between Luohu and Qiong Qi had been ongoing for decades. The only reason Tian Hai and Huoyun didn¡¯t feel it in all that time was because Mt Buzhou and the Central Continent blocked the shockwaves. As a creature born of water, Tian Hai had a fringe connection to life. He could sense living beings somewhat better than most immortals at his stage. This extra sensitivity allowed him to gain some grounds in his search. Despite the aftershock¡¯s interferences, Tian Hai found deceased corpses all over the place. Half disintegrated third parties and torn up limbs as a result of the disaster. Tian Hai could practically feel the negative energy of grudges conglomerating in the ground. Karmic sin was attracted by these feelings and enormous amounts of this energy would send the world into turmoil. Thoughts of living beings would be muddled, divination would be blocked, malice infected the air. All results of tribulation that were the end result of excessive amounts of karmic sin. This same energy was what spawned primordial beasts in the first place. The malice of the Chaos Godfiends that still haunts the world till this very day. Tian Hai wondered if incidents like these were what kick started the Beast Emperor Shenni tribulation in the first place. CRACKLE! An open rift in the distance bristled. Radiant light of red, green, black, yellow, and white came pouring out as Huoyun¡¯s figure tried to come through. He was visible straining himself having to defend against the chaotic tides within the void between realms. ¡°Damn it Tian Hai!¡± He cursed. But Tian Hai couldn¡¯t hear him from the distance he¡¯d already gained. His senses had finally managed to spot some stragglers. At this point in time, Tian Hai had already lost hope of retrieving whatever fourth caravan the innate creatures had spoken about. At this point he just wanted to save someone so that this trip wasn¡¯t meaningless. He has to have accomplished something. Hence Tian Hai flew towards the lifeforms he¡¯d sensed. Coincidentally, this was towards the epicenter of the battle between Qiong Qi and Luohu. Seeing this, Huoyun gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°That stupid reckless¡­¡± he spewed forth insults uncharacteristic of him. The rift he was traveling through was a lot more unstable then the one Tian Hai lucked out in entering. It had taken quite a bit of effort on his part to stabilize it. He wasn¡¯t like Tian Hai who had the benefit of the 12 Petals White Lotus which was an extraordinary defensive treasure. ¡­ THOOM! BOOM! CRACKAKOOM! Tian Hai avoided rains of water and qi doing his best impression of a mosquito dodging slaps. His eyes trailed upwards and briefly witnessed the titanic struggle of Chaos Immortal. The feeling of smallness could not sop permeating him. ¡°Hm?¡± Luohu¡¯s attention caught on to Tian Hai¡¯s presence. His eyes trailed down and spotted the innate god¡¯s figure in recognition. ¡°Sea God Tian Hai?¡± He along with Qiong Qi were both surprised at the previous martial deity¡¯s sudden appearance. What was Tian Hai doing here? How was he even able to be reborn with the state Pangu left him in near the end of Heaven Opening? Actually, why was a mere Golden Immortal sneaking through a battle of Great Principle Chaos Immortal experts? The coincidence was so startling that the two stopped trading blows entirely in bewilderment. Thousands of kilometres below the two immortals, in the rubble of mountains. Several crushed figures breathed their last. By some miracle, some innate creatures had been able to survive through the chaos so close to the battle. Yet just a few seconds ago, they were unlucky and finally met their ends. Their figures resembling reptilian creatures with long spiked tails and beaked heads with five eyes were crushed to paste. Red gore littered the rocky surface that Tian Hai arrived on. ¡®No!¡¯ Tian Hai knelt at their graves. The feeling of regret and uselessness flowed through his mind. Subtle whispering flowed from the darkest recesses of his mind. It felt so pointless. These beings weren¡¯t even the targets of anyone¡¯s wrath. Just unlucky creatures caught in the blast of uncaring superior lifeforms. It was such a waste of life that Tian Hai couldn¡¯t help but feel angered. He felt for them. He felt terrible for their fates. He felt pity at their circumstances. He was empathetic to their suffering. The pointless losses sickened him. His inability to fulfill his desire angered him. He was bothered by it all. Tian Hai glared up at a dispassionate Luohu and Qiong Qi. ¡°Fellow daoist Tian Hai,¡± Qiong Qi greeted first. He was rather warm towards the innate god. In the Chaos Sea him, Tian Hai, and Si Hai were sorta kindred spirits. All warlike immortals who cultivated water related Daos. He concluded the chances of Tian Hai being amicable to him and Shenni to also be quite high. ¡°I am pleased to know you¡¯ve returned too. Unfortunately your new cultivation is a little too low to be here at the moment. However, I would like to extend an invitation to visit the North Continent. His majesty emperor Shenni would be glad to know a fellow war god has returned. But in the meanwhile, please excuse me while I settle the score here.¡± Luohu eyed Qiong Qi¡¯s after hearing his words and scoffed. He rose from his lying position and stood upon his lotus on both feet. His lazy demeanor was still there but his aura noticeably more vicious than before. ¡°Settle the score? Little kitten really has no idea what he¡¯s dealing with,¡± Luohu said. ¡°Listen to his words daoist Tian Hai. I¡¯d hate for a fellow godfiend to lose his life in the crossfire but I¡¯m not going to play around anymore.¡± ¡°Lose in the crossfire?¡± Tian Hai couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Did Luohu not care an ounce for the destruction he was causing. Did Qiong Qi not care about how badly he was flooding the west? ¡°You two!¡± Tian Hai called out as loud as he can. His voice echoed with eight simultaneous roars and was easily legible for hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Tian Hai¡¯s face was flushed in anger and his childish body was shaking. ¡°Do you guys not see the harm you¡¯re causing? What devastation you¡¯ve wrought to the land? To its people? Untold millions must¡¯ve been caught up in the fighting and perished!¡± ¡°¡°Huh?¡±¡± Chapter 13-Breakdown Tian Hai¡¯s words were filled with grief. The human empathy he felt for innate creatures bled over into his thoughts and his words. His anger was one which was displayed passionately upon his face, one which greatly confused Qiong Qi and Luohu. The two godfiends were once again stunned. They both knew Tian Hai, if not personally then at least by reputation. They instantly recognized how out of character he seemed. ¡°Luohu! You are the caretaker of the West Continent are you not? Are you not responsible for the countless living beings who inhabits this side of the world? Are you really so callous as to not bring dangerous fighting elsewhere?¡± ¡°What?¡± Luohu¡¯s smple response was one of complete and utter confusion. ¡®Is he trying to lecture me on moral ethics?¡¯ His brain tried to process what he just heard. ¡°Haha! Tian Hai, you make a good jokester,¡± Qiong Qi chuckled. ¡°But seriously get outta here. You may¡¯ve been a big shot in the Chaos Sea but that was when you were a Zenith Heaven Chaos Immortal. A mere Golden Immortal fresh out of reincarnation doesn¡¯t belong in this battle.¡± So what if a few innate creatures were killed? It didn¡¯t matter to the individualistic godfiends. These creatures were never members of their civilization anyway, just unrelated strangers. They had no reason to care for their wellbeing. What Tian Hai failed to remember was that godfiends were amoral at best. They were connate lifeforms of the Chaos Sea to begin with and were whole at birth with no parents. They were innate gods with inborn knowledge who were indoctrinated by their senior godfiends as the next generation of Chaos Godfiends. They had no concept of things like love, procreation, nor anything remotely close to twenty first century common sense. Their society only valued the companionship of friends, resources in relation to cultivation, and the Dao itself. Anything else was only personal preference. The only reason Tian Hai even had a semblance of that last fact was due to his memories of his human life. One which he remembered vividly, perhaps even more so than his time as a godfiend. The part of him which inherently possessed a set of common sense alien to the mentality of the godfiends. ¡°I am SERIOUS! You could¡¯ve retreated to fight in the void and avoided sending the world into catastrophe. The current Primitive World cannot handle Chaos Immortals fighting! Countless living beings are dying thanks to you!¡± ¡°Why do you care? They are unrelated to you nor I.¡± Luohu had his own theories. Perhaps Tian Hai was cultivating them for faith energy? Becoming an immortal divinity through faith was an unreliable method and not worth the hassle and responsibility. He could not understand why a battle maniac like Tian Hai would desire such a thing. Unless it was something else entirely. ¡°This is wrong! So wrong! You can¡¯t just condone massacres like this without reason!¡± ¡®The things he¡¯s saying sounds. Could he have also¡­¡¯ Luohu shook his head. ¡®No, only Hongjun and I were there. And I rejected that possibility.¡¯ ¡°Are you out of your mind Tian Hai?¡± Qiong Qi¡¯s annoyed voice rang through the air like drums beating. ¡°You expect me to care about food? About livestock?¡± ¡°Food?¡± Tian Hai realized the implications in a heartbeat. Of course, innate creatures were essentially demonic spirits of the earliest time periods. They were basically wild animals who had sentience and cultivated. But to the current him who regarded them as people, it sounded wrong. ¡°You are such a cruel monster!¡± ¡°Hmph! Cruel? It¡¯s just the way of the world. The strong do whatever they want and the weak can only obey. I want to eat, so what? I want to fight, their fault for getting in my way!¡± Qiong Qi swung his furry tail to the left. THOOM! A vertical wave of qi tore through the land splitting a large portion of the West Continent in a large gash. Incidentally, this allowed the ocean to leak through creating the beginnings of a new river. Luohu only chuckled at the engagement. He found Tian Hai to be hilarious. Tian Hai gasped at the display of power in horror. But whatever reservations he had had was pushed down by his simmering rage. How dare Qiong Qi be so callous? How dare he not listen to his words? Who even was Qiong Qi? Just a small figure far below the Sea God Tian Hai¡¯s notice. ¡°My my. Has fellow daoist¡¯s mind been rotting?¡± Luohu mocked. ¡°You are a fool who doesn¡¯t realize what he speaks. You have no power in this world and yet you dare criticize us? What a joke.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Luohu found Tian Hai¡¯s opinions pathetic. While Luohu did find his reasoning befuddling, it was his audacity to talk smack despite being so weak compared to the people he¡¯s facing. He simply did not posses the qualifications to try. Godfiends respected strength. If you were not strong enough, their thoughts and desires were invalid. And right now, Tian Hai¡¯s words were invalid. ¡°You¡­how dare you? You¡¯ll pay for this! I¡¯ll teach you both a lesson myself you fuckers!¡± All semblance of self control was lost. Tian Hai swung his fist up at Qiong Qi and Luohu. Two mighty geyser of hot water rose up in the form of pythons. They stretched rapidly into the air and attempted a bite at the two. ¡°HISS!¡± ¡°What a joke.¡± Qiong Qi didn¡¯t even need to move. Luohu swiped his hand and obliterated Tian Hai¡¯s attacks in an instant. The backlash of which whipped Tian Hai across the stomach tearing through his robes. His skin broke into shards of bluish scales and torn flesh and blood spilled out. ¡°GAH!¡± Tian Hai flew back and slammed into a pillar of rock. He spat out gallons of blood and flopped helplessly to the floor. He barely managed to tilt his head up in a pool of his own gore. The sight was completely and utterly pathetic. Talking big but unable to back it up. ¡°Hack!¡± Tian Hai coughed up more blood. His injuries were only physical and superficial as Luohu¡¯s strike was only physical force. But some of his internal constructs were rocked by the impact. His three flower crowns dimmed significantly and his inner cosmos was in complete disarray. His immortal meridians resembling stars glowed faintly and moved about like drunken drivers. His flesh was a mess and segments of his scales scattered all over the lands. ¡°You bastards!¡± Tian Hai managed to utter out. He unsteadily got to his feet holding his stomach and glared up with a bloody face. Yet the look Luohu sent him sent shivers down his spine. A primal fear that froze him in place with no desire to run but one to accept death. ¡°Be silent worm.¡± Luohu flicked with his middle finger. Tian Hai¡¯s head snapped back. A gigantic eight headed serpent crashed on his back thousands of kilometres away. The only semblance of life the serpent had were the slow movements of his chest. ¡°The arrogance of weaklings. I can¡¯t even¡­pathetic. And I didn¡¯t even hit you that hard. Hehehe!¡± Luohu held his hand over his oath barely suppressing hysterical laughter. Tian Hai¡¯s wining and pathetic performance only served as amusement for the godfiend. But Qiong Qi did not find it funny. Instead he found it infuriating. ¡°Fucking pathetic! Is this what the Sea God Tian Hai is worth? No no no! This is wrong. You are a fraud!¡± The winged tiger roared. ¡°What kind of mewling pathetic worm are you? Heavenly sea? You do not deserve your own name!¡± ¡°Consider my offer retracted insect,¡± Qiong Qi said in disappointment. He opened his mouth and readied a ball of qi resembling a canon ball. One of Tian Hai¡¯s heads bent over to see what the godfiend was doing. The horror in his eyes was a result of seeing his own death within Qiong Qi. ¡®Is this how I end? This can¡¯t be it right?¡¯ Then and only then did Tian Hai fully realize what had just happened. The utter despair and fear he felt was nothing like what he¡¯d ever experienced in all his history. Suffice to say, he was extremely unwilling to die in such a pathetic state. But what can a measly Tian Hai do? ¡°For fucks sake!¡± Multi coloured clouds enveloped Tian Hai¡¯s serpentine body. The thick layer of clouds danced like flames and expanded even further. They grew large and formed the shape of a flat palm. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Five Elements Harmony Sixth art: Mystic Stabilization!¡± Huoyun¡¯s commanded his palm to guard Tian Hai. His exerted the full might of his Great Unity Golden Immortal cultivation base to its fullest drawing as much power as he can. However, the attack he was facing was still that of a Great Principle Chaos Immortal¡¯s. Although one realm separated the, the difference in power was night and day. Huoyun could only count himself lucky that Qiong Qi¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t one of significant power. An insect was all he saw Tian Hai as. As such, Qiong Qi¡¯s power had as an insulting amount of power as was necessary. But in this case, it allowed Huoyun to block the strike decisively. BOOM! The mass of clouds dispersed into particles. Huoyun huffed and puffed from where he stood in the sky. His right hand was raised and the palm was crooked. A trail of blood leaked from his mouth. All in all, Huoyun did not appear in a good state at all. ¡°Daoist Five Elements,¡± Luohu greeted. ¡°Oh how the mighty have fallen. You¡¯re not a character worthy of fighting me.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Huoyun responded with seriousness. He knew he needed to act fast. Pulling forth his mastery over fire and metal, Huoyun spread his arms out forming a titanic mirror. Through it, the image of a land appeared with a horizon meeting the night sky. But from the horizon, a star of pure yang rose. ¡°Five Elements Harmony Ninth Art: Manifestation of Creation¡¯s Dawn!¡± A thick light stemming from the false sun shone through the mirror. Luohu narrowed his eyes through the light and Qiong Qi shut his own. This level of light was second only to the blinding light Lu Ya the Sun Demon God could pull off. Even at a weaker level then what they were used to, the potent sunlight was still harsh enough to blind their sight. It was however unable to burn them as the spell¡¯s actual purposes was. Then again, Huoyun only used it as a distraction. Luohu extended his index finger. Despite not seeing Huoyun, he could sense his energy signature and acted accordingly. Since he moved, he¡¯ll retaliate in kind. His own blow came in the form of a distorting slash of energy. His finger trailed across the sky shattering reality wherever it went. Luohu didn¡¯t even deign to use a named technique. His intention was to be rid of the blinding light and not to cause harm. After all the Five Elements Daoist was still someone he respected and whose position in their society was exalted above many others. Out of past respect, he didn¡¯t try too hard. Let Huoyun rescue Tian Hai, the snake was worthless to him anyway. Would one bother chasing after an ant? Huoyun¡¯s clouds retreated immediately. It was urgent for him to escape as far away as possible. His feet moved in the fastest movement techniques he knew. With a blaze of fading light, Huoyun ran through towards the nearest rift. ¡°Come back here!¡± Qiong Qi roared. He attempted to run past Luohu to finish off the two fleeing innate gods. But while he was truly angered by Tian Hai, Luohu found his disregard for his presence insulting instead. ¡°Oi, do you think you have the right to ignore me little cat?¡± Luohu punched out towards Qiong Qi. ¡°Grrh!¡± Qiong Qi halted and moved his wings to block Luohu¡¯s blow. But he still did not give up on Huoyun. He opened his mouth and spat out an object. A treasure of the lowest xiantian grade. The treasure resembled an arrow with a fletching that resembled Qiong Qi¡¯s own. Directed by Qiong Qi¡¯s thoughts, it shot like a comet blitzing through the sky directly towards Huoyun with full intentions to kill. ¡°Curses,¡± Huoyun groaned looking back. ¡°Guess I¡¯m forced to unleash this already.¡± His hands shot down a straight beam of five coloured light shot out in the shape of a five pointed star. Luohu chuckled at Huoyun¡¯s actions and felt pity for Qiong Qi. The most famous technique of the Five Element Daoist also known as the God of the Five Elements was well known. The Five Coloured Treasure Light had the ability to overpower any foes with its sheer power. But this was only secondary as its main function was the ability to disrupt the connection between an immortal and their refined treasure. Qiong Qi¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered that tidbit as well. ¡®No he¡¯s just a Great Unity Golden Immortal right now. Surely he couldn¡¯t.¡¯ He felt his connection with his arrow sever. The beam of light retracted and the arrow landed squarely on Huoyun¡¯s hands just in time for him to dive into the void between realms. Qiong Qi was left silent. Luohu openly laughed. ¡­ A hundred and fourteen years later, Huoyun fell out of a spatial rift above the skies of the East Continent. He tumbled out in a miserable state of disarray alongside a gargantuan eight headed serpent. THUD! Tian Hai¡¯s landing was rough and he crushed the lands beneath him into a dusty haze. Huoyun¡¯s own landing was much light but he nevertheless crashed into a crater. The two took a long while to get their bearings together. Huoyun had endured a lot during the century long travel through the void. Constantly resisting the violent tides within the void was not ideal to once health. His current state while not life threatening, was an injured one. ¡°We¡­we made it outta there.¡± Tian Hai¡¯s eight heads starred up at the sky. The sky had already darkened into night and the three hundred and sixty five celestial bodies that were the stars revealed themselves. He couldn¡¯t help but be thankful that luck was on his side. ¡°Made it? We barely made it out alive,¡± Huoyun grunted sitting up. His face was grim and there were open anger in his gaze. A burst of light occurred as Tian Hai shrunk back to his human form. He sat up and touched his stomach. The injuries from Luohu¡¯s attack was gone. Huoyun¡¯s clouds had carried with them a medicinal affect and the result was the mending of his wounds. ¡°Thank you brother Huoyun. Thank you and I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I caused you,¡± Tian Hai said apologetically. He bowed his head shamefully at Huoyun. Unlike numerous times prior where Huoyun would just laugh it off, this time his expression didn¡¯t change. He chuckled and scoffed at the situation they¡¯d landed themselves in. ¡°By the heavens,¡± he muttered. ¡°You clearly¡­hai, I don¡¯t even know what to say to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You should be.¡± Huoyun found it hard to even look at Tian Hai without becoming frustrated. ¡°Thousands of years spent trying to help you. Yet nothing has changed. You¡¯re still that naive boy I found washing blood off himself. Who the fuck charges into a battle of Chaos Immortals as a Golden Immortal?¡± Huoyun ranted and raved. Frustrations boiled over from any years past. Tian Hai could only listen and be guilty over his actions. He really hadn¡¯t accomplished anything hadn¡¯t he? All he¡¯s done is mooch off of Huoyun¡¯s kindness. Attaching himself to Huoyun¡¯s thigh like some sort of parasite, using his protection for his own gains. It was unforgivable that he led Huoyun into extreme danger. Said a lot about Huoyun¡¯s own character that he followed through and rescued him. In the face of such situations, most godfiends would choose to flee. ¡°Yang Mei was right.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You really are not the same. There¡¯s not an once of Tian Hai in you.¡± ¡°But I am Tian Hai.¡± Huoyun gave him a tired look. ¡°You really aren¡¯t. I see none of his traits in you. You like a¡­a¡­an innate god born out of Tian Hai.¡± He sighed and shook his head unsure if what he said was even correct. Tian Hai had the exact same aura as Tian Hai to the point where it was indistinguishable. Yet the mannerisms, the personality. Huoyun didn¡¯t know what to call it. All he knew was that he was done. ¡°Enough is enough, you can¡¯t go on like this anymore,¡± Huoyun told him. ¡°You nearly got yourself killed. Nearly got me killed. You don¡¯t just run into a situation like what just happened in the west without proper information. One look, one look was all you needed to know to get outta there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Tian Hai, I understand feeling sympathy for living beings. We¡¯re part of that category too. But helping each and every stranger just because they looked pitiful? You¡¯ll end up bringing yourself unnecessary calamities like what just happened now.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, you don¡¯t have the power to do these things. You¡¯re only a Golden Immortal compared to Great Principle Chaos Immortals. You¡¯ve made no progress in regaining your former strength but you think you can just interfere in those two¡¯s battle wantonly? Have you gone insane?¡± Huoyun sucked in a breath and sighed. ¡°Clearly you aren¡¯t ready to brave the outside world. Look, I¡¯m still your brother and I love you. So I think it¡¯ll be for the best if you hide out for a while. Lay down and cultivate somewhere secret until everything blows over.¡± ¡°What? So I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t protect you either. I need to cultivate my strength further as well,¡± Huoyun cut him off before he could finish. ¡°The East Sea is isolated for the most part. The East Continent too if you wanna risk the territories of a few other godfiends. I can¡¯t be here, I need to go into seclusion and figure some stuff out as well.¡± Tian Hai was stunned. Did he just drive away his only source of protection? No that was wrong. Did he just drive away his only real friend? ¡°Tian Hai, anything west of the East Continent is getting more and more dangerous. I can feel it,¡± Huoyun told him. ¡°My way of divination isn¡¯t the greatest but even I can tell the world is trending towards a tribulation. In a normal Chaos World, these events are scary for its inhabitants. But for the Primitive World where innate gods could come into being? I dare not imagine what kind of disaster it¡¯ll be.¡± He turned to face Tian Hai. ¡°Don¡¯t participate. Stay safe, hidden, and go into seclusion. And I¡¯ll¡­¡± he reached for Tian Hai¡¯s head. ¡°Wait no!¡± ¡°It¡¯s for your own good. I stunted your growth and that is my sin to bear,¡± Huoyun pointed at Tian Hai¡¯s head. ¡°You don¡¯t know the unlearning pain! I couldn¡¯t decide on anything! I couldn¡¯t think.¡± ¡°Your blockage from forming a unity also seems to stem for it. For the sake of your future, I cannot in good conscience let it remain.¡± Huoyun¡¯s finger glowed. ¡°Please just hide in the East Sea for now. That¡¯s the best course of action.¡± ¡°Huoyun wait!¡± A faint red light erupted from Huoyun¡¯s fingers. Tian Hai keeled over with his head in his hands and screamed. ¡°Sorry little brother,¡± Huoyun said. ¡°But please, take my advice to heart. If you return to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm or at least exhibit comparable strength then sure. But as you are now, just hide.¡± Huoyun departed from Tian Hai with a solemn feeling. Part of him felt guilty, but another part felt glad. Chapter 14-The Call of the Stars Time passed quickly. Days became weeks, weeks became months, months became years. Before long, ten thousand years went by. The first yuanhui since Pangu opened the Primitive World drew ever closer to its finally. A yuanhui lasted for a total of a hundred and twenty nine thousand six hundred years. During the fourth percentile of the first yuanhui, Shenni¡¯s true offense finally began. To the public, Shenni wanted to take the whole newborn universe for himself. For a world with so many untapped recourses, it was a grand act of selfishness that many could not stand. Dozens upon dozens of godfiends opposed what they perceived to be Shenni¡¯s goals and resisted his influence. But Shenni despite his past histories with fellow godfiends did not feel charitable to resistance at all. Beyond all expectations, he began mercilessly executing disagreeing godfiends left and right. Huofei, Leijun, Shaozu, Tutian and dozens of others were killed before their time. Shenni had unexpectedly rose into the ranks of Great Principle Chaos Immortals already. With the four evils in toe, he was practically invincible. Majority of the other godfiends had only returned to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. Little by little, territory after territory was taken. the North Continent consolidated under Beast Emperor Shenni and the northern areas of the west and east as well. Shenni¡¯s approach towards the Central Continent however was halted slightly. This was as many had realized what a goldmine Mt Buzhou had been as a treasure hunting grand as well as a cultivation environment. As such, many godfiends of differing alignments were willing to visit and stay to protect it. Shenni¡¯s forces were in the minority to begin with, he had to expend time and resources to combat these individuals. Especially so as other Chaos Immortals began becoming annoyed with him. The mighty emperor of the four seas Si Hai chief among them. Things became bloodier and bloodier as time went on. The Primitive World was slowly transitioning from a land of predator and prey to a land of warring gods. But throughout all this time, within the relatively quiet East Sea. A gargantuan white lotus flower sat at the bottom of the ocean. It possessed twelve peals each laying out flat. These petals resembled islands in and of themselves and when no innate creature could accurately perceive their full appearance. Every time they tried, they¡¯d experience a disorientating feeling telling them to, ¡®go away¡¯. Tian Hai lay in his true form curled up within the heart of the white lotus. Each of his heads were tucked onto each other. His reptilian eyes were only half open and he didn¡¯t appear to be able to focus on anything. His spongy yellow mane floated aimlessly in the water and was the only kind of movement coming from his body. Tian Hai remained motionless for a very very long time. To him, it was the only way for him to find peace. No thought, no interruption, no nothing. Truthfully Tian Hai found such a way of living to be worthless. Yet it was the only way he was able to remain at comfortably peace. He didn¡¯t even refer to himself as Tian Hai anymore. Throughout the years, despite his best efforts Tian Hai still had yet to surpass the Golden Immortal realm. No matter what he tried, no matter how deeply he reached within himself he still could not form the great unity. The important platform needed for the cosmic tree to sprout just would not come to him. ¡®Even after all these years, I am still failing.¡¯ Tian Hai¡¯s feelings on the matter could only be described as depressed. He failed time and time again unable to live up to Huoyun¡¯s expectations. Just dwelling on his brother and former caretaker made him feel even more horrible about himself. Tian Hai felt so lost. He wasn¡¯t even aware of much of the ongoings in the wider world having taken Huoyun¡¯s advice to keep out of it. At least it was something he could do right. Not even the purifying affects of the white lotus could help him much with his issues. Movements of water continuously brushed past the eight headed snake¡¯s scales. They felt soothing to his scales. Today, they felt especially chilly. Not in a bad way, in fact they felt compatible to his aquatic nature. Tian Hai¡¯s eyes slowly trailed upwards. ¡®It¡¯s night time.¡¯ He starred through millions of kilometres worth of seawater towards the night sky. He¡¯d always found the image of the Starry Skies beautiful. But he didn¡¯t dwell on them for they were just so far away. ¡®Stars. They¡¯re useless in this era. It¡¯s not until many yuanhui later that the Heavenly Courts could take full advantage of them.¡¯ Tian Hai closed his eyes and tried to meditate. What he thought was most important now was resolving the issues of finding harmony within himself. Something was keeping him from forming the perfect great unity, he just knew it. Days passed. Each night Tian Hai felt the strange chill of the water. Each night, Tian Hai felt more and more annoyed by the bothering feeling. So after the sixth day, he finally perked up. The stars were out again tonight with not a cloud in the sky. The full moon made its appearance showcasing the radiant light of the most high Lunar Star. ¡°This feeling. It¡¯s the pure essence of the Lunar Star. Has it leaked through to the Great Wilderness?¡± Tian Hai was alarmed. Such an event shouldn¡¯t be possible. The barrier separating the Starry Skies and the Great Wilderness had blocked such passages for ages now. That was unless reality was becoming weaker. Tian Hai tilted his head and reached out with his divine sense. His nascent soul surged with power and his three flower crowns spun above his head. His senses reached to the peak of what he could manage and Tian Hai tried to process the information he analyzed from the environment. ¡°Aftershocks,¡± he murmured. In that moment he realized that more battles had been going on in his absence from the Great Wilderness. Continuous fighting that had weakened the Great Wilderness¡¯ dimensional barriers bit by bit. Tian Hai forced his body to rise out of the water. The 12 Petals White Lotus closed up beneath him and shrunk before entering his pocket dimension. with wriggling movements, Tian Hai swam through the ocean and out to the surface. THOOM! Water splashed all over the place as Tian Hai emerged. All eight of his heads starred up at the same time towards the blinding Lunar Star. ¡°It¡¯s just like looking at the sun. Well Solar Star as its known as. It¡¯s not like the rocky ball of earth¡¯s moon at all. It¡¯s an entire star in and of itself of equal size and power to the Solar Star.¡± Like a helium balloon, Tian Hai floated out of the water. ¡°Wait a sec, why am I?¡± Tian Hai closed his eyes and communed with the world around him in an attempt at divination. His sudden motion shocked him but he already had an inkling to what was going on. In many novels he¡¯d read, the protagonist would be described as sensing items or places with cause and effect with them. This was karma at work and leads the protagonist to major encounters. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Was it possibly he¡¯d sensed some relation with the essence of the moon and unconsciously moved? It was possible, Tian Hai did not understand many things about himself even now. But with more concentration, Tian Hai did identify a premonition. ¡°There¡¯s potentially an encounter for me in the Starry Skies,¡± Tian Hai concluded. ¡°A fortuitous one or¡­no I can¡¯t be too negative.¡± His heads tilted to the side and he groaned. His headaches were no longer dulled and even that little decision making sent a few dizzying waves through his mind. After al while it passed. Tian Hai took a few breaths before casting his qi. He rose quickly though the sky until his tail was out of the water and transformed. Gone was his serpentine form and out came his humanoid Dao body. He still resembled a child but he was a bit older then before. Now he resembled a boy just on the into of his teens. Tian Hai starred upwards at the sky contemplating wether he should or not. On one hand, Huoyun told him to hide and stay safe. But on the other, this nagging feeling that he¡¯d encounter an opportunity in the stars made it tempting for him to visit the world above the Great Wilderness. ¡°It should be fine right? In this way, I could discover something to help in my cultivation.¡± Tian Hai stepped through the air and rose even higher. With a burst of speed, he ripped through the air millions of kilometres into the air. Tian Hai moved around searching for places where reality was especially weak. It took another three months but Tian Hai finally gave up on searching for weak spots. The far east was ultimately very far away from major conflicts and as such the strength of dimensional walls here was still stronger then the rest. Despite that, Tian Hai punched into reality itself. His strikes was both quick and powerful carrying the full might of a Golden Immortal. In several strikes, Tian Hai managed to create punctures through reality. CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE! Tian Hai raised his fingers and dragged them through the small cracks he made. Splinters of reality broke off like glass pieces. Was he did so, Tian Hai expanded the rift he made. The air from the void between realms blew across his face and entered the Great Wilderness. However this time it was not as violent as Tian Hai had encountered before in the west. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Tian Hai said as a portal was created before him. It wasn¡¯t very stable but it¡¯ll manage. Tian Hai entered the void and began traveling towards the Starry Skies. Traveling through a void that was relatively calm was very much different from when it was violent. No spatial tides were attempting to tear him apart. The only rough movements of void currents were the ones Tian Hai made from his own movements. In roughly twelve years, Tian Hai crossed the borders and made it to the Starry Skies¡¯ edges. The dimensional barriers that held the realm in one piece was directly above the Great Wilderness. In fact, far off in the distance Tian Hai could vaguely perceive Mt Buzhou¡¯s peak acting as a stand for the world of stars. Nevertheless, Tian Hai followed through with his instincts. He punctured the barrier and entered the Starry Skies. And he was immediately assaulted by copious amounts of rich primordial qi of the stellar variety. Three hundred and sixty five gargantuan celestial bodies littered throughout this cosmos. Though these seemed few in number, each of these stars were billions of kilometres in radius alone. They were not just massive, they also carried incredible amounts of qi within their spiritual roots making each star a holy land for cultivation. Cultivating by absorbing qi was useless to Tian Hai but he wagered mortal creatures whenever they appear in the future will find these places extremely valuable. Looking around, Tian Hai began wondering the stars chasing the threads of karma leading him to his opportunity. The Starry Skies was very different from the Great Wilderness. It was not a singular landmass but rather resembled space as humans knew it. All things within the dimensional barrier was submerged in a type of water. This stellar water was both heavy but also extremely powerful. But one would not be able to identify they were within liquid within the Starry Skies. It was another quality of the stable ocean which held the stars. Tian Hai as a water based deity could feel the rich essence littered throughout his surroundings even as he traveled from location to location. Though he appeared to by flying through the depths of space, in reality he was more or less swimming through an ocean of stellar water. The threads of karma guiding him to opportunity were getting easier and easier to sense. Even Tian Hai had long realized his destination. It was one of the minor stars littered around the orbit of the great Lunar Star. A celestial body covered in ice and sat within the moon¡¯s shadow. Strangely though, Tian Hai encountered no living beings. Unlike the Great Wilderness which was littered with life, the environment of the Starry Skies had yet to produce any living creatures. It could be the qi dense nature of the Starry Skies, or simply that time wasn¡¯t right. But frankly, the darkness of space was disturbingly silent. For all Tian Hai knew, he was the only living being currently in the stars. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet,¡± Tian Hai mused as he descended towards his designated star. The ice far below him encased the true might of the star. But even from a distance millions of kilometres away, Tian Hai knew that if he punctured the ice and entered its core, he¡¯ll die painfully. These stars easily surpassed Golden Immortals. The amount of raw power in them was staggeringly high. Tian Hai could only loiter around the surface for the sake of his own health. He desperately wished his opportunity wasn¡¯t to actually dive into the star. What Tian Hai didn¡¯t know what that another silvery shadow had noticed him and began trailing behind him. ¡­ Walking on the surface of what was essentially a planet wasn¡¯t much different from walking the flat earth that was the Great Wilderness. Though he called it a star, that was only its name as designated by their grouping. Tian Hai didn¡¯t think much of it, to ancient societies stars and planets were the same thing. In the cultivation world it was similar enough as well. The innate god was unaffected by the chill in the air. His robes however began gathering bits of frost as he walked through the land. Tall mountains of ice surrounded him and the floor was rough and uneven. There was little to break the monogamous dull blue that was this environment. Tian Hai found no beauty within this star. It was more like a dead husk then a living breathing environment. He decided he wouldn¡¯t like living here. That was the thing, the Starry Skies was cold. Not in a literal sense but in the sense that it was such a barren lonely land. Nothing existed beyond slowly moving stars and the surfaces of these stars were all monogamous. It was such a dull existence. Tian Hai kept searching. After several more days of walking, he encountered a strange sight he¡¯d never expected to find before. A pool of clear water. So clear in fact that it blended in with the ice and Tian Hai would¡¯ve been non the wiser if he had not noticed the discrepancies in energy readings. His eyes widened as he squatted down and dipped his palm in. The water was gentle on his skin and carried with it the raw essence of life. It was so great in fact that Tian Hai thought it superior than the life giving aura that was a side affect of Huoyun¡¯s cultivation. It was a pool of water that had destiny with Tian Hai and he wouldn¡¯t be one to say no to that. But ¡°Who would¡¯ve expect that such a lonely place.¡± ¡°Found what you were looking for?¡± ¡®FUCK!¡¯ Tian Hai whirled around and fell back. He would¡¯ve tripped into the water if a slender hand had not gripped his own. The voice who¡¯d startled him, was feminine. The the person had him in their grasp and Tian Hai released a gasp at seeing another person in the stars. This woman was extremely beautiful with long flowing black hair that seemed to dance in the air. Atop her head was an ornate phoenix crown with beads handing off to the side of her head. She wore a long ornate set of robes that looked more fitting for a ruler then just another run of the mill immortal. Despite her beauty, Tian Hai only felt fear. Because the aura he was sensing did not belong to that of a Golden Immortal, it was a Great Unity Golden Immortal at least. ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t dispute lonely, that does not mean my Starry Skies are devoid of wealth,¡± she said with a cheeky smirk. ¡°Speaking of, what do you think you¡¯re doing robbing from my Starry Skies?¡± Chapter 15-Moon Goddess of King Tree Everything was quiet. Tian Hai stood aback in utter bewilderment whereas the young woman, goddess really, examined him before her with a thumb on her chin. Her eyes narrowed as she sniffed the air around Tian Hai. ¡°You smell of seawater, a dweller not from my Starry Skies.¡± ¡°You would be correct,¡± Tian Hai uttered whilst leaning back. He was feeling extremely nervous before this woman. Her looks were irrelevant in his reaction, it was the sheer difference in cultivation that made him nervous at her approach. He did not recognize her at all. Nowhere in his recollection as a Chaos Godfiend did this woman¡¯s appearance come up. When the godfiends reincarnated as the first generation innate gods, their appearance were actually the same outside of Tian Hai. In the primitive world, the only individuals with the power to surpass the Golden Immortal realm were these innate gods. No innate creature had ever gone through the Golden Immortal tribulation. After all, that tribulation was hard to miss. It involved the pulling of the true soul out of the river of time and the merging of it back into the cultivator¡¯s body. The level of backlash such an event would occur can easily be felt by fellow Golden Immortals and stronger individuals. As such, even without her saying her name Tian Hai should¡¯ve recognized any member of the Chaos Godfiends. The woman circled Tian Hai¡¯s figure. She was taller then him having already possessed the figure of an adult woman. Her bone age however registered herself to be relative to Tian Hai¡¯s own age give or take a few hundred years. Despite that youth, her gaze was not only sharp but an authoritative power radiated from her. ¡°Well? Anything to say for yourself?¡± She said somewhere between haughty and amusement. She floated around and away from the pool of water and to Tian Hai¡¯s front. She was like a deity who had descended from the heavens to meet a mortal. Silvery lunar radiance was oozing from her hair and robes and her eyes resembled the stars themselves. As he interacted with her more and more, Tian Hai felt himself shrinking more and more. It really was the difference between a sun and one of its orbiting planets. He felt fear for what disrespecting this superior being might do to him. ¡°Apologies senior,¡± Tian Hai responded with the standard respectful and reverent greeting a weaker individual would a superior. ¡°I was not aware this star was already owned by another. I was merely following a premonition through threads of karma.¡± The goddess hummed with an interested look. ¡°Plausible plausible. But that doesn¡¯t change this from theft. After all, as the supreme goddess of the moon and sovereign of the Starry Skies! Everything in this cosmos belongs to me!¡± ¡®Sovereign of the stars? But the only people with those titles are later generation gods of heaven? Who are you?¡¯ Tian Hai took a step back and swallowed a bile of saliva. If this information was true then he was in big trouble Furthermore, her identification as a goddess of the moon did narrow down things somewhat. But both major Chinese gods of moon were also later generation figures. So Tian Hai was confused for a second time. ¡°Hey hey why the silence? You¡¯ve been staring at me for a while now.¡± ¡°Oh ah¡­apologies once again senior. I was unaware the Starry Skies had a ruler already. I was just wandering as to...¡± ¡°Aight that¡¯s enough. I¡¯m just messing with you,¡± she cut Tian Hai off with a raised palm. ¡°It¡¯s not funny anymore. Heavens why are you so uptight? Not even the old man is that formal.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tian Hai was once again taken aback by the sudden shift in the woman. So she was just messing with him? Did he read her wrong? ¡°Wangshu.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My name. I am Wangshu of the Lunar Star. You were asking for it correct? Before I curt you off?¡± ¡°Oh yes. Wangshu,¡± Tian Hai tested the name out in his mouth. ¡°King¡¯s tree?¡± ¡°Well I am spawned from the supreme laurel tree,¡± she admitted freely. As she said so her skin warped before Tian Hai¡¯s every eyes. The patches of skin not covered up by clothing showcased the texture of rough tree bark. Her face also flashed into a more inhuman one made of wooden textures. ¡®Of course nothing is ever simple in this world.¡¯ Tian Hai had to admit that it wasn¡¯t strange at all even if some part of him(human) freaked out internally. He too was an eight headed snake shrunken into the form of a human teenager. ¡®Wait a sec, Wangshu?¡¯ There was no name like Wangshu in his memoirs as a godfiend. But Tian Hai did recognize that name from web novels he¡¯d read. There was a discrepancy there as Wangshu was a reincarnated godfiend as well. That or a congenital goddess in the same generation as Changxi, Di Jun, and Xihe. He honestly was not familiar with her other then being harem member number sixty nine and background NPC number seventy one. But to meet here of all places, what a coincidence. ¡°Ah¡­so you, senior wants¡­¡± ¡°Okay please stop that. We are fellow daoists of the same generation,¡± she said flatly. ¡°I saw you flying in my domain and followed, that¡¯s all there is.¡± She eyed the pool behind Tian Hai. ¡°I see you have destiny with this pool of Three Brilliance Sacred Water.¡± ¡°Three bri¡­¡± Tian Hai turned around and starred into the pool in utter disbelief. This little pool of water was legendary. It was an extremely rare resource which Nuwa used to create humanity along with Nine Heavens Soil. Tian Hai had the eyes of a someone who¡¯d just found gold. He couldn¡¯t believe his luck. However he turned back around to observe Wangshu. Such a valuable treasure, how could she not thirst for it herself. But to his surprise, she was nonchalant about it. Wangshu had her arms crossed beneath her chest. It was as if she did not take the importance of this rare substance serious at all. ¡°I am willing to share with you,¡± Tian Hai began saying. It sounded presumptuous of him especially since he was the weaker party. But he felt as if he had to. ¡°Three Brilliance Sacred Water. It contains three special types of energy within it stemming from primordial qi originating from the sunlight, moonlight, and purple starlight. Together they produce one of the strongest life giving forces ever. Suits you.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it. You said you have destiny with it? Well its yours. Take it. This is a direct order from the sovereign of the Starry Skies¡± ¡°Wait I thought you were kidding about that bit.¡± ¡°What? Course not, I am the sole inhabitant of the Starry Skies. By definition that makes me the sovereign of the stars.¡± ¡®huh.¡¯ Tian Hai thought she made sense. Sole inhabitant of the stars, that sounded pretty lonely to him. In this wide space of darkness illuminated only by three hundred and sixty five stars, that was a large space for just one person. ¡°You really would not desire such a treasure?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a whole ocean of it below my palace. Why would I want such little bit?¡± She chuckled in amusement. Her mirth made Tian Hai feel irritated. This water was a big deal! Why didn¡¯t she care more? Oh right she was likely unaware of its future accomplishments. Tian Hai felt she was stupid to squander such a treasure. But he can¡¯t exactly blame her for not possessing meta knowledge. ¡®Wait did she say she has an ocean full?¡¯ Tian Hai¡¯s head whipped back to stare at her with mouth agape. ¡®Is this feeling what its like to meet a rich person?¡¯ Tian Hai slowly closed his mouth and nodded in understanding. But even so, he still found it strange for a creature of the Primitive World to be so generous. There¡¯s gotta be a catch right? Webnovel always portrayed them as cheering scumbags. Then again, Huoyun was extremely kind and put up with him for years. ¡°So¡­how about coming to my palace?¡± She offered after a bit of awkwardness. Her smile tightened a little as she extended her offer. ¡°I have drinks prepared from the riches of the stars. I have berries and spiritual fruits. There are marvelous paintings for admiration. You can even check out the pool of Three Brilliance Sacred Water.¡± ¡®Please accept,¡¯ Unaware of her thoughts, Tian Hai struggled to come to a decision. ¡°Ah¡­okay?¡± ¡°Great!¡± She grabbed Tian Hai¡¯s forearm unexpectedly and dragged him int space. Then she stopped as if she forgot something. ¡°Oh right,¡± she lowered her free hand and in the next instant the pool of water disappeared into her grasp. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll wrap it up nice for you. Consider a gift for accepting my hospitality.¡± ¡®Gift? Didn¡¯t you say it was mine already?¡¯ ¡­ The distance between the icy star and the Lunar Star was not far. Tian Hai followed Wangshu for half a day before they breached the outer atmosphere of the Primitive World¡¯s moon. Unlike the star Tian Hai visited earlier, the Lunar Star was gargantuan in size. Its yin based light was luminescent even within the void of space and shone with such intensity that any being who were not Golden Immortals and directly looked at it would¡¯ve gone blind. It was so unlike the moon as seen by humans of the twenty first century that Tian Hai¡¯s human memories portray that it was difficult to reconcile the two. The surface of the Lunar Star was also vastly different from place rocky craters. It resembled the Great Wilderness with tall mountains, lush forests, and lakes of celestial water. It resembled a garden of the gods themselves and made for a mesmerizing sight. The only different between it and the Great Wilderness was the slight blueish filter that covered everything one can see. Tian Hai found himself praising how well kept and beautiful the Lunar Star was. Wangshu all but dragged the young sea god all the way through the many barriers of the Lunar Star. Nothing halted their movements and soon Tian Hai bore witness to where Wangshu was leading him. She had a wide juvenile smile the whole time that made it hard to reconcile that this was a powerful goddess of the Primitive World. A massive palace complex lay at the end of a large stone paved path. It contained vast pool of water behind the palace which emanated tremendous amounts of rich live giving energy. Tian Hai identified it as the same water he had just obtained just in much larger quantities. He couldn¡¯t help but feel waves of jealously in his heart. Outside the palace was a gargantuan tree that produced an aura which Tian Hai couldn¡¯t even accurately identify. It was even stronger then his 12 Petals White Lotus which made it easy to identify. Within the Primitive World¡¯s future history, several spiritual trees gained great fame as incredibly powerful treasures. The Bhodi Tree that the Buddha enlightened under, the Ginseng Tree at Longevity Mountain, and many others. The celestial tree of the Lunar Star was the legendary Laurel Tree, a nigh unbreakable structure featured in one of China¡¯s many tragic love folklore. Tian Hai found all the sights around him mesmerizing. It reawakened a dormant desire for exploration and touristic ideals which once governed his emotions. Suddenly he felt a bit nostalgic for earlier times. This was quickly quashed by feelings of self loathing and disappointment. ¡°Hey what¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you find my Lunar Star beautiful?¡± Wangshu chastised with a visibly annoyed expression. She dragged Tian Hai¡¯s shorter body down to touch upon the pathway leading up to her palace gates. The abrupt landing broke Tian Hai broke him out of his musing allowing him to focus on what was before him. There stood a tall stylized archway with engravings of stellar movements. Upon the top was a massive sign engraved with the words. ¡°CELESTIAL MOON PALACE¡± ¡°Palace,¡± Tian Hai read aloud. ¡°Yep!¡± Wangshu smirked proudly and gestured towards the main building further back. ¡°Amazing isn¡¯t it? It was already here when I transformed as I am now. I furnished it with the riches of hundreds of stars. Feel free to tour around, I guide.¡± ¡°Tour?¡± ¡°Of course. As host I have to show you around!¡± Confused in addition to being startled, Wangshu dragged Tian Hai through the gate and into the palace proper. The central courtyard, the buildings and thousands of rooms, Tian Hai didn¡¯t really have a say as the much stronger goddess pulled him to every interesting location she could think of. Her collection of artifacts, her collection of spiritual herbs, her collection of meteorites, her collection of stardust. Everything Tian Hai encountered resembled some sort of hobbyist collection. Artworks of various stars and Wangshu herself littered throughout the place. Statues of different objects belonging to the Starry Skies was also present on display in many places. But strangely, despite all the fulfilling decorations. Tian Hai couldn¡¯t help but see a sense of hollowness. He observed the goddess who acted as host. ¡®She¡¯s way too enthusiastic,¡¯ he pondered. People in the Great Wilderness would never act in this manner, they¡¯d sooner chastise you for such carelessness or incorporate you into their defensive alliance. Everyone acted for their own survival in these trying times. The calmness of the Starry Skies was a vast breakaway from it. In a way, Tian Hai was enjoying his time in the stars more. But he also couldn¡¯t deny the feeling that he didn¡¯t belong. His senses subtly informed him that living within such an environment wouldn¡¯t be as comfortable as the East Sea would¡¯ve been. Tian Hai eyed Wangshu. He didn¡¯t want to linger long in the stars now that his opportunity had ended. But Wangshu didn¡¯t give him much of a chance to walk away and he too didn¡¯t wish to be rude. This was especially so when he didn¡¯t know how offended Wangshu would be nor how violent she¡¯d become in such a scenario. But unknown to him, Wangshu had also noticed his growing disinterest. She hid her concern and quickly came up with another method. ¡°Anyway, did you know I brew spiritual tea? I also have richly flavored fruit juices in stock. How about you try some?¡± She asked Tian Hai with a hint of uneasiness, something Tian Hai failed to pick up on. ¡°Huh? Ah¡­¡± Tian Hai shuffled around. ¡°Dalits Wangshu, I um. I had planned to go into secluded cultivation now that I¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡®Wait a second, she¡¯s already in the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. Would she know some clue to how to resolve my issue?¡¯ ¡°I mean I would love to try some. How about you and I discuss the Dao over some drinks as well.¡± ¡°That sounds spectacular.¡± Chapter 16-Great Immortal Yang Mei On the eastern wing of the Lunar Palace, upon one of its many balconies. Upon a balcony that had a spectacular view over the ocean sized lake of Three Brilliance Sacred Water and its reflection of numerous stars. Wangshu and Tian Hai sat over a table chatting over two cups of tea. Wangshu went ahead first as soon as Tian Hai brought up his intention of discussing the Dao. Tian Hai couldn¡¯t even get a word him before Wangshu decided to explain her view of it first. Truth be told, Tian Hai didn¡¯t mind as she was not only more senior in cultivating the Dao but also because he hadn¡¯t even started on finding his own Dao path yet. It surprised him just how much along her path that she already was. To Wangshu, the supreme yin encompassed everything and was the supreme white which ran across the ocean of stars. She explained how all the stars lay beneath the celestial body that was the Lunar Star and that it alone stood at the head of three hundred and sixty five. The Dao path she¡¯d founded thus not just encompassed the moon, but also entirety of all stars in the world. She was like the sovereign hanging high above in the night sky shining a light upon all living beings. Even the supreme yang light of the sun found origins in her supreme yin. Her words were arrogant and confident in her claims. Yet Tian Hai found no fault within them. All Dao paths were true in their own way. Wangshu¡¯s cultivation showcased her view of herself and the nature in which her spells would display. Her attainment was really high in comparison to Tian Hai by orders of magnitude. Her cosmic tree wasn¡¯t visible to Tian Hai but he could sense it through her descriptive words. It should already be in its completed form given how set she was. A high level of clarity in one¡¯s Dao represented the beginnings of the birth of a Dao fruit. Once a Dao fruit fully manifests, the cosmic tree would collapse and the immortal would attain the Great Principle and enter the first phase of the Chaos Immortal realm. In this way, Wangshu ahead of the curve even in comparison to the innate gods of the Great Wilderness who despite being reincarnated godfiends still had not reached the same level of strength as she had. This was how much the pressure Shenni brought on affected them. No one really had time to sit down and focus on their own properly thus breeding resentments towards the arrogant Beast Emperor. In the middle of Wangshu¡¯s talks, Tian Hai brought the cup of tea that he hadn¡¯t touched up to his lips. The moment Tian Hai tasted the liquid, he immediately knew of its immense quality. He also realized it for its immense waste of ingredients. He naturally kept those comments to himself. If anything proved how wealthy Wangshu was compared to the rest of the world, it was her frugal use of spiritual ingredients in her brewing. There were countless methods qi rich herbs could be used. Chaos Godfiends had long known how to make esoteric pills that produced a variety of through alchemy. Pills that resolved cultivation foundational issues, pills that strengthened the Dao fruit, pills that acted as powerful explosives, pills that rejuvenated the body etc. Tian Hai remembered them all long ago. He¡¯d also knew that Wangshu¡¯s collection of herbs can reproduce them with ease. Yet all she did was make common tea with them. Don¡¯t get him wrong, the spiritual affects were there and as beneficial to the body as ever. But he also knew that alchemy could radically improve these affects even further through refinement and extraction. Though he wasn¡¯t too knowledgeable on those arts, he too couldn¡¯t help but feel this was extremely wasteful. Tian Hai looked up fro his cup of tea. Wangshu sat there appearing to be the picturesque vision of a Chinese princess, all prim and proper. However there was a shuttle shaking of giddiness there that Tian Hai was barely able to register. ¡®She really is wealthy. Is this the full accumulation of the Starry Skies since Pangu opened the Primitive World?¡¯ ¡°Hey! I thought we were discussing the Dao?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh I apologize,¡± Tian Hai bowed his head. ¡°I often let my mind wonder at the worst of times. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°Hm it¡¯s fine. The taste can be overwhelming after all. The old guy was like that too the first time he tasted my tea.¡± ¡°Old guy?¡± ¡°Yeah, the only other person who comes here. He¡¯s not here often anymore since he cultivates a lot and I can¡¯t disturb him,¡± Wangshu said with a faraway look. She drummed her fingers on the table and sighed. ¡°The Starry Skies has so much to offer and yet¡­yet no one seems to find it worthy to visit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll want that level of attention,¡± Tian Hai said. ¡°Not with the numerous self serving innate gods fighting over the Great Wilderness.¡± ¡®What does she mean by old guy?¡¯ ¡®Someone has already taken advantage of the Starry Skies. Quick take as much as we can and get out!¡¯ ¡®Hmph, I should challenge this person and temper my physique.¡¯ Tian Hai raised a finger to massage the side of his temple. He made the action as subtle as possible so as to not draw attention to it. He hoped Wangshu would be too engrossed with her own words to notice. Except she did. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Headaches.¡± ¡°Oh were my explanation too much? Uh I mean too high leveled? Wait not I mean¡­ah shit,¡± Wangshu grimaced at her careless words. The implication that Tian Hai was too stupid was not lost on him. But he found it hard pressed to deny reject those words. He truly was having trouble following her discussion to the point of only understanding twenty percent of it if even that. But for Wangshu, she was more afraid to have alienated Tian Hai. ¡°Ah please don¡¯t be downcast friend Tian Hai. I¡¯ll explain it simpler. Not to say you wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Fellow daoist I¡¯m not offended. I¡¯m aware my attainments into the Dao is not high enough to fully grasp your words.¡± Tian Hai sighed and finished his cup before placing it down for Wangshu to refill it. Starring into his own reflection in the water he said, ¡°I¡¯m actually having trouble with a bottleneck I reached.¡± ¡°Bottleneck?¡± Wangshu perked up. ¡°If I am able to help then I would be glad to.¡± And so Tian Hai told her about his troubles over many thousands of years. The sheer amount of time he¡¯d spent as a Golden Immortal even as the people around him moved along was startling to Wangshu. So with Wangshu being so open minded, Tian Hai reluctantly reviewed his troubles. ¡°Can¡¯t form the unity huh,¡± Wangshu rubbed the button of her chin. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Harmonizing all elements of one¡¯s body should be a pretty simple process. All it is is finding a clear and steady mind along balancing all internal structures to prepare for the best possible foundation into seeking one¡¯s own Dao. At least that¡¯s how it was explained to me.¡± ¡°Me as well.¡± ¡°Hm, you are an innate god of the Great Wilderness are you not? Then as a reincarnated good fiend shouldn¡¯t you not already know how to form one?¡± ¡°My memories of such are incomplete I¡¯m afraid,¡± Tian Hai said sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the matter with me. But whatever I do I can¡¯t quite seem to fully grasp it.¡± ¡°Odd, I¡¯ve never heard of such an issue before. Then again I¡¯ve never been out of the Starry Skies so¡­¡± Wangshu devolved into deep pondering. According to what Tian Hai told her, the issue he faced should be some sort of inner disturbance. But as Golden Immortal innate gods, they should already be complete at birth. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The two reached an impasse. Wangshu had little experienced with what Tian Hai was experiencing and the other didn¡¯t really know how to continue the dialogue. What¡¯s more, he can¡¯t really tell what Wangshu¡¯s true intentions were. She was broadcasting all sorts of mixed signals that was confusing Tian Hai every second. She was overly friendly and was obviously trying to be welcoming. But Tian Hai couldn¡¯t help himself but think about nefarious intent due to the way the Primitive World was always described in novels. Huoyun¡¯s lessons and his earlier experiences had also driven him to see the world in a more negative light. Perhaps it was just his paranoia talking and he had nothing to worry about. But it could also not be. After all, who in their right minds would ever let go of an entire pool of Three Brilliance Sacred Water? All these pleasantries, these discussions upon the Dao could just be a tree. Out of the corner of his eye, Tian Hai could already see Wangshu somewhat fidgeting. She subtlety bit the interior of her lip and it was easy to tell she was contemplating something just as he was. THOOM! Tian Hai was alarmed as a flare of energy riveted throughout the Starry Skies. But Wangshu only showed a pleasant surprised look which was followed by a light sigh of relief. Both of them caught on to the enormous power who was making his way towards the Lunar Star. What¡¯s more both of them recognized it. Wangshu for their frequent interactions. Tian Hai for their nightmarish first encounter and harrowing words. ¡°Yang Mei?¡± ¡°The old man!¡± Both of them cried at once. In the black darkness of space. In the vast distances between stars, a circular spatial portal opened up in an incredibly stable manner. From it the illusionary image of a willow tree briefly appeared and tendrils of roots reached through the abyss. They stretched into a solid bridge that carried a mighty, wise, and old looking figure throughout the vast sky. The rigid and strong feeling Yang Mei gave off was vastly above Tian Hai¡¯s own to the extend where the sea god could barely comprehend Yang Mei¡¯s existence. They were so incomparable that he might as well be the size of a spec of dust compared to him. Yang Mei¡¯s level of power felt near identical to that of Luohu and Qiong Qi. Great Principle Chaos Immortal. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Even back when we first met, he was already¡­¡¯ Tian Hai felt depressed looking at Yang Mei¡¯s current progress. He remembered their time together in the Chaos Sea, remembered how even back then Yang Mei was above him in attainments. Strength and cultivation had a positive correlation. Within the Chaos Immortal realm, all its sub stages represented a level of attainment into the Dao or one¡¯s progress in cultivating their Dao fruit. The more advanced their personified Dao became, the more unique aberrations the Dao fruit form and the stronger they became. ¡°Every day I fall more and more behind. Weaker and weaker by the day,¡± Tian Hai couldn¡¯t help but whisper aloud. ¡°Ah, don''t feel bad friend. Cultivation takes time, its a very complicated and confusing process after all. Strength isn¡¯t all there is to it.¡± Tian Hai mentally kicked himself for allowing Wangshu to hear him. Nevertheless he couldn¡¯t agree with her words. What was cultivation other then achieving strength? ¡­ Yang Mei¡¯s entrance into the Lunar Star was not showy nor spectacular. He arrived like any other carefree immortal who was unconcerned with the ongoing of the world around them. He looked the picturesque cold and aloof elder. Wangshu had already flew down from her palace by the time he touched down on the paved pathway. She had already opened up all the Lunar Star¡¯s defenses before hand so he descended easily. His only obstacle was the silver missile named Wangshu who practically glommed him in a bone crushing hug. ¡°GAH! Little girl, what did I say about greeting people like this,¡± Yang Mei chuckled. He had to manhandle Wangshu off of him but took no real offense to her actions. ¡°That it was impolite and unseemly?¡± ¡°Yes. So why do you still do it?¡± ¡°Well you¡¯re not a stranger to me.¡± Yang Mei sighed at Wangshu¡¯s argument. He reached into his pocket universe and pulled out a small bag. ¡°Here, a little souvenir from the East Continent.¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± The two accompanied each other until they reached the entrance of the Lunar Palace. That was when the proverbial elephant in the room Yang Mei had been ignoring since entering the stars would have to be addressed. Yang Mei¡¯s eyes met Tian Hai¡¯s own and the latter reeled back at the intensity of Yang Mei¡¯s gaze. ¡°Oh oh, old man let me introduce you to my new friend. This is Tian Hai, his an innate god from the Great Wilderness. Though since he¡¯s also a reincarnated goldfield you¡¯ve probably already met?¡± ¡°No he¡¯s not.¡± Yang Mei was very quick to deny. He narrowed his eyes over Tian Hai and unleashed his divine sense upon him. But due to the disparages in cultivation, Tian Hai hadn¡¯t even noticed as Yang Mei¡¯s senses washed over him. But he did feel no small amounts of fear regarding Yang Mei. It was as if the world outside disappeared into a black void leaving only Yang Mei and Tian Hai. Tian Hai was standing atop some stairs so he was looking down at Yang Mei. But despite that, he felt as if it was the reverse. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yang Mei appeared to ask even if his mouth did not move. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Speak up pretender.¡± ¡°Uh I¡­¡± ¡°By what right do you use my deceased brother¡¯s name? ANSWER ME!¡± The air chilled. Tian Hai immediately bolted for the right. In a fit of rage, Yang Mei snatched his young body up in a tendril of illusionary roots made up of starlight. With a look of contempt, he crushed Tian Hai leaving behind a mangled corpse. The air chilled. Tian Hai immediately darted for the left, hoping to flee into the shadows of another star. But a crimson ray pierced his chest opening up a cavity that took up over seventy percent of his torso. Yang Mei sent Tian Hai a look of contempt as he closed his palm, crushing Tian Hai¡¯s corpse in the air where he had yet to fall. The air chilled. Tian Hai immediately twisted his arm hoping to tear open a rift in reality and flee through the void between realms. But Yang Mei caught Tian Hai¡¯s arm having easily crossed that distance before the latter could even register what was going on. He sent Tian Hai a furious look of contempt before Tian Hai¡¯s entire world went white. Tian Hai¡¯s pupils contracted and he felt wobbly on his feet. His heart slowed and he was frozen, encased in an iceberg of fear. Every ounce of his body was telling him to flee, to get as far away as possible. But logically he knew that wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything. Even of he tried, he¡¯ll be dead before moving even an inch. Yang Mei approached with Wangshu and the latter was revealing all sorts of information about her and Tian Hai¡¯s little tea party as if she had not noticed Yang Mei¡¯s hostility. The only thing crossing Tian Hai¡¯s mind the whole time was, ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Yet Yang Mei¡¯s attack never came. Instead he sighed and raised a hand stopping Wangshu¡¯s tirade. ¡°Stop, I¡¯m already familiar with this person.¡± ¡°Greetings. What is your name?¡± He asked Tian Hai. ¡°Come on old man has age finally caught up to you?¡± Wangshu joked. ¡°I already told you he¡¯s my new friend Tian Hai.¡± ¡°Little girl, I¡¯m sure he made quite an impression on you. But I have personal matters with him.¡± He dismissed Wangshu and turned his full attention to Tian Hai. ¡°So eight headed snake, what do I address you as?¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Tian Hai was not going to fight Yang Mei¡¯s words to begin with. Deep down, some part of him did wonder at times. He only referred to himself as Tian Hai because that was what Huoyun insisted. It was also the only name he remembered. He¡¯d even forgotten what he was called during his time on earth. For the eight headed serpentine innate god, the name Tian Hai was just a form of address in the end. There was no need to fight over it, especially not with someone like Yang Mei. With all the factors involved over the years, Tian Hai wouldn¡¯t mind Yang Mei addressing him as something different. ¡°Brother Huoyun calls me Tian Hai and it¡¯s the only name I know,¡± he explained. His explanatory words sounded like insistence to Yang Mei and the elder immortal did not look pleased. ¡°I met Huoyun some time ago as well. He told me of you, told me of Tian Hai. But Huoyun is prone to mistakes. Easily blind by emotion. Do not refer to yourself by that name in front of me or ever. Understood?¡± ¡°Crystal.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Wangshu interrupted the cold stand off. ¡°How about we all enjoy some tea and snacks? Tian¡­uh snake? My hospitality still stands, how about you go back first and the old man and I will meet you there?¡± Tian Hai nodded. He took the first chance he got and bolted outta there. Yang Mei was left huffing as the innate god left. ¡°I will not apologize if that is your intention,¡± Yang Mei told Wangshu. ¡°I painstakingly found a new friend after so many years and¡­¡± Yang Mei tuned her out. Sometimes he¡¯d forgotten that despite existing for so many years, Wangshu was still a nosy child. The soul born in Pangu¡¯s eye and nurtured by the Laurel Tree was someone he¡¯d long took pity in, a surrogate daughter almost. Immortals perceived time in an extremely warped way, Wangshu was every bit still a youth to Yang Mei. ¡°Little girl, that snake and I have our own issues that are not your concern. Come now, let¡¯s find a better place to chat.¡± Chapter 18-Solar Convict North Continent The land grew colder and colder each day. A snowstorm had mysteriously started three thousand years ago and had yet to cease. Rather, the cold had only gotten worse and in some regions blizzards had appeared. Shenni watched the icy hellscape of the North Continent with no visible reaction. His residence within a simple cave was still the same even after so many years. If one were to look at Shenni, they would not see a dignified emperor sitting in a magnificent palace. They would instead see a burly red maned barbarism sitting on a stone seat. Over the years, not much has changed. His traitorous brethren continued to fight his efforts to push further south. His own allies kept going on about the cultivation resources of the Great Wilderness and he had to grudgingly allow them to indulge to keep their loyalty. It sickened him every day to watch his allies turn towards the filth of Pangu. Whenever he could, it was into the furnace these so called cultivation resources went. Not for refinement or any dignified use normal resources would¡¯ve received in the Chaos Sea. No, the filth of Pangu deserved only destruction. Shenni gazed longingly southwards towards the Central Continent and the vague outline of Mt Buzhou. He spat at it. Knowing ants like Hongjun and Luohu who kept stalling his advances for the mountain drove him mad to no end. His cultivation had slowed in recent years and his frustrations kept piling up day after day. But Shenni made a promise. A promise he had every intention of keeping. No matter if it was the two rising stars or the former four legendary goldfields or even Destiny Demon God himself, Shenni would still fight tooth and nail if they intended to defend the filth of Pangu. ¡°Your majesty!¡± Shenni tilted his head at the sound of a new arrival. Taotie¡¯s obese humanoid form stepped into his throne hall and bowed. Shenni considered the four evils to be friends and hence never forced them to kowtow as Demon Ape did for his subordinates. But that was the difference between him and his master, Demon Ape was the supreme master while Shenni was merely his dutiful subordinate. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Lu Ya got away.¡± BAM! The armrest of Shenni¡¯s stone chair exploded sending rubble across the rocky floor. Shenni¡¯s face twisted into a snarl revealing sharp canines. ¡°That TRAITOR!¡± He roared across the universe. THOOM! A thunderous tremor erupted across the Great Wilderness with the North Continent as its epicenter. Spiderweb like cracks appeared throughout the northern lands terrifying whatever creature that weren¡¯t innate gods. The skies across the world turned red as a fiery storm replaced regular normal white clouds. This lasted for several hours as Shenni raged and roared. Taotie knelt at the side patiently while his superior ranted. He was used to it at this point, Shenni was relatively cut off from the rest of his allies because of his tough attitude and rough temper. It was mostly Hundun and the four evils who did management. Things were preferable this way however. After all, if people knew Shenni¡¯s true goal, they¡¯ll abandon him in a heartbeat. Without their support, Shenni¡¯s own position would be a lot worse then now. After calming down, the storm over this section of the universe finally calmed. Yet it did not stop entirely. Shenanigans glared at Taotie and began asking about the current situation. Lu Ya had managed to return to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm despite being constantly busy for years. The Sun Demon God had managed to harness the power of daylight to mend his innards much faster then expected. Despite using up Shenni¡¯s own accumulated resources, he was an ungrateful man and abandoned him immediately. To think he had the gall to use what rightfully belonged to Chaos Demon Ape grated on Shenni¡¯s nerves like a scalding stream. Lu Ya had skirmished with Taotie and Taowu earlier. But the latter two were unable to overpower the former despite having healed to the Chaos Immortal realm sooner. Ultimately though, they were successful in dealing a serious blow to him forcing him to retreat. His exist above the Great Wilderness went unhindered. ¡°What a Lu Ya,¡± he chuckled darkly. ¡°Taotie how are our extermination around other parts of the world.¡± ¡°Well your majesty, the West Continent has been sealed off and we haven¡¯t been able to mount much of an offensive. Luohu is proving to be too much of a hinderance taunting our goldfields and primordial beasts. Scattered godfiends had taken this as inspiration to harass the North Continent as well.¡± ¡°Scum! What do they care about my battles?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I believe Hundun said something about them being annoyed you encroached upon their territory. Those who took residence in the East Continent and even the from the South Continent are interfering.¡± ¡°Nosy busybodies. Are the filth of Pangu really so valuable?¡± Shenni ground his teeth and had to take several deep breaths to stifle his rage. ¡°Who¡¯s not busy?¡± ¡°Daoist Earthly Sky and Shen Feng are currently in seclusion to return to the Chaos Immortal realm.¡± ¡°Go get them then. I¡¯ll join the hunt against Lu Ya myself!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll take part personally?¡± When I did not give Taotie an answer, merely a glare to convey his command. The chubby godfined meekly obeyed and left. For Shenni, it didn¡¯t take a wild guess to know where Lu Ya had gone. If the Sun Demon God was injured, the fastest place he could heal was obviously the place in the Primitive World with the most intense gathering of pure yang qi. What other location was there but the Solar Star. The Solar Star was also known as the Supreme Yang Star and shone with the hottest and most brilliant light through the cosmos. Each day, its light penetrated all dimensions from its dwelling in the Starry Skies and illuminated the blue sky. Watching the floating eye of Pangu was sickening for Shenni. Since he¡¯d be traveling there anyway, he might as well do the world a favor and destroy both remaining eyes of Pangu. When the Primitive World was created, Pangu¡¯s head remained above the Great Wilderness. His eyes became the Solar and Lunar Star while the remnants of his brain disappeared never to be seen again. As such said paired stars were special among the three hundred and sixty five celestial bodies. When I stepped into the clouds and quickly flew upwards. Below him, three other lights gathered around and followed after him. One was obviously Taotie in his eager to please demeanor. The other streams of lights were Great Unity Golden Immortals but ones who were close to returning to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm. Earthly Sky was a fairly strong godfiend being a wielded of a powerful high grade xiantian spiritual treasure known as the Ruler of Sky and Earth. Following him was Shen Feng also famed as the Ancestor of Divine Wind. His reputation speaks for himself. Shenni respected them for their strength but little else. Among the godfiends who had chosen to stay with him, they were more greedy minded. Always hungering for larger split of resources from the fighting. Earthly Sky to refine pills for his cultivation and Shen Feng cause he¡¯s a greedy fuck. Nevertheless, the four pierced the barrier of the Great Wilderness and headed into the Starry Skies. ¡­ Awkwardness. Awkwardness defined the impasse Tian Hai had with Yang Mei and Wangshu. The three sat around a table with the sole female of the group attempting to make small talk while the two old man glared disapprovingly at the young boy. ¡°I should go,¡± Tian Hai said. ¡°I¡¯ve taken advantage of you.¡± His words were directed at Wangshu who in her startlement quickly acted in denial. Yang Mei meanwhile looked curiously at Tian Hai. ¡°Tell me nameless snake, what brought you here to the world of stars in the first place? One does not come to such an isolated ocean without purpose.¡± ¡°I uh¡­¡± ¡°Speak clearly.¡± ¡°Come on don¡¯t be too harsh.¡± Wangshu attempted to interject but she was ignored. ¡°I followed a sense of opportunity. The threads of karma lead me to attain a collection of Three Brilliance Sacred Water.¡± Said water appeared in a jar that manifested within Tian Hai¡¯s palm. It was also gift wrapped in a cutesy wrapping stylized to look like the night sky and twinkling stars. ¡°Hm unexpected. I thought you would be in hiding considering that Huoyun told you to do.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Hiding? How did you.¡± ¡°I said I spoke to him again recently didn¡¯t I? You were a topic that he brought up.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tian Hai¡¯s mood turned down upon hearing Huoyun¡¯s mention. It couldn¡¯t have been a positive outlook. At least not after everything they¡¯d been through. ¡°Huoyun? That¡¯s daoist Five Elements,¡± Wangshu whispered. Even she, as isolated as she was had heard of the Five Element Deity¡¯s name from Yang Mei¡¯s stories. ¡®Wait a sec I have heard of a Tian Hai before. But that description and this guy.¡¯ ¡°If I am honest, I do not understand his praise of you. This obsession over your wellbeing,¡± Yang Mei closed his eyes and trembled. He opened them again and snorted as if saying, ¡®ridiculous.¡¯ It was then that the implication hit Tian Hai like a truck. Huoyun was still concerned about him even after what he put the man through. Even after being such a nuisance his brother was still his brother. Tian Hai vowed to properly apologize to the man and make it up to him. ¡®I can use him!¡¯ ¡®Loyalty is given!¡¯ ¡°Nggrrh!¡¯ Tian Hai swayed side to side. He held his forehead in pain as another round of headache assaulted him once more. ¡°Hm?¡± Yang Mei grunted. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Wangshu approached Tian Hai to support him. ¡°Y¡­yeah,¡± Tian Hai barely managed to etch out a response. But at the back of his mind, pain like sharp needles stabbed at his brain. ¡®Suspicious!¡¯ ¡®Strong opponent!¡¯ Yang Mei walked to the other side of Tian Hai without any sign of sympathy. Wangshu looked up at him and asked for his aid. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s wrong with him. How could I even help?¡± Yang Mei scoffed. ¡°But attacks like this isn¡¯t natural. We¡¯re you hit by an attack or something? Soul based attacks leave obvious scars which you don¡¯t show.¡± Yang Mei contemplated in spite of his, ¡®don¡¯t care¡¯ attitude. But he ultimately could not come up with anything. ¡°I apologize if I¡­¡± ¡°Stop it. Do not¡­¡± Yang Mei tuned the two younger immortals out while he continued to contemplate. Truthfully, Tian Hai¡¯s condition was already explained to him by Huoyun years ago. But seeing was believing or so they say. It was curious, connote lifeforms on the scale of Golden Immortals were supposed to be complete at birth. That was why newborn innate gods never spent that long in the Golden Immortal realm. The vast majority would reach the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm within the first several centuries of life. A few thousand if they were slow. But the eight headed snake took late bloomer to a whole new dimension. Standing there on the palace terrace, Yang Mei looked out into the stars. The distant glare of the Solar Star skimmed across his face as it panned past him. ¡®Lu Ya was there as well when he was born,¡¯ he recalled. He had not seen Lu Ya in many years and wondered how the old bird was doing. ¡®Lu Ya Lu Ya Lu Ya. He purified the frenzied snakes back then.¡¯ Yang Mei narrowed his eyes at Tian Hai. The latter was still groaning on the floor. But with a flex of his divine sense, Yang Mei delved into Tian Hai¡¯s body without warning. He couldn¡¯t resist a Chaos Immortal in the first place either. Within, Yang Mei found nothing unusual with Tian Hai. He was truly a whole being just as your average innate god. His soul and flesh were both normal with no irregularities. But what if it wasn¡¯t? The possibility was nigh non existent and Yang Mei was tempted to dismiss it and leave things as it were. But looking at Wangshu who was giving him a displeased look, he couldn¡¯t help but feel conflicted. He¡¯d always had a soft spot for the girl, almost like an adopted child. ¡°Nameless snake,¡± he called out. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The only instance of a spiritual attack on your person was Lu Ya¡¯s cleansing flames before you learned to speak. Do you remember?¡± ¡°N¡­No?¡± Tian Hai was genuinely confused, he had no clue what Yang Mei was talking about. Yet at the same time, his body shivered involuntarily. With the mention of such an event, something deep within Tian Hai reacted in fear. ¡°Odd reaction,¡± Yang Mei said. ¡®Could Lu Ya¡¯s fire have done something to him? But neither of us sensed anything wrong back then.¡¯ ¡°Old man what was this fire supposed to do?¡± Wangshu asked. ¡°Lu Ya used it for the purposes of cleansing foreign influences of one¡¯s original person. Hence its true purpose is to cleanse. It doesn¡¯t matter what the original person¡¯s intention was, foreign influences would both be purged should they differ from them.¡± ¡°Hm, maybe it burned out more then it was supposed to?¡± ¡°I just said it never targets things intrinsic to the person themself.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Tian Hai interrupted. He groggily stood back up still with an arm grasping his face. ¡°I think you may have a point. At the very least its worth looking into.¡± ¡°Waste your time as you see fit,¡± Yang Mei said dismissively and turned away. Without Yang Mei¡¯s scrutinization, Tian Hai contemplated what was just discussed. Suddenly he felt the urge to hurt this Lu Ya. ¡°You know, perhaps you can try medi¡­¡± ¡°Daoist Wangshu I have tried that like a million times now,¡± Tian Hai scoffed in self pity. ¡°Re-examining myself again and again does no good.¡± ¡°Have you tried using that Three Brilliance Sacred Water? It¡¯s a source of natural life energy, it could heal whatever injury you would¡¯ve sustained.¡± Her suggestion caused Tian Hai to stare at her in wonder. ¡°Maybe¡­maybe you¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°But to be honest I can¡¯t hold out much hope yet.¡± ¡°Well feel free to use my pool.¡± ¡°What? Just like that?¡± ¡°Sure! You¡¯re my friend aren¡¯t you?¡± Tian Hai could not believe Wangshu¡¯s generosity. How could someone like her even exist in a world where most godfiends were out for themselves? But she wasn¡¯t actually a godfiend was she? But there was such a sincerity in her worlds that just felt too good to be true. Yet Tian Hai could not deny such an opportunity. What other choice did he have? ¡°Thank you fellow daoist.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s only a small matter.¡± ¡­ With Wangshu¡¯s consent, Tian Hai headed for the pool below her palace. The raw accumulation of life giving water was enough to make even the most steady hearted of individuals tremble in envy. Yet Wangshu had no hesitation offering it up. Yang Mei didn¡¯t stop her either. He merely gave her a questioning look as Tian Hai descended into the watery depths. With all arrangements set, Tian Hai took his steps carefully as if he was being watched by an audience of spectators. The aroma of the ocean of life giving water drove him dizzy yet it was also a euphoric feeling of splendor. It attracted Tian Hai like a moth to a flame. ¡®Something,¡¯ he thought reaching out. A calling welled up inside him and even the disturbing emotions surfacing from the recesses of his mind could not overpower him from decision making. Hence he moved unhindered via the influence of Three Brilliance Sacred Water. Around his figure, three volumes of light converged and danced around him. Following them, Tian Hai flopped ungracefully into the water. SPLASH! He disappeared beneath the surface for a brief period of time. But when he did, he did not do so in his Dao body. Rather a scaly yellow maned serpentine head rose out instead. Following the first seven others followed, all snakes with diluted pupils. Tian Hai¡¯s true form made no other sound other then curling up and diving down, swamming further and further downwards intending to fully embrace the pool of life giving liquid. His only two spectators watched on as his tail rose out, arced and shrank beneath the water once more. Yang Mei impassively while Wangshu clapped encouragingly. ¡°You know he has his own right?¡± Yang Mei criticized. ¡°Oh come off it old man. He¡¯s my friend now and I have no use for this stuff anyway.¡± ¡°Really? You don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°Not well. But he did humor me.¡± Wangshu shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°The Lunar Star and all things in the Starry Skies is mine to do with as I please. And I say why can¡¯t I just offer my riches up? He played with me for so long so who better? She faced Yang Mei with an air of indignation. She pulled at the hem of robe revealing the upper portion of her right breast. A seal manifested atop her chest with burning lines of power. ¡°I would not be so alone if you would just remove this,¡± she spat. ¡°The Great Wilderness is in turmoil. Reach the Chaos Immortal realm first and they it¡¯ll naturally break through your own power,¡± Yang Mei said. She sighed knowing Yang Mei was right. She wasn¡¯t ignorant of the Great Wilderness, she had viewed it from the moon many times now. But being the only living being within the Starry Skies had its downsides and this was one of them. Yang Mei for all his stern exterior was a caring man. He cared about Wangshu¡¯s safety since the third instance where they met, before she even gained a body. Her pestering of him for stories grew on him after several years and that fondness has only grown since. But Yang Mei was an old and powerful lifeform. The opinions of lessor beings did not matter to him and that also included Wangshu. But he¡¯d already decided that if she were to reach the Chaos Immortal realm or prove herself worthy enough, he¡¯ll formally induct her into the Chaos Godfiend civilization just as he was many yuanhui ago. The way he saw it, he was only nurturing a later generation. This was not dissimilar to the actions Luohu took in the West Continent by spreading his cultivation techniques to native innate creatures. Of course their intentions were two entirely different topics but it ¡°Say old man,¡± Wangshu suddenly asked. ¡°I could be mistaken but there are¡­ Have you noticed the auras nearing the boundaries of the Starry Skies?¡± ¡°Auras?¡± Yang Mei whirled around yet sensed nothing. It wasn¡¯t until his eyes pierced many veils and into the void between realms did he see rough movements within spatial currents. ¡°Ah, so my senses as the ruler of the stars is superior than yours after all,¡± Wangshu smirked triumphantly. ¡°Hm,¡± Yang Mei barely acknowledged her while continuing to examine the approaching figures. He wasn¡¯t surprised by Wangshu¡¯s intuition. She had refined the Lunar Star over many years and became its sole ruler. Despite her lack of cultivation, the star representative of yin provided her with overwhelming power and supernatural abilities. As she was now, her abilities were heightened to the point where she was a competitor for Great Principle Chaos Immortals. Since the Lunar Star was one of three sovereigns of the Starry Skies, it naturally possessed the ability to view external objects heading its way. ¡®I hadn¡¯t noticed haha. The lass has grown even stronger,¡¯ Yang Mei acknowledged Wangshu¡¯s talent for cultivation in his heart. But his full attention was focused on the energy signatures that now entered the Starry Skies. Beast Emperor Shenni. Four Evils Taotie. Daoist Earthly Sky. Daoist Shen Feng. ¡°What does the Primitive World¡¯s conquered want with the Starry Skies?¡± Yang Mei frowned. He could never guess what the beast emperor wanted. He was not the ambitious type so him even crowning himself Beast Emperor was strange. What¡¯s more, upon entering the Starry Skies these four did not head towards the Lunar Star but the Solar Star. ¡°Stay here Wangshu, I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s going on,¡± Yang Mei ordered. That was when he flew off into space leaving a concerned Wangshu behind. Chapter 19-Brawl For Survival Without any hesitation Taotie led the other two down towards the surface of the Lunar Star. Understanding the need to battle for survival, Wangshu opened up the outermost layer and allowed them entry into the sky above the celestial body. However the surface proper was closed off as Wangshu herself appeared. Yang Mei gave a nod of acknowledgement to her as he headed off to do battle against Shenni. Though Taotie represented an enormous threat, a being at the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm. Wangshu wasn¡¯t without her down secrets. She allowed them entry into the Lunar Star for a reason. Here she was at her strongest, empowered by the most powerful star representing yin. In this environment, her comparatively lower cultivation suddenly wasn¡¯t a disadvantage for her. She waved her hand and drew upon the immortal might of yin around her. A swirling darkness spun alongside the silver bluish moonlight in her eyes. Around her they manifested as long hearted long legged furry creature. ¡°A mere Great Unity Golden Immortal dares to confront us alone? You really do look down upon me,¡± Taotie chuckled. ¡°Forgetting about me Taotie?¡± Lu Ya cried out far above Taotie. He had a smirk on even as he was still in an injured state. Now that Yang Mei was keeping Shenni busy he¡¯d decided to deal with Taotie once and for all. Despite both being Chaos Immortals there was a gargantuan difference between Taotie and Shenni. ¡°Junior we¡¯ve never met but fellow daoist Yang Mei has mentioned you before,¡± he said towards Wangshu. ¡°Allow me alleviate this trash from your shoulders.¡± Wangshu made an angry noise. It was all Lu Ya¡¯s fault they were attacked in the first place. What¡¯s more she still had a guest in the Lunar Star. However she could not turn down his aid. Her bravado before Taotie was very much a front. In truth she had no idea wether her control over the Lunar Star would allow her to fight all three individuals at once or not. Especially since all three were old experienced godfiends who predated the Primitivie World. But if it were only Earthly Sky and Shen Feng who were both still Great Unity Golden Immortals, things would be a lot easier. Yet she still dared not be callous. Compared to the two, she was still very young and inexperienced. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you,¡± she said opening up the Lunar Star. Lu Ya wasted no time to assault Taotie. The godfiend was both vicious and enthusiastically burned away at Taotie. It was to an extent that Taotie grew uncomfortable at being pushed into a corner like this. ¡°When did you ave time to accumulate so much? You lot were always sent out on missions!¡± Without much of a choice Taotie revealed his true form. His chubby human form collapsed as a gargantuan creature, even larger then the giant Shenni grew into formed. His flesh was a sickening greenish grey colour with a build similar to that of a dog. His limbs were long and lanky and his face was easily two thirds the size of his body. Most of his head was taken up by a massive mouth with disgusting looking teeth seemingly emanating an endless hunger. Taotie¡¯s face lacked any semblance of eyes, only a set of nostrils. Instead his eyes were located on his shoulders. Lu Ya frowned as Taotie¡¯s power increased exponentially. With this, Taotie swallowed Lu Ya¡¯s solar flames with ease. Clearly the former godfiend powerhouse had underestimated Taotie. But as the two godfiends were struggling against each other, Wangshu fought Earthly Sky daoist and Shen Feng with all her might. Despite possessing great raw power that in this environment closed in on the Chaos Immortal level. Despite having been given pointers by Yang Mei in how to utilize her strength, Wangshu found herself hard pressed to contend against the two godfiends. Earthly Sky might not be a well off godfiend but he was still once among the three thousand top tier powerhouses. In this life he wielded his ruler. This ruler was long yet simple in design. It looked archaic yet possessed a grand power designed to measure distances of both heaven and earth. Each swing of this ruler beat back Wangshu¡¯s spells and forced her to dodge away to save her life. She formed crystalline barriers and fried off silver bolts of yin energy yet they were unable to fully counter the power of Earthly Sky¡¯s treasure. With it in hand, Earthly Sky¡¯s combat prowess felt close to that of a suppressed Yang Mei that Wangshu had seen in the past. Of course the two were incomparable to each other in their true abilities but Earthly Sky¡¯s powerful assault was still tough to withstand. Shen Feng¡¯s presence did not help either. He was much much much weaker then Earthly Sky in pure ability. But he acted as a harasser and constantly tore away at the Lunar Star with his divine wind techniques. ¡°This girl is not half bad. If she were part of us in the Chaos Sea, I can definitely see her surpassing many of us old fogies,¡± Earthly Sky praised while he fought. While it was clear he took Wangshu seriously, she still felt irritated how lighthearted he sounded. ¡°You attack my domain and have the nerve to joke?¡± She spat out a spiral of light from her mouth. They twisted through the air in circles and aimed for Earthly Sky¡¯s forehead. Simultaneously, the Lunar Star supported Wangshu. By her commands, the air of the star closed around Earthly Sky manifesting into rays of light reminiscent of needles. This occupied the godfiend¡¯s Ruler of Sky and Earth. ¡°Help out, my defense aren¡¯t as good as your disruptions.¡± ¡°You owe me!¡± With a simple exchange, Shen Feng entered the fight once again. His feet transformed into drills made of twin hurricanes. He kicked towards Wangshu not only disrupting her attack but penetrating through it for the goddess herself. Wangshu frowned. She lifted her hand and grabbed hold of Shen Feng¡¯s foot. ¡°What?¡± Despite suffering from the Ancestor of Divine Wind¡¯s hurricane strike, despite skin was being torn of bit by bit, even despite her gritting her teeth at the damage. She raised her free hand for a palm strike. ¡°Guh!¡± Shen Feng was sent hurling out into the atmosphere. A sword condensed from moonlight shot towards him immediately with the desire to kill. Earthly Sky immediately moved in its way and swung down. Stolen story; please report. His ruler rapidly glowed and the formation of an archaic heaven and earth formed within its metallic surface. It was as if a dimension consisting of a living world had spawned for the purpose of a single strike CLANG! The new world exploded as it met the moon sword. The sky of the Lunar Star lit ablaze sending backlash to both sides. ¡®In the end my cultivation is still too low. I still cannot utilize as much power as I want,¡¯ Wangshu thought bitterly. She looked at her exposed hand with a trail of blood leaking from her mouth. Except the trail of blood did not resemble the red blood of living beings. Rather it appeared to be sap with the colour of amber. Her damaged had had also partially reverted to its true form. Uneven wood textures covered the limb making look like a particularly twisted branch of a tree. Her fingers were instead many sticks wrapping around each other to form claws. There were even leaves jutting out of her. Earthly Sky wiped away the smoke with a swing of his ruler. He and Shen Feng did not look worse for ware. Their clothing was ruffled and Shen Feng appeared to be particularly embarrassed. ¡°Heh, stick to scavenging and leave the fighting for real experts,¡± Earthly Sky couldn¡¯t help but mock the man. ¡°Hmph! Who asked for help in the first place?¡± The two were broken out of their banter when they noticed the reality around them shift. The atmosphere of the Lunar Star shifted and the blue filter was gone. Instead the outer atmosphere transformed into something which resembled the Starry Skies itself. It was as if the two stood admits the archaic view of the Milky Way. ¡°So you¡¯re not just a moon innate god? And here I thought you were an inheritor of the Moon Demon God as well.¡± Earthly Sky scratched his chin as he narrowed his eyes examining Wangshu. His skin and bones turned a sandy colour and a projection of a blue sky emerged from his body. ¡°How old is she? Her attainment is shockingly high. Just a few more years and we¡¯d be looking at a Great Principle Chaos Immortal,¡± Shen Feng appraised. His body writhed as a windy manifestation overtook his form. Wangshu had also shed her human form Dao body. Now what stood in her place was a six armed tree woman whose features were all made of wood. She resembled a tree that¡¯s been misshapen into the shape of a feminine figure. ¡°I want you both gone from here!¡± She roared erupting with her full power. Her hair of stem and leaves glowed with all the colours of countless stars. Her body emitted rays of brilliant light shooting out like lasers. The stars of the Milky Way condensed with these bands of light into a fist punching towards the two godfiends. ¡°You truly are talented junior,¡± Earthly Sky said. ¡°But we haven¡¯t survived for so many yuanhuis for no reason. Too bad but his majesty has ordered your death.¡± ¡­ ¡°Eyes on me!¡± Yang Mei released growl of anger at Shenni¡¯s words. He¡¯s been locked in place, locked in combat against his will. His sort of disciple was strong but she was up against the combined might of two experienced Great Unity Golden Immortals who were former Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. Even new unstable Chaos Immortals may not necessarily survive their combined assault. But Yang Mei could not help her. His branches swayed within the ferocious battle against Shenni. Yang Mei stood crossed legged in space with his hands positioned into hand seals. Above his head an enormous willow tree had manifested. It was hollow beyond its outward appearance and possessed the power of many universes within. Inside of its trunk was an entirely separate space time with its own governing laws as dictated by Yang Mei. It easily dwarfed the giant Shenni. Yet the two were near evenly matched. ¡°Yang Mei! How dare you protect a spawn of that filth! Do you have no pride? Do you feel nothing at all?¡± Yang Mei¡¯s outer appearance was the picturesque of tranquility. He was like a depiction of a peaceful buddha who had removed himself from worldly affairs. A being of serenity who¡¯d already found and settled into his path. It was the east opposite of the screaming and raving Shenni. Shenni who more resembled a mad beast of zealous hatred and wrathful intent. A being who¡¯s path had been consumed by rage. ¡°Fellow daoist your path is hideous,¡± Yang Mei could not help but mock. His willow tree began emitting lights at specific spit upon its branches. These spots were fruits, seeds contained within a hard spiky shell with an air of mystery to it. Shenni roared unintelligibly. His body bursted into raving red energy which charged out of him like a bull. The creature was frothing at the mouth and possessed a deep colour more akin to blood. Yang Mei brought his hands together and twisted them in a clockwise motion. Before him mysterious energy swirled into a singularity point from which a black hole emerged. It prevented the bull from smashing into its creator nor the willow tree floating above him. It sucked in Shenni¡¯s attack but started groaning immediately afterwards. Yang Mei frowned as his black hole began collapsing in on itself. Shenni¡¯s power was so great that it destabilized Yang Mei¡¯s manifestation. But it brought enough time for the seeds of the willow tree to fully form. They were released from the tree¡¯s branches and fell before Yang Mei like floating stars. ¡°Go,¡± he pointed at Shenni. The seeds were launched like meteorites. They slammed across Shenni¡¯s body causing him to roar in pain. Each seed of the willow tree were like universes in and of themselves. Hence Yang Mei named this attack ¡®Universal Seeds¡¯. As such numerous big bangs impacted Shenni¡¯s flesh damaging his extraordinary vitality. ¡°You make a mistake coming here!¡± Yang Mei said. ¡°You should¡¯ve stuck to your corner and obediently behave like the dog you are. Conquer your lands, replace Chaos Demon Ape for all I care. But you¡­¡± ¡°YAAAAH!¡± Shenni¡¯s roar came suddenly. It was so loud that even Yang Mei felt his head splitting at the noise. But the noise contained another message. Rage, pure rage. Raw anger permitted every bit of sound coming from Shenni¡¯s throat. ¡°DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME TRAITOR!¡± Shenni lunged pass the universal bombardment. His eyes were already bloodshot and there was no sign of a dignified emperor. It wasn¡¯t even a hungry beast or a majestic one. Yang Mei only found the look of a mouth frothing madman in Shenni. Sensing danger, Yang Mei retreated behind the willow tree. Shenni slammed head first into the construct but he didn¡¯t care. He rubbed its branches and bit into its trunk sideways. CRUNCH! Splinters fell from the penetration of Shenni¡¯s teeth. Barks of wood easily caved while Yang Mei watched with concern. The willow tree would not stay idle. Its branches grew and its long dangling leaves curled up into balls. The tree appeared to have taken life of its own with each large branch resembling raised fists. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly gone insane,¡± Yang Mei sighed. ¡°All this harping on Pangu or whatever. Honestly you should be grateful you even found a way to survive into this new world. You¡¯ve even found a new Dao from the looks of things like me and surpassed your old self. This ha¡­¡± ¡°Silence! Shut up! Shut your filthy mouth! You dare insinuate I should be grateful?¡± Yang Mei¡¯s tree punched Shenni¡¯s exposed body with a furious barrage. It was the same style of attack Shenni had done to the Solar Star moments earlier. ¡°GRRRRGH! ¡°YAAAAAH! The willow tree¡¯s trunk splintered even more as crack emerged along its surface. Its real image began dimming as it lost much of its colour. ¡°You may¡¯ve found a few Dao. Maybe even stronger then your old Dao. But you¡¯re still gonna die for what you did!¡± Shenni growled. ¡°For what exactly? For taking advantage of a bad situation? For finding new success? Come now Shenni, you¡¯ve clearly been consumed by rage. Are you even rational anymore.¡± The willow tree finally broke. From Shenni¡¯s teeth, a dark blood red colour seeped into the trunk. It recoloured the fading construct into a weak red tree corrupting it until its lost all its strength. With one final push, Shenni tore it to pieces and the tree disintegrated into red particles. Despite this, Yang Mei didn¡¯t panic. He moved on to other techniques to fight Shenni with. Beast emperor or not, Yang Mei was determined to not allow what he thought was a would be conquered with a vendetta against Pangu from doing any further harm. Chapter 20-True Birth of the Great Sea Confused eyes opened to a scene of blue. A blue field floating in a sea of darkness. A near infinite dimension in the shape of a serpentine being beneath two whirling colours mixing with one another. Tian Hai glanced around with concern. His surroundings didn¡¯t real unnatural, but there was a certain wrongness to it. It was confusing and he couldn¡¯t quite put it to words. For a time, he wondered around trying to recollect what had happened up to this point. He¡¯d dived into a pool of raw life giving known as Three Brilliance Sacred Water. He¡¯d swam until he¡¯d reached its depths then blacked out. The blue stretched on and on for a vast distance. But it was bland, empty, and unfulfilled. It felt as if it was reaching out for something yet could not find its intended target. Tian Hai waved his arms around at the blue surrounding him. There was a constant swirl of energy from the blue that was deeply troubling him. He felt like he knew the answer but couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it yet. ¡°This¡­okay I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s doing on anymore,¡± he admitted. ¡°Hello?¡± There was no one to answer him. ¡°No one¡¯s out there.¡± But the blue was intimately familiar with him. Once Tian Hai began seeing with all his senses, he saw the exact same thing as himself starring back at him. Or it was more accurate to say he was surrounded by himself. The answer was obvious from the start and he¡¯d been too slow to realize. He¡¯d remembered this trope countless time before. ¡°My mind right? Heavens what a bland sight.¡± Tian Hai was within Tian Hai. Everything here was Tian Hai. His cultivation, his knowledge, his memories. Even the remnants of Huoyun¡¯s seal was part of the blue. But there was a critical issue. This scene of blue felt almost primitive, like something that was not quite developed into completion yet. Not exactly like one would expect from a connate lifeform like him, especially since he was an innate god. He was out out of heaven and earth in full knowledge of himself without parents. An innate god with the cultivation of a Golden Immortal. He was outside the cycle of life and death as dictated by common universal laws. His true soul belonged to him and him alone. So this scene of blue made no sense. ¡°I am whole.¡± ¡°So why?¡± But if there was a positive outcome, it was that this world of blue was silent. Not in any visual sense but in a mental sense. Here, Tian Hai heard nothing. He felt nothing. It may be bland, but there was no headaches here. There was no disturbances. It was so devoid of pain that Tian Hai felt it unnatural. He¡¯d always had feelings in the back of his mind. Voices he couldn¡¯t quite make out. Suggestions that seemed to want to push him to something. Yet they were never clear. Muffled annoyances they may be, but they accumulated over time. In times of stress they manifested as static. ¡°What am I supposed to do with all this?¡± Examining the blue became pointless. It was all the same no matter where he looked. Or at least it was aside from the very centre of the blue. This space was essentially the eight headed innate God¡¯s inner cosmos as strange as it may sound. It originates from one point from which Tian Hai would¡¯ve emerged from. Since the blue was so static, it was barely visible. But the moment he wanted to know of it, the information came to him. So he approached his own origin. A translucent spec within the blue which blended almost seamlessly with the background. Tian Hai had to narrow his eyes to get a good look at first. However, the moment this desire appeared, he translucent spec took on a new form. It became clearer for him to see, now resembling a flame of sorts. Except it was illuminated by the colours of the five elements. ¡°My life,¡± he murmured in recognition. He was mesmerized by the flame. It was intimate to him, the source of his being. It was the single consciousness nurtured by the East Sea¡¯s vast waters which came into existence thousands of years ago as the creature who referred to himself as Tian Hai. He originates from it. An innate god born of the Primitive World. ¡°Huh?¡± A mirage occurred within the flame. An unexpected image of the East Sea appeared, the day which decided his emergence. Tian Hai¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at what he witnessed. On that day, a mass of energy broke out of the heavens. A spherical mass resembling a meteorite falling as debris. He recognized the signs of a remnant soul in the texture of that meteorite. A distant roar could be heard. An anguished cry. The two clashing colours above the blue shook without his notice. But the serpent innate god was still watching. He watched as a second meteorite fell from the sky. One which did not appear to originate from the Primitive World. Another debris from the greater Chaos Sea perhaps? The two had smashed into each other in a titanic explosion. The result of which were residual debris falling. But in their clash they had mixed together hence the resulting fall was of a single chaotically merged substance. ¡°I¡­he¡­they merged? And fell? But the East Sea¡­¡± All along, the perspective of this incident was from the water below the explosion. The perspective of the mirage watched as the final debris smashed into it. Right into the water which acted as its eyes. His eyes. ¡°Wait but I¡¯m of the Chaos Godfiends!¡± He gasped. ¡°Of the humans of earth!¡± THOOM! A distant rumble riveted through the blue causing ripples in the once tranquil surface. Yet Tian Hai was too engrossed in what he had just witnessed. At moments like this, he¡¯d normally be experiencing extreme headaches but now he was distracted by his own startled thoughts. Because within the image, the scenes of so many colours melding together occurred. Two foreign powers absorbing and being absorbed by the ocean formed by Pangu¡¯s act. The exchanges of energy taking place was extremely rapid to the point where three distinct pools resembled a singular individual. Instincts acting on instincts. Conscious thought at this time was not possible as visualized by the chaotic image of flashing colours. Tian Hai¡¯s breath became rapid as the scene of his coming into being continued on and on. ¡°The hell? Was I conceived by the East Sea or reincarnated by this¡­no two things?¡± THOOM! ¡°You stole!!!¡± The blue and the surrounding cosmos shook as a feeble sounding voice boomed into being. One of the two colours tussling in the sky shook violently and fell dramatically closer to the blue. It¡¯s counterpart seemed to overtake its former location as this happened. Tian Hai felt uncontrollable panic. The blue groaned and lines swirled around the epicenter of the blue. He looked around. That was when he noticed that the blue shape he stood upon began convulsing. ¡°You stole!!!¡± ¡°Who?¡± Tian Hai was suddenly lifted off his feet. He felt a smoky arm around his throat stemming from a mass of colour ramming into his being. His eyes widened as the coloured mass condensed into a form even as the two flew continuously through the rippling blue. ¡°My life!!!¡± ¡°Meant to be!!!¡± ¡°You stole!!!¡± ¡°Rebirth!!!¡± ¡°Unfair!!!¡± Indignant eyes met Tian Hai¡¯s startled gaze. This person, this human was gaunt looking. His hair was messy and his cloths appeared destitute. He was also lacking in colour, almost as if he¡¯d stepped out of a black and white film. He remembered those well. He¡¯d managed to see old World War II documentaries owned by his dad before his death and the first few episodes were black and white. ¡°Stop! Those are my memories!¡± The gaunt feeble voice was back. It was this same man, boy really. ¡°You look just like me,¡± Tian Hai couldn¡¯t help himself but say. The two had stopped in the blue, the gaunt boy being unable to apply any force after Tian Hai calmed down and steadied himself. ¡°You stole my face!¡± The other said. ¡°This was meant to be my life! My reincarnation!¡± He looked up with raged filled eyes with bags beneath them. He gripped Tian Hai¡¯s cloths by its neck and screamed indignantly. ¡°Unfair, this is so unfair! I was meant to start over in the early days just like the novels said!¡± At this moment, the innate god understood who this person was. He¡¯d inherited memories from him. At the same time he¡¯d also recognized his voice in his head before. Previous static noises became clear words. ¡°You¡¯re the coward. You¡¯re the one always egging me to play the people around me and run away when I encountered anything scary,¡± Tian Hai said. ¡°SHUT UP! YOU ARE THE COWARD!¡± The other spat in the innate god¡¯s face. ¡°I watched you you know? From the moment my life was robbed from me. And I was forced to watch you prance around without a single clue what you were doing! You had no goals, no aspirations, no ambition!¡± ¡°And whose fault was that?¡± Tian Hai bit back angrily. ¡°Every time I try to think you attack me! Every time I try anything you curse my brain with so much noise, so much pain.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pin the blame on me. We never tried to attack you at all! At least we both agreed that you are the anomaly that¡¯s living a life you shouldn¡¯t. If I was in control, I would¡¯ve gathered useful treasures and cultivated until I was sure it was safe.¡± ¡°Just like every other shoddily written power fantasy.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve been ALIVE!¡± In annoyance, Tian Hai pushed the gaunt boy off of him with one arm. The boy fell onto his rear and held himself up with his hands. ¡°Unfair,¡± he said. ¡°Why do you get to be an innate god?.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with that?¡± Tian Hai growled back offended. ¡°You¡¯re a weakling. You¡¯ve done nothing but lose lose lose and lose. Do you even know how to fight? Don¡¯t even get me startled on your shit performance against Luohu¡­¡± ¡°Do you even hear yourself talk? You should¡¯ve seen how strong Qiong Qi and Luohu was,¡± Tian Hai spat in frustration. ¡°What makes you think you would¡¯ve done better?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± the pale gaunt boy was stuck. But he didn¡¯t want to give up. ¡°I would¡¯ve surpassed them! I would¡¯ve figured things out eventually!¡± ¡°Easier said then done you entitled shit,¡± Tian Hai said. ¡°Do you have any idea how hard it was coming to a decision with your mind constantly assaulted? What makes you think you deserve living any more then I do?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t even conscious back then. How could something with no thought nor will be alive?¡± As the two were talking, the other unaligned colour finally descended as well. This one did not attack the innate god but rather released a series of clapping when it too took tangible shape. ¡°Bravo, bravo this was funny.¡± The voice was similarly feeble like the gaunt human boy. But this voice sounded much more archaic compared to him. Despite its weakness, this individual gave off a loud and powerful feeling. Almost like the sound of crashing waves at a rocky shoreline. The innate god turned his head as the colour condensed into a humanoid form. One who stood to scale with the rest of them but had very inhuman features. First of, this man had fish scales instead of skin. Next he had fins jutting out of his elbow, ears, and back. He looked like a stereotypical bipedal merman. Give him a trident and you¡¯d complete the look of a sea dwelling fantasy race. But the eight headed serpent widened his eyes in recognition a second time. ¡°Me?¡± he said. Personally, the memories of the godfiend was always fresher in his mind. He¡¯d assumed it was because these memories came after the earth ones. ¡°Wrong,¡± the fish man sneered. ¡°You can never be me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Haha,¡± the gaunt boy laughed. ¡°Meet the real Tian Hai, the deity who walked among the three thousand Chaos Godfiends. The other imprisoned to die here because of you. Even your name is fake.¡± He chuckled at the irony of the situation and glanced at Tian Hai interested to know if he¡¯d have a reaction. Only he¡¯d already seemed resigned to this truth. ¡°I see,¡± he only said. When Yang Mei called him out so many times prior, it always hurt. But there was a level of acceptance when Yang Mei refused to acknowledge him as Tian Hai. Turned out Yang Mei was right all along. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Despite his weakness, when this Tian Hai spoke there was a ferocious aura demanding respect and reverence. If it wasn¡¯t for his diminished presence, the innate god of the East Sea wagered he¡¯d be forced onto his knees as well. His presence also heavily resembled the likeness of other godfiends he¡¯d encountered. ¡®Tian Hai¡¯, no the eight headed snake looked between the two gaunt individuals now standing with him in the blue. Their presences while weak was disturbing the environment around them. Ripples upon ripples caused by loud sounds roaring in the background. Though he did not experience it here, the serpent recognized this scene as the same thing he¡¯d felt previously during all of his headaches. He gazed up to see where the two colours clashing in the sky once were and understood. ¡°I guess I should congratulate you on your victory,¡± the real Tian Hai said mockingly. ¡°He didn¡¯t even work for it,¡± the human boy spat. ¡°I was born as I am,¡± the innate god said. ¡°Exactly,¡± both retorted back. ¡°I should¡¯ve been reborn with my brethren. My remnant spirit tore itself from the complex of Pangu¡¯s creation. If it weren¡¯t for this fucker it would¡¯ve gone smoothly,¡± Tian Hai sneered towards the human. ¡°Excuse you? You crashed into me. I was about to transmigrate when you interrupted me!¡± ¡°And what would you have done with that life huh? I see your mind just as you see mine. You¡¯re not nearly as prepared as you think. Real world logic isn¡¯t gonna cater to your ¡®head canon¡¯. You¡¯ll die the moment you step foot outside.¡± ¡°At least I¡¯ll be smarter then picking fights with everyone who looks at me funny. Smarter in choosing my opponents and not charging in without being strong enough myself!¡± ¡°Tempering oneself and experiencing hardship is necessary.¡± ¡°Not if it¡¯ll get you killed.¡± The innate god watched the dual personas fighting with one another blankly. He¡¯d seen this before. Well heard is a more accurate term. It was strangely amusing to him. But being here and witnessing them finally allowed him to come to an accurate conclusion. ¡°So I wasn¡¯t able to form my unity because of you two. Because you kept disturbing me threatening to take over my body.¡± ¡°Cheh,¡± the human looked away. He hung his head low after finally calming down. Meanwhile the other two had their own mystical discussion that flew over his head. ¡°What are you talking about? We never disturbed your ability to form the unity. And take you over? Don¡¯t you remember what I said? You¡¯ve already won,¡± Tian Hai chuckled bitterly. ¡°Curse you Lu Ya. Oh brother Yang Mei if only you realized what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Those fuckers. If Yang Mei hadn¡¯t ordered Lu Ya to burn me. Cleansing my ass, they both deserve death.¡± ¡°Never talk about my brother ,¡± Tian Hai clapped back against the human. ¡°So you two were the foreign influences on my body,¡± the innate god with understanding. ¡°That means this body was mine to begin with. You tried to take me over.¡± It dawned on him that he was the original consciousness of the East Sea being nurtured just the innate gods spoken of in myth. Not the godfiends who¡¯d reincarnated by taking over parts of the Primitive World. But connate lifeforms born from Pangu¡¯s universe directly and nurtured by its environment. Like the Three Pure Ones who was said to be nourished within Mt Kunlun by Pangu¡¯s nascent soul. Or Zhunti who was cultivated by the Supreme Bodhi Tree. Or even the Demon Heavenly Emperor Di Jun cultivated by the Solar Star. He was the innate god of the East Sea. One who would¡¯ve been taken over by one of these two spirits and become their reincarnation. Either the human boy or Tian Hai would¡¯ve walked out into the new world and did whatever they desired. There was no other possible conclusion and his own instincts told him it was right. That battle which took place so long ago. Where heads of serpents emerged from seawater to do battle against each other in a maddened frenzy. That was a power struggle that had erupted into the real world. A struggle of wills where he the original was pushed down and these two forced themselves out. Since Tian Hai was an old and mighty godfiend, it was likely he would¡¯ve triumphed eventually But in a twisted sense of irony, Yang Mei prevented that from happening. He and Lu Ya both. ¡®I have much to be thankful for it seems.¡¯ He observed his two counterparts. In many ways they were his progenitors as well. His rise absorbed whatever was left of these two, draining them until they were mere husks of their former selves. Bits of his personality taken from both then merged with what was already there. The human looked back at him with a pained look of regret. The real Tian Hai had a similar expression though his was alot more stoic. ¡°Thats right. We fought for ultimate control. I was the one who suppressed your infant self and pushed forward my¡­our emergence. I was desperate as this fucker was gaining grounds. I had to speed along my rebirth and transform the seawater into our new body. But in the end none of us benefitted hehehe,¡± Tian Hai chuckled bitterly at the memory. He sent a glare towards the human before tearing his eyes away and sighing. ¡°You weren¡¯t meant to be born so early. Your spirit wasn¡¯t even past the embryo stages,¡± he revealed. ¡°The reason you can¡¯t form your unity is because you are fundamentally incomplete. You aren¡¯t even whole yet. An incomplete connate lifeform, what a conundrum.¡± ¡°I am so confused,¡± the innate god said. ¡°Then think of it as a premature birth that resulted in defects in your body. By my calculation it would¡¯ve take a few more yuanhui before your spirit would be nurtured to completion and you¡¯d fully emerge as a new innate god of that guy¡¯s universe.¡± ¡°Pangu?¡± ¡°Do not speak that bastards name,¡± Tian Hai snarled. To the real Tian Hai, Pangu was as much of a taboo subject as it was for Shenni. He wasn¡¯t as extreme in his hatred but he still felt nothing but contempt for him. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Do not apologize something so little as that, it¡¯s unbecoming of an innate god,¡± the real Tian Hai lectured. Despite his attitude, the message was clear. The innate god inferred that while his body came out fine, his spirit had not finished its nurturing phase. But as he was already pulled out and the two consciousness were so weakened, he¡¯d effectively won the competition as the one who entered the world. He looked at himself then at the vast blue around him. He could see it now, the blue wasn¡¯t complete in the first place. It should¡¯ve stayed on the ocean floor, continuously being refined by primordial qi of the East Sea. ¡°But you must have some luck,¡± Tian Hai suddenly said crossing his arms. ¡°You encountered the one thing which could fix you. Even in the Chaos Sea I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± ¡°Thats cause your chaos period is a desolate wasteland compared to Pangu¡¯s. The universe afterwords is full of better opportunities,¡± the human quipped. ¡°Who knows what will happen in the future. In my experience divination always has some flaws to it. Your knowledge about the ¡®Three Realms¡¯ would be no different,¡± Tian Hai snapped back. But the innate god wasn¡¯t paying them attention. He was looking at the blue and at its constant changes. When he¡¯d arrived, it had been in turmoil. But was it really due to the two colours clashing? By their own words, they¡¯d been reduced so much that by definition they were essentially echoes lingering on desperately with no hope. Just one look and he could tell. It was already amazing these two were still conscious to this extent. Both the original Tian Hai and the human boy were on the verge of collapsing. But perhaps due to spite or unwillingness, they remained until now. In many ways the serpent was resentful towards them. But in others he pitied them. ¡°Three Brilliance Sacred Water,¡± he whispered. ¡°I truly am fortunate.¡± Raw life giving water. The purest substance which breathed life into whatever it touched. To him, it was effectively nourishing his being the longer he stayed within it. ¡°Everything did seem to work out conveniently,¡± the human sighed. An unwillingness remain like this was largely the driving force of himself ticking around for so long. Death was never easy to accept especially for someone both young and who followed no religion like him. ¡°I wanted to see the Primitive World too,¡± he said. The original Tian Hai nodded his head. ¡°Indeed it is unfair. I wanted to travel with brother Huoyun again. Spar with brother Yang Mei again. And us three brothers can experience this new universe again¡­it¡¯s truly unfair.¡± He waved his hand around feeling it lose more colour. Bits of specs were breaking off of it as if he was being disintegrated by the second. ¡°Replaced by a being who doesn¡¯t even know his own name,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°So what happens now?¡± The innate god asked. ¡°Do we fight again? Or¡­¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°I told you from the beginning. You¡¯ve already won. Everything up till now is us being sore losers isn¡¯t that right?¡± He directed that last part towards the still sitting human. The latter could only hang his head in defeat and laugh bitterly. ¡°I thought someone with your disposition would be a lot more angry,¡± the eight headed serpent said to Tian Hai. ¡°Going by my¡­your memories you should be¡­¡± ¡°Lashing out? Yes I did for a long time. But what¡¯s the point in being bitter for so long? At least through your eyes I got to see and hear my brothers again,¡± Tian Hai sighed. ¡°Huoyun is as kind as always. And Yang Mei, how boy has he surprised me finding a new Dao just like that. I was always the least talented of us three.¡± ¡°What an adventure that would be. Cultivate to the peak of Hunyuan Da Luo Jin Xian and collect all the chaos origin treasures,¡± the human said wistfully. ¡°The wishful thinking of you will never cease to amaze me,¡± Tian Hai said sounding vaguely disappointed. ¡°And the realm is called Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. Assumptions running wild again. Just because you¡¯ve read some novels you think you know anything about us?¡± In the background, the blue¡¯s edges rippled violently before calming down. All three looked over and witnessed the sight of energy flowing into it allowing the blue to experience some sort of change. Looking at their feat, the blue had noticeably began transforming. Streams of life energy were already flowing through it in lines just like like blood in veins. All it took was to be at the right place at the right time. ¡®But then what is opportunity but being in the right place at the right time. Thankfully I was able to benefit from it. I am in daoist Wangshu¡¯s debt.¡± ¡°So¡­from now on you¡¯ll both disappear. And I¡¯ll finally be free.¡± Tian Hai stepped forward once more. His appearance was miserable as opposed to his steady posture. He looked as if he were a corpse that had been dug out from its grave. Where once would¡¯ve been a strong Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal was now a fading ego. ¡°What is it?¡± The eight headed snake asked. ¡°Just checking out my inheritor. Oh don¡¯t be so shocked, you inherited mine and his memories. You¡¯re our inheritor wether you like it or not,¡± Tian Hai said. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I am resentful for the way my ending came about. If I could go back I¡¯ll tear Pangu¡¯s head off in his sleep. What gave that bastard the right to execute us all?¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter now does it? We failed to oppose him and this world came about. I can very thankful that at least brother Huoyun and brother Yang Mei got to live. Even if unknowingly, you allowed me to see them again. For that I thank you.¡± ¡°Oh, your¡¯e welcome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not finished yet brat. Call this the last wishes of an old man¡­¡±¡°It¡¯s exactly what this is.¡±¡°Be silent human! But above all else I am not an ungraceful loser. So listen carefully nameless snake. You have no rights to my name so don¡¯t you ever dare use it. But you are also my inheritor so you cannot be unrelated to me.¡± Tian Hai looked almost nostalgic as he weakly raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯m no Ancestor Tai Chu or daoist Dual Edge. But I am a great Chaos Godfiend ancestor. So you young one, as y inheritor, can also consider yourself a godfiend. A true member of the Chaos Godfiend civilization and our legacy in this world.¡± ¡°Wait are you inducting me into the godfiends?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t repeat the obvious nameless. But from now on, refer to yourself as a godfiend. You have my blessing. Don¡¯t have the time nor interest to tell you all our laws and culture but you already have my memories anyway. No one can argue with you if you call yourself a godfiend, not ever.¡± ¡°I¡­I thank you Ancestor Tian Hai,¡± the innate god cupped his hands and bowed. His salute brought a chuckle out of Tian Hai. ¡°At least this one knows how to be polite.¡± The jab brought a frown to the human it was directed at. Tian Hai¡¯s body was starting to crumble. It seemed the absorption of life giving qi from the ocean of Three Brilliance Sacred Water was having an adverse affect on his existence. ¡°This is it,¡± Tian Hai said with an unwilling voice. ¡°I truly am unwilling. But I will not break. I am the great Tian Hai, god of the all consuming sea. War god of heavenly seas and Chaos Godfiend of the legendary three thousand. Today I may welcome death with open arms. But my legacy shall live on in this eight headed continuation. Good luck junior!¡± Then he collapsed into a mass of colour and floated away from the blue. His ability to concentrate his ego had utterly vanished and his consciousness disappeared. Though he hadn¡¯t faded completely yet, given some time and no trace of the original Tian Hai¡¯s personality would remain. ¡°He does have a flair for dramatics doesn¡¯t he?¡± The human said. He glanced at the eight headed snake and stood back up unsteadily. ¡°You know. I don¡¯t want to go like this. I died for fucks sake. I want to live in this world I always read about. I want be supreme and dominate the world. I want to see history and mythology take place. What was so wrong with that?¡± He continued to hold a regretful look as he ranted, even as he grew more pale. ¡°Good luck I guess. And don¡¯t get fucked over, the Primitive World is a very dangerous place. It¡¯ll be humiliating if you got your ass kicked by Zhunti of all people.¡± ¡°Noted,¡± the godfiend replied. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯ll turn out like what novels say.¡± ¡°Heh, maybe not. Oh and¡­Don¡¯t ignore your own wellbeing. It¡¯s normal to empathize with the natives, but don¡¯t put yourself at risk. It feels terrible afterwards but it¡¯s better then being dead.¡± The human had an unfocused and far away look as he too broke down into a mass of colour. He was noticeably smaller than the one the original Tian Hai had turned into. The new godfiend¡¯s eyes widened as the human faded. Despite their misgivings with each other, he did pity him. Died and then died again without any opportunities to live their life. He empathized with his feelings of regret and offered a silent prayer to him. The new godfiend was left on his own, upon his own foundation which only grew more and more complete. He felt at peace, like there was nothing disturbing him anymore. All manners of disruptions were gone and for the first time ever, he felt his hole being nearing true completion. He thought it a bit anticlimactic yet he could not complain at the result. In the end, it took the a great deal of luck and the deaths of two forefathers for him to truly come into being. From start to finish, his personality had absorbed qualities from both Tian Hai and that human. He could be considered an amalgamation of the two. But he was also his own person who originated from the East Sea itself. Silently, he wondered how much of what he felt until now was him or some bleed through from them. Did he even know what he really was like? Was his emotions, opinions, thoughts, and goals his to begin with? Was he really empathetic or was that inherited human instincts? Did he truly lust for the Dao or was that inherited godfiend sensibilities?¡± His soul was in a state of flux, eating away at the Three Brilliance Sacred Water around him, absorbing life energy to full completion. Conversely his body did not change for it was already complete. Mentally speaking, his head space was in a state of confusion. He contemplated for a time while his transformation continued. Time was unknown to him as anywhere between hours and years could¡¯ve gone by without him noticing. Within his inner world, he simply stood there thinking about himself. The blank blue space had given way to an ocean of twinkling stars, like the vast cosmos known as the Milky Way heavenly river. ¡°But at the end of the day I am still me. Those two were mere echoes by the time Lu Ya was done. By the time I woke up they were just noise. Yet I was disturbed for so many years because I was forcefully birthed whereas I should¡¯ve stayed in the East Sea. I transformed too early, came into this world too early.¡± ¡°Though I guess I can¡¯t be too upset. I got to meet a great friend, brother in Huoyun. Met Wangshu who was far kinder then she had any right to be. Yang Mei helped in his own way. No point dwelling in the past too much. I can only move forward now and live as I am no matter what anyone says.¡± He smiled. His body within his body shimmered. His body in the real world shivered. Eight raised heads continued to drink large quantities of water and emitted a glowing light. At the serpent¡¯s abdomen, two colours began converging and swirling together. A perfected even illusion with two diametrically oppose colours evenly distributed and fusing into a perfect platform. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for the two of you for having paved the way for me. Tian Hai, you were a raging sea that would¡¯ve consumed the world in combat. @#$^%, you would¡¯ve tried to ¡®metagame¡¯ wouldn¡¯t you. No matter what you would¡¯ve ultimately looked out for yourself first, even if it meant betraying others, even if you felt guilt over it.¡± ¡°In seniority Pangu would be my father god as well and I am part of the Primitive World. So I say neither of you were fit to roam this beautiful world. Though I would¡¯ve loved to see you human try to ¡®metagame¡¯ yourself to victory hehe without the world bending over backwards for you.¡± He looked around him and closed his eyes. ¡°I can sense it. My Dao path existing in the beyond. I¡¯ve always been distant in a sense. Not truly here despite being here. Both close to my being yet so far away at the same time¡­That¡¯s right, I think I¡¯ll name this seed ¡®Distant Seas¡¯.¡± The announcement sent a wonderful feeling of resonance through him. But he wasn¡¯t done. He opened his eyes in the real world and moaned while stretching. All sixteen pupils snapped towards the battles above the Lunar Star. ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry for taking advantage of your kindness fellow daoist Wangshu!¡± SPLASH! Wangshu, Earthly Sky, and Shen Feng all stopped to peer down at the new emerging Great Unity Golden Immortal. ¡°Please allow me to aid you!¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So that was that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You really fine for things to end this way?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like nothing more than to tear that guy to pieces.¡± ¡°Me too. I kinda have to accept it, kind of like leaving a legacy in this world. Though I don¡¯t understand, how is someone as old and as stubborn as you fine with it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to. Just fade away like me. Let this torturous existence finally end.¡± Chapter 21-My Name is Da Hai The Lunar Star¡¯s surface was enveloped by a tidal wave that sped into the atmosphere. It spread out in a circular fashion in an attempt to wash away the star¡¯s invaders. The two reincarnated godfiends Earthly Sky and Shen Feng both scoffed. Using their own means, a massive hurricane appeared alongside a barrage of soil. All three forces clashed against each other causing the air to shake by the power on display. It was a dance of supernatural forces that brought about a chaotic scene of complex spells being thrown around. Yet this battle was easily dwarfed by the cosmic confrontation taking place further above by more powerful immortals at the Great Principle realm. The eight headed serpent¡¯s body slithered up into the air hissing at his opponents. The completed unity within him brimmed with power showcasing his newly ascended status. His aura as a Great Unity Golden Immortal felt similar to the two ancient godfiends. ¡°Wow,¡± Wangshu gasped as she neared her comrade. ¡°Five years late but you made it.¡± ¡°Five years?¡± The snake was startled. Looking at Wangshu¡¯s figure, it was clear she wasn¡¯t in a very healthy state. Her bark was marred with injuries and cracks. Her aura did not have the same majestic lunar feel to it that he felt when first meeting her. Compared to her, the two godfiends who he¡¯d recognized as the ancestor of sky and earth and the ancestor of divine winds had fewer injuries. That quick glance told him all he needed to know about the battle. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Shen Feng grunted. His eyes narrowed with bloodlust when he¡¯d heard the talks about aid. ¡°I suggest you scram if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Shen Feng leapt forward with his claws unleashed. His figure transformed into a spiraling tornados that left trails of hideously sharp air streams. ¡°Oh no!¡± The snake was startled into a panic by the sudden attack. This wasn¡¯t his first time in danger but it was his first battle beyond the Golden Immortal realm. What¡¯s mor fighting a mindless primordial beast had nothing on fighting a real intelligent opponent with trained techniques. Thus he acted quickly. Two streams of water manifested around his body. They spiraled into a circular disk which gradually thickened in volume into Shen Feng impacted it. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Grahh!¡± Shen Feng bounced back after his attack. His intimidation tactic despite not being his best was still a formidable move he reasoned. Yet this new kid managed to block it. ¡°Wait Shen Feng!¡± Earthly Sky called out. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize that aura?¡± His panicked voice drew the godfiend¡¯s attention. It was only then that his nose picked up the very familiar energy signature of Tian Hai. ¡°Tian Hai?¡± He uttered, half in confusion and half in horror. ¡°Get away from him!¡± Wangshu however did not give him time to panic. She had already released an attack that drove towards his location. As such Shen Feng retreated from the starlight. Wangshu and the eight headed snake was submerged in thick amounts of the Lunar Star¡¯s light empowering them. The latter gasped in wonder. ¡°My apologies Tian Hai,¡± Wangshu said. ¡°At my current strength level I am unable to draw more of this star¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s fine. But you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. But as the two were talking, Earthly Sky and Shen Feng were having a conversation of their own. A conversation filled with initial panic at the implications but quickly turned in the opposite direction. Many years ago, the incident where Luohu clashed against Qiong Qi was heard by all godfiends active or in seclusion. The incident left Qiong Qi humiliated and he had to be rescued before the self styled newly Devil Ancestor could kill him. But other details such as the appearance of Huoyun and ¡®Tian Hai¡¯ was also spread. Many didn¡¯t believe it at first, not even when they attempted to divine the event themselves. Battle maniac Tian Hai risking his life for innate creatures? Tian Hai¡¯s performance had been disappointing to say the least. A bit pathetic in their minds. Heavenly Seas Tian Hai was reckless but he still had enough common sense to not get in the way of superior cultivators much less lecture them on the nature of morals and ethics. Yet still that primal fear of past encounters with the man clashed against this news about him. For people like Shen Feng who ranked among the weakest of the three thousand and was famously known as a scavenger who took advantage of aftermaths of battles to look for benefits, it was confusing. Especially because he¡¯d been beaten black and blue so many times by Tian Hai that it stopped being funny long ago. Shen Feng found it tough to reconcile the two images. THOOM! The fiery blaze in another section of the Lunar Star signaled the arrival of Lu Ya and Taotie. The former gasped for breath while the latter pursued the injured sun god. ¡°Not so high and mighty now aren¡¯t you?¡± Taotie mocked. His massive jaw swallowed Lu Ya¡¯s flames hungrily like a thirsty man drinking. Yet no damage was done towards the godfiend¡¯s gut. The two tangled for several years yet Lu Ya found it tough to get away, Taotie¡¯s strength and his own injuries kept getting in his way. However Lu Ya did notice the eight headed snake when he neared. ¡°Isn¡¯t that?¡± He gasped in realization at a figure he had not thought about in many tens of thousands of years. ¡°Hm?¡± Taotie glanced down and also noticed the eight headed serpent. It was a surprise to be sure, but he did not have the same reaction as Shen Feng. As a member of the four evils alongside Qiong Qi, the two had shared memories after Qiong Qi¡¯s return. He smirked a disgusting grin and chuckled. ¡°Well well well, if it isn¡¯t the messiah of ants,¡± he mocked giddily. ¡°Here to risk your measly strength to save even weaker ants? Oh how you¡¯ve fallen Tian Hai.¡± ¡°Taotie,¡± the serpent greeted. He released his cultivation strength in offense. ¡°Great Unity huh? I¡¯d expected mighty Tian Hai of all people to rise back to Great Principle,¡± Taotie¡¯s chuckled and pointed at a scar on his belly. ¡°I still owe you for this one. I¡¯ll be back in a bit so stay there like a good little dog.¡± ¡°You fucker!¡± ¡°Calm down Tian Hai,¡± Wangshu said in comfort. ¡°We should focus on those two first. Let that fire guy deal with this invader.¡± All eight heads twitched and glanced at her. ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± he insisted. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡­fellow daoist please to not refer to me by that name. I no longer go by it.¡± ¡°If this is about¡­¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with Yang Mei,¡± he quickly cut her off. He cast a look into the greater universe towards the figure of Yang Mei. ¡°I¡¯ve come to a realization. This goes for all of you!¡± All eight heads met the gazes of the surrounding godfiends. Each one of them gazed back strangely at the sudden show of dominance. Some found it funny, others found it strange. However to the eight headed snake, he desperately needed to clear this up before things get too complicated. Keeping it a secret just felt wrong and Tian Hai had also fully inducted him as a godfiend as well. What¡¯s more, he also wanted people to hear him as he did so. After all, was he too not a great divinity born near the beginning of this cosmos? ¡®Hah might as well announce it here and now.¡¯ ¡°The God of the Heavenly Seas of the three thousand Chaos Godfiends is dead!¡± His voice echoed, traveling across the Primitive World as if the message became one with the wind. It wasn¡¯t even his doing, it just seemed like the very universe was resonating with him due to his nature. Yang Mei narrowed his eyes even as he continued to tangle with Shenni. The latter of the two had his eyes going bloodshot with rage the more he listened. Far away in the West Continent, Luohu and his companion both opened their eyes and looked up. Near Mt Buzhou, the red robed Huoyun had his eyes closed. Yet he still perked up at the sound. An elderly purple robed man who watched the Starry Skies tilted his head and grunted. ¡°Tian Hai perished by the creator¡¯s, by Pangu¡¯s hands. I am NOT Tian Hai! I am his continuation. I am the Great Sea born of the Primitive World¡¯s first generation innate gods! I am the Great Sea of the Chaos Godfiends!¡± ¡°My Name Is DA HAI!¡± Chapter 22-The True Goal Silence. Followed by silence. Then the reactions set in. Taotie snarled. ¡°So a native livestock think he has the right to be one of us? What a joke. The only thing natives are good for is for food.¡± Taotie acted first. His maw unleashed a strong suction force aiming to suck everything in. Taotie was like a black hole made of flesh and blood. His grotesque teeth made both Da Hai and Wangshu grimace in disgust. FThat announcement was nice and all Tia¡­sorry Da Hai. But I think you only pissed him off,¡± Wangshu said with gritted teeth. Around her body, silver light condensed into a spiraling parasol shaped construct where the image of the archaic night sky dwelled. She was attempting to disperse Taotie¡¯s attack. ¡°Yeah thinking back there probably was a better time and place,¡± Da Hai chuckled helplessly. ¡°But on the other hand, I can finally think a lot clear now. What¡¯s more, I can almost see the karmic sin in that thing¡¯s belly. It¡¯s horrifying.¡± Taotie¡¯s throat was not only visible, to Da Hai who had just absorbed large quantities of life giving energy, the fresh tint of digested souls were very much visible. The cries of agony from millions of lifeforms, likely even billions were convulsing in a massive blob of sinful karma. It couldn¡¯t affect Taotie due to his already immense might. Since there was no guiding consciousness for this universe such as a Heavenly Dao, Taotie was also able to stave off attracting bad encounters. It ended up with a polluted mess stored in his own stomach. ¡°Take this!¡± Da Hai shot out gallons of water from all eight of his mouths. They ripped throughout the air, taking in the rich lunar energy from the environment before twisting into a long winding dragon. A Chinese dragon with long catfish whiskers and deer like antlers and large claws. ¡°Copying the Chaos Sky Dragon now are we?¡± Taotie was amused. He was even more so as the dragon entered his mouth and enlarged. Then it exploded with mighty force. THOOM! ¡°Was that meant to do something?¡± Taotie mocked. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Da Hai was taken a back. ¡°A good attempt Da Hai but your cultivation is still new and a bit unstable. What¡¯s more that guy is already in the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm. Nothing either of us do can really injure him,¡± Wangshu said. But as the shock wore off, Shen Feng and Earthly Sky moved into action as well. The launched attacks resembling an avalanche of soil and a roc made of air at their two contemporaries. ¡°No matter what you call yourself, you don¡¯t have the right to be a godfiend. Die!¡± Acting quickly, Da Hai pulled out the 12 Petals White Lotus from his inventory. His serpentine body shrunk down to a human one with his arm firmly on the lotus¡¯ stem. Its twelve petals resisted the full blow of those attacks without a single scratch. Even as Earthly Sky smashed his ruler into it, it did not flinch even once. At the same time, it¡¯s white texture began swaying at the direction of Taotie. ¡®The lotus is a treasure specialized in purifying. It matches its definition of such to my own. It¡¯s not afraid, its uncomfortable, disgusted with Taotie,¡¯ Da Hai realized. ¡°You¡¯re furious aren¡¯t you,¡± he said correcting the flower. ¡°A top grade xiantian spiritual treasure? Impressive,¡± Wangshu praised. She waved her hand causing over a dozen low grade xiantian spiritual treasures to appear. She shot them out like projectiles at her opponents. Such wasteful act naturally made Shen Feng and Earthly Sky green with envy. The latter battered away these treasures with his ruler and charged for them. He unleashed a flurry of swings totaling thirty six hundred strikes. Da Hai hid behind the shield he made with his lotus but even he found it difficult to retaliate against the pressure. Seeing this, Wangshu dived out to attack instead. ¡°Wait!¡± Da Hai warned. Wangshu swiped her arm through the sky creating a crescent shaped moon. Her motion collided with Earthly Sky¡¯s combo and sent him spinning through the air. But as he did so, three arms made of sand, mud, and rock emerged from his body each holding a version of his ruler. Da Hai pulled out his water jug and shot out a serpent shaped construct of water at one of the rulers. Wangshu also unleashed a breath of radiant light from her mouth at another. But the third one bypassed their attempts and was about to slice into her body. ¡®I see, he planned for this,¡¯ she thought bitterly. Her body darkened as the ruler neared, it lost the luster formed from the starlight it previously held and seemed to become dead wood. But from its back, another Wangshu emerged running away. ¡°Sheng Feng!¡± Earthly Sky roared. From behind Da Hai, the ancestor of divine winds appeared holding a sickle. The sea god¡¯s eyes widened at his sudden appearance. He instinctively held out his hand towards Shen Feng. ¡°Think that can stop me? Your fleshy body is paltry compared to my attack,¡± Shen Feng said. But Shen Feng did not strike Da Hai. Wangshu at the last second swerved around. She pushed Da Hai out of the way just in time. But with her arm outstretched at the time, she failed to stop the slice. Shen Feng retreated as soon as his death blow failed as Da Hai retaliated. Wangshu¡¯s wooden faced grimaced looking at her new stump. What¡¯s more, the limb Shen Feng had cut off was blown into the atmosphere by the sheer force of Shen Feng¡¯s speedy attack. The airstream that enchanted his blows carried it all the way out of the atmosphere into regions unknown so that Wangshu couldn¡¯t even reattach it if she wanted to. ¡°You alright?¡± Da Hai asked. When she nodded he asked again, ¡°Can you regenerate a new arm?¡± ¡°His attack wasn¡¯t just physical, it shaved off part of my true soul. The part that was my right arm. It¡¯ll take some time before I can get that arm back,¡± Wangshu revealed. Their enemies retreated after their ambush failed. That was when Taotie broke out of his stupor and approached. ¡°You two are so diminished,¡± Taotie sighed in disappointment. He charged forwards and clawed at Da Hai. Da Hai once again brought up his lotus as a shield. This time, one of his heads also held onto his water jump in his jaw. Taotie¡¯s putrid claws scraped across the white lotus¡¯ surface. While the treasure was pushed down, it did not suffer any damage from Taotie¡¯s attack. It was so sturdy that even Taotie was shocked. He grabbed hold of the flower¡¯s edges and began an attempt to rip it out of Da Hai¡¯s grasp. Da Hai attempted to launch a counter attack through the lotus. By using such a strong treasure, he hoped to bridge the gap in cultivation. He slapped the bottom side of the flower sending a command to repel Taotie. The 12 Petals White Lotus vibrated as its twelve towering petals enclosed. Then they swung back as the centre of the flower released a strong gust white light. It made Taotie feel miserable mentally. ¡°What is this?¡± Taotie let go of the lotus. Then he was immediately beseeched with white hot sun fire. ¡°GAAAHHH!¡± ¡°Thank you for distracting him Tian¡­Da Hai,¡± Lu Ya had appeared sometime during that brief clash. He looked very pale but didn¡¯t appear to be in any life threatening risk. ¡°You little shit,¡± Wangshu did not mince words when she arrived next. She addressed Lu Ya with vitriol seemingly ignoring Da Hai. ¡°You have some nerve luring them here causing all this!¡± ¡°Hmph, we all do what we must to get by. You¡¯re taught by Yang Mei right? You should know this basic principle,¡± the Fire Demon God said defensively. But even as the two were speaking, the outer layers of the Lunar Star was abruptly ripped open. The giant red face of Shenni emerged shaking with fury. ¡°A filth of Pangu stealing the position of godfiend? DIE!¡± Aside from his face, his burly palm penetrated through. It expanded in size so much that Shenni would effectively envelope an eighth of the Lunar Star¡¯s surface with it. ¡°He broke past Yang Mei?¡± None of the three could keep calm when Shenni suddenly attacked. Not even his own allies Shen Feng and Earthly Sky felt safe. It seemed as if Shenni had gone insane and was trying to crush everyone and everything. As if the apocalypse had come, the Lunar Star¡¯s atmosphere turned red. It didn¡¯t even feel like the Primitive World¡¯s moon anymore. Instead it was like a planet about to meet its apocalyptic extinction event by way of meteorite. ¡°Wait your majesty we¡¯re still here!¡± Earthly Sky cried out at the sky. ¡°Taotie where are you? Save me!¡± ¡°Screw this,¡± Shen Feng cried while blasting into the air. ¡°Fellow Daoist Earthly Sky let¡¯s get out of here as fast as possible.¡± Lu Ya had already began fleeing without warning. Even Da Hai¡¯s lotus was pressed down by the force without any effort and Da Hai along with it. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You won¡¯t destroy my home!¡± Wangshu snarled. He body spread out in numerous branches and twigs. Each one new branch that emerged held onto a treasure Wangshu had collected over the years. Not all of them were compatible with her, not all of them were usable in combat either, not even if she¡¯d refined them. But in this moment of desperation, Wangshu used her own energy to force all these treasures that she¡¯d collected to overload. Da Hai watched with baited breath as these xiantian spiritual treasures lit up like stars. None of them surpassed the middle rank and the vast majority were low rank. But Wangshu must¡¯ve had hundreds of them. Da Hai¡¯s body was already coiled around the stem of the white lotus. He forced his treasure to fold convexly to envelope him under its protection. Wangshu¡¯s attack fell into the category of friendly fire and he didn¡¯t want to be caught in it. BOOM! The landscape of the Lunar Star changed in an instant. Mountains collapsed, forests burned away, oceans dried up. Wangshu fell from the sky charred by her own attack. She felt spent but was satisfied as the giant hand above her halted in its movement. ¡°NRGH!¡± Shenni had flinched. His hand jerked away while divine blood fell into the earth. Wangshu¡¯s bombs managed to push and injure him. But he quickly gripped a tight fist with clear intention to punch down again. ¡°Stop!¡± Yang Mei cried. Outside the Lunar Star, Yang Mei had transformed into a gigantic giant see through skin. His skeleton resembled branches of a tree that piloted this body. His large hand had managed to grab Shenni¡¯s shoulder and dragged him away from the Lunar Star with much effort. Watching the two titans battle, Da Hai was astonished by their showcases of strength. He scanned the battlefield and quickly located Wangshu who was luckily still alive. ¡°My Lunar Star,¡± she said between wheezing huffs. Da Hai carried her away but kept an eye out for other enemies. Yang Mei punched Shenni square in the face afterwards sending him back a few paces. ¡°After that and you still defend these filthy creatures? After what that thing just admitted? I thought Tian Hai was your brother!¡± Shenni spat in disgust. ¡°My brother died along time ago, I¡¯ve learned to accept that,¡± Yang Mei said. ¡°Cultivation is long and hard and you¡¯ll eventually have to see your friends go. Something you clearly haven¡¯t learned what with this obsession over that monkey.¡± ¡°Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!¡± Shenni roared again and again. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything!¡± ¡°All I see a brutish warlord,¡± Yang Mei said. However that seemed to have set Shenni off even more. ¡°Warlord? You think I want to conquer this cursed rock?¡± Yang Mei¡¯s right brow raised in confusion. Shenni¡¯s body crackled in a blazing aura that ripped away at the Starry Skies creating small tears in reality which lead to the void between realms. ¡°Emperor this, territory that, fuck this cursed world. It should just die like the worthless garbage it is!¡± He was simply tired of playing that act. Fuck whatever Hundun thought was wise. Fuck this charade of beast emperor. He didn¡¯t want conquest. He didn¡¯t want subordinates. He wanted Pangu to pay. Screw these so called resources. Curse his failed brothers and sisters who¡¯d fallen to this filthy world¡¯s temptation. And most importantly, he hated having to look outside his cave every morning to see that towering mountain in the distance. ¡°All I want, is for this world to end. I¡¯ll crush it, destroy it, grind it to dust until nothing is left!¡± Shenni¡¯s body emitted waves of power unprecedented within the Primitive World¡¯s short history. Even Yang Mei felt uneasy at the force he was displaying. Shenni cried out into the vast expanse. His scream accompanied a horrifying feeling of dread and bloodlust that sent stars crashing into each other. Da Hai, Wangshu, Earthly Sky, and Shen Feng suddenly all felt a surge of irrational hatred for the Primitive World. The desire to send heaven crashing into the earth and bring about a true end for this universe. It was then they finally understood. ¡®He¡¯s insane,¡¯ they all concluded. ¡°Your majesty¡­¡± Taotie was a little speechless. He stood up from the rubble he had fallen to and was a bit torn on what to. ¡®Hundun what would you do in this scenario?¡¯ ¡°Shenni what is the meaning of this?¡± Earthly Sky cried out. His current state was miserable, his cloths were torn and blood littered throughout his entire body. Even parts of his flesh looked to be falling off becoming streams of air and soil. ¡°Hm?¡± Shenni glared at this subordinates with nothing but disdain. ¡°It means I will kill this world. I¡¯ll smash Buzhou apart, dry up the seas, implode the continents, whatever it takes to obliterate this fucking Chaos World I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°But what about all the resources? The qi rich spiritual veins, the countless herbs unique to this place for pill concoction, what about all the xiantian spiritual treasures formed from heaven and earth?¡± Shen Feng cried out. He had weathered the storm much better than others and didn¡¯t appear too injured. Even the Lu Ya who had gone into hiding in the rocky remains of a mountain was utterly shocked at Shenni¡¯s declaration. Now all the cruelty and disdainful acts towards the North Continent¡¯s population made a lot more sense. It wasn¡¯t just from a place of superiority, he genuinely hated them. ¡°I better get out of here before it¡¯s too late,¡± he whispered. Moving as stealthily as he can while Shenni was ranting, he began moving towards space. He would¡¯ve gotten away with it too had not another figure appeared. A purple robed old man with his arms folded behind his back walked out of a spatial tear. The moment he stepped into real space, all spatial anomalies caused by various displays of power ceased. Everything returned to an orderly state as if the battle had not taken place at all. Yang Mei glanced over, ¡°Hongjun?¡± ¡°The cricket?¡± Shenni glared at the man. He¡¯d been a thorn at his side for a long time. Constantly blocking his advancements towards the Central Continent. ¡°Beast Emperor Shenni, you truly are a sinful creature,¡± Hongjun stated. ¡°Not only do you torture and enslave the innocent creatures of the far north. Not only did you massacre our kin for disagreeing with you. You also wish for the destruction of our new home?¡± Hongjun¡¯s voice was loudly projected. All corners of the Starry Skies and even beyond could hear him speak. The Chaos Immortals present had no doubt he was intentionally doing so. Taotie glanced at Shenni hoping to catch his attention. ¡°So what if I do?¡± Shenni retaliated with an equally loud voice. ¡°Why are you so dead set on defending this place? Have you no sense of pride? No sense of justice? You¡¯re Chaos Godfiends not innate gods of this world. You should be with me in smashing it apart!¡± ¡°You go against the natural order of things. Pangu may¡¯ve killed us but he¡¯d also saved us. This Primitive World is the new era for the Chaos Godfiends. As such I cannot condone your actions any longer,¡± Hongjun shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Know that I will destroy you and your cause. Any who follow you will perish as is¡­¡± ¡°Oh piss off with your self righteousness,¡± Shenni growled. ¡°You disgust me cricket. You think I didn¡¯t see you gleefully running to that axe? I bet you knew that fucker was there already. I bet you lured him to kill him!¡± In the darkness of space where everyone watched. Where a slight sparkle flashed throughout. Where Hongjun merely stared expressionlessly at Shenni. ¡°I had no intentions on senior Demon Ape,¡± he said. ¡°I only seek the Dao as do all godfiends.¡± He gestured at Shenni in a clearly pitiful way. ¡®Unlike you who lost his way,¡¯ was left unsaid. Taotie floated up to join Shenni despite the stares he was receiving. Shenni did not pay him any attention. Instead his arm suddenly shot out, stretching for millions of kilometres. BAM! His palm grasped hold of a fiery ball of light. A fiery ball that cracked instantly beneath his grip revealing a fearful Lu Ya. ¡°Let me go!¡± Shenni held Lu Ya before and scanned everyone around him. The his gazed peered into the Great Wilderness and the hundreds of godfiends who¡¯d no doubt turned their attention here since the commotion began. ¡°I seek to destroy this world. So what? You all should join me! And traitors like this? A traitor who turned against his own kind. A traitor who gave no shits to the brothers and sisters we lost?¡± Shenni squeezed as he spoke. ¡°GAAAAHHHHH!¡± Lu Ya screamed. His body lit ablaze as he desperately tried to claw his way out. His fire burned so hot he was leaving behind burns in Shenni¡¯s skin yet the latter did not budge. ¡°Yang Mei! Remember our partnership? Help me!¡± Lu Ya cried. But Yang Mei did not move. He stayed in front of the Lunar Star and was soon joined by both Da Hai and Wangshu. None of these three moved from their spot. ¡°Hongjun! Save me please. I can help you in the upcoming battle!¡± Lu Ya¡¯s cries grew more and more desperate. But as those last words were uttered out, his entire body was compressed in Shenni¡¯s palm. Nothing he did or said mattered for he was crushed into a bloody paste in a few seconds. Shenni glared threateningly at Hongjun and Yang Mei releasing an animalistic growl. Hongjun¡¯s eyes flashed in purple light while twin shapes swirled within them. Another portal then opened and out stepped an entirely faceless individual wearing a long cloaca obscuring his form. Hundun had arrived and immediately showcased his power in an attempt to offset the two opposing Chaos Immortals. Unlike Taotie, Hundun was exponentially stronger. His strength was closer to that of Shenni, Yang Mei¡¯s and Hongjun¡¯s than it was to Taotie. ¡°Your majesty, I implore to retreat and recuperate. With the united strength of the us four evils and yourself as well as the countless beasts you tamed. We can march on Mt Buzhou in an united front. Surely nothing can stand in our way then,¡± he said placatingly. ¡°Hmph,¡± Shenni seemed to calm at Hundun¡¯s words. He sent the latter a rather unwilling glare but did hear the wisdom in those words. Truth be told he was weary of Hongjun, he hadn¡¯t even detected him until he appeared. For all his anger he retained enough rationale to not run headlong into things with so few backup. He wordlessly turned back. ¡°Shen Feng, Earthly Sky let¡¯s leave.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Earthly Sky was hesitant. Knowing what he did now, he didn¡¯t quite want to follow Shenni back. As if sensing his lack of interest, Shenni¡¯s face turned into a scowl. ¡°Are there nothing but traitors around me?¡± Above the Lunar Star, Wangshu met Yang Mei¡¯s eyes silently. Then the former waved his hand back encasing the Lunar Star in belts of starlight resembling branches. ¡°Huh?¡± Earthly Sky was alarmed. But Wangshu was already trying to attack him. She roared a harrowing cry that echoed throughout her domain. Her remaining arm transformed into a spear which she shot towards him. ¡°You dare?¡± He battered away the spear attack and turned to flee. However he suddenly felt wet patches on his body. ¡°Huh?¡± Then out of nowhere, water arched out of these patches connecting with each other. They coiled in and out of his body before the head of a snake penetrated from out of his shoulder blade and bit him in the neck. Da Hai descended from the clouds. He nodded at Wangshu and enclosed his palms. Were he in better condition, Earthly Sky would¡¯ve ripped the water snake off of him. But he was too injured to do so. Instead he looked around for his comrade. ¡°Shen Feng where are you? Get these two off of me!¡± But the ancestor of divine winds was already long gone. No one had even noticed when he departed. ¡°No! Let¡¯s talk about this! It was just a small scuffle!¡± Earthly Sky argued desperately. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± Wangshu gestured to her missing arm. With Earthly Sky kept immobile by Da Hai, she speared him through the skull ending his life. ¡°Thank you Tian¡­sorry Da Hai.¡± ¡°No problem. I kinda owe you too much to not help,¡± he replied. The Ruler of Sky and Earth fell unceremoniously onto the ground. But before it landed it was suddenly swallowed by a portal. Then it appeared safely in Hongjun¡¯s hands much to the shock and confusion of both Great Unity Golden Immortals. ¡°Your control over spacetime is quite something,¡± Yang Mei couldn¡¯t help but be startled as well. ¡°You¡¯re welcome fellow daoist,¡± Hongjun welcomed the compliment. He sent one more warning glance at the departing Shenni, Hundun, and Taotie before taking his own leave as well. ¡°Godfiends of the great chaos. It is time to unite against Shenni¡¯s cursed cause. I implore you all to aid me in defending this new world,¡± he said before fully disappearing. Chapter 23-Prelude to War ¡°Godfiend?¡± Yang Mei asked Da Hai. The two stood upon the rubble of Wangshu¡¯s former domain. Her pool of Three Brilliance Sacred Water was dramatically drained, from something the size of an ocean down to large smaller lake. The only thing that still stood after the battle was her palace and the Supreme Laurel Tree. While the two talked in the sky above the Lunar Star, Wangshu was busy clearing away some of the rubble. Her right side was bandaged up and she had returned to her humanlike Dao body. She momentarily looked up at the two in the distance clicking her tongue. ¡°You expect me to believe Tian Hai inducted you into our race?¡± Yang Mei was in disbelief. He looked up and down at Da Hai who shrunk back. Even now he felt insignificant whenever Yang Mei peered at him. But Yang Mei only sighed. ¡°I believe you,¡± he said. He looked away unfocused as if her was reminiscing. Wangshu floated up to their location. ¡°So uh¡­most of the rubble¡¯s been cleared away. I can fix up the scenery in the next several hundred years and all should be golden. Will you be staying any longer old man?¡± Yang Mei turned his gaze towards her and shook his head. ¡°Shame, I wanted to ask you a for a few pointers. What with that madman starting a war and everything we¡¯d need to¡­¡± ¡°That is not a matter for you to be concerned with. Just the prepared to move out with me.¡± At Wangshu¡¯s subsequent questioning look Yang Mei merely swiped finger to cut a small rift. On the other side was a distorting confusing mess that was completely alien to both Da Hai and Wangshu. However, ancient memories belonging to Tian Hai recognized it as the qi from the Chaos Sea. Wangshu was still confused when Da Hai blurted it out. ¡°You¡¯re leaving for the Chaos Sea?¡± ¡°Wait I can¡¯t just leave for that place!¡± She snapped. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about the Lunar Star then bring it with you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that! The Lunar Star is a fundamental part of the Primitive World, they can¡¯t be separated and I as its caretaker can¡¯t leave it alone. What¡¯s more with that Shenni threatening to end everything I need to¡­¡± ¡°Evacuate with me and let others sort this mess out,¡± Yang Mei abruptly interrupted. ¡°This conflict has nothing to do with you. Listen to me and come along.¡± ¡°I am a congenital goddess of this land. An innate god spawned from the Supreme Laurel Tree and lord of the Lunar Star. As of current I am also the reigning power of the Starry Skies. I cannot allow my home to be destroyed.¡± Wangshu¡¯s tone had changed. Where she was once chipper, she was now harsher much like her persona during battle. ¡°Wangshu is right,¡± Da Hai found himself saying instinctively. ¡°Defending the Primitive World should be our utmost priority. We¡¯re innate gods spawned from its heaven and earth, what Shenni wants to do is¡­is¡­its blasphemy!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking to you.¡± Turning away from Da Hai, Yang Mei appeared uneasy in the face of Wangshu. ¡°Think of your future. You would risk your life for the sake of one Chaos World? There are countless such universes out there. Do not make yourself a player in whatever games Hongjun and Shenni is playing. Find yourself a new home among them. Besides, what can you do in the face of Shenni?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re being a coward,¡± Wangshu retorted. ¡°What happened to the brave and mighty godfiends you always told me about?¡± ¡°Getting involved in unnecessary trouble is a¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter Yang Mei, I¡¯m not leaving with you.¡± Yang Mei scanned Wangshu with a scrutinizing gaze. He sighed, ¡°So be it.¡± If Wangshu was so adamant of her choice then he won¡¯t fight it. Godfiends were naturally creatures of freedom who sought the Dao in their own ways, often to maddening insanity. He¡¯d trained her for a very long time, so much so that he saw her as a godfiend of the next generation. Wangshu¡¯s path had to be her own. He thought back to what Da Hai had told him only moments prior. ¡°Fine then, if you¡¯re so adamant about fighting Shenni then I won¡¯t stop you. Know that I will not participate in this battle. I will not save you. As of this moment whatever relationship we¡¯ve had has ceased.¡± Though he said that calmly, Yang Mei felt very complex inside. He couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge that he¡¯d grown attached to the little girl. Ever since Huoyun becoming distant, and Tian Hai¡¯s revealed demise, the Dao was the only thing left for him. ¡®But perhaps this is a good thing, now I am truly free from all distractions,¡¯ he thought. His new Dao had grown rapidly and soon would even reach the Primal Origin level where aberrations in his Dao fruit would form. ¡°Before I go,¡± he said facing Wangshu once more. ¡°You can be considered my legacy in this world. The Chaos Godfiend civilization as it had existed in the Chaos Sea may be gone, but you can consider yourself one as well for having learned under me.¡± Wangshu creased her brows. Yet she acknowledged this granted status all the same. ¡°Us two may very well be the last to be inducted this way,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Will you really not consider staying?¡± ¡°I cannot be trapped in this small corner of the wilder cosmos,¡± Yang Mei said. ¡°I wish you both luck.¡± Yang Mei departed shortly after that. He only shared one more Sherman with Wangshu before he left and did not allow Da Hai to listen in. He did not make any grand gestures either. Aside from a select few, no one would even notice this godfiend having fled the Primitive World. Da Hai placed his hand on Wangshu¡¯s left shoulder as a sign of comfort. Though he too didn¡¯t stay for too long. He had to return to the East Sea to cultivate. With his opportunity in the Starry Skies having ended, the East Sea was still the most suitable place for him to build up his power. For the upcoming battle, he had to raise his power as high as he possibly could. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on Mt Buzhou yeah?¡± He told her before he left. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll annihilate that fiend.¡± As Da Hai returned through the void between realms, he couldn¡¯t help think of Shenni and Yang Mei. He wanted to defend his home, logically he realized it may be smarter to run away and not be involved. But he just couldn¡¯t make that choice. The East Sea spawned him, he was a natural product of the Primitive World. He owed it to this universe to defend it from Shenni. He thought Wangshu was much the same. But most importantly of all, he wanted to find Huoyun again. To not only apologize for being a parasite for so long, but to also hopefully fulfill a true friendship with the man. He felt he owed him too much and would like to just spend time with him. Above all other reasonings, this was the one he felt most dear to his heart. ¡°I¡¯ll have to stabilize my condition first, then I¡¯ll seek brother Huoyun out. Hopefully he isn¡¯t too hard to find.¡± ¡­ Unknown to both godfiends, Yang Mei hadn¡¯t immediately left for the Chaos Sea. Instead he took one last visit to the Great Wilderness. Within a valley near the southern coast, outside a cave entrance where the characters, ¡®Fire Cloud Cave,¡¯ was inscribed. Yang Mei met a meditating Huoyun. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm, congratulations on your recovery brother,¡± Yang Mei began. Huoyun opened his eyes and blossomed a smile. ¡°Yang Mei, thank goodness you¡¯re not injured. I felt some of the shockwaves from the Starry Skies even from here.¡± Yang Mei sat down at a nearby stone table and seat set. Huoyun did the same sitting across from him and manifested drinks. ¡°Mhm, I came to say goodbye. I¡¯m going to leave for the Chaos Sea and pursue my Dao to its fullest.¡± ¡°I thought as much, I can sense vast improvement on your Dao as well. Hai if only I had my Dao fruit, there¡¯s so much I want to add to it,¡± Huoyun chuckled sadly. He leaned back enjoying the flavor of his drink but could not help but feel unease. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you abandon your Dao so easily? You¡¯ve worked for so long on it yet¡­¡± he paused having trouble describing it. ¡°How can you feel complete without it?¡± ¡°I told you numerous times before brother, I sought a new path,¡± Yang Mei said while taking a drink. ¡°I¡¯d implore you to do the same but I know you can¡¯t. I hope you succeed in your plan.¡± ¡°That easy to guess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only logical path for you now. You better hurry else Shenni might cut yours off permanently.¡± Huoyun¡¯s expression turned ugly at Shenni¡¯s mention. He downed his cup before tossing it roughly to the wall. Untold amount of stress appeared on his formerly youthful face as he grumbled beneath his breath. ¡°Haiyah! Finally recovered enough to approach Buzhou¡¯s peak and now that bastard throws this curveball at me,¡± he says while running his hands through his hair. ¡°How did little Shenni of all people get strong enough to fight you and not die?¡± ¡°I think the answer¡¯s obvious brother. He abandoned his old Dao and much like myself, found a new one that grew exponentially stronger. So how about it? Come explore the Chaos Sea with me, correct former mistakes and achieve higher results.¡± ¡°No.¡± Subsequently, Huoyun¡¯s answer to Yang Mei¡¯s attempt did not shock the latter. Yang Mei sighed dejectedly feeling nothing but disappointment. He could see the conviction in Huoyun¡¯s eyes and at the end of this disappointing day, he can¡¯t force him. The two departed on amicable terms with a promise to meet each other again in the Chaos Sea. Yang Mei held some hope that by then they¡¯d both be as close as they formerly were. But if this signified the parting of ways for them, then it was fine as well. Yang Mei departed the Primitive World and wouldn¡¯t be heard from again for a long time. ¡­ Decades later, Huoyun touched down upon the foot of Mt Buzhou. He gaze up and with one motion, leapt high into the air with complete disregard of Mt Buzhou¡¯s suppression. His body glowed with five distinct colours which all interchanged into each other forming a perfect harmony. His teeth gritted as he used his most powerful movement technique to penetrate the clouds. The arid soil became insignificant below him while Mt Buzhou¡¯s height seemed to go on forever even as we climbed. Huoyun did not stop his ascendency. He flew pass where he and Da Hai previously stayed within the first year. Yet it still took him decades to reach the summit for his speed continue to decrease. The suppression on Mt Buzhou¡¯s peak was so strong that Huoyun took several centuries before he finally managed to penetrate into the top. His body was full of sweat when he finally found his footing at Buzhou¡¯s peak. For several moments, he rested on his back. The sky above him was not the blue skybox he was use to. Instead it was a vast mixture of colours each representative of different parts of the wider Primitive World. Huoyun could even see the howling darkness of the void between realms, the brilliance of the Starry Skies, and countless lesser dimensions bleeding through into one spiraling mess. It was like he was looking at a rendition of the Chaos Sea. ¡®It¡¯s hard to even move here,¡¯ he sighed bitterly climbing to his feet. But he was instantly startled for another purple robed person was already sitting there with his back turned to him. The other person, an elderly burly man seemed to ignore him. He sat cross legged with a spherical object in his hands. The ease in which he floated in the air brought nothing but shock to the God of the Five Elements. ¡°What are you doing here Hongjun?¡± Hongjun sighed and released the orb allowing it to float above him. He looked back at Huoyun with pity in his eye. ¡°You would¡¯ve found greater success if you¡¯d created a new Dao to follow. Pangu¡¯s actions must¡¯ve generated many insights for you as well,¡± he whispered. His legs broke out of their cross position and into a straight stance on the ground. ¡°Fellow Daoist Five Elements, you were recognized far and wide as one of the most premier of experts. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Nothing really, I¡¯m not here for you,¡± Huoyun said. He made to move past Hongjun and reached for the orb floating behind him. It¡¯s appearance seemed to resemble the Primitive World in its totality. Three thousand large galaxies spiraled within while a hundred and eight thousand small galaxies orbited them. These were representative of the various Laws of this world which dictated its function. Laws which were merely a surface level showing of the Dao fruits hidden within. Huoyun¡¯s gaze had a maddened yearning within them. CLASP! ¡°What are you doing?¡± Huoyun¡¯s head turned in annoyance. Hongjun¡¯s hand clasped onto his wrist and met him with a look of disapproval. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you do that fellow daoist, taking back your Dao fruit will have detrimental affects on its development,¡± Hongjun said calmly. Huoyun looked back at the sphere. ¡°What the will of this world? Me taking back my Dao won¡¯t hurt it.¡± ¡°But your Dao is the foundational building blocks of existence itself,¡± Hongjun replied. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s one of the stabilizing factors of this cosmos. You taking it may trigger an extinction event just as Shenni intends.¡± ¡°And what would I care for this world?¡± Huoyun glared. ¡°I want my Dao back!¡± FOOM! Huoyun was forcefully pushed back by Hongjun. When he darted forward again Hongjun slapped his chest with his palm strike. The blow caused Huoyun to skirt back to near the edge of the peak. His feet dug into the soil as he barely managed to stabilize himself. ¡°Hongjun you don¡¯t want to fight me!¡± Huoyun threatened. ¡°Get in my way one more time swear I swear I won¡¯t hold back,¡± he said while multi coloured qi flowed through his body. A blazing fire,chilling water, malleable metal, solid earth, and nurturing wood manifested around him, dancing in dangerous harmony. ¡°You¡¯re right, I could use your strength against Shenni¡¯s men. But see¡­you¡¯re getting in my way.¡± The peak of Mt Buzhou exploded in from a variety of shockwaves. The only reason the effects were kept localized was because of the stability of the Central Continent and Mt Buzhou¡¯s suppression. Otherwise this clash would be very noticeable. Hongjun and Huoyun traded dozens of blows. Purple clouds and heavenly lighting ripped into Huoyun¡¯s Five Coloured Treasure lights. Knowing the potential dangers of Huoyun¡¯s light at full strength, Hongjun did not resort to any of his treasures to battle directly, rather he only used their auxiliary energies to support himself. Very quickly, they switched seamlessly from a cosmic display of spells into clashes of martial arts and back again. But Huoyun could not gain one in the closer to his goal. ¡®How did he grow so much?¡¯ ¡°Distorted Five Phases!¡± Huoyun called out his latest attack. His harmonized light pierced for Hongjun and split outwards to tear the purple robed immortal apart. ¡°Hmph,¡± Hongjun snorted. He slapped his palms together instantly shutting down the attempt and reformatted his body as it once were. He was completely balanced and in perfect shape. The fierce exchange continued for a short time but Hongjun was clearly coming out on top. Huoyun was not only feeling injuries in his body, but also struggled to call upon his treasure lights. Hongjun was seemingly able to disrupt the united whole he had cultivated with the five in one. He could see Hongjun forming another palm strike. Because he was weakened, Huoyun was helpless as the blow smashed into his body pushing him to the ground. ¡°Gah!¡± He spat out mouthfuls of blood. Looking up, he saw Hongjun pull out a long flag pole. Hongjun flung the banner to unroll it before swinging it wildly across the sky. Huoyun gasped as he seemingly started experiencing terrifying visions. Though it was only a cloth flag, though it waved through the air, even though it seemed harmless. Huoyun can see a distinct metallic sheen along the cloth flag. What¡¯s more, he could feel terrifying cutting power resembling that of the sharpest sword in all existence. ¡°Pangu?¡± He gasped. ¡°Close,¡± Hongjun said with a small smirk. ¡°Chaotic Sword Qi!¡± He roared slamming the banner down. The immediate wave of grey gas released from the cloth flag slashed towards Huoyun. This scene was so familiar. It was just like that of Pangu cutting apart the Chaos Sea nearly one yuanhui ago. Back then, it seemed his axe head was also coated in this grayish gas cloud. ¡®RUN!¡¯ Huoyun came to his senses finally. Hongjun¡¯s devastating attack covered his entire vision. But an explosion of rainbow light followed by a sonic boom was the only sight and sound he experienced. He waved the gas cloud back into his banner and looked around but Huoyun was already gone. ¡°Shame,¡± he said stroking his beard. The banner disappeared from his hand as he sat back down again. He wasn¡¯t too concerned about Huoyun. In fact, he knew Huoyun would appear to defend Mt Buzhou. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t he lose his chance permanently? Hongjun hugged the orb to his chest once more. ¡°Soon you¡¯ll come to this world. You and I will achieve great things. I¡¯ll defend you until then, so long as you cooperate with me. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t allow Luohuto touch you. ¡­ Around the North Continent, dozens of godfiends sat around in a meeting discussing what they¡¯d learned. Shenni had secluded himself upon returning to attain the Primal Origin Chaos Immortal realm. Since the confident emperor was away, these immortals took this opportunity. Hongjun was not idle either, he released a full recording of Shenni¡¯s rant and his murder of Lu Ya. Little details such as Da Hai or Wangshu were ignored for a far more volatile threat. Hence under suggestions by a godfiend named Si Hai, a cave was found and fortified with numerous formations. Si Hai was also a Great Principle Chaos Immortal and could muster up greater success in keeping them hidden. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± one of the godfiends gasped. Looking around, he saw that adozen others were uneasy. They discussed the benefits and consequences of helping Shenni any further. On one hand, destroying the Primitive World would make them enemies of everyone including the ones who weren¡¯t opposed to them previously. While Shenni¡¯s factions strength could likely stalemate the other Great Principle Chaos Immortals in the world, the number of Great Unity Golden Immortals vastly eclipsed their poultry number. What¡¯s more, it would eliminate all future opportunities they could encounter such as treasures or natural phenomenas that would aid their cultivation. There was also the backlash that destroying such a vast universe would inevitably emit once Shenni crushes Mt Buzhou. When they were stronger, they could crush Chaos Worlds in their palms with ease. But that only considered ordinary Chaos Worlds and not this transcendent creation Pangu achieved. With the sheer density of primordial qi and size of this world, Shenni had to destroy the support pillar to destabilize this universe. These godfiends were truly not confident in surviving such an event. But the most important piece of information was none of those. ¡°Our Dao fruits are still within the core of the Primitive World.¡± Si Hai¡¯s announcement was met with murmuring agreement. While they could recover to their peak strength again, they could not achieve any higher pursuits. They needed their Dao fruits back to hope to see the limitless principle Wuji. ¡°That¡¯s right, Shenni has clearly lost his mind!¡± ¡°Damn that one horned beast, how dare he spit on us like this?¡± ¡°If Shenni would so recklessly destroy our chances for petty revenge, then how can we support him?¡± Si Hai¡¯s roar invigorated the others and cemented their resolves. When Shenni would emerge from seclusion, he would be mouth frothing with rage. At the end, he realized that no one but Demon Ape¡¯s closest circle would support him. But nevertheless he resolved himself to what must be done. Centuries later, near the end of the current yuanhui, when the sky turned red from dark miasma. When the feeling of bloodlust seeped through the earth drove weaker creatures into a frenzy. Shenni¡¯s wanton cruelty had forced the world into a state of tribulation. Chapter 24-Battle Begins on Mt Buzhou Da Hai opened his eyes to a sea in turmoil. Many hundreds of years had passed and he had managed to not only stabilize his cultivation but also made many advancements. His speed in improvement was extraordinary. The young godfiend breathed in and out, blowing bubbles of water around him. He was fully submerged in saltwater sitting in the centre of a gigantic white lotus. But he could tell the currents around him were not smooth. Turning his gaze around, he identified local sea creatures that had settled in the shadows of the 12 Petals White Lotus. No doubt these were recently spawned innate creatures seeking protection. Da Hai''s eyes softened when he watched them go about their daily lives. Standing up, he visibly grimaced as the world''s spiritual energies vibrated around him. The deathly aura of massacre was permeating the Great Wilderness. It was as if it was in encouraging him to make cruel decisions. "The world has entered tribulation." "I¡­I must find brother Huoyun first." In an instant, the gigantic flower disappeared into his pocket dimension. Da Hai prepared to take off before stopping and looking down at the sea floor. The innate creatures of the East Sea were looking around confused and fearful. Feeling pangs of sympathy for their vulnerability, Da Hai cast his hand down once more. The earth coiled upwards forming underwater mountains around their settlement. The shrimps and crab men could only stare in amazement. No True, Profound, or even Heavenly Immortal could manipulate the world like this. Da Hai clicked his fingers to cast an illusion around them. An act which saw these lessor beings kneel down in worship. "Thank you great one! Thank you!" They said. "May we please know your name!" "I am called Da Hai. I too am a native of these waters," he said gently. But then he thought for a bit and added, "Do not leave the East Sea for at least ten thousand years. The Primitive World has entered tribulation and a great battle is imminent. You''re all too weak to concern yourself with this so just stay here in my protection." With that said he left without looking back. ¡­ An injured Huoyun sat holding his sides within the fire cloud cave. A noticeable chunck of flesh was missing but slowly growing back with the help of five element lights. Chaotic sword Qi was truly terrifying, even the Dao of five elements struggle to heal the injury it caused. A last gift by Hongjun of all people. "Who would''ve guessed," he laughed bitterly. Hongjun''s call to war had arrived when he''d still been resting. It only served to make him even more depressed. If only Hongjun weren''t there, then he''d be able to avoid all of this. Looking at himself, Huoyun believed that he needs to return to at least the Zenith Heaven Chaos Immortal to confidently recover from such an injury. He groaned frustratingly, he was too reckless. His recovery had been halted for the foreseeable future. He looked west in the direction of Mt Buzou. Knowing the imminent battle he knew he''d have to help. Should the universe collapse he may be able to survive the backlash. Huoyun did not care much about innate creatures but he did respect their right to live so he agreed that what Shenni was doing was needlessly cruel. His Dao was also still trapped. So if only Hongjun wasn''t trying to head this operation, he''d feel a lot less shitty. "Damned either way" he muttered regretfully. Knowing he escaped Hongjun was unlikely to let him go. With Shenni closing in on Mt Buzhou things were going from bad to worse. During his depressed musing, Huoyun''s divine sense picked up a familiar signal heading his way. The familiar aura was enough to rouse his excitement. "What is he doing here?" He got up with support from the cave wall. Walking outside he was greeted with the sight of a flying torrent of water. It descended before him revealing someone he recognized as the new Tian Hai only older looking. Huoyun immediately noticed something different about him spiritually as well. He immediately took care to hide away his dire state pulling up a picture of relative normality. At his level, if one were not a highly skilled expert they would not even notice anything wrong with him. "Tian Hai!" He greeted warmly. In such a dire situation, seeing a familiar friendly face lifted his mood. He stood up with surprise but was halted when the godfiend shook his head. "Please don''t refer to me as such. I am not Tian Hai and never had been. Unfortunately senior Tian Hai has long passed. I am someone who descends from an aspect of him. My name is Da Hai," he said with clear nervousness. Huoyun was silent for a few moments. A dark look crossed his tired eyes for a few moments as he sighed. But ultimately a peaceful expression seemed to cross his face next. "I guess I should''ve expected as such." "I''m sorry." "No don''t be," Huoyun said. "My brother is really gone from this world." "Not so, I am still your friend your brother. Or at least if you would have me. You do not need to be so unfamiliar with me" Da Hai replied anxiously. "I came here to apologise for all the trouble I caused you all those years ago. Please fellow daoist accept my sincerest apology" he bowed before the Great Principle Chaos Immortal. Huoyun shook his head, "You do not need to apologise, you couldn''t have known. But I must ask, for you to have improved so much. Did you perchance encounter an opportunity?" "You are correct. Because of a fortuitous encounter, I was able to find my path. I can already see my Dao path" "You are talented brother, far better than me, it hasn''t even been a yuanhui and yet you''re already half a step into Chaos Immortal," he laughed joyfully. He straighten his back and walked out fully meeting Da Hai mid air. "Nothing much, you on the other hand were a mighty figure that even the destiny demon god feared." It didn''t take long for the distant unfamiliarity to dissipate. It was as if time had reversed tens of thousands of years. The two friends began chatting like old times. For Huoyun, it may not be as familiar was the person he knew before the Primitive World came into existence. For him a feeling of strangeness still existed albeit squashed down. But for Da Hai? He had realised the goodwill towards Huoyun did not originate from the original Tian Hai. He was just someone who clicked with him. He enjoyed hanging out and traveling with Huoyun. It warmed his person to know Huoyun did not hold much against him and accepted him willingly. "Shenni is imminent, what are you going to do brother?" Da Hai asked. "Will you join in our world''s defence "I¡­" there was a moment of hesitation in Huoyun. In brief seconds he seemed to fall into a contemplative mood. The altercation with Hongjun crossed his mind. But ultimately he responded. "Heh, do you even need to ask? In case you haven''t noticed my house is in the primitive world" the two laughed together. It was settled, just like many tens of thousands of years ago, two deities took off for Mt Buzhou. "I have to warn you though brother, I have learned some things you need to know," Huoyun informed Da Hai as they took flight. "I was at Mt Buzhou not too long ago as well." The time these two took to arrive at Mt Buzhou would not be long due to their incredible speed. But during this time, Huoyun opened up to Da Hai about what happened atop Mt Buzhou''s peak. However, he left out the detail about stealing his own Dao back. In the outskirts of the Chaos Sea, Yang Mei sat quietly allowing spatial currents to drift him along the vast emptiness. He would do so while he still knew Huoyun was alive, a paper effigy clutched in his hands. ¡­ As time passed many mighty figures arrived at the base of Mt Buzhou. Dark storm clouds gathered above the central continent as if the world itself recognized a terrible event will take place soon. Great gods Kunwu, and Shangxia, had defected from SHenni and led dozens of innate gods to the central continent. Others such as Shen Feng fled hoping to not get caught up in the conflict. Shenni had done nothing to refute Hongjun''s words and ignored them. This only cemented their decisions. Da Hai stepped onto the grounds of Mt Buzhou. He had grown infinitely more powerful since the last time he was here yet the mountains stood just as tall, just as insurmountable. He realized the mountain had grown as well, its powerful aura was leagues ahead of what it once was. "The primitive world is such a unique place. It''s like a living organism of its own," he commented. Huoyun agreed, although the chaos sea will always hold a special place within him, the primitive world did indeed offered much more. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Hey um, Huoyun are you sure about coming here?" Da Hai asked Huoyun. "You know you''ll have to fight alongside Hongjun as well right?" "I know but what choice do I have? Besides it wouldn''t be the first time enemies worked together for a greater cause. Us godfiends did it all the time," the five element daoist responded. There was a trust there that Hongjun as a fellow godfiend would uphold tradition. "But let''s focus on the topic at hand," Huoyun said observing the gathered godfiends. All of them now innate gods of Pangu''s Chaos World. They''d each started mingling, catching up with one another. Some were moving towards their location. "Listen Ti¡­sorry Da Hai. Shenni if my calculations are right is not an opponent you should concern yourself with. Work with the other godfiends and fight his lieutenants. Stay safe and follow the other''s lead. Trust me when I say no one here wants the Primitive World gone and would fight tooth and nail to preserve it." "Shenni is so powerful on his own. I dread to think what his master was like," Da Hai shuddered at the faint memory of Demon Ape. "Demon Ape? Yeah he was extraordinarily powerful. Even now this Shenni would be an insect to him." Those around them who heard the conversation nodded as well. Demon Ape despite all his strength was much like the original Tian Hai. He fought till the very end and could not survive and reincarnate. It''s a pity for such a shining star to die so young, he was the youngest of the four great chaos demon godfiends. Huoyun scanned around looking for someone. In the end, he looked disappointed when he found nothing. "What''s wrong?" Da Hai asked. "So few left," he whispered. "Not even Sichen or Destiny Demon God is here. I don''t know if they''re dead or not but their presence would be appreciated." "But that would be pure wish fulfillment, if they were around Shenni would not be much trouble," he paused for a bit revealing a hint of sadness. A host of Great Unity Golden Immortals had arrived, all familiar faces. A small percentage of the Chaos Godfiends had reincarnated and fewer were still around. Old rivals killed off others and Shenni killed the rest. Around 120 were present including Da Hai. Before long a lunar beam descended from the heavens bringing with it Wangshu. She was a completely new figure, no recognized her. Hence she stood out amongst the crowd of gods and goddesses. She exchanged greetings with Da Hai who introduced her to Huoyun. Their first contact was a very warm one. Wangshu had managed to recover her left arm to an acceptable degree. Her cultivation was similar to Da Hai, half step Chaos Immortal. "I am so sad," a rumbling voiced called out north of them all. This drew the attention of all of Buzhou''s defenders. Thunderous clouds rolled out of the sky carrying some individuals. Emperor Shenni flanked by the 4 evils had appeared. "Give up now Shenni, you are massively outnumbered," an arrogant voice answered. A shirtless strong fisherman stood wielding a harpoon. This was a Great Principle Chaos Immortal who had defected, an innate god born from the south seas whose name means four oceans, Si Hai. "Filthy traitor," Qiong Qi answered with a growl. A majestic aura of a Chaos Immortal descended from the winged tiger suppressing many Great Unity Golden Immortals before him. Shenni merely grunted and waved with his hand. "Release my pets. They''ll serve as fodder." Taotie nodded and quickly opened his wide disgusting mouth releasing millions upon millions of Primordial beasts. The Taiyi Golden Immortals frowned, did they seriously think mere beasts will be a challenge? That''s just looking down on them. Si Hai waved his arm and many portals opened. Shrimp soldiers, crab warriors, manatee brutes, shark warriors, and countless cultivators of the south seas appeared. Their cultivations were much lower at Heavenly Immortal with the strongest and True Immortal at the weakest. An army of fodder for the primordial beasts. "What is he doing? Those men and women would be slaughtered. They have no use here in this battle," Da Hai gasped at Si Hai''s wasteful actions. His army was clearly new and had no chance to train nor grow in strength. They might as well be redundant given how easily godfiends can kill primordial beasts. Some innate gods such as the fabled Demon Eyes, Red Wings, Upper Skies, Earthly Sage, and countless others also brought about their own massive armies. The exited soldiers roared with unparalleled bloodlust and advanced forward clashing with the primordial beasts. "Warriors of the south sea, fight!" Si Hai roared emanating high charisma. The soldiers roared and battled with all their might. They were more than willing to die for their homes. Da Hai frowned, any one of them could wave their hands and kill off hundreds of thousands of primordial beasts. A small orb of water was released from Da Hai''s right palm expanding into a gargantuan sphere of water. "Sending so many weaklings out is such a wasteful thing. I''ll wash the filth away first," he released his spell inciting a massive flood that bathed the central continent in seawater. It washed across the battlefield crushing millions of lesser primordial beasts. The sea creatures were feeling right at home quickly took advantage of the water to battle the stronger beasts. This unfamiliar with the new environment was still unaffected and battled bravely. One of the 4 creatures Taowu, a scholarly looking man took off his robes and transformed. A massive green feline like creature with a human face covered in red war paint wearing a frown appeared mid air. It opened its mouth and breathed a stream of deadly fire down. Hundreds of thousands died from the heat and the surface of the water evaporated. Unwilling to wait further dozens Taiyi Golden Immortals flew up to face the Great Principle Chaos Immortal Taowu. "Fellow deists group up. Chaos heaven formation activate," they interlocked their energy to activate various battle formations. With this union, several chaos giants stood with 3 arms and no face. Taowu gleefully met them in battle. Qiong Qi leaped to battle the arrogant Si Hai. "Betrayer" he roared. The two Great Principle Chaos Immortals began clashing fiercely. Da Hai looked at Wangshu and both nodded. Leaping up they met the monstrous Taotie who looked at the two stunned. "Heh, just two Taiyi small fried" he opened his mouth to bite them. Da Hai clapped his palms creating a crescent blade of seawater cutting into Taotie''s fleshy tongue. "Agh!" He roared as blood was spilled. Wangshu transformed into her three face six armed form and attacked with dozens of xiantian treasures. The two had experience dealing with Taotie before and knew what to expect. Their cultivations had reached the gate of the Great Principle, their Dao fruits were already semi-visible. Taotie could not defeat them quickly. "Hundun, take the five element daoist. I have a score to settle" Shenni flew in a blaze of purple flame revealing his monstrous beast form. He charged at Mt Buzhou with full intent to destroy it. "No!" Huoyun transformed into a mass of multi coloured clouds emanating divine light everywhere blocking Shenni''s path. Hundun took off his clean revealing a faceless man with silver hair, 4 wings, and 6 arms. He had no legs. "Fellow daisy Huoyun, allow us to exchange pointers" he charged at the mass of clouds pushing it back. "Hundun, you were always praised as a wise man. Why would you help a madman like Shenni?" Huoyun roared fighting his hardest to combat Hundun. His injuries were severely hindering him. Huoyun pushed Hundun back several leagues and sent a blast of light at Shenni. "You dare?" Shenni slapped at the light but it curved around him wrapping around the beast emperor like chains. "Stay there for a while, I''ll deal with you later" the chains formed a pentagonal shaped prison trapping the beast emperor. "Hmph," he snorted. With a burst of his power, he attacked the prison head on. His Dao fruit was revealed in all its mutated glory leaving many shocked and afraid. Shenni had recovered the level of Primal Origin Chaos Immortal. "Haiyah, it seems this old man will have to stop you!" Huoyun looked up as Hongjun made his presence known. The latter didn''t even pay attention to the former and only focused on the Beast Emperor. Shenni looked up also in contempt, "You bastard, come and die!" Hongjun had appeared to personally fight Shenni. Chapter 25-Four Evils Huoyun narrowed his eyes when Hongjun appeared above Mt Buzhou. His presence wasn''t unexpected given he was the one who kickstarted the battle. Huoyun was simultaneously grateful and furious. This old man had the nerve to act all heroic when he was the one ultimately responsible. "You dare show your face!" Shenni''s single horned lion like beast form shot blasts after blast of spectral ghost fire. The purplish flames brushed against the combined image of the Taiji in front of Hongjun who stood confidently and unconcerned. Since he arrived many of the innate gods felt at ease. If he was able to stop Shenni then victory was definitely in their hands. Many formations made out of Great UnityGolden Immortal went to fight Taowu while the rest were kept busy. Hongjun displayed masterful control of the Dao as he fought. Shenni who was so domineering was completely tied down. The old man possessed impeccable defense not allowing the beast emperor to even come near Mt Buzhou. The beast emperor roared in frustration. He bashed himself against the Taiji image. Spectral ghost fire burned around his whole body searing into the fabric of reality itself. Holes into the void appeared all around him creating suction flow into spatial tides. "What is this?" Shenni roared. Hongjun smirked but it was covered by his fluffy beard. His defensive treasure, the Taiji painting was a part of the creation trio of spiritual treasures. Since the beginning of the primitive world, he had managed to obtain two of them. The Taiji painting spun stabilising space around the primitive world. The damage done to reality was fixed just like that. The painting extended covering over a quarter of the central continent in an instant. It set space in place and locked dimensions preventing anyone from entering and exiting. It seemed to those participating in the fight that Hongjun was not taking any chances of Shenni escaping. "A gift of Pangu''s," Hongjun said. Upon hearing those words, Shenni''s eyes went bloodshot as if he just found out he was cuckolded. He couldn''t even form coherent words anymore and continued fighting carelessly. Many innate creatures who happened to be near him burned to ashes instantly. It was chaos everywhere, Huoyun was preoccupied with Hundun and victory did not look to be close. Taowu whipped with his tongue shattering a formation crushing 13 Great Unity Golden Immortals at once. The rest formed up and combined into a greater cosmic giant. Qiong Qi had a flashy duel against Si Hai. Both gods were of the origin of water. In the distant past, these two along with Da Hai were known as the 3 primeval lords of water. Qiong Qi representing corrupted, dirty, or filthy water. Da Hai representing unrestrained all consuming seawater, and Si Hai representing all water in the world. "Pathetic, is that all you''ve got?" Qiong Qi sneered. He brought his paw down and smashed Si Hai''s body with great force. The sea god spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at the tiger. "Did you forget who I am Qiong Qi?" He lunged forward and pierced Qiong Qi''s shoulder with his harpoon. Swiping out o Qiong Qi''s flesh he clashed against the tiger''s steel like wings. Both sides grinder against each other before Qiong Qi kicked Si Hai away. The tiger charged at the sea god who brought up a shield of water bouncing the tiger away. "I am first beneath the 4 greats" Si Hai charge with incredible might. Da Hai''s ocean below rose up in response to his call forming a gargantuan giant of seawater. Si Hai merged himself with the ocean itself grappling with Qiong Qi who grew exponentially in size. ''This was like a scene out of Pacific Rim'' thought Da Hai. He did not mind Si Hai taking control of his water nor did he resist the stronger god''s attempt to do so. Da Hai was much too preoccupied with Taotie. He and Wangshu worked in conjunction utilising the inherent connection between the moon and the sea to empower each other. The compatibility allowed Da Hai to grasp the embryonic form of a formation. Although he would still need years to study and perfect such a thing he could already see it taking form. Wangshu was fully focused on Taotie. Her form was not without injures, her furious demon face had been smashed in by Taotie''s foot. The goddess pushed out a recreation of the lunar star punching into Taotie''s stomach. Da Hai punched out at the star, the force of the blow heavily dented Taotie''s incredibly tough stomach. Da Hai created more water to trample over the innate god. Taotie bashed his thick face against Da Hai''s dissipating all of it into rain droplets. Taotie opened his mouth swallowing an ocean full of raining seawater. He opened his mouth dispensing the contents like a cannon at Wangshu forcing her to manurer out of the way. Da Hai frowned when he saw Taotie''s stomach restore to its original appearance. "This is not working," he told Wangshu who nodded. The gap of a single realm was enormous. The two of them were already half a step into Chaos Immortal fighting a Taotie who had only recently been restored to Great Principle Chaos Immortal. Yet Taotie was evidently stronger than the both of them. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Da Hai readied the ocean swallowing jug in hand. "Eight head killing!" He declared unleashing eight snake heads all with frightening power. This spell was improved after Da Hai''s cultivation rose, its power would tear apart even a peak Great Unity Golden Immortal with ease. Taotie opened his mouth and bit the water construct in half. His eyes on his shoulders looked at Da Hai mockingly. He sprayed his stomach acid at Da Hai who brought out the 12 Petals White Lotus in response. ''I need to attain the Great Principle soon,'' he thought. He scanned the battlefield and saw flashes of Hongjun and Shenni above the clouds. Huoyun was still stalemating Hundun with no signs of clear victory though Huoyun did look to be slowly losing the advantage. Three other observers who were fighting Taowu along with the cosmic giant also saw Da Hai and Wangshu''s miserable state. The cosmic giant was able to hold Taowu back with the conjoined power of over 100 Great Unity Golden Immortals. The three ancestors Kunwu, ancestor Qiankun, and ancestor Shangxia nodded at each other. Qiankun and Kunqu detached from the cosmic giant and flew to Da Hai and Wangshu. Shangxia took full command of the cosmic giant utilizing 7 arms to grapple Taowu. Using his Dao of directions he disorientated Taowu. "At this stage, you can still affect me?" The evil god was held by the cosmic giant. Shangxia commanded the formation to perform a suplex. They smashed Taowu''s painted head into the ground sending a shockwave that could be felt around the world. Da Hai''s ocean was kicked up by the force sending millions of primordial beasts and innate creatures into the air as well. Thanks to Hongjun stabilising space with the Taiji painting no spacial tears. Kunwu and Qiankun arrived to aid Da Hai and Wangshu. The ancestor Kunwu wielded a mighty greatsword known as the Kunwu sword. This great god intercepted Taotie''s bite whose teeth were unable to break the blade. Ancestor Qiankun was the master of the cosmos. He brought out the universal cauldron, it emitted cosmic energy as if it wanted to refine all things in creation. Ancestor Qiankun reached inside the cauldron pulling out a single ruler. Da Hai recognised both tools. They were famed treasured that belonged to one of the three pure ones, the Heavenly Lord of the Dao and Virtue also known as Grand Supreme Elderly Lord, and several other titles but most famously the Grand Pure One. This ruler was the universal ruler, one of the greatest offensive weapons in creation. Although the wielder ancestor Qiankun''s cultivation was only at the half step Chaos Immortal realm he still commanded terrifying might. Qiankun swung with the universal ruler at Taotie. To not allow Taotie to flee Da Hai created many water tendrils to tie down the evil god. Although she was confused by his actions Wangshu aided Da Hai empowering him with her lunar yin radiance while creating ropes of star energy. Wangshu''s treasure repertoire was also put to good use. Various low to mid level xiantian spiritual treasures were used to suppress Taotie. Even Kunwu and Qiankun felt jealous of her. The two ancestor''s conjoined attack landed on Taotie. Kunwu''s sword cut into Taotie''s flesh drawing blood. Qiankun''s attack however was much more ferocious. The universal ruler smashed into Taotie''s face. The sound of a skull cracking could be heard. Taowu who had regained his footing and slammed the cosmic giant into the land looked up in shock. Taotie''s head bled as he swayed in the air. Qiankun was clearly very tired after that strike. Using the universal ruler with his current cultivation was not a very good idea. Although Taotie was injured he wasn''t close to dying. The good news was that Taotie could not stay conscious for long. After being struck by the equivalent of an entire minor universe crystallized into a ruler Taotie felt incredibly dizzy. Soon he fell landing with a thud completely unconscious. This was only a fraction of the universal ruler''s power. Wielded by a combatant with a high cultivation base, this ruler''s attack potency was the equivalent of being bashed by the entire primitive world. Even Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals would be crushed to death. With Taotie out of the picture for now the four flew off to Taowu. Taotie was very nigh impossible to kill for them so he could do little aside from leaving him there. Up above the clouds, Hongjun gathered purple clouds in his hand. These clouds swept away Shenni''s fire breath and sent him hurtling through the skies. "Despicable Hongjun. I thought you and I understood each other" he roared in rage and slashed with his claws. Hongjun held up his banner blocking the strike. "Blame yourself for your lack of intelligence" Hongjun used his second hand and unleashed a palm strike. Shenni spat out blood as he was forced back with great force. "Hongjun, was what you said a lie? Why aren''t you helping me!" He attacked once more. Hongjun sighed, ''what a simple fellow'' he thought. Shenni was all brawn and no brain, he was the ideal simpleton. Chapter 26-Pellucid Divine Water "Your maddened ramblings clearly shows me the type of person you are Shenni," Hongjun justified. His battle was as good as won. As good as Shenni had become he was no Luohu. Shenni was so furious he couldn''t even think coherently anymore. He was like a rampaging animal with no higher thought. Hongjun looked at him with pity. ''At the end of the day, we all must do what we must,'' he thought. He deflected Shenni''s strike once more with the Taiji painting. The swirling of the double extremities was impervious, it was as if no attack had been made at all. Hongjun surveyed other battles around him. Progress had not been good. Dozens of reincarnated godfiends had decided not to show and those like Yang Mei had long left for the chaos. It would seem a compromise had to be made. Hongjun will have to be satisfied with what he has at the moment. He frowned with dissatisfaction when he saw the knocked out Taotie. With Hundun and Qiong Qi tied down, Taowu will be at a severe disadvantage against so many power gods at once. The difference between Great Unity and Chaos Immortals was vast but this gap had been closed by several factors. The use of the chaos heaven formation interlocked so many times had created a beast of a cosmic giant whose power rivaled a Great Principle Chaos Immortal. Suddenly Hongjun thought of a plan. Shenni was still out of it so it might just work. He brought up the banner and retracted the chaotic sword Qi. Condensing it all around the flag pole it elongated into a grey longsword. "Marvellous, the power which separated heaven from earth," Hongjun exclaimed. He swung the weapon with both hands directly at Shenni. "ROAR!" The mindless beast spun in the air, turning into a spinning wheel of purple flames. Spectral screams emanated drawing power from all the deceased souls of the land. While only a short time had passed hundreds of thousands of innate creatures had already perished. The unique quality of Shenni''s spectral ghost fire was the ability to draw in and consume spirits. It was a sinister ability that grew stronger the more souls were added as fuel. Depressing wails could be heard by everyone across Mt Buzhou. The army of innate creatures felt their hearts give out and their minds breaking. This left them vulnerable to the army of primordial beasts who gladly consumed them Da Hai who was supporting the cosmic giant with powerful blasts was surprised. ''Things are not looking good,'' he thought. Of course the situation was only bad for the innate creatures below. For the innate gods, they were unconcerned nor bothered by the turn of events. To them as long as the 4 evils are out of the picture then they win. They also weren''t wrong in this thinking. Primordial beasts pose no threat to them nor to Mt Buzhou, they could always kill off these creatures later. Da Hai however was unsatisfied, he had inherited empathy from the human who perished eons ago and could not tolerate this sight. "Fellow daoists, can you hold for a little while?" He inquired. Kunwu who was a bit confused asked, "What''s the matter?". "Yes or no, just answer me" "Yes, with the addition of fellow daoist Wangshu and yourself Taowu will eventually be defeated" Da Hai nodded, he allowed himself to break away from the clash of gods and fall towards the battleground below. To the shock of all the innate godfiends Da Hai went to rescue creatures suffering below. He unleashed the 12 Petals White Lotus which split into thousands of small flowers all flying towards innate creatures. They attached themselves to their bodies and shielded them from oncoming attacks. Da Hai controlled the water remaining in the environment. A massive downpour rained over the bodies of countless primordial beasts. Unlike a regular harmless rain, each droplet of water smashed into the beasts as if an anvil was dropped on a regular human. Beasts died by the millions leaving nothing behind but blood paste. This was the difference between reincarnated innate gods and innate creatures. Despite both being of the immortal realms, one can effortlessly slaughter the other. Huoyun watched as Da Hai decisively took action killing as much as he can before returning to attack Taowu. ''So different yet so similar,'' Huoyun thought. Da Hai did not react at all like he did thousands of years ago, his belief system was a little different from what you''d expect of a chaos godfiend but it would seem Da Hai was fully capable of taking care of himself. Da Hai formed a drill that pierced at Taowu''s stomach. The god growled in visible pain, his body was not as strong as Taotie and it was easier to do damage to him. Although killing him was extremely difficult it was not as hard as Taotie. Fire and wind swirled around the Chaos Immortal. Taowu has had enough. Pride as a being of superior power stopped him initially but he''d had enough of being battered. "You lot really a pest among pests" Taowu''s human face growled in anger. He slammed both front paws down at the cosmic giant with great force tearing away at the chaotic energy skin. "Everyone, repair the wound," ancestor Shangxia commanded the godfiends within the formation. Wangshu moved to grab Taowu with her star whips. Kunwu and the exhausted Qiankun aided her as best they could to attempt to pull Taowu off. Da Hai who was infront of Taowu slapped the ocean swallowing water jug to blast Taowu like a canon. Taowu roared shooting fire from his mouth meeting the blast. Taowu''s focus was on the cosmic giant yet he was still fully capable of resisting Wangshu and Da Hai at the same time. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Kunwu was deeply frustrated as he saw Taowu rip off one of the cosmic giant''s arms. ''If only that coward Yingyang was here'' he jumped at Taowu''s back with his sword. "Die" he cut across Taowu''s soft fur drawing blood which spilled onto the ground. Each drop was like a small lake containing strong vital energy. Taowu whipped his tail around catching Kunwu off guard. Kunwu spat out blood, his falling body was caught by Taowu''s lower legs. Taowu smirked and squeezed. "NO!" Da Hai, Shangxia, Wangshu, and Qiankun moved to save Kunwu but were too slow as the ancestor was crushed to bits in Taowu''s paws. Bits of scales and flesh dropped from Taowu''s paws. Taowu caught sight of Shangxia and said, "You''re next". He bit into the cosmic giant''s head and tore it off, burning off many formation defenses with his flames and cutting what''s left with wind. Taowu''s human face revealed a deceptively terrifying mouth. It was filled with rows upon rows of seated fangs accompanying a long red tongue. Taowu''s tongue stabbed into the cosmic giant''s wound pulling out dozens of Great Unity Golden Immortals. Ancestor Shangxia however was not helpless. He was a mighty expert of the past and it was not too difficult to repel Taowu''s tongue strike. Sadly he could only watch and do nothing as the dozens caught by Taowu perished in the fiend''s mouth. Above the clouds, Hongjun did not show his satisfaction on his face. His desired outcome had already begun to take form. The sudden death of so many immortals released tons of vitality which the primitive world quickly gobbled up. It was easily more potent than the deaths of the innate creatures. Taowu leaped off the decapitated giant and chased the fleeing innate gods. Wangshu could barely slow Taowu down even when she elongate her arms as whip like roots ending in sharp spears. Taowu quickly slapped several more gods to death. ''So much for invincible gods of the chaos,'' Da Hai thought bitterly, even in this situation he could only defend himself. His extremely high cultivation base ensured his safety for the moment and he could only kite around Taowu. "I''d have to get you back for killing our army" Taowu suddenly changed directions and targeted Da Hai directly. The sudden attack caught Da Hai with his metaphorical pants down. A half complete lotus shield sprung up but was quickly smashed apart by Taowu. Taowu swung his body hitting Da Hai with a flame encased tail slap. The blow was so great that a loud boom was heard and Da Hai''s human form spat out blood. The instant Da Hai was sent flying his true form was revealed, bloodied but alive. Taowu had hit Da Hai so hard, it knocked him back into the 8 headed snake. Da Hai landed groggily on his feet, his sickle like claws dragged across the soil and water stopping him eventually. His eight heads all rose and roared. Eight massive energy blasts raced toward Taowu. Wangshu''s tree like appearance was joined by Qiankun''s spiraling galaxy form. The two joined hands to attack Taowu from the back. Taowu however managed to jump out of the way and flew towards Da Hai. "All actions have consequences," Taowu said. "I know" Da Hai rose to meet the god in the air. Taowu engulfed his whole body in flames further empowering him. He smashed down at Da Hai like a meteor. Da Hai in response drew a new spell from within him. His own cultivation since the discovery of his own Dao had been smooth. It allowed him to develop a uniquely powerful resource similar to Shenni''s spectral ghost fire or the Solar Star''s pure yang divine sun fire. Da Hai will not compare them to his own creation in the meantime but with the use of the three brilliance sacred water, it had allowed him to develop his own water different from the pre-established primeval forces. A transparent water like substance rose up from beneath Da Hai. It met Taowu''s flames equally without losing out. To Taowu''s shock, he found that he could not overcome this water with ease. The water contained a spirituality unlike any he had seen. His flames were not special compared to the primeval fires such as the Sun Fire, Nanming Divine Fire, nor Shenni''s spectral ghost fire. However, it was still a pretty good spiritual fire which formed from his cultivation. The two clashed head on in a tornado of fire and water. The two gods clashed against each other amidts the vortex. "I refuse to believe I can lose to someone inferior" Taowu roared as the two forces met. Da Hai roared in response, his sickle claws extended becoming translucent blades of water. BOOM! The tornado was expelled and both individuals appeared. Taowu''s body suffered light cuts along with his front limbs and chest. The most noticeable however was the long scar that ran along his face, from right cheek to lower jaw. Taowu looked down with disbelief and admiration. Although he won the clash he couldn''t help but respect the sea god for his strength. Da Hai''s massive body crashed into the ocean below. Five of his heads were blown off and chunks of his flesh were missing. The remaining three heads looked up in defiance. "My divine water still needs to improvement," he said tiredly. The quality was already beyond his own expectation but it could still be improved. ''Translucent water, now that I think about it I never gave it a name,'' he thought. ''I think I''d name it pellucid divine water''. Chapter 27-Big Explosions Da Hai''s momentary celebration had to be cut short sadly. He could feel his vitality drop by a massive percent. If he insisted to fight then his death is guaranteed. Bringing out the newly named pellucid divine water had exhausted him. Taowu, despite his injuries, was still fully capable of fighting. This was evident when Qiankun, Wangshu, and Shangxia ganged up on him. Despite the three''s attempts, they were unable to significantly harm Taowu. Taowu hopped a few kilometres away out of the way deciding it was better to rest for a bit. Da Hai got back onto his feet before floating upwards again. Wangshu was injured but very much alive as were the other two ancestors. "Can you use the universal ruler again?" He heard Wangshu ask as he neared them. The swirling vortex of miniature stars which was Qiankun dimmed and swayed. "I can barely lift the damn thing," he complained. As if to prove his point the familiar ruler appeared briefly before dropping and disappearing into Qiankun''s private dimension. Da Hai stopped beside the three looking miserable. The three remaining heads were all bleeding from places and scales were missing. Taowu had done a great number on him. "Without a doubt, Taowu is stronger than Taotie. By my guess he should''ve been at the Chaos Immortal realm for a while now," he admitted. Wangshu, Shangxia, and Qiankun nodded in agreement. What little remained of the army of innate gods looked extremely nervous. Taowu who retreated a distance away from them licked his wounds and hissed in discomfort. It was a bit embarrassing to be repelled by one whose cultivation was beneath his but as figures of the same generation as him it wasn''t that upsetting. He had to admit, the loser Qiong Qi described years ago was not the same as the opponent he faced. If they both existed in equal realms, Da Hai will demolish him without a doubt. Among the 4 evils, there was a certain ranking in power. Hundun was the strongest, he can fight all three of the rest and still win. Taowu came after him slightly edging out on Qiong Qi due to a higher understanding on the Dao. Qiong Qi boast incredible physical might with easily outperforms him but his cultivation into Dao is much lower. Taotie is in much the same boat as Qiong Qi. If either improved their Dao realm then they can easily surpass Taowu whose own flesh was not impressive when compared to theirs. In fact, Taowu can say the same for all those half step Chaos Immortals he''s fighting now. Taowu considered himself lucky for returning to the Chaos Immortal realm early. The deal they''ve made was handsomely paid off and their stake in the conflict was ending soon. Kunwu was already dead and it will only be a matter of time before the other troublesome ones die as well. It''s a shame that Yingyang did not come. That was another individual that should be gotten rid of. The 4 evils need every advantage they get out of their early boost because once the truly powerful godfiends catch up, it''s game over. Taowu reignited himself planning to finish them all off once and for all. "It''s been a fun one," he said light-heartedly. The flams grew stronger bolstered by the fierce winds. Long green translucent insect wings sprouted from Taowu''s back blossoming into large appendages. Many innate gods looked at the sight in horror. Many got up and wanted to leave, they wanted to break space and teleport out. The sad reality was, they couldn''t. The Taiji painting had sealed space in its entirety. Reality was very stable here, far more stable than the normal primitive world. Glitters of micro-sized orange dust came out of Taowu''s fur looking like billions of fireflies. Each one was pretty but very deadly for each one was a bomb containing Taowu''s primordial Qi. Taowu''s fangs grew longer protruding out of his face. His mane grew longer as well turning red in colour while his forelimbs elongated turning into human like arms rather than a cat''s paws. "Micro blaze," Taowu chanted softly. He flapped his wind creating a huge gust of wind pushing billions of those bombs out. With a single flap, these bombs spread everywhere. From a distance, this sight looked amazing. Then one of the specs touched a rat cultivator. The rat was annihilated in an instant, not even dust remained. Realising what Taowu had just done, everyone started running. However, the scale was simply enormous. Millions of creatures died just like that. Weak True Immortals died in an instant, Profound Immortals were torn apart with a few dozen specs, Heavenly Immortals lasted longer but they also died. Who knows how many unique tribes just went extinct. Innate gods fared a lot better. However, Taowu also targeted them specifically. Millions of specs clomped together attacking fleeing innate gods. It took far more but these people were too incinerated. With the scale of this attack, Da Hai also abandoned the idea of saving everyone. His serpentine body curled up manifesting the white lotus beneath him. He concentrated the defensive power into a single point wrapping Wangshu, Qiankun, Shangxia and himself in a bubble. Right now, conserving their core fighting force was the most important. He also released water tendrils to grab fleeing gods who were surviving better. Seeing this the others repeated the same action. However, there were simply too much and these tendrils were obliterated. The four were too exhausted to continue except surviving hence they reinforced the shield around them. Taowu kept bombarding the group. With Da Hai''s current cultivation the defences of the 12 Petals White Lotus were astounding, its Qi rich environment also helped with recovery even though it was minor. "This can''t last forever," Qiankun told the group. The bombardment was seemingly endless, Taowu had expended a lot of power to kill them all and he was making full use of it. "There is no possible way we can avoid them," Wangshu argued. Right now the lotus was all they''ve got between their bodies and the attacks. It may take millions of bombs but they too will eventually fall. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Taowu was also getting impatient. He was successful in killing over a hundred innate gods with a single move. The alliance of four half step Chaos Immortals were proving to be very difficult to deal with. He flapped his new wings with great force. The storm of specs resembling a dust cloud all flew towards the white lotus. Taowu took a huge breath and unleashed a gust of orange storm clouds writhing with lightning. "He''s going to explode them all at once," Shangxia sighed hopelessly. He sat down looking defeated. Da Hai shook his three remaining heads, "I have an idea, fellow daoist what I want to try will be very intrusive upon yourself but it may save us". There was a unique property of the pellucid divine water that could be used after all. It was experimental but it was all Da Hai could think of. "Just do it, there is not much we can do anyway," Wangshu said in response. Qiankun also nodded, whatever Da Hai wants to do won''t really matter as their deaths were all imminent. "Very well fellow daoist, here I go," the others could feel Da Hai''s primordial Qi injecting into their own being. They allowed this to occur but suddenly felt strange. Their insides felt watery. Da Hai had manifested the pellucid divine water once more using up the remainder of his strength. He morphed his entire body into the substance and did the same to the others as well. The lotus shield disappeared and withdrew within the four shapes of transparent water. ''Desperate aren''t we?'' The 4 evils who were observing the battle thought in unison. Even if it is water it will still be obliterated into nothingness. The bombs erased anything they touched, they ate away at the very being of their targets. As soon as the lightning clouds hit the mass gathering of orange bombs, all hell broke loose. The bright flash of light blinded every party present. Even Hundun who had no facial features covered his empty void like face. He could feel his divine senses going haywire with too many blips going off. Huoyun''s cloudy form was much the same, he also took this opportunity to slip away from Hundun. ''Dammit, don''t die on me brother'' Huoyun thought as he desperately reached for the centre of the explosion. Qiong Qi and Si Hai who were comparatively closer brought out shields to protect themselves. No attempts to save their armies were offered. Only a few individuals were alive by this point. As the flash faded away Taowu uncovered his face and his face could only display a shaken expression. ''How?'' He asked himself, he was sweating now. Da Hai''s group remained completely unharmed, his vast costly spell had been completely wasted. Wangshu looked at Da Hai. His eyes were closed and his body was swaying. The sea god had long lost conciseness. From below a five coloured cloud caught the serpent. Huoyun had arrived to help. Qiankun and Shangxia were touching themselves wondering what had happened. The pellucid divine water had taken over their entire being shifting them outside this layer of space. The central power of the water comes from Da Hai''s own Dao. The Dao of ever distant seas signified an existence besides something, here but not here. The divine water existed in another plane of existence besides the space they currently inhabited thus allowed the explosive force to pass through them. It was an amazing ability with few weaknesses. In order to defeat it, one would need to locate the space the water existed in which if they were at their peak was something fairly manageable given time. A better method was to simply break space into chaos and force the water into real space. Either way, it was an amazing defensive ability to use out of nowhere. Seeing Da Hai''s form Wangshu grew furious. He looked into her pocket dimension and thought, ''Screw it''. She flew towards the still shocked Taowu and spread both arms wide. She wore a maddened fierce expression on her face. "Let''s see how you like a taste of your own medicine," she snarled while deploying much of her treasury. Contrary to many expert''s thoughts to store their most private collection in their lair, Wangshu''s was always on her person. It was actually quite common to be targeted for having a good treasure hence many will hide them in discreet locations. Where Wangshu stored her things was not unheard of, just really ballsy. In an instant thousands of low grade xiantian treasures appeared along with dozens of medium grade treasures. Treasures were incredibly valuable in augmenting someone''s strength hence what Wangshu is attempting to do was inconceivable. "She couldn''t possibly!" Si Hai and Qiong Qi were frozen in shock. Although greed was present in their eyes were, it was also evident that they were frozen in panic. They felt Wangshu''s energy and realised what she wanted to do. Taowu who was slowly waking up widened his eyes in terror. Wangshu had thrown out more then 70% of her collection and planned to detonate them all. The spiritual energy within a single xiantian treasure was heavy. Detonation of one would unleash all of that in a massive shockwave. She gripped her fists and the countdown started, Taowu could feel the primordial Qi contained within each treasure going out of control. Wangshu faded into a ray of moonlight blitzing into Huoyun''d cloud. The figures of the 12 Petals White Lotus, universal cauldron, up down compass, five element pearl, and the celestial moon crown flashed. Huoyun was borrowing these treasures to protect his group. Hundun was also rushing towards Taowu at top speed. He cannot allow his brother to die. The relationship between the four had been close for countless number of years. In the fighting that had ensued, Taotie was stirred awake. He¡¯d been ignored for too long and thus witnessed Taowu¡¯s miserable state. He rose up and opened his gaping maw. ¡°Cease this at once!¡± he roared beginning to suck in the overloaded treasures. ¡°Taotie you moron, you¡¯re not strong enough to contain all that yet!¡± Taowu quickly warned. He barely had time to wrap his tongue around himself as a shield. Then the second explosion went off. Chapter 28-Exhausted Aftermath If the first explosion was a large scale bombing raid, the current explosion is a nuclear bomb. The concentrated explosion of thousands of xiantian spiritual treasures were magnified by primordial Qi within said treasures going haywire. The instability generated a far deadlier force indiscriminate of who it hit. Ancestor Si Hai and Qiong Qi were at the edges of the explosion but both were blown back heavily burnt. Qiong Qi''s wings were ruined, his fur was blackened with burn marks. Si Hai was even worse better, his natural water Dao was heavily damaged and his body, charred black. Both combatants landed many hundreds of kilometres away from Mt Buzhou unconscious. The shockwave had charred the land reducing the surrounding area around Mt Buzhou into a smouldering crater. The explosive force was far greater than a Great Principle Chaos Immortal self detonating. Huoyun calculates that chances of anyone at the epicentre of the explosion surviving were slim to none. He had managed to receive Wangshu who gave up her celestial moon crown to him for use. Top grade xiantian spiritual treasures could only unleash their full power with someone of high cultivation. Huoyun''s Great Principle level cultivation base barely managed to protect his charges. Unfortunately, they seem to be the only survivors. None of the innate gods who arrived had survived. Huoyun surveyed the massive crater, the smoke was beginning to clear. Taowu who has survived the blast unwound his tongue and looked over in fear. He immediately tried to sense the presence of his brothers and quickly found the unconscious Qiong Qi. He swallowed his saliva in nervousness. At the crater, Hundun''s damaged figure was revealed. Five of his arms were blown off and he''d only retained half of his body and his four wings. Hundun''s featureless face faced Huoyun''s cloud form, while indistinguishable, rage could be felt coming from him. His last remaining hand clasped a decaying ball of orange-green light. It was convulsing as if it was unstable and about to collapse. Huoyun realised immediately it was Taowu''s nascent soul or at least what was left of it. Hundun was the only thing keeping the soul together and even then it did not look like it''d last long. Huoyun''s shield faded away and his multi coloured clouds receded back to his human form dressed in red robes. The battered figures of Qiankun, Shangxia, Wangshu, and Da Hai appeared behind him sitting on Da Hai''s 12th? grade white lotus who expanded to accommodate all of them. Huoyun himself wasn''t looking too good, blood was dripping from his mouth and he appeared very pale. However, it was much better compared to the mutilated Hundun. "Brother, I was useless" Taowu''s weak voice was heard by Hundun. The nascent soul completely dispersed leaving Hundun on his own. From this day the 4 evils just became 3. Hundun''s mood was extremely terrible right now. Four chaos hatchets appeared around him floating mid air. Hundun motioned for them to attack Huoyun. The daoist of five elements in response released the five element pearls. Both top grade xiantian spiritual treasures clashed albeit much weaker compared to their earlier battles. Neither Hundun nor Huoyun could use their abilities to their maximum potential. The hatchets retreated and faded away leaving the two in a staredown. Taowu¡¯s skinny human body slowly floated towards Hundun. "Big brother, what are we going to do now?" He asked hopelessly. Hundun''s true form receded back into a cloaked faceless human. He looked very tired, he stared up at the skies above him. Waving his arms around he easily tore into space. "The great balance had been broken," he stated. From his test just now it was evident the bindings of the Taiji painting was no longer in effect. "A tactical retreat is the best option," he said. "What about senior brother Qiong Qi?" Taowu asked. Hundun looked in Qiong Qi''s direction and had a thought. It would be great if could kill Si Hai right now. He looked back at Huoyun then up at Hongjun. "Our lord should be arriving soon as well. There''s no need to panic," he said much to Taowu''s confusion. Despite the distance, Huoyun had also heard him and felt extremely confused. Shenni was as good as dead, what is Hundun talking about. Hongjun cut deeply into Shenni with the Pangu banner''s sword form. With a hard swing, he cleaved off Shenni''s right paw. Purple light shone at his feet and he kicked Shenni forcing him to spit out blood. The beast emperor howled in pain and rage. "Hongjun you bastard, you will regret using me!" He roared and charged despite his grievous wounds. Hongjun sighed, "Foolish, did you never think that since I gave you your cultivation, I could also take it away?" He raised his palm at Shenni, "Playing with you has been fun but we''re on a schedule. I''m afraid this is where we part ways". A massive bright seal with the image of the taijitsu appeared. "Your death shall herald a new era Shenni, a new year for us all," Hongjun said cheerfully pressing down towards the beast emperor. Shenni could feel himself weakening before the seal. His primordial Qi was being sucked out, his Dao fruit was breaking apart. He felt extremely regretful at himself but also furious. His anger just kept increasing. "Damn you, lying thief," he uttered out before being completely engulfed by the seal. The attack parted the clouds landing at the base of Mt Buzhou. Hongjun retracted the Pangu banner while folding both hands behind his back. He looked extremely pristine and majestic as he descended from the heavens. The Taiji painting was also retrieved by him. Hongjun was surprised, the Taiji painting''s space locking effect had been broken by the explosion earlier. It would seem his control over the treasure would need to be increased by another level first before he gains full mastery over it. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Thank you for your hard work fellow daoists," he nodded towards the surviving few. With a single conflict, nearly all reincarnated chaos godfiends had perished. The remaining ones were the few before him and they were reduced to a sorry state. Hongjun could already feel the gestation process nearing completion. An extra few deaths should be enough. Although he felt regretful he justified to himself that they were dying for a good cause. He scanned both groups before detecting Louhu''s oncoming presence. ''Bastard,'' he thought in displeasure. Dark clouds gathered over the western horizon accompanied by silver lightning bolts. A majestic aura and the sounds of chanting was heard from the west. Auspicious black dragons and phoenixes danced across the skies signalling the arrival of a mighty figure. A black lotus suddenly descended from the western direction. A young man with an elegant smile stood atop it holding a deadly spear in hand. Luohu had arrived in spectacular fashion. Accompanying Louhu was a host of other beings. Most prominently was an androgynous individual. It had three black eyes, long silver hair, and four arms. Its skin was tanned brown and it held a black pagoda in one of its hands. This individual''s cultivation was very high at least Da Luo Golden Immortal realm. Luohu''s right hand man, the demon king of the sixth heaven, Mara who the Japanese of earth knew as Hajun. "Why have you come Luohu?" Hongjun asked righteously. He put on the image of a heroic elder meeting an evil demon. His purple aura screamed trust me. "Don''t mind me old friend, I''m simply here the pick up a few subordinates," he waved at Hundun to come over. Hundun much to everyone''s shock took Taowu by the waist and flew towards Lou grabbing Qiong Qi along the way. "Forgive me master, Taowu could not make it," he kneeled immediately upon landing on the black lotus. Lou laughed softly as if the loss did not bother him. "Accidents are bound to happen," he forgave Hundun. "We still have a bit of his blood essence stored on Mt Sumeru so we can work something out". Hundun nodded and motioned the stunned Taowu to follow him. The devilish aura was extremely frightening yet comforting to the innate god. He felt truly alive as if he could do whatever he wanted, consequences no longer mattered, conscience couldn''t stop you, all things belonged to you. Hundun clicked his fingers snapping tatie out of his visions. He chastised Taowu via voice transmission and made a mental note to improve Taowu''s Dao heart. He handed the brutalised Qiong Qi to a hairy looking devil for medical attention and moved beside Luohu. "Double agent huh? He never did seem like the sort to follow Shenni," Shangxia commented upon the change of allegiance. Now that Luohu is here another fight looked to be starting soon between both mighty beings. "Hundun, even you?" Shenni''s weak voice called out from the base of Mt Buzhou. His broken form slowly crawled out inch by inch staring in disbelief at the 3 evils. Hongjun narrowed his eyes in annoyance, ''So stubborn,'' he thought. "Can I trust no one in this forsaken world?" He cursed. "Your actions were illogical Shenni," Hundun stated in a cold detached voice. His tone was devoid of any significant emotion when faced with his false master. "Your actions would''ve doomed us all," he added. "Curse you, curse every one of you. You spit on master''s grave," Shenni cursed in tears. He could not control his emotions at all. His uncontrollable tears touched the ruined soil leaving wet patches. Luohu sneered at the weeping Shenni and said, "How pathetic." Shenni looked up at Luohu in rage. Now it all made sense why the 4 evils cultivated so fast despite being kept so busy. Luohu must''ve had something to do with it otherwise they''d probably still be Great Unity Golden Immortal. He couldnt rationalize it any other way. ''Just like Hongjun offered me,'' he realised in depression. He laughed bitterly before glaring at both titans among gods. "Don''t write me off so easily. I am Shenni, most loyal of Demon Ape''s general and I will avenge my master," accompanying his scream his body glowed golden. Large cracks appeared on his body. Hongjun and Luohu widened their eyes. ''Stop him,'' they thought in unison. They both deployed the Taiji painting and 12th? grade black lotus in unison at the maddened beast emperor. "Devils, help out as well," Luohu commanded and his army jumped off the black lotus leaping into action. They brought out various low grade xiantian spiritual treasures and even lower ranking primordial spiritual treasures. Amongst the chaos Huoyun realised his chance. He turned towards the injured immortals beside him and said, "Fellow daoists, please use this opportunity to escape." Qiankun and Shangxia did not hesitate, they bolted immediately. Wangshu looked at the two hesitantly before sighing loudly, she too transformed into a silver light rising above the atmosphere. Huoyun transformed into a mass of cloud clinging onto Da Hai''s body and ran as well. Staying here any longer would be extremely dangerous. He looked at the unconscious Si Hai and felt slightly complex. "You are a fellow daoist too," he muttered sending a jolt of red lightning at Si Hai waking the man up. Upon realising his situation, the sea god followed the others examples and ran as well. "Let''s all die together," Shenni smiled widely. His body glowed like a star, the three spenders, 5 Qi unification, nascent soul, and Dao fruit shook violently. The unstable force screamed in destructive power. "Forgive me, master," Shenni let loose a single tear. Then he exploded. Chapter 29-The New Era Dawns The self detonation of a Chaos Immortal was extremely dangerous. The inner cosmos and all the constructed foundations that were formerly stable became highly volatile resulting in an explosion on a truly massive scale. Shenni''s suicide attempt would''ve easily damaged the infant primitive world. The power generated was in fact enough to kill many fellow cultivators of the same or even higher realm. Which is why the actions taken by Hongjun and Luohu were so impressive. The two worked in unison, harnessing some of the greatest defensive treasures and techniques to contain the blast. Taiji painting, unbreakable balance that locked dimensions. The 12 Petals Black Lotus, indestructible harbinger of destruction wrapped around the epicenter of the explosion. Jade Fortune Disc, its natural karmic luck bolstered the power of the former two. As in the attempt was the nine devils pagoda wielded by Mara. Wrapped in mysterious snake constructs and floating orbs of power. This pagoda opened its doors sealing the explosion within. As quickly as it occurred, it ended. Shenni''s suicide bombing had accomplished nothing in the end. The blast harmlessly passed signaling the death of the former beast emperor. All that was left was a small sparkle that exploded into a flower of light. If Da Hai were present he''d licked it to a fireworks display. Hongjun could feel the cultivation base of Shenni fly towards the peak of Mt Buzhou. In the end, all Shenni accomplished was aiding in the of growth of the primitive world. The end result was the complete opposite of what he wanted to achieve. "Just one more," Luohu said softly. Hongjun eyed the experts behind Luohu, the devil ancestor starred back in return. It was a sit Luohu was darling Hongjun to attack. Currently, Hongjun was nowhere near ready to fight the full force of the devilish Dao. "Indeed, only a little more and this farce can truly end," Hongjun nodded to Luohu. Silently they both came to an agreement, they simultaneously stared eastwards. "Return to Mt Sumeru," Luohu ordered. His subordinates not daring to argue bowed in fear and reverence. "As you command, master," the hairy ape man at the front turned around and led the lesser devils away. Hundun, Mara, and the high level gods nodded to Luohu trusting him to bring glory to the devilish Dao. Luohu did not need their help for he was fully capable of handling himself. Hongjun frowned at the scene. He had really fallen behind, had he become complacent in the east? Mutually agreeing, the two flew rapidly chasing after Huoyun in the east. Da Hai groggily opened his eyes. His serpentine body was wrapped in masses of colourful clouds, sitting within the 12 Petals White Lotus. He immediately recognized the person carrying him. "Wh¡­where, Taowu," he stuttered in hand conscious confusion. "The situation had been handled," Huoyun answered Da Hai much to his relief. He wasn''t sure pellucid divine water''s phasing out of this dimension would work considering the Taiji painting. He made a gentle note to conduct more studies in the future. "I am glad that''s all over, I''m looking forward to taking a long nap after this," he said. Da Hai began stretching his body, his severed head''s necks followed along. The pain was still very real but nothing he couldn''t handle. Da Hai looked at his own pulsating flesh. Primordial Qi from the 12 Petal White was already working on healing him but Da Hai would need years to fully recover. ''Looking at your own wounds is gross,'' he thought. He began shrinking wrapping himself and adopted a human form again. His human form appeared whole if a little pale. He sat down and stretched some more whilst admiring the floating colours of Huoyun''s cloud body. He could glimpse the Dao of the five elements with clarity. As a being of water, he could learn a thing or two from Huoyun''s Dao. In this regard, a human form was much better than his true form. In truth, only Da Hai called it the human form due to his relation to his predecessor. The true name should be Dao body, a construct most ideal for enlightenment into Dao. The form of four limbs and five digits was what is closest to the Dao. Calling it the human form was very wrong. Humanity merely resembled this look. Da Hai recalled Nuwa''s legend, of how she molded the first humans from clay. The day she gave them their bodies and declared them a new race was the day humanity will be born. Due to their appearance, they gained natural Dao bodies, unlike innate creatures who had to cultivate to a certain level before gaining theirs. For powerful gods like Da Hai and the chaos godfiends, they were born at Golden Immortal and they too possessed an already formed Dao body. Innate creatures who were already immortals were much the same. The two continued to travel rapidly. Huoyun had broken space and was teleporting with blitzing. They had already returned to the east continent. Huoyun only looked ahead with bloodshot eyes and heavy breath, but Da Hai hadn''t noticed still chatting. Da Hai smiled, "Brother Huoyun, you should come to visit me in the east sea." He began telling the innate god all the things underneath the sea. How the times of sea creatures had expanded peacefully for the past 10,000 years. How coral like herbs grew on the sea bed that were very beneficial to cultivation. Da Hai also brought up the untapped riches of the east sea. How large gatherings of primordial Qi will eventually spawn an embryo that could be forged into primordial spiritual treasures. If you were lucky a low grade xiantian spiritual treasure may form. As Da Hai was speaking Huoyun''s true form receded back into his human form. He looked incredibly uneasy. "What''s wrong?" Da Hai asked. Huoyun looked back west and sighed. He motioned for Da Hai to follow. "You know, the primitive world really is a wonderful place," he said. "During the chaos, we had observed some naturally forming worlds from a distance but never approached. The beings there were just so weak, so insignificant. However that drive to survive had always been something I admired. I do not truly care about them, but I do think that they have a right to attempt it." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Why the sudden philosophical talk?" Da Hai asked him curiously at the sudden change of tone. "Shenni''s goal of destroying everything compromised that desire. The primitive world and all its living inhabitants wanted to live as well. I did not want conflict with Shenni, but it was inevitable we would clash," Huoyun continued looking around sadly. "We were all fellow daoists of the chaos, in this new world we should not fight each other," He admitted. He looked at the primitive world with a complex expression. "Do you want to know something?" Huoyun suddenly asked. Da Hai who was increasingly worried about Huoyun nodded. "I perfectly understand Shenni. Deep down I also hate the primitive world!" He exclaimed. Da Hai was shocked, "What are you saying?" He gasped. "It all traces back to Pangu. I spent years in that cave cursing his name. I was so happy in the chaos," tears began welling as a look of frustration appeared on his pale face. "You want to open a world? Sure go ahead, I applaud you for it. But why did you have to drag me into it?" He looked in the direction of Mt Buzhou and said, "Why did I have to die for your goals? Why did you have to slaughter us?" He turned back to look at the concerned Da Hai, "Sorry for my ramblings brother. I just felt I needed to vent before it''s too late". "What?" Before Da Hai could even complete his sentence Huoyun moved. A large seal formed by the five element pearls formed a trigram of the five elements. Before Da Hai could react it bound the sea god. "What is the meaning of this?" Da Hai roared angrily at Huoyun. The daoist of the five elements had the face of a man in acceptance. "Saving you," he said. With a swipe, he pushed the sealed Da Hai away. Da Hai landed in a large lake, the trigram formed massive chains blocking the lake. Primordial Qi, pure spirit energy of the world gathered, erecting the soil around the lake. "Huoyun WAIT! What is happening?" In an instant, a massive mountain with an underground lake formed before Huoyun. After it was completed, all traces of the seal had disappeared. It was as if the mountain formed naturally. Huoyun looked back west and brought out the five element pearls. Before long the majestic figures of Hongjun and Luohu appeared before Huoyun. "Finally stopped running?" Luohu taunted. "Where did that snake with you go?" Huoyun didn''t answer, he immediately charged Luohu. The devil ancestor scoffed, the current Huoyun was so tired, so weak that he couldn''t put up much of a fight. Luohu pierced deeply into Huoyun''s stomach stopping him mid air. "Die!" Huoyun shot the five element pearls out along with his fist punching Luohu with his remaining strength. The devil ancestor easily caught the attack and crushed Huoyun''s fist. "So much for the 4 greats," Luohu tore into Huoyun''s chest. The dying innate god looked miserable. "One day Luohu, one day you will pay. You and Hongjun," he managed to make out before his body collapsed into Dao essence. "And so it is complete, now to just¡­ wait where did he go?" Luohu looked around and saw Hongjun''s figure dashing away from him back towards Mt Buzhou. "You fucker!" He roared and chased furiously. They had come together to keep an eye on the other but who knew Hongjun was so sly. In their haste, they ignored the new mountain Huoyun had made and the sound of enraged wailing emanating from within its underground lake and the sound of someone desperately bashing against a wall. "Hongjun you old bastard, I won¡¯t let your scheme succeed!" Luohu called out as both deities flashed to Mt Buzhou. Hongjun arrived first and immediately unleashed his immortal power. He sent his own Dao signature into the Heavenly Dao. Not to be outdone Luohu threw out his own lot as well. He cannot let Hongjun grab all the benefits. Since Hongjun was distracted by the Heavenly Dao, Luohu was able to send a bit of himself into it as well. The golden egg cracked when both signatures entered. Hongjun did not have time to be angry when vast Dao might flooded the primitive world. Hongjun gritted his teeth when he saw the laughing Luohu fly away. The war between the two had just begun. The situation could however be salvaged. As long as he can win the Heavenly Dao over and convince it that his immortal Dao was superior, then he can still win. Luohu will be pushed out, Hongjun had already seen it. Beneath the mountain, Da Hai watched as a radiant light illuminated in the distance from Mt Buzhou. Heavenly thunder and lightning roared along with celestial clouds. Constructs of auspicious dragons, phoenixes, qilins, turtles, tigers, and many creatures roared in harmony. Golden soldiers made of pure Dao essence danced admits the heavens. The Heavenly Dao had finally appeared. Across the world, a change was felt. The lands became more stable, primordial Qi became richer. The vast wilderness was overall a vastly more stable space. True Immortals suddenly discovered they were no longer as strong as before. They could no longer run, fly, nor punch as hard and their magical powers were weakened. Profound Immortals and Heavenly Immortals discovered that space could not be broken so easily. They cannot wantonly break reality and teleport without paying a heavy price. But another positive change was the sheer richness of primordial Qi. Many living beings felt that cultivation was so much easier than before. A breakthrough to the next realm might be possible now. The current yuanhui had ended, 129,600 years had passed since Pangu opened the primitive world. A new era had dawned Chapter 30-Secrets Within Mt Buzhou
However, it was inevitable such expansions will bring a rise to conflict. Because of the disappearance of a vast majority of ancestral masters, the innate creatures were able to rise as masters of the north, south, and east continents. A thousand years after the great battle against Shenni, two tribes of innate creatures were having a territorial dispute on sorrow cliff mountain. It was named as such due to rumours of crying being heard from the mountain many centuries ago. "Old Meng, you really are a fiend. You actually dared to trespass into our rhino clan''s territory?" A buff elder at the Profound Immortal realm called out. A sleek snake like man scoffed, "Your territory? Our ancestor claimed this land thousands of years ago. You upstarts were the ones who stole it". "We''ve been here for millennia without issue. You can only blame yourselves for being too weak to keep your own lands," the rhino elder mocked. The snake''s elder Meng signalled for his men to attack. Soon another battle ensued. These battles have been on the rise for the past few decades. It was not strange for the desolate soil rhino clan and the dreaming white serpent clan to clash. The chieftains of both clans were early stage Profound Immortal cultivators. Heavenly Immortals among innate creatures were exceedingly rare so their current cultivation was considered very good. They ran across the mountain fighting fiercely, hurling boulders and uprooting forests with their primordial spiritual weapons. At some point, they released their true forms and continued fighting The giant white snake hundreds of metres in length managed to coil around the rhino. Around them, the snakes were beginning to gain an advantage over the rhinos. Their speed and corrosive venom cultivated from their special bloodline were very useful in defeating the rhinos. ''Will this be the end of my desolate soil rhino clan?'' The rhino elder thought depressingly. His clan was a new tribe that sprung up after the Heavenly Dao came into effect. In comparison to the dreaming white serpent clan, they were indeed worse off. Suddenly the ground shook shocking both armies. The mountain they were fighting over was trembling. Avalanches of soil, rocks, and forestry tumbled down the mountain. The shaking was so violent that both sides had to flee. Their war was forgotten as the mountain howled in sorrow and fury. The mountain that had sat for over a thousand years erupted in a fountain of soil and debris. Admits the rubble, a titanic 8 headed serpent with long sickle like claws sat with gleaming blue scales and flowing yellow hair. It was clearly aquatic in nature as it possessed fins, whiskers, and gills. Da Hai had fully recovered, his cultivation base of Great Unity Golden Immortal peak showed signs of breaking through at any time. His eight heads surveyed the fearful creatures far away from him. ¡°Finally out,¡± he roared out in relief. But he quickly noticed the environment around him felt different. In the past, innate creatures had to survive primordial beasts and reincarnated chaos godfiends alike. These days most innate gods were dead and primordial beasts were non existent. The former died during the war while the latter was exterminated by the Heavenly Dao. Primordial beasts were always little more than a tremor in the primitive world. Their extinction was inevitable, even if the Heavenly Dao missed a few, they were unlikely to live peacefully in the future. Da Hai stared across vast distances, his superior eyesight could pierce the dimensional fabric of the western border of the east continent. Mt Buzhou was easily in sight. Rage welled up in the sea god, all consuming rage. In his anger, Da Hai snapped towards the last known destination he knew the murderers of Huoyun were at. The distant mountain Buzhou loomed ominously and Da Hai only glared hatefully. He did not think deeply on any action he took. The seal that trapped him was like a time capsule. His mind was still coming to terms with what had happened. At that moment a burning desire for vengence burned within Da Hai. His bloodlust gushed out of him terrifying both serpents and rhinos alike. These creatures immediately prostrated themselves begging the god for mercy. They cursed their luck to run into an ancient powerhouse so soon. ''Weren''t they all supposed to be dead?'' They cursed. However soon the rage gave way to depression. Da Hai hung his heads, retracting into his human form. There were changes to it now. While he still wore white robes with blue lining, he was physically older and taller. Da Hai now resembled a young man in his twenties filled with anger. He thought about the sheer difference between Hongjun, Luohu and himself and sighed. Looking at the direction of Mt Buzhou, Da Hai pondered. Perhaps he could discover something there that can help him defeat Hongjun and Luohu. Mt Buzhou was extraordinary, it is his only hope right now. As the spine of Pangu and the pillar of heaven, it should be the only thing that could help him. Da Hai ignored the prostrating rhinos and snakes and left the area. Breaking through space, he teleported towards the central continent. "Heaven was on our side, we were truly lucky," a rhino said in excitement. Both clans survived a terrifying ordeal that still left them trembling. They looked at each other and suddenly had a thought. Soon an alliance was formed bringing peace to the surrounding regions. As thanks to Da Hai for indirectly bringing peace to their clans, a statue of the 8 headed snake was built for worship. A decade later, Da Hai reached the base of Mt Buzhou. He stared at the golden merit within his inner cosmos and laughed in amusement. Sadly he had much more pressing matters to attend to. He scaled the celestial mountain. With his peak Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation base it was easy to begin. However, he soon felt suppressed and had to land on his feet. The suppression force on Mt Buzhou was much stronger compared to the previous era. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. As the primitive world grew in strength, Mt Buzhou grew with it. Even Da Hai who was 50% of the way through could no longer fly. Undaunted Da Hai began hiking on foot. With his high strength and agility he continuously dashed up the mountain. However, as he went up the suppression force kept getting stronger and stronger. At 70% of the way up Da Hai could barely move. The suppression force was increasing exponentially. Da Hai could barely lift his body from the ground. Forcing his head against gravity he looked up at the sky. The sky above the upper area of Mt Buzhou was pure golden. The current Mt Buzhou could be considered a universe in and of itself hence changes within could hardly be felt outside. The auspicious sky of Mt Buzhou could not be seen from the base of the mountain. Da Hai guessed the golden sky was the Heavenly Dao''s true form. The feeling it gave him was simply terrifying. He had seen Chaos Immortals in action and from the Tian Hai''s memories, Primal Origin Immortal and Primal Zenith Immortals. Yet nothing short of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals can even come close to the Heavenly Dao. Even then, he''d wager that even those immortal gods would be forced to retreat. ''To think it is still in its infancy,'' he thought in wonder. The heavenly Dao was still young, it was bound to grow stronger over time. In the future, during the era of the six saints, the Heavenly Dao was more than capable of suppressing experts of that level. Da Hai attempted to get up only to be crushed again. He could feel a familiar Dao essence of Hongjun and Luohu above him. He felt extremely hateful. Witnessing Luohu killing Huoyun and arresting the five element pearls had infuriated him to no end. He had to do something, he couldn''t let go. He had to think of a way. The golden skies shined with divine light. The dark energy of the devil and the pure energy of the immortal could be seen within fighting for dominance. However, the majority of primordial golden might still hold dominance over the two. It ignored the fighting completely as if it wasn''t even aware of it. "Will of the Heavenly Dao, I wish you no harm. I can see Hongjun and Luohu had done something to you. I wish to rectify it," Da Hai proclaimed, although he was only using this as an excuse. In truth, he wanted to screw over the Dao and devil ancestors. The golden clouds rumbled, the fighting of devilish Dao and Immortal Dao was pushed to the wayside until it could no longer be felt. An unspeakable might barrelled onto Da Hai pushing him off the mountain. Da Hai fell helplessly off Mt Buzhou''s upper stratum. He fell and fell for days, weeks, months without seeing the bottom. Eventually, he landed in a pool of blood. It was then that Da Hai regained his freedom. He had sustained some injuries and was bleeding Dao essence. Quickly, he swam upwards until he broke the surface. He discovered that he had crashed into a large pool of blood about 50 metres radius. He quickly got out of it and looked around him. Surrounding him were 12 similar pools of blood. Da Hai widened his eyes in realisation. ''Twelve ancestral Wu,'' he thought. The famed ancient gods of china, predating the heavenly court of daoism. "This means that behind me is," Da Hai turned around. What met him was a gargantuan royal pavilion hundreds of thousands of metres in size. Its massive pillars held up its circular roof and hung a massive sign post displaying the following words. Pangu Temple! The invisibly force emanating from the temple was incredible. Upon experiencing it for the first time, Da Hai felt his knees give out against his will. He fell into a kowtowing stance of reverence. The Pangu temple was what became of the heart of Pangu. It was hidden deeply within Mt Buzhou and no one knows how to even begin looking for it. After kowtowing Da Hai got up groggily. He could feel a pulse within him. Something telling him to go inside. Da Hai frowned but nodded to himself, perhaps the Heavenly Dao wasn''t trying to harm him. He walked up to the massive doors thousands of kilometres high. Da Hai was only 1.7 metres tall. He looked insignificant compared to the temple. Even his true form will be tiny in comparison. He raise his arms and pushed the doors open. Inside he saw murals, paintings carved into the walls depicting scenes of battles, individuals, and universes. He recognised every single individual depicted, they were the 3000 chaos godfiends. These murals showed the memories of the chaos period, of the mighty gods who fought for dominance. They all led to a centre point where 12 circular thrones sat arranged in a circular position atop of the 8 trigrams. Each seat displayed strange symbols. Da Hai recognised them as the writings used by the chaos godfiends. This language was mystical in nature, only readable with a high enough cultivation otherwise they''d just be gibberish. Each symbol named one of the core elements of the Heavenly Dao, natural laws of the world. Forces of nature integral to maintaining balance and existence of the Primitive world, divine authority of the gods. Chaos, world, wood, metal, fire, sky, violent water, war and battle, lightning, death, calm water, and soil. At the very back wall was a lonesome statue of a hairy fierce looking man. Yet he also looked wise dressed in grass-like loin cloth with an emblem of the taiji displayed. He stood on a spinning lotus, held an axe in his right hand, and a disc with the image of a butterfly spun behind him. Da Hai stood before this statue and bowed in respect. "You have come," a weak ancient voice called to Da Hai. The statue''s eyes had brightened up in pale luminescent light. "You¡­you¡¯re¡­no that¡¯s not possible," Da Hai gasped between bated breaths. ¡°You¡¯re dead. Your life was extinguished years ago! You can¡¯t possibly be here!¡± Because the presence who spoke out towards Da Hai, was none other than Pangu himself. Chapter 31-Da Hai and Pangu Da Hai, despite never meeting Pangu in his life still remembered him. The statue of Pangu who spoke to him through an inanimate object was a one to one perfect visage. Statues generally have some differences compared to the former but based on Da Hai''s memories of the Pangu god, this statue was exactly the same. It was almost frightening. The lifelike statue did not move despite speaking. The glow in its eyes was very soft as if it''d fade soon. Da hai knew Pangu fell after completing his task. When heaven was finally opened Pangu sacrificed himself to become a stabilizing factor for the world. The primitive world a yuanhui ago had been split apart for 18,000 years, a relatively short period of time based on chaos godsend''s time scale. When Pangu let go of the sky, the universe was still very unstable, it threatened to collapse back into chaos. Pangu back then could''ve simply abandoned everyone and left for the chaos sea. He had already split apart chaos and established the primitive world, he had no responsibility to it any longer. However, he stayed and gave his life away for it, filling the empty void with the five continents, four seas, starry skies, and the underworld. His spine became Mt Buzhou holding up the heavens. His eyes became the sun star and lunar star, his bones and muscles became the continents, his hairs became the starry skies, his arteries and veins became spiritual leylines beneath the soil, his belly button swallowed up the wastes and became the blood sea. Their reincarnation was only possible because of Pangu. If they were left drifting in the chaos sea, their weak nascent souls would''ve fallen apart. It was because of Pangu as well that Da Hai was able to come into existence. Like Wangshu, Da Hai¡¯s true nature was once apart of Pangu¡¯s body as well. But Da Hai held no affection towards Pangu. "I did not expect you to still be alive father god," Da Hai said. However, his voice came out gravely and did not have the reverent air of someone meeting a greater being. The statue seemed to have shone brighter in response but the overall light was so dim that it was hardly noticeable. If Pangu minded Da Hai¡¯s tone, he did not say it. "I am not really alive, merely a remnant stubbornly clinging onto some measure of existence," Pangu''s weak voice answered. ¡°My Dao throne is long gone anyways.¡± Even so, Pangu''s voice carried with it a level of enlightenment beyond imagination. Da Hai could understand what Pangu was saying, but could not at the same time. It was like analyzing a tv show back on earth. You understand what''s going on and the base themes but there was so much more underneath that could be understood and interpreted. Pangu''s simple words made Da Hai feel as if he was beginning to go into an epiphany. ''So this is what it feels like to interact with someone vastly beyond you,'' he thought. The experience was something wholly new. Pangu''s realm was so transcendent, so beyond anything Da Hai had ever seen. If it were any other scenario, he¡¯d have been filled with joy at this experience. Da Hai cupped his hands expressionlessly and bowed towards Pangu¡¯s statue. "You do not have to stand on occasion Tian Hai. Do not treat me any different as you would anyone else, not much left to be worth greeting anyways," he said welcoming Da Hai. But within it, one would notice that Pangu''s voice carried some sense of self-deprecatingly. "Nevertheless, you are the creator god. As a junior and someone who benefitted from your pain, it is only right to show you proper respect," Da Hai bowed once to the statue. His show of respectful curtesy was stif. "I get the feeling you¡¯re not too pleased right now," Pangu replied. "That was never my intention great god. I only hold you in high esteem." "Bah! I sense the anger rolling off of you like waves. Just like that brat Shenni," Pangu dismissed. "I am not Shenni!" Da Hai roared angrily. Pangu responded with a chuckle to his sudden words. "Are you not going through the same emotions he was going through?" Pangu questioned, he chuckled but his tone did not imply any mockery at Da Hai''s expense. "You are Tian Hai of the Chaos Godfiends. I remember you fighting me to your last. I also remember annihilating your essence for being so persistent." "Tian Hai died long ago," Da Hai answered. "Yet you stand before me all the same. Reincarnation did wonders to tame you." ''He doesn¡¯t know? So he¡¯s not all knowing after all,'' Da Hai thought with narrowed eyes. Pangu was clearly observing him, analyzing him. He did not feel any mental intrusions implying a lack of ability, unwillingness, or weakness. Judging by Pangu''s current state it should be the third option. "You are wrong. I am not a reincarnation, my origin stems from Tian Hai but I am not him," he declared in clarification. ¡°I am Da Hai. Remember that father god.¡± "Then it seems I jumped to the wrong conclusion. Da Hai hm¡­I see, you¡¯re an innate god born of me," Pangu paused slightly. Da Hai nodded in confirmation. "I was born from Tian Hai''s remnant nascent soul and the waters of the east sea," he told Pangu. The statue dimmed in response. Da Hai grew concerned, had something happened to Pangu? Fortunately, his worries were lifted when Pangu spoke again. It would seem he was merely thinking. "I can sense you are not telling the whole truth," Pangu''s light signaled for Da Hai to elaborate. The sea god sighed helplessly, there was no real point in hiding anything, he simply didn''t dwell on the past much. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "I am also born from another being, a mortal creature called human from another world," he explained the background of the deceased human. Of the memories he inherited and the technological world left behind. ¡®Wait a second, why am I telling him this?¡¯ "I see, so you know then." "If you mean the future then yes, I am aware of the broad details," Da Hai confirmed. "You seem to be already aware of the human. May I ask why?" He asked. He gasped and took a defensive stance. But it seemed Pangu ignored him for when he answered, he made no notice to Da Hai¡¯s alarm. "That child ¡®transmigrated¡¯ earlier than you think. In the latter portions of the chaos period he had already appeared," Pangu explained much to Da Hai''s shock. He had not been aware of this previously as the human memories were somewhat incomplete. "That child was torn apart by the chaos sea but luckily he appeared near my residence. The structure I was cultivating in, what your world calls the cosmic egg. The event happened so fast that I barely noticed it, luckily I salvaged a little bit of the pieces that remained," Pangu elaborated as Da Hai''s eyes began to widen in realization. "I saw what he saw, I saw the three realms through his mind. I saw the legends that will come to be. At the time I was stumped in my cultivation. My Dao was already transcended and I only sat in the realm of Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal realm in name only. But this scene of three realms, this one spark gave me an epiphany," Pangu recalled with nostalgia. "I thought it was an opportunity unlike any other. The opening of a universe within the chaos sea performed by one such as I. An end route like no other. A permanent legacy," Pangu''s next words produced a noise so profound that Da Hai could not comprehend what he was hearing. "From pure nothingness, nonexistence defines the singular element completely white, blank, empty, no meaning, no existence, yet full of meaning, full of existence. Wuji, primordial ultimate, that which is without limit." "From nothing comes something. White becomes Black, swirling in existence. Taiji, supreme ultimate. Taiji is the strongest of all, it is the centre point of creation, the ultimate existence. But Taiji came from Wuji, therefore it is inferior. But Taiji is supreme, but Wuji is limitless. Supreme in something and supreme in nothing." "Taiji becomes Wuji, Wuji becomes Taiji, the constant transformation between the two created the third element. The constant change of the two, one fading into the other, births the spinning wheel of Taiji. From three all things arise." "From the inception of creation, the Dao transforms the five elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. From the two primordial forces rises eight trigrams of heaven, lake, fire, thunder, wind, water, mountain, and earth. Existence is complete and all things arise." "Hence completing Dao birth, where all things are but a transformation of you," Da Hai completed. His eye glazed over in enlightenment. He could feel so much from just musings from Pangu alone. The distant seas, ever far away yet fully visible in sight. Available yet unavailable, in reach yet far away, present yet away. Endless waters that exists alongside the land. Another reality alongside another, fully visible yet unable to feel. Just attempting to reach would be a journey into the abyss. The Dao fruit that was only an image within Da Hai''s inner cosmos became physical. The tall cosmic tree''s flower sprouted a gargantuan fruit gleaming in power. Slowly the tree collapsed away, its role completed. The Dao fruit sat at the centre of the cosmos, an almighty force overseeing all creation. Great Principle Chaos Immortal, on this day Da Hai had joined the likes of Huoyun, Hundun, Si Hai, Taotie, and others as a top power in the primitive world. He breathed out a profound breath of Qi and could feel the richness of primordial Dao essence around him. He felt so much clearer, so much stronger, so much more freer. "Thank you great god Pangu," he began kowtowing. ¡®Wait what am I doing?¡¯ "I guess I can consider you a disciple with that," Pangu chuckled. "I cannot give you any benefits but you can claim the position of my disciple. Named or not it makes no difference." Da Hai felt extremely happy at this, he kowtowed three times before the statue. He would''ve served tea as well but he did not have any equipment on him. ¡°How are you doing this? How am I being strung along by you?¡± Da Hai said angrily. ¡°I am not here here for enlightenment to chit chatter. I¡¯m not even here to see you!¡± "You consider receiving cultivation aid a negative? You benefitted didn¡¯t you?" Pangu said amused. ¡°And here I thought you could overcome your rage.¡± Da Hai was snapped towards Pangu. He remembered why he had come here and immediately paid close attention. ¡°My brother is dead.¡± ¡°Luohu and Hongjun were involved. Hongjun schemed against him and led him to that dire situation where he had no choice. Luohu stabbed him the final blow. You expect me to¡­¡± ¡°Alright enough,¡± Pangu interrupted with a wave of air. The temple complex glowed briefly and the air around Da Hai noticeably became heavier. The fluttering sounds of a butterfly¡¯s wings was heard in the wind. ¡°Do not misunderstand me child. I do understand the pain of losing someone you hold dear. Hongjun and Luohu you say? Those two who schemes against each other for an advantage over my creation?¡± ¡°If you have future knowledge then you should already know. Bit dumb of you to follow through with current events if you knew your end.¡± Da Hai¡¯s snide remark drew Pangu¡¯s ire. But the dying deity only chuckled in a self-deprecating manner. "The Grand Dao is aimless to begin with, it has no consciousness and could not force you. But none of that matters now.¡± "On the contrary, if you¡¯re here to know about those two then my story is very important. It wasn''t until I had already killed the 3000 Chaos Godfiends and held open the chaos did I realize my sealed fate. To successfully accomplish the opening of the world, I would need to sacrifice my very being. But I was fine with it." "I recalled the memories," Pangu said slowly. "I saw the world where everything meant something." Da Hai looked confused, he did not understand Pangu''s meaning at all. "Yes, I could have run and found another way to break through. Step into Dao for real and become an eternal existence like Shiva or Yuanling. But then what?" He suddenly asked. Da Hai could find no answer. "From the moment of my conception, I have traveled, battled across the infinite chaos sea. I have witnessed the majestic god of destruction and his preserver counterpart, timeless serpent and his consort, primeval giants of fire and ice, the solar falcon riding his eternal barge, and countless other godfiends of the chaos. I have cultivated all my life hoping to continuously progress, to reach the Dao," Pangu sighed. "Dao is supreme, the beginning and end of all things, eternal and without limit. But then there is nothing," he explained to Da Hai who was beginning to understand. "You fear there is nothing after the Dao," he said slowly. If the statue could nod it would''ve so Da Hai took the silence as confirmation. "If I one day reach Dao then wouldn''t my life become pointless?" Pangu sighed in defeat. "I did not want such an ending. I was already the mightiest in the chaos. I had defeated all I have met in combat, all for the sake of progression." "I''m fine with this ending," he said, "Being responsible for the rise of so many greats with my name behind them, responsible for their existence. Egotistical I know, but at least there was some meaning," Pangu elaborated. "And this relates to my goals how?" Da Hai stated. "Just be patient, I¡¯m getting there." ¡°See, as chaotic lifeforms our whole lives centers around cultivation. Every living being in fact yearns to evolve and become something greater. The style of cultivation practiced by the Chaos Godfiends were but one such method. They¡¯re hardly unique in all existence, their philosophy is hardly anything stand out. We all sought the same thing, to reach the next realm.¡± ¡°When I was planning things out, I wasn¡¯t exactly paying attention to my surroundings. Two godfiends wondered into my vicinity and saw aftermaths of the decaying human. Like me and everyone else, they were searching for a means to break through. The godfiends were a bit obtuse you see, none of them ever figured out how to reach past Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal¡± Da Hai¡¯s eyes widened to disc plates. He stared at Pangu and asked, "Hongjun and Luohu obtained those pieces too didn''t they. They saw the future as well. Their own methods to advance right?" "Correct, this two caught some drifting pieces and became aware of the three realms. I do not know what they saw but I am sure their actions are related to it." Da Hai pondered, "Could it be that your knowledge was incomplete?" "Possibly, I saw the heavenly courts, the three pure ones, the buddha, the great battle of investiture of the gods, the monkey who trampled heaven underfoot, and the legacy I left behind," Pangu said. ¡°Multiple Dao realm supreme beings all from me. How wonderful is that?¡± Da Hai widened his eyes in realization, "Are you aware of the three preachings at purple cloud palace. The 3000 guests and six disciples who became saints." "Saint? What? Is that a title because I am aware of no such realm," Pangu answered fully clarifying Da Hai''s hypothesis. "Heavenly Dao, Hongjun, he knows he is destined to win," Da Hai explained leaving Pangu speechless. "He saw his future and he is determined to see it through." Chapter 32-The True Enemies The flaw with Pangu was that he never saw the whole picture. He was never aware of the flaw in the Heavenly Dao. Da Hai, who was now fully aware of the myths, began explaining to Pangu every detail he knew of. "So you''re saying, that my work will become the catalyst to that ant Hongjun''s ascension to Dao?" Da Hai nodded at the confirmation. Pangu sighed in defeat, "So what are his intentions then? It seems from your description Hongjun becomes the Heavenly Dao itself." "At the end of his third sermon, Hongjun bequeaths the Dao of the Three Corpses to many ancestors. He bestowed thousands of spiritual treasures as well. Chief amongst them being the remnants of your divine axe. Hongjun used his own Dao to complete the Heavenly Dao, fusing with it and becoming a part of the world itself," Da Hai explained. "This is why he is referred to as the Dao ancestor, he is the progenitor of Daoism. The benevolent ancestor who sacrificed himself for the benefit of the world and gave away all he had. Murderer of my brother Huoyun. What a joke." Pangu''s statue scoffed, "Bullshit, Heavenly Dao was born from me. My Dao was already more than complete, I simply decided not to break through further. No actions like completing the Heavenly Dao was ever needed." "How can you be so sure?" Da Hai asked curiously. He trusted Pangu''s words far more than Hongjun but Pangu had not been a part of the world since its inception. "My flesh did not take the last step, but my understanding of Dao was already at the Dao realm, the supreme stage after the stage of Chaos Immortal. The world created from me will be an order of magnitude greater than naturally forming universes. The Heavenly Dao born from me will be perfect, with the entirety of my understanding of the Great Dao behind it. There was never a need to complete it." he stated surely. Da Hai pondered, the Heavenly Dao had purposefully sent him here, so it did not seem wholly pleased with Hongjun and Luohu attaching themselves to it. Seeing Da Hai''s confused look Pangu elaborated on what he knew. "Listen, the Heavenly Dao is fundamentally the will of the world to survive and improve. It is harsh but fair, impartial to any one side, be they good or evil. Heavenly Dao will only act against forces that threaten the world or when the evolution of the world is necessary." "The Heavenly Dao most probably sent you down here for a reason, Da Hai. What you described is a violation of Heavenly Dao. Hongjun and Luohu essentially injected personality and autonomous thoughts into it. If this is true, the Heavenly Dao should be in turmoil with itself," Pangu said. "And you want me to what? Restore the the Heavenly Dao to the way it was?" Da Hai asked. "Unless you want to annihilate the world and start again," Pangu sighed in defeat. "It is likely that the Heavenly Dao has already incorporated this change, it is still young and all its defenses have not yet fully-formed. It would''ve swallowed anything that it deemed beneficial to it." "Prime example being power from another powerful being, " Da Hai finished. The statue hummed in agreement. "I can guess what happened afterwards. You were struck fiercely before even getting close to the Heavenly Dao right? The likely scenario is that it upped its guard against any and all things after it realized the changes happening within it." Pangu explained. "Can anything be done, at all?" Da Hai asked. "I guess you could find some way to establish an impartial system that can be incorporated by the Heavenly Dao, and have it become strong enough to overtake the influences of those ants Hongjun and Luohu. Otherwise, you have to live with it," Pangu said. "Man, that would feel like living under Big Brother," Da Hai rubbed his temples. He felt really fatigued with the conversation. Pangu chuckled, "Yes exactly like Big Brother, though less mechanical and more mystical, and far more absolute." Evidently Pangu was also aware of some pop culture of Earth. Da Hai nodded along with Pangu. He felt what Pangu was saying was perfectly reasonable nad something he should strive for. As an innate god born of the Primitive World, it is in his nature to aid this universe''s growth. "Okay, so what must I¡­" Da Hai stopped. Signs of irritation flashed through his eyes again and his lips turned into a frown. He twitched several times before slamming his palms into his face. "What is going on? Why am I just¡­" "I didn''t do anything if that''s what you''re concerned about. I mean have you seen my disposition?" Da Hai glared at Pangu''s statue. "You''re a god born from me. It''s in your extinct. Given your youth and lack of experience, you don''t have much experience ignoring it don''t you? Chaos World Native creature problems," Pangu chuckled at the end. "Make it stop!" "Learn to yourself. I cannot help with that." Da Hai straightened his back after calming down. ''Instinct huh? Come to think of it, I was adamant about a lot of things regarding the Primitive World,'' he mentally kicked himself until Pangu spoke up again. "Whatever the case, it seems out interest align. Helping me and the Heavenly Dao helps in your little revenge quest don''t you think? Although you''re not quite strong enough to combat them directly." Various thoughts came and went through Da Hai''s mind for a time. He sighed in frustration, ''If only I was born earlier." Hongjun and Luohu had a very early start, far longer than Da Hai. If Da Hai was born at the head of the generation, he could''ve done something. ''And Huoyun wouldn''t have died,'' Da Hai closed his eyes and clenched his fists until they drew blood. Looking at the dripping blood on his palms, they faded them out of existence by his will, so as to not dirty the sacred Pangu Temple. He leaned back on the chair displaying the characters of calm water, looking defeated. This life has been one bad thing after the other, and now his friend is dead, even the Heavenly Dao is compromised. Then a theory popped into Da Hai''s mind. "Done brooding?" Pangu asked as he saw Da Hai get up from his thinking pose. Da Hai looked very serious when he began speaking again. "Father god, why would Hongjun do all this? What motivates him to complete a supposed destiny from some mortal''s mind?" "The same answer as what I said earlier," Pangu replied. "To advance." "Then another question, how are you sure there is no realm above the Dao?" "I am unsure, however the Grand Dao is supreme, the beginning and the end. What could possibly exist above it?" "Well I''m sure you are aware of my world''s entertainment media, correct?" "Yes?" Pangu replied, "What does this have to do with anything?" "Well in a genre based on Chinese philosophy, called Xianxia, there is often a phrase thrown around, Transcendence. I''ve read quite a few books where the main character transcends the Dao and leaves for an even higher plane of existence," he explained. "Don''t you think you squandered that chance? Suddenly Pangu began laughing, "What? You would believe the prattling of fiction writers? This is real life, not something from a book you found off the internet." He said unbelievingly. "But what if, father god? If either Hongjun and Luohu are so adamant about continuously advancing in cultivation, surely that''s their end goal." "Suppose I believe you. How will Hongjun or Luohu even accomplish this? At most, merging with my primitive world will only let them control the world, and possibly push their cultivation to the Dao realm. It''ll make them virtually invincible but not push them into some make-believe realm," Pangu scoffed. "In the future, the primitive world will transform into the three realms. Many supreme powerhouses exist, bound to the Heavenly Dao''s orders within the Heavenly Court, not to mention the six saints who suppresses the world," Da Hai said. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "The saints were described as the ultimate existence where all beneath them are ants. They''re likened to the Dao realm of the Chaos Sea with only the restriction of being under the control of the Heavenly Dao," Da Hai explained. "All that''ll do is provide the Heavenly Dao with extra muscle. I can see why it''ll work with them in the scenario, but not the crack-pot theory of yours," Pangu disagreed. "What if they believe that with enough power on their side they can forcefully break through into the Dao realm. Saints are pseudo-Dao realms themselves going by theoretical power scaling, plus the Heavenly Dao of yours which is already in the complete Dao-Birth realm, added on by the Heavenly Lords. Stellar Sovereigns, Rulers of the Mountains and Seas, Ancestral Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The combination of all these factors cannot be simple," Da Hai waved his arms around excitedly. "All these powers put together should easily be above a Dao realm being. Even multiple Dao-realm characters might fall if they challenge it. It''ll be an unprecedented power," Pangu concluded before he too began realizing something. "The only Dao ancestor I knew of is Yuanling, he is a lofty figure who does nothing. All other candidates have already perished at my hands. No one has ever attempted to open a world before as a Dao ancestor. Theoretically speaking a Dao realm expert''s Dao is the same as the Grand Dao," Pangu said in wonder. "Dao realm beings should all have unique Daos no matter how similar they appear on the surface. What you have described, direct passage of one''s Dao for the study of others who intern base their Dao realm cultivation upon it. Hongjun from your myths essentially made so everyone was following in his footsteps, his Dao. Hence no matter what they did they could never achieve Dao, only Saint of the Grand Dao. "Meaning there is a possibility Hongjun and Luohu, whichever one wins, can make the three realms into a chaos world that''ll replace the Chaos Sea. The Heavenly Dao will be the new Grand Dao, and as the being that personifies the Heavenly Dao Hongjun or Luohu will have the highest chance of transcendence with no obstacles to bother them," Da Hai continued. "Thus he prevents the appearance of a second Dao realm being while retaining a combat force that could rival one. Enslavement of living beings followed by forceful takeover of the established order, followed by more enslavement. How wonderful," Pangu concluded in understanding. "Fascinating speculation," he praised. "It is the most cynical take on the myths I can think of. One that fits the mould of my enemies," Da Hai said. "I guess in this way you and I are aligned." He turned around to walk away. "Wait Da Hai." Pangu''s presence expanded outwards in the shape of a very faint giant. The figure sat crossed legged, suspended in the air and pointed at the godfiend. "Before you go. I have to be sure you''ll follow through with this mission. That you''ll carry through battling Hongjun and Luohu to the very end." "You doubt my resolve?" "Ultimately you and I are strangers. How can I put so much trust in you? But I have a solution to that." Da Hai tilted his head. "Get on with it then." "Become my disciple, accept the vow of master and disciple. The bond of teacher and student is akin to that of parent and child in your culture is it not?" "In the godfiend''s culture," Da Hai corrected. But he mentally found himself agreeing with that statement. There was a sacredness in that bond stemming from his inheritance from Tian Hai''s side. "Alright fine." Da Hai knelt down and performed a ceremony with Pangu. In this way, he accepted discipleship under Pangu and brought relief to the former. After a while of silence the two had come to terms with what they''ve learned from each other. "If nothing else I''m leaving." "Wait disciple, can I ask you a favour?" Pangu asked. "You are already my master, you don''t need to ask." "Please, find a way to thwart them. My creation should never be desecrated like this," he said slowly. Da Hai was also in thought, what Hongjun and Luohu was attempting to do was morally wrong. However Da Hai had the mind of a godfiend with only some influence from a human. Desire for progression to the next realm was inherent in all of them. Hongjun''s and Luohu''s desire to progress wasn''t really wrong from a fellow godfiend''s point of view. But at the same time, to halt the progress of others was a moral sin to a godfiend. It was unthinkable to willingly destroy another''s path in cultivating the Dao. No amount of human memories can ever make this ingrained truth go away. Even now, a part of him viewed Pangu as a gave sinner. Pangu wanted them stopped because he couldn''t bear to see his creation and his own sacrifice being taken advantage of so blatantly like this. Da Hai''s true goal was vengeance. "I already have enough motivation to do so master," Da Hai said, albeit hesitantly on the last word. He had already decided to do this long before meeting Pangu. "All that''s left is the how," he stated. "I''m sure you can find a lot of help, nobody likes being controlled. But most crucial thing is your strength. You need to improve your Dao realm, the Chaos Immortal realm is not like lower realms. The gulf between it and Dao is so massive that we came up with subdivisions to describe major milestones. Da Hai, you must perfect your Dao to the Limitless Supreme level. If possible, figure out the Dao and reach the Dao realm proper, that is my request as your master." Da Hai cupped his hands and bowed, "As you wish master." "As a master I guess I should bequeath something to you but unfortunately I have no treasures on me," Pangu stated sadly. Just then merits golden light descended from above the temple. This light reached into the building and manifested several things. A flag depicting waves, a cauldron with the image of Wuji, a wheel laced in gold, a sword with water dripping from it, and finally a tree sap. Da Hai recognised all of them as high grade Xiantian spiritual treasures with the exception of the flag, which was a top grade treasure. This flag''s name was also something he recognised, the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag, one of the leaves of the 36 Petals Chaos Lotus, and of the same origin as the 12 Petals White Lotus. "Huh? Well I guess the Heavenly Dao can observe down here after all," Pangu said amused. "Heavenly Dao want''s what is best for the world. If Hongjun or Luohu proved they''re more beneficial to it, it may even take action against me. If I prove beneficial, it will go against them," Da Hai said as he stored the treasures away. "The Heavenly Dao owes me too much for its existence. It owes me an un-repayable debt. You have my blessings, disciple, the Heavenly Dao will always be partial to you," Pangu wished him luck. Da Hai nodded. Surely the Heavenly Dao will be his greatest ally in this war. "And one last favor if I may," Pangu suddenly brought up. "What is it?" Da Hai asked feeling a bit annoyed. "Those blood pools outside, they''re my blood. The beings born from them will be the closest thing to my children. Can you look after them for me?" He requested. "I will, master," Da Hai bowed to Pangu one last time. "Haha, good, good, too good, I can finally rest in peace," Pangu''s words became more and more slurred until eventually it faded. Da Hai sighed and bowed once more. He then materialised some incense and placed them into a small jar at the front of Pangu''s statue. Small amounts of merit descended at this action. Walking outside Da Hai sighed looking very tired, the excitement was over. His shoulders slumped as the adrenaline from prior events suddenly wore off. "What a day," he muttered. Chapter 33-Drowning After leaving Mount Buzhou, Da Hai wandered the primitive world aimlessly. He didn''t count how much time passed, nor did he consider where he was going. He just kept walking without any thought. All the information he had found out was suffocating. Looking up at the clouds, he thought of the familiar auspicious five coloured clouds and sighed. He quickly wiped some droplets of tears from his eyes. After his emotions calmed down, he really didn''t know what to do next. Hongjun and Luohu were his enemies, and in a way so was the Heavenly Dao. Pangu had really placed a heavy burden on him. The excitement of meeting the legendary god turned master had already deserted him. Throughout all his years of existence, Da Hai had never known pain such as this. For over a thousand years he raged and roared, constantly bashing himself against his prison. Eventually, he broke free of his restraint and in his anger, rushed to Mount Buzhou. Now however, he just felt lost. The rage was still there, the murder of his best friend had left a deep scar in his heart. However, he didn''t even know where to even begin with his revenge. The helpless feeling made him feel absolutely worthless. Despite his newly minted Great Principle Chaos Immortal cultivation base, he was still far inferior to the likes of Hongjun and Luohu. He thought about the Heavenly Dao and thought of going up Mount Buzhou again to inject a part of himself into it. However, there was an issue. Even if the Heavenly Dao allowed him to do so, his own will was also considered an outside influence, a biased view and one that can never truly be impartial. He doubt the Heavenly Dao would ever let him do it. The second problem was Hongjun and Luohu. Da Hai''s connection to the Dao was far stronger now, and he was already aware of the underpinnings of the universe. Hongjun and Luohu''s essences, that were injected into the Heavenly Dao, opened up a direct pathway into the Heavenly Dao. Whatever they do with it cannot be good for him. While this did not necessarily mean direct access for now, it did allow for them to detect changes in the Heavenly Dao. They can easily sense something has been tampered with and act to remove a potential rival. Da Hai did not want to risk this. Slowly his mind drifted back to Huoyun. Thinking back, he reminisced on all the years they spent traveling through the vast wilderness. Those early years were a trying time for him. For thousands of years, he was confused, lost, and weak. Without Huoyun he would''ve long since perished. So much was owed to that man. Deep down Da Hai knew it was only inevitable that Huoyun would die. Otherwise how could the likes of Hongyun and Kong Xuan appear? However Da Hai mentally berated himself for not doing anything about it. Just because he knew about the future didn''t mean that things had to progress in that exact order. Why did he let Huoyun die? Da Hai felt he could''ve at least done something, perhaps given a warning. Unknowingly, he made it back to the East Continent without even noticing. Da Hai''s power made it so that all innate creatures never dared come near him. He was on his lonesome for the entirety of his walk. "Fire Cloud Cave," he muttered softly when he stopped at a cliff face. A large valley was beyond him with an elegant red cave. A sign board out front proclaimed the name of the cave. Da Hai scanned the valley, it was wide open and teeming with greenery. Long rivers stretched from the northern edges, merging into a single large river that Da Hai saw that eventually led into the southern edges of the east sea. Da Hai recognised this place now. Unknowingly he had made it back to Huoyun''s dojo again. This was the place Huoyun lived and cultivated. His home as well as his base of operations. Da Hai walked up to the cave, it looked just like the last time he was here. However a feeling of loneliness permeated the area. He wondered in and admired the simple nature of the place. Not overtly showing off wealth like Wangshu, but still rich enough to contain treasures. In all honesty, the cave was a pretty cozy place. It was permeated with Qi, saturated in the Dao of the Five Elements. So much so, that the beginning of a spirit embryo was beginning to form. Something was gestating here. Da Hai however didn''t pay it much attention. This was his friend''s home and he respected that. He was not greedy for any treasure or spare items stored here. It''d have been disrespectful. Instead he ignored all the low grade xiantian spiritual treasures, spiritual herbs and ores piled on the cave floor. He placed an incense holder before the stone seat Huoyun used to use for cultivation. Lighting a few sticks of incense, he paid his respects. When he exited the cave he saw it was raining outside. Rather it was more accurate to say it was pouring. Even the river seemed to want to flood the lands. "How long was I in there?" He wondered. The consequence of not keeping track of time was that Da Hai didn''t know how long it''s been since he left Mount Buzhou. For godfiends, they can easily take over a thousand years to think. Da Hai sat near the entrance with his back to the mountainside and one foot stretched out. He didn''t do much, simply sat there, thinking. Not long afterwards, he pulled out the Ocean Devouring Water Jug. The high grade xiantian spiritual treasure floated in his hand, releasing a bit of its spiritual water contents. It wasn''t anything high grade like the Pellucid Divine Water nor Three Brilliances Sacred Water. It was just normal spiritual water. With another hand he brought out the high grade xiantian spiritual cauldron with the Wuji symbol. Seeing the symbol and the design of circular shapes resembling stars, Da Hai decided to name it Chaos Cauldron. From his pocket dimension he also brought a few spiritual fruits he''d harvested over the years, resembling grapes. He had thought of an idea a little while ago. He took the grapes and water into the cauldron and got to work. Invoking his power over the laws of nature he began fermenting the mixture. Soon after, he began distilling them. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Soon, he could detect the familiar scent of alcohol. This wine wasn''t ordinary wine, but a spiritual creation. Da Hai had created a small cupful of it as a test. He drank it in one gulp. "Weak," he muttered, annoyed. He took out more ingredients and began making more wine. Unknown to him, this was the first time the primitive world had ever tasted wine. "Weak¡­Weak¡­Weak¡­Weak¡­Weak¡­Too weak," Da Hai threw away the last cup. He increased the concentration of alcohol each time, and again and again tried to create more potent alcohol. From cups, to bowls, to barrels, he drank them all down. "Fucking hell, cultivation is annoying," he complained. Even with all his defences down, the alcohol was still hardly working. He looked at the cauldron again and began injecting large amounts of Qi. Pellucid Divine Water appeared, replacing the ordinary spiritual water. "What''s this?" A feminine voice asked. Unknowingly Wangshu had arrived in the valley as well. "What are you doing here fellow daoist?" Da Hai asked with an uninterested tone. He continued to brew without paying the goddess much heed. "I recovered from my wounds, I wanted to thank fellow daoist Five Elements for giving me the opportunity to escape," she answered. She had brought gifts as well, judging by the small satchel she wore on her waist. "Too late for that, he''s dead," Da Hai replied stiffly. Wangshu widened her eyes in shock, "How could this be? Fellow daoist''s strength was unfathomable, Yang Mei told me of his power." "Luohu got to him," Da Hai took another barrel out and filled it with fresh wine. The liquid was grey in colour, Da Hai took a sip and flinched away. He then drank it all down and shivered, "That''s strong." "That bastard Luohu," Wangshu muttered in anger, as she turned west. However, before she could impulsively leave to confront Luohu, Da Hai grabbed her. "Don''t bother, Luohu is a great immortal who''s attained the Great Principle. His Dao should be at least at the Primal Origin level," he explained, much to Wangshu''s shock. Her determination faded into helplessness. "Oh!" She muttered. "There''s an incense-burner inside, if you want to pay your respects," Da Hai pointed to the cave. The goddess nodded and walked in while the sea god continued brewing. "What''s that you''re drinking?" She asked whence she came out again. She had detected the incredibly strong spiritual liquid Da Hai was consecutively gulping down. "Wine," he said grimly, taking another gulp. Wangshu could smell the alcohol permeating the area, though she did not know what it was yet. "I have never heard of this wine before," she admitted. "You wouldn''t have, it''s not something the chaos godfiends had," Da Hai filled a cup and offered it to her. "Try it," he said. Wangshu took a sip and instantly flinched from the strong taste, dropping the cup. "Oh, I''m sor¡­" "How was it?" Da Hai cut her off. "It''s¡­ strong, yes it''s very strong. Gives me an odd feeling, I don''t quite know how to describe it," she admitted. "Yeah well it''s meant to be like that. It helps with the pain." Wangshu''s phoenix-like eyes widened in realisation. "Fellow daoist Five Element''s death has been affecting you," she stated, to Da Hai''s nod. "I did not know him long, nor well at all. I only knew him from fellow daoist Yang Mei''s stories," she admitted. "But I think you shouldn''t dwell on it for too long. It could lead to a mental demon," she said worriedly. "I know," Da Hai confirmed for her. "If you understand then there is not much else I can do," she took the satchel she had off and gave it to Da Hai. "I intended for this to be a gift in good faith, but the intended receiver is, well... Since you were also responsible for my survival, this should go to you." "Keep it, I have no need for it. Your treasure was depleted because of me, you have more need of them than me," He had heard the tale by Huoyun shortly before his death. Wangshu dropped the satchel on Da Hai, "I would''ve detonated them regardless. Besides, I always have more in the lunar palace." "But not as much as before." "Just accept the damn treasures," she turned around. "Stay safe fellow daoist, the world is changing." She disappeared in a streak of silver light flying up to the starry skies. Space was far more stable now and she didn''t want to extend the effort to tear a hole in reality. Da Hai stored the satchel away and kept drinking. For an immortal''s body as advanced as he, poison of any kind could never affect him. But perhaps it was because of whatever remaining humanity still within him. In this instance, at this moment, he wanted it to. So he forced it to After a long time, he blacked out. ... A storm followed the grieving god. A physical manifestation of the unavailable ancestor of the great sea. A trail that stretched vast distances. A journey beheld under the influence. And beneath this uncaring storm, wallowing in his misery, lightning and rain crashed onto the unsuspecting earth. He flooded villages, valleys, and caves. He toppled mountains and carved out ravines. Unaware and unbothered, he wandered the infinite lands of the east. Aimlessly following a karmic trail. Far above, an invisible eye made of unidentifiable colours watched in anticipation. "I trust you, don''t fail me, friend." ... An unknown amount of time later Da Hai opened his eyes. He was extremely disorientated. However he noticed that he was lying on a field of grass. He gripped his head in pain trying to remember what came before. "This is not a cliff face," he said looking around him. He got up and walked groggily. "Grassland, grassland, grassland. Where the hell am I?" He said out loud. He turned around looking at his surroundings. He spotted a figure in the distance. A familiar figure. Standing there clothed in red robes was the Daoist of the Five Elements. Huoyun stared blankly back at the frozen in shock Da Hai Chapter 34-Goodbye Da Hai stood frozen, unable to speak. Amidst the grassland stood someone who should very much be dead. Yet Huoyun stood there, looking healthy as ever. "How?" Da Hai stuttered out, stumbling forward. The alcohol was instantly purged from his system with a burst of Qi. Yet nothing changed. He could scarcely believe what his eyes were seeing. All his senses, smell, sight, sound, divine sense, all were telling him that this was Huoyun. But Huoyun was dead, so how was this possible? Da Hai reached out, managing to touch Huoyun''s shoulder. He was solid. He was actually here. Huoyun''s face showed no visible reaction. He simply stood there, looking at Da Hai with an empty look in his eyes. "I," Da Hai struggled to speak. What should he say? What can he say? In this moment the world stood still for him and he did not know what was going on anymore. "Hello, brother Da Hai," Huoyun said. His stoney expression transformed into an amiable smile. Da Hai released his hand. "You''re here. You''re real. How is this possible?" He stammered. "Are you even here? Is this some trick of the mind?" He gripped his head trying to find any trace of wine still in his system. He however found none, he was completely sober. "I''m as real as I''ll ever be," Huoyun''s amiable smile slowly turned into a dark look. "No thanks to you, traitor." These words sent shock down Da Hai''s spine. "What? What are you saying?" He said, panicked. "What don''t you understand? You''re the one responsible for my death. You''re the root cause of all my problems. It was you who pulled me into the conflict all those years ago, even when I didn''t want to. It was you who put me on Luohu''s radar," Huoyun roared, angrily pointing at Da Hai with a murderous expression. "I," Da Hai struggled to speak. He felt everything Huoyun told was the truth. Yes, he could''ve prevented this, he could''ve told Huoyun everything about the future, about the stories from mythology. Da Hai fell onto his knees in horror. He was the one at fault, it was because of him that his best friend had died. "You''re pathetic Da Hai, you are the cause of all my problems. I was happy cultivating silently in the Fire Cloud Cave, I was at peace, steadily making progress. But you just had to disturb me, didn''t you? You dragged me into conflict with Shenni once again," Huoyun spat at Da Hai''s face. "You haven''t changed from our first trip Da Hai. In the end you''re still the most pathetic person out there. Always dragging me into your problems, where I pay the price." Da Hai knelt on the grass on all fours. He couldn''t retort even one bit. His emotional state was getting more and more out of control. He couldn''t even lift his head up. "From beginning to end you have always been a parasite, banking on the help of others. Well no more Da Hai, why don''t you do us all a favour and off yourself," Huoyun drug his finger across his neck. ''He''s right, he''s always been right,'' Da Hai thought with tears flowing down his face. It was all my thought, I was the one to blame. He looked up at Huoyun''s disgusted expression. "You will get no sympathy from me trash, your kind doesn''t deserve living," this was his only response. "You''re right, I could''ve prevented your death. I never should''ve bothered you," Da Hai muttered, defeated. The sword that was dripping water, one he had received in Pangu Temple, materialised in his hands. He took it and pointed it at his own neck, however his grip was rather clumsy. "Pathetic, you couldn''t even hold a sword right? Are you even a cultivator?" Huoyun mocked. "Honestly, you''re a waste of space. Are you seriously thinking of challenging those far greater than you? You''re not even the real Da Hai. Just a lucky individual reincarnated into the right body." "Dao of Distant Seas? It really does suit you, a parasite who forces others to do things for you. Always present to ensnare us, always far away when we suffer," Huoyun spat. "You never stood a chance in this world. Who do you even think you are? Hongjun? Luohu? Those ancestors are masters of the Heavenly Dao. They only took pity on you and gave some compensation," Huoyun roared at Da Hai. The sea god heard many voices yelling at him, belittling him. He could faintly hear Yang Mei behind him spatting at how disappointed he was at his results despite wasting so much effort to help him. He heard Wangshu as well, "Why did you drag me into your war? My starry skies had nothing to do with you. Yet you barged into my home, stole my treasures and cost me an arm. My treasury is empty thanks to you." A faintly familiar voice also spoke, Hou Pi, the hairy innate creature of many years ago. "If it weren''t for you, Luohu would''ve never found us. My tribe is all dead because of you." "Couldn''t even stand in the face of words? I was so wrong about you disciple. No, you don''t deserve to be my disciple. I wasted breath pushing you into the Chaos Immortal realm," Pangu spat out. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Just another bug, I didn''t even notice you during the battle. You don''t matter, you never mattered. Just offer yourself up as a meal would ya? At least then the world will get something out of it," Shenni mocked. "Nothing but luck, all luck. You should''ve died against me. You were so useless that you needed others to save you once again," the familiar voice of Taowu mocked him as well. Da Hai looked up and still saw Huoyun arms crossed looking furious with him. The sword that he held dug into the side of his neck. A drop of crimson blood flowed out. "Get on with it Da Hai. Be quick about it and don''t dirty my shoe," Huoyun spat. "Heavenly Dao was so wrong about you. Luohu and Hongjun will surely beat you. Your future knowledge is as good as worthless." However the sword stopped and dropped to the side. "I never told you any of those things," Da Hai slowly made out. "I never informed you." "Yes, and that is why I died. All because of you!" Huoyun pointed fiercely at Da Hai. "Yes, you''re right, I should''ve at least warned you. I really could''ve saved you," tears began flowing down Da Hai''s eyes. However his previous sad expression changed into a determined one. "But that is why I''m going to make things right. Brother Huoyun, I swear Hongjun and Luohu will pay. They will pay for your death. Even if it means I''ll have to fight the Heavenly Dao itself, I will right my wrong." he screamed. Huoyun''s anger had returned to one of emptiness. His expressionless eyes stared back at the crying Da Hai. "I never got to say goodbye," he said softly. "So I''ll say it now, Huoyun, I will always be grateful for what you''ve done for me. You were my mentor and best friend. I promise you, neither Hongjun nor Luohu will win, I guarantee it". He walked up to Huoyun and gave him a hug, "Goodbye old friend". He swiped his arm and Huoyun faded into white mist. Suddenly the grassland which was clear as day became clouded. Mist that weren''t there appeared as if they were always there. Da Hai looked at his feet and noticed he was not standing on grass anymore. He was standing on rocky ground. He looked up with clarity and saw the mist blanketing the skies. He could hardly see through them. "What a terrifying illusion," he muttered. Suddenly he pushed both arms out creating a great force. Using the full might of his cultivation he pushed as hard as he could. A whirlwind of Qi rippled across the air. The mist was torn apart by Da Hai revealing his location. The sea god stood on a cliff, overlooking a wide beach meeting endless ocean waves. A large trail was seen across the sand resembling a snake with legs. Indents were present on the rock wall as well, clearly something sharp had dug into them as leverages. Da Hai stared into the ocean and rubbed his temples. He turned around to look at what was behind him. An enormous mountain range rose up close to where he was at the centre of the island. It was in an irregular shape, twisting and winding everywhere. However a clear definite path was visible leading inwards. Da Hai followed it but as he got closer his vision became blurry. The air became misty. Huoyun''s voice returned and taunted him. Shenni''s voice returned, mocking him. Wangshu''s voice too returned deriding him. Taowu''s voice returned as well. "None of you are real," Da Hai muttered with clarity. As he spoke the path became clear and the core of the island was revealed. Before him sat an enormous tree standing thousands of kilometres tall. This tree resembled a mulberry tree. Its bark was pure white and its leaves were a vivid green. It bore red mulberry fruits hanging in the sky, each one hundreds of metres in size. Da Hai breathed in the Qi rich air and felt invigorated. He touched the tree bark and felt an enormous amount of life energy. It was seemingly infinite, calming, soothing, and above all else, it was exhilarating. "Fusang tree," he muttered with recognition dawning on his face. Da Hai flew up, transforming into his 8-headed serpent form. Even then he was easily dwarfed in size. He comfortably wrapped himself on a large branch. He took a huge bite out of the mulberry fruits and grinned in delight. He looked at the island below him, "Yingzhou of the three mystical mountains. Fortune was truly on my side." Da Hai rested on the branch and smiled in contentment, lying in the shade. "I was in need of a base of operations. Yingzhou is perfect, untraceable and outside the governance of Heaven. A chaos fragment of the Chaos Sea and a perfect environment for cultivation," Da Hai spat out blood containing his very essence. They dropped onto the surface of the island. Da Hai began the refinement process with haste. ''I promise you Huoyun, no, I guarantee that your death will be avenged.'' Chapter 35-Teacher of Yingzhou Yingzhou was one of three stones which once floated amongst the Chaos Sea. When Pangu opened the Primitive World, these three stones fell into the infant Primitive World. In the process they transformed into three celestial mountains, constantly roaming the oceans of the primitive world. Penglei, Yingzhou, Fangzhang, all of them impossible to track, outside of the Heavenly Dao but exist within it. Each island possessed their own secrets, which would make even the richest of cultivators salivate. Each mountain was also an incredible treasure in and of themselves. Due to its immense power, Da Hai stayed on Yingzhou for many years, refining the mountain until it belonged to him completely. He had long conquered the unique naturally-forming formation on the island which produced fierce illusions. The mental test had allowed his dao-heart to be strengthened beyond his previous resolve. Bit by bit Yingzhou submitted. The mountain and the Fusang tree eventually accepted Da Hai as their master. With the refinement in process, Da Hai could already steer the island. Within the central area of the East Sea where his former resting place lay, the Celestial Mountain appeared. Upon the mountain, surrounding the Fusang tree, an enormous palace was constructed using the ambient primordial Qi. Da Hai did not want his home to look shabby. Having been to the Pangu Temple, he used the aesthetic he''d observed there to create a palace of his own. What resulted was many kilometres in size, with a giant main hall decorated in blue, silver, gold, and green. Statues of sea life were present alongside pillars holding up the ceiling which depicted a lotus pond. An elevated platform several kilometres long was built within the main hall, taking up half the available space. A soft set of cushions lay there, the personal seat of Da Hai. Tens of thousands of years later, the process was finally done. Da Hai''s control over Yingzhou became absolute. He rested in his true form within the palace, sleeping. He felt that although Yingzhou was peaceful, it lacked any inhabitants other than himself. It was a shame, as he rather liked commotion. Da Hai looked out towards the East Sea. He''d spend thousands of years in seclusion and now he decided to catch up on the news. Da Hai had not interfered with the East Sea since the end of the Shenni War. Thousands of years later, many from the older generation of immortals had finally died of old age. Despite what the name will have you believe, immortals weren''t eternal. Prior to the Golden Immortal realm, all beings lacked the Dao fruit which bestowed longevity, their lifespan is ultimately finite. The maximum lifespan of any creature is a single Yuanhui, and that is assuming they reached the apex of Heavenly Immortal level, with two crowns formed and the seed of the third laid. Such geniuses were truly rare among the innate creatures. Thus far, only their chieftains and mighty warriors of the various tribes had reached the Heavenly Immortal realm. Many immortals getting on in the years had sadly passed away. Da Hai wondered if those crabs living on his lotus all those years ago were still alive. The East Sea wasn''t different from the rest of the world. It was not without conflict. Various sea tribes vied for dominance on the ocean floor, causing several wars. Some tribes had even gone into a succession crisis when their leader died, resulting in civil wars. An example of the latter was surprisingly in the Sea Turtle clan who were known for their cowardly temperament. The Boiling Crab clan had also invaded deep into Chill Song Dolphin clan''s territory while they in turn called for their ally, the Colossal Shark clan to help out. It wasn''t an ideal time to be alive, Da Hai had noticed. The East Sea had no true leader to govern them like the West Continent. In fact none of the other regions had true leaders. Hongjun was too exalted for that role. The North Continent was in shambles. The South was an enormous gathering of innate creatures far surpassing any other region. With a majority of innate gods dead, the geopolitical landscape was quite diverse with the numerous innate creature tribes. In fact it was wrong to call them innate anymore. Many of them had experienced natural births and were now classified as post-natal creatures. Da Hai could see young children playing around. It was a rather odd sight. He observed a crab family, where the mother was a True Immortal elder of the clan while the father had yet to transcend his tribulation. However due to their high cultivation they had obtained Dao bodies (human forms). Their children, with little cultivation, were little crabs running around. Da Hai narrowed his eyes. Although a lot of breeding was going on, he noticed an issue. There were a lot of mortal creatures below the Immortal realm who were not cultivating. Da Hai lowered his heads and divined the truth. It turned out that they didn''t know how to cultivate. A few tribes had invented rudimentary exercises but they were ineffective and could only raise their cultivation slightly. Mortal cultivation was not like immortal cultivation. Cultivation for Immortals was simple, they illuminated themselves into Dao, the workings of the universe naturally. From there they merge the five elements, birth the three splendours, rip themselves out of the river of destiny, form the primal unity, and create the Dao fruit. The key factor was Dao. Mortals lacked the intimate connection to Dao that immortals possessed. As such mortals must forge their bodies and souls into immortal ones. They''d also need to condense essence, the nascent soul and the pure understanding into the workings of the universe, the Dao. For many postnatal lifeforms, they were born with a nascent soul already formed. This meant that in theory, they could cultivate further albeit clumsily. However, some were born without one, some even without any cultivation at all. Hence these tribes pushed for the development of techniques, methods to cultivate further. Da Hai frowned, he was a native of the ocean and the fact that they were struggling didn''t quite sit well with him. He did not mind conflict, those drove progress and had very little to do with him. He was not the peace loving benevolent guru who wished for salvation upon all beings. He was empathetic but ultimately selfish person. However Da Hai could sense them crying out at their unfortunate fates of not being born immortal and the curse of short mortal lives. Such tears touched his heart, made him compelled to lend aid. "Inhabitants of the East Seas, I am Da Hai of Yingzhou. I have revealed the location of my home to you. I will be holding a sermon a thousand years from now. Whatever you gain from it is up to you," he announced. The reason he picked a thousand year was due to the sheer size of the East Sea. These living beings were not like him, they couldn''t cover vast distances in little time. They had to travel for a long time. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Even for those who are immortal, this trip could take centuries under the current climate. Sea creatures have a natural affinity to water and hence superior swimming speed compared to their flying speed. Since Da Hai was in the ocean, they could reach him much faster. "Those words, this is the great immortal," an elderly sea cucumber exclaimed. An elderly stingray beside him was also jumping in excitement. These two were lucky to be born at the Immortal realm due to their nature as those of the second generation. It seemed that cultivation affected the power of their children. The first generations produced True Immortal children, they in turn produced children who weren''t immortals, and so on. They quickly rounded up their families and sped for Yingzhou. Across the East Sea, Da Hai''s announcement was heard everywhere. Many clans were excited, they halted their wars and immediately headed for Yingzhou. Above the ocean water, at the centre of the East Sea sat Yingzhou. This celestial mountain was hidden from the world by a veil of illusions. However, since Da Hai announced its location, many creatures knew where to look. Over the years, vast schools of fish swam towards the central area of the sea. Troops of shrimps, manatees, stingray, sharks, whales, turtles. Even the elusive Mosasaur clan had made an appearance along with their rivals, the Plesiosaur clan. ''With the Great One''s insight, I can surely promote to the legendary Golden Immortal realm,'' this thought was shared by both ancient patriarchs of the Mosasaur and Plesiosaur. As more and more tribes sent their members, news also leaked into other oceans. In the fourth century of Da Hai''s announcement, the South Sea and what little remained of the North Sea caught wind of the lecture. Instantly, the sea clans of those areas made a mad dash to hopefully arrive before the deadline. Even the avian clans who lived by the sea were interested and hurried to Yingzhou. Hundreds of years later, a large gathering of Heavenly Immortals, Profound Immortals, and True Immortals found their way to the heart of the East Sea. Giant birds, insects, and pterosaurs had arrived as well. "Where is it? Where is Yingzhou?" a nervous dolphin called out, "Were we lied to?" Some had similar sentiments while others glared at him for fear of insulting the Great One. After a few more days of restlessness, the thousand year deadline arrived. On the dawn of the 1001st year, mystical transparent clouds emerged from the centre of the ocean. A rumbling sound was heard, driving the creatures back in alarm. Yingzhou appeared out of the sea. Da Hai who sat at the heart of his palace called out, "As promised, the lecture will begin soon, make your way to my palace and I shall proceed." Excitedly, the army of cultivators raced towards Yingzhou. Many took human form due to the ease in sensing Dao laws. Others who were unable to, remained in their natural forms, flying through the air. They were all mesmerised by the environment of Yingzhou. The Qi here was so dense that it felt intoxicating. Many of them even felt woozy. Unknown to them, Da Hai was personally restricting the primordial Qi of this place. This was because the purity of Qi in Yingzhou would have overloaded the cultivation bases of weaker cultivators otherwise. Those beneath the True Immortal realm would have likely exploded. Da Hai prepared some notes on his scales. Picking them out, he practiced a little while waiting for the rest to arrive. He needed to take care when lecturing, as these creatures were much, much weaker than him. He could easily destroy their minds and drive them insane by accident while talking about the profundities of the Dao. Of course this only applied to the various mortal creatures. Da Hai read the flash cards again, some described his insight into the Dao, others described the foundation that needed to be forged for the crossing the immortal tribulation. All of them were important tidbits and notes relating to cultivation. Gradually, his true form disappeared leaving a giant version of his human form. He looked much older than before, appearing to be in his mid-twenties with a short goatee pointing down like an arrow. His hair was loose and flowing freely in the air. He sat above the 12 Petals White, looking like a majestic deity. Da Hai''s eyes glowed with Dao-essence, his aura became unfathomable. This was all done to keep up appearance, of course. It would be really embarrassing if they all found him lazily lying down on cushions. The various creatures were appropriately awed when they arrived inside the great hall. They all bowed to Da Hai. "Greetings, Great One. Congratulations on your victory," they announced. "Please be seated," Da Hai said calmly. Then, hundreds of thousands of cultivators sat down, filling the great hall to the brim. Of course many more were stuck outside due to the sea of people already inside the hall. Many of those outside were mortals. Seeing this Da Hai projected his voice. "My sermon is open to all who have come. I shall first explain the foundations of the mortal realm to those struggling with cultivation. However, my sermon on the Dao will be fatal to those unprepared. As such, only those who have formed their Nascent Soul may listen to it. If you have formed your Nascent Soul during my first lecture, then you may also listen with them," he said. The many cultivators nodded, this seemed fair to them. Though many selfish individuals were a little impatient, they wanted to improve to the Golden Immortal realm, not listen to teachings for lesser creatures.But no one was foolish enough to protest. "From the beginning of creation, living beings have existed. From mighty chaos godfiends of the Chaos Sea, to innate gods of the Primitive World. All those born innately are Xiantian lifeforms. Born of the world, with cultivation and a deep understanding of the Dao." "For those below, you are considered mortal. Post-natal lifeforms with flesh made of the five elements. Your foundation is shaky and unstable, some may even lack the ability to channel Qi." "On the road of cultivation for mortals, you must first open the meridians of the body. These meridians are connected by Qi vessels in your innards. You should first detect the natural Qi of the world, breathing in the Qi, and learn to circulate the Qi. I''m sure many of you have already discovered this." "Twelve Prime Meridians exist within all living beings, followed by eight Extraordinary Meridians. However, only twelve are necessary to open the Qi sea. In the process, you will open the upper dantian, the third eye which detects the spiritual energy of the world, the middle dantian, the heart which allows for storage of Qi within the body, and finally the lower dantian, where you will open the Qi sea which will serve as the foundation of cultivation." On and on, Da Hai explained his knowledge of the mortal foundational realms. As he explained, people practised along with his words. Eventually, they began breaking through in their cultivation. Chapter 36-Profound Lecture "The mortal flesh and all spiritual constructs within are the foundation upon which cultivation is built. The quality of your foundation matters very much. It must be as good as possible to be able to transition to the True Immortal realm." Da Hai raised his hand and created a water mirror. The image of a spiritual sea was visible within a diagram of the body of a fish. It then faded into that of a crab, a shark, a stingray etc. he showcased the 12 prime meridians to all those present, who in turn nodded in understanding. "Once the Qi Sea is opened, the following flood of Qi necessitates the formation of the Spiritual Palace within it, in order to properly regulate the sudden influx of Qi. This is called Foundation Establishment. The Spiritual Palace shall serve as the second step in your path towards immortality." Da Hai changed the diagram on his projection to showcase a theoretical Spiritual Palace. This was all knowledge he inferred from the Dao, for he had no experience regarding the mortal stages of cultivation. All realms signified the appearance of a new spiritual structure within the body. "The Qi Sea then collapses in on itself, condensing into a solid mass of crystallised spiritual energy, the Golden Core. The Core Formation realm is defined by such a spiritual core, this is the elixir of life, enhancing the longevity of a cultivator. It is both rich in vitality and spiritually powerful. There are however grades of Golden Cores, only the highest quality spiritual cores can be classified as a proper Golden Core." The image in the water mirror changed again. It showcased the spiritual core breaking apart, shocking many of those watching it. Those who were attempting to form one were listening intently. The Golden Core cracked and birthed a figure similar in appearance to the diagram of a human. "Nascent Soul, condensed essence of a being. The very foundation of the universe is the essence of the Dao. Condensation of essence is crucial to commune with the Dao of the cosmos. Once your Golden Core is ready, it shall give birth to your condensed essence in a process called Nascent Birth. Take care to raise your Nascent Soul well, for it is tied to your cultivation," he paused. "Any questions?" "Dare to ask," an old daoist with a Nascent Soul said. "Is it possible to form multiple Nascent Souls?" "Theoretically, it is possible. However Nascent Birth only occurs once during cultivation. The creation of a second soul would also degrade the initial soul. However the process should be possible," he said. No sooner had he finished speaking, a mackerel cultivator attempted to birth his Nascent Soul. He was attempting to follow the path of twin souls. However as soon as the second soul was born, he turned pale. Both of his souls were wrinkled and weak looking. "And that is one of the consequences. You were reckless Bi Cha Mackerel," Da Hai lectured the reckless fish. "Please," the fish in human form kowtowed. "Great ancestor, please show me how to fix my mistake," he begged. "Your souls have already been born and are complete. What can I do to fix it? At most I could just overload your cultivation and send you to an early grave," Da Hai sighed in disappointment. "You were reckless. Perhaps out there in the wild there may exist herbs or treasures which could help you. But I know not of any such herbs or treasures." Embarrassed and heartbroken, the fish turned around and left the hall. He had no face to show after that embarrassing display. The piranha and lobster cultivators who sat besides the mackerel breathed a sigh in relief. They silently thanked the mackerel for his sacrifice. "Any other questions? No? Very well then. The next step is to directly commune with the Dao. The 3000 Great Daos which make up the foundations of the Universe are exalted and inaccessible, but the 108,000 lesser Daos are still within reach. They are remnants of the 108,000 lesser Chaos godfiends who perished during creation. All Daos can be summarised into three categories, auxiliary, elemental, and conceptual." "The first involves Daos relating to techniques and skills such as fighting, fishing, swimming, building, etc. The second refers to natural phenomena visible to us, fire, water, the rain, clouds, lightning, earth, germination, etc. The third is the most abstract and quite rare, they include abstract concepts such as time and space, ying and yang. Mortals have a hard time conceptualising such Daos." He showed the diagram again and revealed the 12 prime meridians. He zoomed in on them and showcased special Qi entering them. "Because of your Nascent Soul, you can commune with the Dao, and by extension the natural Primordial Immortal Qi of the Primitive universe. You have to use the Immortal Qi to refine your meridians into immortal meridians so that they can handle and channel immortal Qi." "Do so and you can be considered a Saint of the Earth. From then on you must forge the inner cosmos. Countless stars in the body that resemble the starry skies are all the minor meridians which add additional capacity for channeling immortal Qi." "Once you have refined all meridians in the body, the inner cosmos is complete. If you are on this step then congratulations, you are now halfway to immortality. Now take your insights in the 108,000 lesser Daos and illuminate yourself into them. Success in just any one is necessary to draw in the Immortal Tribulation." Da Hai waved his hand and showed them an image of the five elements. "Tribulation tempers your body and prepares the Immortal physique. This allows for an intimate connection to the Dao. Use this understanding to draw in the Five Element Qis of Creation. The Wuxing, fire, water, earth, metal, and wood, each is represented by a luminary star as well as a natural force from which life arose. Your bodies are created from a template made from the five elements. Now you must draw in the true Heavenly Five Element Qi." Da Hai waved his hand and the mirage disappeared, "Now that the basics are out of the way. Let''s begin the real sermon." When he spoke, everyone below the Immortal realm stood and respectfully bowed. They then proceeded to leave the great hall, for they knew this lesson was not for them and they couldn''t stay. "Dao is the centre of the cosmos, the beginning and the end. The contradictory elements defined by the Taijitu. There exists 3000 Great Daos birthed by the remnants of the mightiest of Chaos godfiends. They serve as the supporting base at the core of the universe, holding up the Heavenly Dao. The East Sea is rich in the Daos relating to water, the sea, the weather, life, and myriads of transformations of the turbulent yet calm waves." Da Hai truly began his lecture on Dao. He did not discuss his own Dao of Distant Seas but rather talked about all his inference on the 3000 Great Daos. He spoke of the intricacies of each one, and how it related to the universe. Of course, Da Hai only spoke briefly on Daos he wasn''t familiar with. As a Great Principle Chaos Immortal with his own unique Dao Path, the 3000 Great Daos were unnecessary for him. He could infer their details directly and used this knowledge to impart his lecture. Of course, any casual insight he spoke about was a significant boost to those listening. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Those especially talented, like the Colossal Shark Ancestor, Mosasaur Ancestor, Plesiosaur Ancestor, and Rapid Turtle Patriarch were making quick progress. Each of them could sense the cusp of the Golden Immortal realm drawing nearer and nearer. For those with a lesser aptitude, at the True and Profound Immortal realm, they were becoming more and more enlightened, allowing them to detect and cultivate in the five elements. As Da Hai spoke, he began focusing on the Daos relating to the sea. He began speaking about more intricate, more abstract details that slowly transcended their realm of understanding. About 30 years into the lecture, many Profound Immortals appeared, while a smaller minority reached the Heavenly Immortal realm. About 50 years later, many had reached the peak of Heavenly Immortal. Then Da Hai''s words became weird. What he spoke about became so abstract, so otherworldly that those listening could scarcely understand. They could occasionally only understand a word or two, but that was it. They could tell Da Hai was explaining the many Great Daos of the sea in detail, but they couldn''t even comprehend those explanations. About 100 years later, things stopped making sense entirely. Only the super geniuses like Colossal Shark Ancestor still understood bits and pieces. Among those foreign masters, a seagull was the only one who could compete. At 200 years, many felt their heads hurt at Da Hai''s speech. Yet they could also feel more connected than ever to the Dao. Their Dao realms were rapidly improving with every one in a million words they caught. Soon, Da Hai stopped talking. Da Hai spoke on the Dao for 500 years, illuminating the countless masters of the East Sea. "I have imparted my knowledge of the Dao to you. Anything more is up to your creation. However, heed my warning, every Dao you create is unique, as such only you can follow it successfully. If you wish another to cultivate your Dao, they will forever be trapped." Without elaborating further Da Hai''s figure disappeared from the great hall. "You may leave now, the sermon is over. You are, however, not allowed to attempt the Golden Immortal tribulation on Yingzhou. Please leave," he commanded. All those previously seated got up and cupped their hands. They saluted the floating 12 Petals White Lotus in deep respect and reverence. "Many thanks to Great Teacher Da Hai," they said. "We are eternally grateful to the saint of Yingzhou, the Great Master of the Seas," they all kowtowed and soon all left. "We must build an altar to the Great Teacher when we return," Colossal Shark Ancestor commanded his subordinate sharks. "I will attempt the Golden Immortal tribulation and enter secluded cultivation for a thousand years. When I come out, I expect to see a place of worship for the great saint of Yingzhou." Those subordinate sharks bowed to their ancestor in respect. Their clan had managed to acquire 400 Heavenly Immortals in an instant, thousands of Profound Immortals and tens of thousands of True Immortals. Countless others were also attempting the tribulation soon. Other clans such as the mosasaur, plesiosaur, pteranodons, dolphins, sea turtles, seagulls, stingrays, manatees etc all reached the same decision. They were determined to all build altars of worship to their teacher. Back on Yingzhou, Da Hai who coiled upon one of the Fusang tree''s branches munched on spiritual mulberry fruits. He was playing with a mysterious profound golden glittering light in his claws. The mysterious power of heavenly merit, a perceived form of luck in the world, or simply good fortune. The Heavenly Dao had deemed Da Hai''s attempt to help living beings progress as a deed of great merit and saw fit to reward him. Da Hai played with the merit for a while, learning as much as he could. This reward mechanic of the Heavenly Dao was quite interesting. Merit was like a currency that buys one of three things: good fortune, enlightenment and cultivation. Good fortune allows for good things to happen to you. Da Hai thought of the protagonists in stories he''d read. Merit acts good fortune, basically their plot armour. Miraculously surviving impossible injuries and getting away from dangerous situations, Discovering long lost secrets and powerful treasures, all can be accomplished by good fortune, paid for by merit. Merit could also help in cultivation. It upgrades the grade of spiritual palace, spiritual cores, and Nascent Souls. It makes forming internal spiritual structures easier. It makes everything easier and faster to cultivate. The last important exchange was Dao enlightenment. With enough merit, one can be forcefully pushed into the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. Da Hai assumed this is the limit, as all realms afterwards necessitates the creation of a new, original Dao. Merit at most can only enlighten someone to a complete version of one of the 3000 Great Daos and help form the Primal Unity. Da Hai sighed, if only further cultivation was as easy. According to novels, you just have to consume the merit, and poof, you''re a Saint of the Great Dao. He laughed mockingly, the most merit can do for him is open a window to Pangu''s understanding of the Dao. He''d have to do the rest himself. Nevertheless this was still extremely helpful. Da Hai rested on the branch and began silently cultivating. He didn''t plan to leave for at least another 10,000 years. South Seas, Deep Ocean Palace. Si Hai sat on a sea throne decorated with numerous treasures and statues depicting himself fighting against the former beast emperor Shenni. Many years after the war, he had recruited many sea tribes of the North, West and South under his wing to form his own empire in the four seas. Si Hai smirked triumphantly. In the early days, he was convinced by Hundun to join Shenni. He was promised a lot of benefits. Luckily he jumped from that sinking ship. Being a survivor and someone who knew Shenni''s territory, he managed to gain a lot of goodies along the way. Since then he had conquered the north and south seas. The west sea was also held by him, albeit on a tenuous treaty with the devilish Dao. The eastern sections of the North and South seas were also not very pleased with his rule. The north especially suffered from Shenni and remembered him well. The East Sea however was where he''d done little in terms of progress. He was planning to slowly take over it as well, and soon. After all, it was his divine given right, his name does mean Four Seas after all. Si Hai played around with the harpoon in his hand when a shrimp minister rushed into the throne room. "Your majesty, your majesty, I have news from the East Sea," he cried, catching Si Hai''s attention. "Oh? Do tell," he motioned for the shrimp to continue. What he heard sent him into confusion, rage, and disdain. "Form the armies," he commanded the generals in the throne room. "March for the East, it seems a little snake needs a lesson in humility." "Your majesty, will we be taking all three armies as well?" A sea snake general asked. "Unnecessary, with the strength of our foe only the southern army is enough," the self-styled Emperor of Four Seas marched out of his palace, harpoon in hand in the direction of the East Sea. Chapter 37-Emperor of the Sea On the southern edge of the East Sea, on one of the many islands near the dimensional border. The Sky Beat daoist of the Azure Scale Crane clan was celebrating her recent breakthrough to the Golden Immortal realm. She was joined by many of her clanmates and comrades, some refugees from the period of Shenni''s war and some fellow natives of the East Sea. "Congratulations to lady Sky Beat, you are the first among this group of cultivators" a toad man happily toasted. He was soon joined by many other daoists at the Heavenly Immortal level. They each sipped on spiritual tea from their cups. In this era wine was still a complete unknown. Da Hai had yet to spill the secrets of its production, though so many years had passed since its inception. Currently, the most popular drink in the Primitive World was either spiritual tea, or whatever spiritual fruit juice the various beings could get their hands on. Sky Beat daoist blushed in embarrassment as more and more people at the celebration party toasted her. "It''s nothing much, I still have a long way to go before I catch up to my seniors," she insisted. "Don''t sell yourself short, sister Sky Beat, you''ve even surpassed your clan''s ancestor. That''s a major accomplishment. Those Innate gods of the past are nothing to you now," a hawk woman said. "Ah! Don''t say that, what if the Great Sage of Yingzhou heard you?" A lemur frantically reminded her. Everyone laughed, having a good time. "Hm?" The noise from the waves caught Sky Beat''s attention. The waves of the water were becoming more and more violent. Sky Beat pinched her fingers and calculated before frowning in dismay. "Fellow daoists, something''s coming through the dimensional border," she announced. "What? Who''s come all the way out here?" The same lemur asked in alarm. Suddenly, the dimension wall separating the South and East seas was torn apart. Much to the shock of everyone at the celebration, an army of sea creatures marched out,dressed in coral armour. They were led by a proud Bull Shark cultivator at the peak Heavenly Immortal realm carrying a harpoon. Upon seeing the beautiful Sky Beat he smiled and called out, "Greetings fellow daoists of the East." "Greetings," Sky Beat and her friends cupped their hands and saluted this unknown individual. She looked uneasily at the army that had come with the shark general. These creatures looked to be ready for a fight. "Are fellow daoists residents of the East Sea?" the shark general asked rather pompously. The immortals on Sky Beat''s side frowned, this shark was very rude. Didn''t he know he stood before a Golden Immortal? "Yes, this one is indeed a resident of the East Sea," Sky Beat confirmed. "Very well, then. Submit yourselves to his majesty Emperor Si Hai, rightful ruler of the Four Seas." he announced. "What? Preposterous!" The immortals of the east sea were furious. Even the normally calm Sky Beat glared at the shark. This arrogance was simply too much. "Also, by orders of his majesty, hand over the fool who calls himself Master of the Seas," the shark general said disdainfully. ''Doesn''t these fools know there is only one ruler of the Four Seas?'' He thought. "For your own good, I suggest you follow my commands," he said self-righteously. "Our own good?" Sky Beat raised her eyes, "It seems you are the one who doesn''t know what''s good for you." The shark gritted his teeth in anger on hearing this. Who was this woman to tell him what was good or not. "Then you leave me no choice," he signalled for his army to arrest these fools. Sky Beat scoffed, ''Where did these fools get their confidence from?''. "You leave me no choice," Sky Beat leapt into action. She had been itching to test her Golden Immortal cultivation base for a while now. "Careful, this lady is a Golden Immortal," a shrimp commander called out to his troops. The bull shark general my seem way over his head and arrogant, but he wasn''t stupid. They had countermeasures ready against an opponent of a higher realm. "Rally the formation," he commanded. The sea soldiers gathered into battle positions and interweaved their power. They formed together into a spiritual giant resembling a Kraken. Suppressing The Waves Formation! The kraken was made of sea green light and emitted monstrous might. It clashed head on against Sky Beat without losing an inch. "What?" Sky Beat was shocked and quickly deployed her primordial spiritual treasure. A seal appeared to block the kraken''s tentacles. "You should give up, his majesty is already on his way," the kraken roared in many voices speaking in unison. It opened its vertical mouth and shot out a blast of energy. Sky Beat crossed her arms with the seal and barely managed to block the attack. "Okay, let''s get serious then," Sky Beat''s eyes glowed in white. Spreading her arms she unleashed her true form, a pure white crane with azure scaled legs and razor sharp talons several hundreds of meters tall. Sky Beat slashed across the spiritual skin of the kraken, peeling off the transparent texture. "The might of a Golden Immortal is incredible," the shark general mused. "But you are incomparable to the gods of the past, don''t think you''re all that." The formation''s tentacles transformed into rippling swords and cut at Sky Beat. The crane defended with her seal and stabbed through one of the swords with her beak. "Fellow daoists, let''s show these invaders what we''ve got," the other East Sea creatures also joined the fray. Soon the kraken was besieged by many Heavenly Immortals. "Damn it we need reinforcements," the shark general crushed a stone in his grasp sending the signal. The dimension wall rippled, before being torn once more. To the horror of Sky Beat, more armies made of hundreds of thousands of immortals came through. They formed more and more formations around them, much to their dismay. "We must retreat," Sky Beat said. She unleashed a blinding flash of light with her seal before turning around to run. "Small thing," a majestic voice called out. All of a sudden, it was as if time stopped, reality froze, and Sky Beat''s brain could no longer function properly. She didn''t even know what was happening, just that one second she was flying and in the next, her wings were missing. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Blood sputtered in the air, making the nearby waters red. Sky Beat''s maimed form was held by the throat by a gargantuan tanned man standing upon a whirlpool. He donned plated armour made of turtle shells and fish scales and wore a crown of corals on his head. He was clean shaven with shaggy hair and held a long harpoon in hand. "Small thing, you put up quite a resistance," the giant Si Hai said smiling. He looked in amusement as if the Golden Immortal was little more than a toy. "Who¡­ Who are you?" She stuttered, all the while spilling mouthfuls of blood. Si Hai laughed heartily at her question. "I am your emperor, the Supreme Ruler of the Four Seas," he proclaimed. "I''ve come seeking the one you call Master of the Seas. Just who has such arrogance to call themselves such." Sky Beat widened her eyes. She had vaguely recalled this name from an acquaintance from the south. Apparently Si Hai was busy pacifying the north sea a few millennia back. Why would Si Hai come to the unassuming East? "You¡­ You''re looking for the Saint of Yingzhou?" She stuttered. Si Hai smirked, "So that''s his name." He raised the crane''s head to his face and bit down. "Not bad, Golden Immortal creatures are quite tasty," he said, licking his lips. The bull shark general and his fellow generals of the south looked petrified. They did not dare step out of line one bit. "Streaking Blue," he said. The bull shark general nervously stepped forward, "Yes, your majesty?" "You did good out there, not everyone can hold a Golden Immortal back for so long," he commended. The shark nervously cupped his hands and bowed, "Many thanks to your majesty for such praise, this slave is undeserving." "Hm, good," Si Hai swallowed the entire crane in one gulp taking pleasure in the flavour of digesting Dao essence. He took out a fish hook and threw it to the bull shark. "This is a low grade xiantian spiritual treasure, it''s your reward," he said. "Many thanks, many thanks, this undeserving slave will work his hardest to fulfill your orders." the shark knelt very submissively. Si Hai nodded satisfied. It was good, these creatures knew their place. "Good, continue the march, it''s time the East Sea also joins the fold," he commanded. He wanted to reach Yingzhou soon and see just who this so-called Saint was. He swiped his left arm out, distantly, and all the fleeing Heavenly Immortals exploded into red mist. Sometime later, across the sea, the Azure Scale Crane ancestor was deeply troubled. His sister, Sky Beat, had not returned for quite some time. He had heard similar stories from his allied clans that their members did not return after traveling south with her. They had been demanding an explanation from him, an explanation that he didn''t know how to give. Si Hai marched across the southern parts of the East Sea, easily conquering many tribes along the way. As a mighty Great Principle Golden Immortal, very few things could even touch him in the vast wilderness. In Yingzhou, serpentine eyes opened in dismay. Da Hai had felt a disturbance and it deeply bothered him. He had been receiving a lot of incense merit recently, a constant stream from worship of his likeness by the various sea creatures in the Yingzhou who had benefited from his lecture. However he''d also heard pleas for help, which had increased dramatically recently. The eight-headed snake untangled himself from the Fusang tree and slithered back onto the ground. He calculated the recent events and felt even more troubled. "Si Hai moved so fast?" He sighed in annoyance. After his last lecture, Da Hai became an exalted existence that was worshipped in the East Sea. He was intrinsically tied to the East Sea innate creature clans. Si Hai''s invasion had already caused them harm. Da Hai flicked his claw and took out a wheel. This was a high-grade xiantian spiritual treasure, the Cycling Waves Wheel. It was extremely good at detecting the flow of karma. Previously a treasure like this was useless, but with the advent of the Heavenly Dao, it became a treasure of great importance. Da Hai aimed South and the Wheel began spinning. Da Hai''s serpentine eyes could see lines of karma in the shape of spindles running across the wheel. It did not take long to find Si Hai, following that golden line Da Hai could see a figure in the distance wrapped in black lines. Above the East Sea, the celestial mountain Yingzhou seemed to fade from reality before completely disappearing. Across the vast ocean, Si Hai who was marching with his troops suddenly sensed something. Currently he was observing a prelude to battle between his forces and an alliance made by the East Sea clans. For the first time since forever, the three titans of Colossal Shark, Mosasaur, and Plesiosaur tribes had allied. All three ancestors stood at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm and had already caught Si Hai''s interest. Si Hai was contemplating whether they were worth more as dinner or as generals. On one hand, it would strengthen his forces greatly, but on the other hand, Golden Immortal innate creatures tasted really good. Before he could decide, however, a massive celestial mountain manifested near him. The ancestors of Colossal Sharks, Mosasaur, and Plesiosaur all bowed in reverence. Si Hai saw this and realised that this must be Yingzhou. He saw a pathway open up towards the mountain and smiled. He raised his hands, "Men, wait here. I have an audience to attend to." Without another word he departed for Yingzhou. At the same time, the innate creatures of the East Sea alliance received a voice transmission from Da Hai. "I''ll sort this out, do not attack but be on the lookout. Retaliate if you must," he commanded. Because of this both sides halted any plans of battle for now. Si Hai strolled up Yingzhou until he saw Da Hai''s palace. He had a greedy look the whole time, this mountain was a truly valuable place. He pushed open the doors into the main hall. Unlike the previous time Da Hai hosted visitors, his stage went unused. Instead he set up a table with tea in the middle of the hall. Da Hai waited for Si Hai, sitting patiently in his human form. "Fellow daoist, please," he gestured at the tea. Chapter 38-Submit "Hehe, if it isn''t fellow daoist Da Hai. It''s been awhile," Si Hai greeted as he sat down on the offered seat. He felt quite comfortable here, evidently Da Hai knew how to treat guests well. "I am sorry about your loss, I understand you and daoist Five Elements were close," he said while drinking a mouthful of hot tea, much to Da Hai''s surprise. At Da Hai''s questioning look, he clarified, "I found out from my own sources." "Yes, I lost a friend that day." "Indeed, I owe my life to him. He saved me during the final battle at Mt Buzhou, you know?" Da Hai was quite suspicious, Si Hai was acting quite friendly. Officially, this was the first meeting between the two but Si Hai seems to be talking to an acquaintance. Da Hai sipped tea in silence while Si Hai kept talking. He got the feeling Si Hai was buttering him up. "I never thought I''d run into fellow daoist Tian Hai''s inheritor out here in the East. What''s more, to see that you have joined those of us at the Great Principle Immortal realm. Truly you did not disappoint us chaos godfiends," Si Hai laughed heartily. "So, how about it?" He asked. "How about what?" Da Hai returned the question. "You don''t have to be coy with me. We''re both from the sea, I already rule the vast oceans of the Primitive World, but I could always do with more help. That fiend Qiong Qi has already thrown his lot in with Luohu but you my friend, your bravery knows no bounds," he complimented. "Oh? I do not think my actions warrant such praise," Da Hai scratched his cheek and looked away. "Haha, fighting Taowu while being a whole realm lower. That''s the stuff of legends," he laughed with a broad smile. "I need someone like you by my side, a fellow Chaos Immortal," he finally made the offer. "Why though? You''re plenty strong yourself, I''m sure by now Qiankun, Shangxia, Wangshu, or even Yingyang would have also reached the Chaos Immortal realm. You had no reason to invite me specifically," Da Hai retorted. Si Hai frowned slightly and drank his tea. "Besides," Da Hai continued. "Such imperial ambitions goes against the lifestyle of godfiends." "Pah! the civilization is gone already. What remains are just titles. Fellow daoist, we are both beings born of the sea. It''s only natural we should work together," he said with an amiable smile. "Are you that afraid of Luohu?" Da Hai said, also with an amiable expression. However his words came out as mockingly as possible, making Si Hai really displeased. However, the prospect of recruiting a Great Principle Chaos Immortal, which will greatly bolster his reputation and power, made him bottle his rage up for the moment. "The devilish Dao is a problem for all of us. You of all people should have more than enough reason to despise them," he said. Da Hai did not respond but his silence was very telling. Si Hai could see the pressure on Da Hai''s teacup increasing to the point where the utensil was on the verge of shattering. "See, this is why you should join me. I will name you Great Emperor of the East Sea, with the addition of your strength and Yingzhou to my forces, the devilish Dao will be defeated in no time. What''s more, you''ll get an endless source of food, plenty of treasures and slaves," he smiled more and more as he made that offer. "Wow, you really don''t know anything about me," Da Hai calmly said before finishing his tea. Si Hai frowned, for he did not expect such a reaction. "I do not see a point in conquering nor enslaving others. You and I share a common enemy, but that does not make us allies," he said. "Careful with your words Da Hai, you''ll be wise to join me," Si Hai warned. Da Hai waved his hands and put away the tea set. He stood up and walked past Si Hai. The doors of the main hall opened, "I think you should go, fellow daoist. I have no desire to be under anyone." Si Hai also got up from his seat chuckling, "Oh Da Hai, do you really think I was asking?" A profound aura filled the great hall shaking the entire building. "Outside please," Da Hai gestured for the door. Si Hai smirked and exerted more pressure on the building. The structure began making creaking noises much to Da Hai''s dismay. "Fellow daoist, I must insist we take this outside," he asked once more, releasing his own power. The creaking noise stopped as Da Hai canceled out Si Hai''s power. The two stood in a stalemate, staring at one another. The great hall suddenly exploded, showering the area with bits and pieces of broken wood and furniture. Da Hai and Si Hai stood opposing one another in an open space filled with rubble. "I spent a lot of effort to build that," Da Hai said unhappily. "Then you should''ve accepted my proposal." Da Hai placed two fingers on his forehead and sent a voice transmission outside of Yingzhou. "Defend your homes," he said. Si Hai had also done the same for his troops, albeit his command was a lot more vicious. Si Hai waved his tanned arm and drew a long harpoon. He pointed the bladed end at Da Hai, as if signalling him to attack. Da Hai clasped both hands. A massive surge of water caught Si Hai and tried to crush him. Si Hai merely smirked and split the wave with one stroke. However both halves of water condensed into giant sea serpents who bit at Si Hai. "Haha, Da Hai you''re quite funny, using water against me?" He gripped one serpent construct tightly before hurling it into the other, splattering both into millions of droplets. These small droplets froze in the air and shot back at Da Hai like a shower of bullets. The Ocean Swallowing Water Jug appeared on Da Hai''s right palm, drawing all the water back in. No drop was leftbehind, all were sucked into the jug. Seeing no progress, Si Hai leapt at Da Hai for a stab. The eastern sea god bent out of the way but had to jump back again against a follow up downward swing. The harpoon struck the earth hard, but no damage was seen. Si Hai looked at the floor in wonder, ''This mountain was truly something special''. Da Hai launched pure energy blasts at Si Hai, while the latter spun his harpoon like a helicopter blade, perfectly blocking the attacks. Si Hai took out a sickle and chain from his pocket dimension and threw it towards Da Hai. Da Hai''s left hand transformed into a webbed claw with a single long sickle claw and repelled the sickle. Si hai jumped with the chain held in his hand pulling the sickle back. He threw it in an arc while stabbing at Da Hai. Si Hai''s harpoon was a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure and incredibly sharp. Da Hai''s 12 Petals White Lotus appeared in his right palm and blocked the bladed edge. However the sickle swerved around the lotus, aiming at Da Hai''s neck. He leaned back narrowly avoiding the blade and twisted his left claw catching the sickle. Si Hai''s eyes glowed slightly, surprising Da Hai as the sickle''s hooked blade elongated into a spring-like trap that wrapped around Da Hai''s entire left arm. He swung his left hand, creating a long arc of water that froze into ice shooting up towards Si Hai who had taken flight. Si Hai smirked, stabbing the harpoon down and collapsing the ice entirely. His other hand commanded the chain to perfection. The chain was wrapping around Da Hai. Si Hai tightened his fist and the chain followed his command. They wrapped tightly around Da Hai''s form. "Not bad Da Hai, but too bad for you, that chain can trap anything in this world," Si Hai flaunted. Da Hai didn''t look worried, his body turned into water and he stepped back, easily slipping out of the trap much to Si Hai''s shock. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Well, that''s a surprise," Si Hai''s smirk disappeared. "Let''s end the warmup, I have a schedule to follow," Si Hai''s tanned form disappeared in a hurricane of water. Si Hai had opted to reveal his true form. Standing many kilometres tall, easily reaching the clouds of Yingzhou. Si Hai resembled a cookie cutter shark''s head with pale white skin and no eyes attached to a slim neck and a bony white scaled body. He had large wings that resembled fins in two sets of two on his back, four long arms each with four fingers. His lower half was a set of four octopus tentacles. "You are really emphasising the number four, aren''t you," Da Hai commented in good humour. "Enough jest, submit now or face the consequences," Si Hai commanded once more. Da Hai chuckled and shook his head. "Very well Da Hai, It seems this one will have to teach you a lesson," the harpoon enlarged into a massive weapon held in Si Hai''s right upper hand. He held a scroll in his lower right hand, the sickle and chain in upper left, and a fishing net in lower right. "You are no match for me," he announced, unleashing the full might of his Dao. Da Hai felt an unfathomable wave of Dao essence wash over him. Si Hai pushed out with the fishing net which expanded many thousands of times, enveloping Yingzhou entirely. Da Hai, in response, brought out the Chaos Cauldron. The starry flames of the Cauldron shot out, burning away at the net. He also held up his sword and swung it leaving a trail of water. This was the Teardrop Sword. While t''s sharpness wasn''t great, combined with the strength of the Chaos Cauldron, it was able to cut apart the massive net. Si Hai retrieved the net and roared in anger, shaking Yingzhou. He unleashed an unrelenting tsunami with the scroll, the water within contained his profound meaning. Just a single droplet could''ve brought a man to enlightenment. However Si Hai''s opponent was also a sea god. Da Hai created his own wave spewing out from the Ocean Swallowing Jug. The surface of Yingzhou was covered in two clashing oceans with only the mountain peaks and the Fusang tree visible. "Foolishness," Si Hai announced. He pointed up, creating a drill of cosmic energy and made it descend on Da Hai. Da Hai released the 12 Petals White Lotus whose petals were unbothered by the attack. Si Hai then swung his harpoon down, pushing the lotus and Da Hai into the sea. "My waters are superior, you cannot win this, just submit," he ordered. Da Hai was wholly pushed into the roaring seas. His wave was overtaken completely by Si Hai''s wave. Undeterred, Da Hai merely smiled, he pushed his arms out and held a large flag. It was the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag. With a single swing Da Hai took command of the ocean, pushing it up and surprising Si Hai. "What?" Si Hai called out as his whole body was overwhelmed by the ocean of water pushing him off his tentacle feet and crashing into a mountain of Yingzhou. The Xuanyuan Water Control Flag''s special ability was in its name. It was unmatched in control over water, even if the water belonged to someone else. Da Hai commanded the ocean and pounded Si Hai into the mountain. "Enough!" Si Hai roared, his very breath dispelled the water barrage. Charging forward, he swung his harpoon with four hands at Da Hai. Da Hai brought up the Teardrop sword, it combined with the 12 Petals White Lotus into a longsword with a segmented white edge. Both forces clashed with ferocity splitting the heavens. The winds generated from their clash uprooted many trees on the Island. It was quite a funny sight as Si Hai was a giant while Da Hai was only 1.7 metres tall. "You know, I quite liked my garden," Da Hai said as he maintained his grip. "Your hands are slipping Da Hai, your Dao is inferior to mine," Si Hai did not make small talk. He directly pointed out his advantage. Da Hai nodded, "Indeed, my current Dao is a little inferior to yours. But do remember where we are fighting." Da Hai''s voice became more transcendent, more profound. Si Hai found that he was unable to see properly. He felt incredibly small, surrounded by fog. "In a direct discussion on the Dao you''d certainly win. However, you picked your arena poorly," Da Hai''s figure disappeared. Si Hai swung his head around trying to see the sea god but found himself covered in fog. He struck out everywhere only to hit nothing but fog. "Where are you!" He roared and stabbed the ground in rage. He pushed the full might of a Great Principle Golden Immortal into a single strike misspelling the fog and revealing his location. He was in his true form many kilometres tall and stood among rubbles of Da Hai''s palace. His harpoon was pulled from the ground as he looked up. Da Hai stood high above him on one of Fusang tree''s branches, both hands behind his back. "On Yingzhou, I am supreme, remember that," as Da Hai spoke, Si Hai felt infinitely smaller. He felt sixteen glaring serpentine eyes staring down at him with the ominous shadow of a gargantuan white tree. "What is this?" Si Hai was struck with an incredible force pushing him up against his will. "Argh!" The emperor spat out mouthfuls of blood unable to block the attack. His battered body flew helplessly, though he immediately operated a fleeing technique, reaching Yingzhou''s border in an instant. A second force slammed into him, driving him hard into the sea floor outside Yingzhou. Si Hai barely managed to look up and saw a scene that terrified him. Eight smoky snake-like heads extended from Yingzhou like a god descending from heaven. Each one opened its mouth in unison blasting Si Hai once more. "I am outside Yingzhou, don''t think too highly of yourself," he moved to intercept but the blast did an enormous amount of damage to him again. "Sneaky bastard!" He roared as he suffered another blow and flew through several leagues of clouds before finally descending and hitting the open ocean. The celestial mountain stood before him with Da Hai standing at the entrance. Si Hai gritted his teeth and turned around, he pushed off into the water, swimming as quickly as possible. He displayed the full power of his cultivation and fled with all his might, leaving his army behind. Since Da Hai was empowered by Yingzhou, he could easily fight off Si Hai. Even killing him on Yingzhou wasn''t an issue. However, at the last moment Da Hai changed his mind. Si Hai was better alive than dead. Besides, a replacement has already been preordained. Da Hai made a note to plan for the future. He scanned the remnants of the sea and noticed losses weren''t too bad. The overall superior cultivation of the East Sea cultivators outmatched the strength of the South Sea army. While formations were good, a genuine Golden Immortal was simply too much to handle for those with inferior cultivation bases.. Mt Yujing. Hongjun frowned as he pinched his fingers on the Jade Disc of Fortune. ''Why can''t I divine anything?'' He thought with frustration. For whatever reason, the events of the East Sea were hidden from him. He even considered leaving Mt Yujing and going east to check for the reason. However Luohu has been eyeing him hungrily for some time. If he went east, Luohu might just be spiteful enough to attack Mt Yujing in his absence and cause untold destruction. Chapter 39-Second Generation Innate Gods
Of course, the events were exaggerated again and again as it went along the rumour mill. From the story of the two having an epic duel, to Da Hai defeating the wannabe-conqueror with a single slap, to Da hai outright killing him and replacing him with a clone, the stories about the fight kept becoming more and more outlandish. As Da Hai had made no attempts to dissuade these rumours, they just kept spreading and getting even more ridiculous. South Sea Si Hai slammed his tanned fist on his throne. His injuries were severe, but not fatal in any way. However, he was forced to stay in his palace to heal. As a result, his empire was already near crumbling. While the West Sea was still peaceful for the most part, the North Sea was in open rebellion against him.. Si Hai had been forced to send a large portion of his army to the North Sea to quell any dissenters. He rubbed his temples tiredly, Shenni had really left him a big mess. He couldn''t even enjoy a good meal recently. "Damn you Da Hai, I''ll get you back for this," he growled. "But those illusions, I need to come up with something," he began pondering. "Yingzhou''s very nature is mysterious. I''ve never seen anything like it. My Dao really was powerless, my water control is negated by that damned flag, and physical force is useless if I can''t see shit," he sighed, disappointed. Si Hai''s Dao of the Supreme Seas was shaken. He couldn''t overcome Qiong Qi all those years ago, but that made sense as Qiong Qi was an ancient life form with a fierce reputation. But the Da Hai he''d lost to wasn''t supposed to be all that strong. "Information from the devilish Dao isn''t that reliable, but what else is new," he said in a self-deprecating manner. He decided for the time being to go into secluded cultivation. This way he would take what he''d seen on Yingzhou and try to come up with some techniques to guard against illusions. After Si Hai''s decision, massive armies of the South Sea travelled westward and eventually northwards. While it may seem counterproductive to take such a long route instead of a more direct route crossing the Central Continent, it was actually for the better. The marching speed of the sea creatures that made up his army was greatly enhanced underwater, not to mention they were in friendly territory. East Sea For Da Hai, the long game had begun. Si Hai had unknowingly bought him a lot of time. Time he was determined to use well. On Yingzhou''s beach, Da Hai practiced with his Teardrop Sword, comprehending various combat techniques in the process. Over time his application of his Dao in combat gained a sharper edge. "Combat ability is good, but it must be balanced with Dao realm," Da Hai put down the sword. Although he owned the bladed weapon, he felt it was not really suitable for him. He placed it back into his pocket dimension and contemplated. The Dao of Distant Seas was already fully formed. Da Hai was now in the process of improving it. Pellucid Divine Water had been a great help in that regard. Da Hai looked up at the night sky, catching a glimpse of the starry skies. He saw the stars hanging stationary in their positions, glowing in starry might. Although they were fully visible, they existed in another dimension entirely, each star containing extraordinary power. Yet the starry sky of the current year was not the vast expanse of the Three Realms, it was many times smaller and weaker. But they still seemed completely out of reach to many immortals of the world. "So close yet so far away," he said in amazement. The sea god sat down on the beach and began meditating. Due to Yingzhou''s nature, he remained undisturbed for many years. As time went on Da Hai continued cultivating beneath the sea of stars. "The abyss of the Dao is so profound, no matter how deeply I reach, there always seems to be something more. Is this what true infinity feels like?" It was an indescribable feeling, although Da Hai personified the ocean, he could not help but feel infinitely insignificant when he peered into the Dao. "To think Pangu comprehended this in entirety," he said in amazement. The very nature of near and far were contradictory. Yet they fit together so well. Da Hai''s body seemed like it was fading in and out of existence. He slowly opened his eyes and tested various cosmic abilities. Rivers of water surrounded him, transforming into a stream of stars before catching fire, exploding into a winding stream of apocalyptic fire. Da Hai changed the elements again and again, from fire to brownish soil to electrifying lightning. "All things belong to the ocean, for the ocean encompasses all things," he muttered as he fell ever deeper into enlightenment. Yingzhou was sealed off and disappeared from this plane of reality. However the denizens of the East Sea did not forget Da Hai or his deeds. His reputation in their eyes became even more exalted. As the millennia went on, many more Golden Immortals arose in the East Sea. The sudden surge of strength made many of the land dwellers envious. The few land dwellers who had good relationships with the sea clans could obtain some clues, but those deeper inland were stuck even worse. Those who were aware of the Eastern Supremacy Hongjun looked towards Mt Yujing, hoping for some sign. Over 30,000 years later, a sudden change occurred a few thousand kilometres off the coast of the East Sea. Thunderous lightning struck deep into the ocean floor shocking many passing cultivators. "What''s this?" A mighty Golden Immortal who was passing by exclaimed. He was an elder of the Azure Rain Snake clan, specifically one of the strongest second generation experts of the East Sea named Flowing Rain serpent. Upon seeing the vast buildup of primordial Qi and tribulation lightning, he became incredibly excited. Xiantian spiritual treasures had become exceedingly rare, the vast majority were owned by the original innate gods and the very strongest of clans. Even his own clan only had a half a dozen low grade xiantian spiritual treasure. "These signs, it''s at least a high-grade treasure. Perhaps something even better." Flowing Rain smiled in excitement. He couldn''t believe his incredible luck. "The heavens have truly blessed me today, ha ha," he laughed in happiness. BOOM! Mighty rounds of tribulation lightning struck the ocean. The aura was so great, even strong Golden Immortals like Flowing Rain retreated. The snake looked around to see if anyone else had noticed the commotion. Thankfully their location was a rather secluded one, quite far from the ocean centre and a bit away from the shore. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. BOOM! Flowing Rain waited for nine days of consecutive tribulation. He didn''t mind the wait. As a being who had achieved the Dao fruit of Longevity and tore himself out of the River of Destiny, he was ageless. Waiting for ten thousand years was nothing to him, much less a measly nine days. On the dawn of the tenth day, mysterious golden light shone from the heavens. Dark tribulation clouds parted to reveal auspicious signs. A mysterious imperial aura could be felt making even Flowing Rain feel as if he wanted to kneel. "Can this treasure be so strong?" He muttered in amazement. He was about to reach into the sea when he detected something. Something he had not expected. A sudden surge of life-force erupted from the ocean. A thunderous roar rumbled through the surrounding area. The majestic aura of a Golden Immortal was felt for kilometres around sending Flowing Rain into shock. ''Shit, did someone actually find this as well?'' He was fully prepared to attack but felt off. This life-force was nonexistent a mere moments ago. Rather it looked to have just come into existence. Before he could react, the vast ocean erupted in an explosion kicking up a tsunami hundreds of metres in the air. Three gargantuan serpentine figures rose with one golden shadow in front and two behind. The leading figure resembled a sea serpent yet was vastly different, with gleaming golden scales. It was long, easily ten thousand kilometres in length. It had a head resembling a crocodile with rows of fierce, serrated teeth, it had ears resembling an ox and antlers of a deer. It had a wild mane of hair and long catfish whiskers twirling in the air. Its body winded across the sky producing auspicious clouds wherever it stepped. It had four limbs, each long and resembled muscular scaled human arms. Its hands were thick with muscle, resembling a hawk''s claw. Nine digits stretched from each of its claws, sharp and deadly. In its right claw was a huge azure coloured pearl. In its left claw was a chain of beads totalling twenty four. They were both top grade xiantian spiritual treasures The following creatures looked less impressive, the one on the right was slightly smaller than the lead. It had yellowish scales and a white belly. It too also possessed nine digits on each of its claws but they were green in colour. The most unique aspect of him was the two massive feathered wings coming from its shoulders. They casted a massive shadow that enveloped the ocean. The third figure on the left was equal in length to the winged one. It possessed auspicious azure scales. Its antlers had the texture of trees and its mane resembled a bush of greenery. Its nine digit claws were more rounded and overall it looked more kind. All three stood atop auspicious clouds generated by their bodies. They looked incredibly imposing. Each of them held the aura of Golden Immortals. "Elder brother, we have finally done it, after all these years we have finally transformed," the winged one said excitedly. The azure one also nodded one excitement. "Hm," the golden one agreed. However he turned his eyes and saw Flowing Rain. The sea snake was staring right at the treasures in his hands. He felt incredibly uncomfortable and slightly offended. Flowing Rain was openly salivating. He was grinning ear to ear when he saw the two. "You lot, hand over the xiantian spiritual treasures," he said with open greed. "Has this guy gone mad?", "There are three of us and one of you," the winged one and the azure one said in unison. They were gearing up for a confrontation as well. "Hmph, I can tell you''re all only beginner Golden Immortals. Let me tell you, your father here has been at the Golden Immortal realm for over ten thousand years. Do the right thing and hand them over," he said with madness evident in his eyes. He couldn''t let this opportunity slide no matter what. "No," the golden said and scoffed. "We brothers are dragons, the highest gods born of Pangu''s Qi. What right do you have to make demands of us? Worm," the dragon said with rage on his face. "That is right, big brother, let''s teach him a lesson in humility," the winged dragon chimed in as well. The azure dragon readied his flaws for a charge. "Ignorant brats," Flowing Rain transformed into a serpent over ten thousand kilometres long. His scales resembled rain drops, rounded and uneven. "Let''s see if you dare," he charged at the golden dragon in the centre. ROAR! The golden dragon did not back down nor use his treasures. With his titanic body, he grappled at Flowing Rain. "Do not interfere," he roared at his brothers behind him. The two fought in the sky above the ocean but the superior one was clear. Flowing Rain was being pushed back. Much to Flowing Rain''s shock, the golden dragon hurled him back into the water with a single swipe of his claw. The dragon dived in after him, all thirty-six claws at the ready. "You fool, water is my origin," Flowing Rain laughed in mockery. He swam fluidly in the sea and attacked the dragon. The golden dragon merely smirked, "So''s mine," he said. With equal fluidity, the dragon danced around the serpent, biting into Flowing Rain''s neck and drawing large amounts of blood. The dragon''s many claws ripped into Flowing Rain''s stomach, easily puncturing his scales. The water surrounding them was dyed red with blood and random innards which flowed out. "How was it brother?" The azure dragon asked. "Weak, couldn''t even put up a good challenge," the golden said unceremoniously. He didn''t even struggle that hard against the snake. "Yinglong, Qinglong, let''s go. I want to see what this world has to offer us," he commanded. "I am Zulong, heavens hear me, I am the Supreme one of the sea," he roared in arrogance, announcing to the world his challenge. In the distant south, a mighty firebird burning in Nanming god fire and rich in yin. Her cry could be heard for millions of kilometres. Her call made all the avians in the world flutter. They could all sense it deep down, their empress had appeared. In the barren north, the cry of an auspicious beast reached the ears of many. A four legged hoofed, scaled horse like beast with catfish whiskers stood majestically atop a mountain. He smiled at his future kingdom. Chapter 40-Arrogant Dragons Just with one sentence, Zulong, the eldest of the three dragons, challenged all experts in the four seas. Many may not have heard nor noticed him, especially those too far away. But many within the East Sea did, and boy, were they furious. Many of the first generation innate creatures, ancestors of their respective clans, wore dark faces. Their East Sea was ahead of the curb in terms of cultivation compared to the South, West, and North. It is then understandable why the ''upstart'' Ancestor Dragon managed to trigger them all. An expected result was clearly seen when not even a week later, the White Sand Crab ancestor and the Pale Ghost Manta-ray ancestor tracked the three dragons down. The end result was a beating of a lifetime for the two ancestors. In the end they only managed to escape with their lives when they offered low grade xiantian spiritual treasures of their own to the three brothers. The following encounters with East Sea Golden Immortals were much the same. They learned very quickly that Zulong, Yinglong, and Qinlong were not jokes. BOOM! The Great Force Sea Snail patriarch''s shell cracked under the pressure of Zulong''s claws. The nine clad golden dragon claws easily dispatched the snail''s spells and directly attacked. The snail didn''t know what hit him. "Impressive, you withstood my strength," Zulong complemented. He was happy to have found the first true resistance among the east sea denizens. "Don''t get cocky brat, my clan isn''t famed for our spells," the snail lifted his head with great force, striking the dragon with a burst of superior strength. Zulong raised his eyebrows, "Haha, to have overpowered me, how would you like to be my underling?" These words deeply offended the snail ancestor. One must understand that in the East Sea, the most respected individual was the Great Saint of Yingzhou, Da Hai. In comparison, Zulong was still very green. "Like I said brat, don''t get cocky," the snail warned. His mollusc body rippled with muscles. Zuloung spun his long body and struck out with a claw, only to be met with an equal force from the snail''s body. "Big brother seems to be having some trouble," Qinglong said worriedly. He looked just about ready to charge in for a helping hand. However Yinglong stopped him with a raised arm. The two were in human forms at the moment, with the notable addition of deer antlers. "Third brother, wait. He''s fine on his own." "What, but just look, big brother is struggling." "Oh, you know how Zulong gets when we interfere unnecessarily. Besides look at them. Big brother is fine," Yinglong assured and pointed with a claw. Zulong, who was previously overpowered physically, swam around the snail. He held the azure coloured orb, the Dragon Pearl, and brought it down in a smash. The snail''s shell had expanded, rolling the entire snail into it to become a huge, spinning wheel of destruction. He kicked up columns of sea water and split the ocean floor sending up soil and sea grass all the way into the clouds. The two forces met with terrifying might. The young golden celestial dragon clashed against the spinning snail with his dragon''s pearl. Profound lights of the azure colour wrapped in auspicious clouds burst forth with great force. BOOM! Both sides broke apart, splitting the ocean in the process. Zulong was leaking a trail of blood from his mouth. The Great Force sea snail patriarch''s shell was completely smashed apart. He helplessly fell back into the waves. "Big brother!" Yinglong and Qinglong cried out when they saw what had happened. They quickly rushed for a helping hand. Zulong''s elongated dragon body shrunk into a human shape. Zulong''s Dao body was incredibly fit and muscular. He looked to be in his early twenties, handsome and prideful. He had the look of a charismatic leader. Adorned on his head of black hair were two deer like antlers. "I''m fine," Zulong exclaimed. He showed his minor injuries, his gleaming golden scales were only slightly damaged but otherwise he was still alright. "That was a good challenge, senior," Zulong said with recognition. The snail had shown himself to be the greatest foe he had faced thus far. As such, Zulong was willing to recognise him as an elder. "I warn you for your own good," the snail patriarch''s voice called out softly as the figure of his elderly human form rose out of the sea. He held his spleen in discomfort as he rose into the air. "The seas are not as simple as you think, Dragon. I can tell you are an inborn creature, an innate god." "Your forefathers, innate gods of the first generation, the reincarnated chaos godfiends, still roam these lands. Take care of your words," he said. Zulong however did not seem to pay them much heed. "Yes, they are strong, but in time I will surpass them. I am born of Pangu''s Qi, my talent is much higher than some relics of a bygone era," Zulong proclaimed with pride. The old snail simply shook his head, this dragon was a little too proud. "The offer still stands, I can do with some servants as capable as you," Zulong offered. The snail was unimpressed, "You still don''t understand boy, divine from the Heavenly Dao, you''ll see what I mean." With that said the snail vanished back into the ocean leaving a visibly displeased Zulong behind. "Brother, should we chase after him?" Yinglong asked the golden dragon. Zulong did not respond to his younger brother. He merely looked on in the horizon in thought "He has a point though, there exist at least two terrifying existences in the four seas that we know of," Qinglong wisely counselled. "Not to mention some of the strongest chaos godfiends of the past are still roaming the wilderness." "The keyword here is the wilderness third brother," Zulong slowly replied. "The whereabouts of Yang Mei, Si Chen, Yinyang, Shen Feng, and the Destiny Demon god are unaccounted for. Qiankun and Shangxia were crippled during the last war before our birth." The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "That leaves the ones we know of. The saint of Yingzhou Da Hai, whose location varies, Hongjun, who has not been involved with the world, Luohu, who rules the west, Si Hai, who hasn''t been seen for thousands of years, and Wangshu, who is presumably still in the starry sea," Zulong rubbed his chin in thought. His eyes glowed in heavenly wisdom "Only two really dwell in the waters and only one is our true opponent," he concluded. Yinglong and Qinglong were not slow, they could understand why he would believe so. Da Hai mentored many experts of the seas, not just the East. However he''s historically never attempted to rule. Zulong''s ultimate goal was to dominate the oceans as his kingdom, and that meant his only real opponent was Si Hai. "Let''s go second brother, third brother. We have yet to visit the core territories of the most prominent clans," he commanded. "You should also work on achieving Primal Unity soon. We already have one complete great Dao inside us, becoming Great Principle Golden Immortal is only a matter of time." "Yes big brother, you are wise," they bowed in unison. Their faith in Zulong''s power never wavered even once. Zulong possessed two top grade xiantian spiritual treasures, not to mention his own physical body strength. Zulong also possessed auspicious might, able to draw in merit naturally from the world as well as produce powerful spells. His foundation was actually superior to a lot of Chaos Godfiends. ... Yingzhou In a luxurious room of Da Hai''s restored palace, a water mirror showed the mirage of the three dragons traveling across the open ocean. The mirage sat atop a candelabrum which had streams of water coming out of its three handles instead of fire. They formed the base of the mirage. Da Hai observed the reckless actions of the dragons. Though they proved to be very powerful, they were a little too arrogant. They were blatantly looking down on their predecessors and even contemporaries. It was true that their origin as Pangu''s Qi made them exceptional talents. But the chaos godfiends should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. Especially because the ones still roaming the primitive world were at the very top of the totem pole. "This kid¡­ he''s a little too confident in himself. Does he think Luohu will just sit back and watch him take the West Sea?" Da Hai muttered in amusement as he bit into a sesame seed ball. "While it''s true Luohu holds little interest in the oceans thus far, you shouldn''t discount him yet," he lectured. "That is not even mentioning Si Hai," he shook his head. "And this should be a full house," a soft feminine voice said excitedly, laying down a combination of five poker cards. Wangshu placed triple threes and a pair of fives. She smirked at Da Hai. "Full house with three twos," Da Hai unceremoniously flipped his hand over much to Wangshu''s chagrin. This was the 328th? game they''ve played over the course of the last week. Every single time, Da Hai had a perfect hand. "Cheater," Wangshu spat as she collected the cards. "You shuffled each and every single time," Da Hai said as he ate another sesame seed ball. "You can only blame your poor luck," he retorted secretly thanking the constant stream of merits he''d been getting. The only real way to win, luck sacking like a pro. "Why is two even the biggest? It''s a much smaller number than ten," Wangshu complained as she got to shuffling again. She hadn''t even touched her plate of her own hand made dim sum. "Because the game is called big two, that means two is the biggest." "Dumb game, got anything else to play with these?" She asked, holding up the deck. "By the way, can I keep them?" "Well we already tried goldfish and standard poker, those are the only games I know. And yes you can keep them," he said. "Great, what about that other rainbow deck?" She pointed at a pile of uno cards scattered on the floor from her previous temper tantrum at losing. "Meh, go ahead," he said to her grin. "How long are you going to stay here?" He asked. "As long as I want, you wouldn''t believe how empty the starry skies are now that Yang Mei''s gone," she said with some sadness. Da Hai nodded in understanding, the great wilderness held much more than the starry skies. In the current state of the Primitive World, the great wilderness was the only location where anything happened. ''It''s not really primitive anymore, though'' thought Da Hai. Going by the developments of the universe, the Primitive World had already transitioned out of its most primitive state. ''I guess Primordial? Well, the Dragon-Phoenix period and the Demon-Wu period are both primordial so which is what?'' He wondered. "What''s wrong? Don''t like my sweets?" Wangshu snapped Da Hai out of his thinking. "No no, just wondering about the current state of the universe." Wangshu frowned, "Thinking too much on Hongjun and Luohu will end up stressing you out, it''s incredibly demoralizing." "Yeah I know, and that wasn''t what I was thinking about," he corrected. He took another bite and marveled at the taste. Somehow Wangshu had magically figured out how to make dim sum from his description. "What are your plans so far?" She inquired as she handed out a new hand. She openly smirked when she saw her cards and let out a small giggle. "I''ll keep waiting for now. Eventually, those three will get into some trouble then can''t escape from, and that is when I''ll strike," he admitted while gazing at his own had of nothing but twos, aces, and kings. Karmic luck provided by merit was a godsend. Chapter 41-A lesson in Humility With thunderous momentum, Zulong and his brothers tore through the experts in the East Sea one after the other. The trio proved to be too powerful for many ancient life forms to handle, and eventually all the sea clans admitted defeat. However, while they acknowledged their defeat, they refused to bow to the dragon. For the past three thousand years, Zulong''s mood has become progressively worse. He gave all his opponents a choice to serve but they all refused. "Perhaps you''re too soft brother," Yinglong had advised him to take a harsher stance. He advocated for a serve or die mentality which Zulong could see the merits of. On the other hand, Qinglong had advocated for peaceful negotiations. The azure dragon believed that wanton deaths with reckless abandon will give them a terrible image in the eyes of the denizens of the East Sea. Throughout the years, the duo of Yinglong and Qinglong had remained at the Golden Immortal realm whereas Zulong had managed to form the primal unity and reach the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. With their strength they were able to best the Colossal Shark ancestor who was publicly recognised as number one beneath the Saint of Yingzhou in the East Sea. "Brother, I believe we''d need more prestige in order to establish a power base," Qinglong informed him. Zulong nodded, however they''d already defeated most of the experts of the east. The only option left was to go to the other seas. "It is publicly acknowledged that the North, South, and West Seas are inferior to the East," he mused. "Qinglong, Yinglong, where do you think the chaos godfiends are hiding these days?" "Brother you can''t seriously be thinking of challenging our predecessors right?" Qinglong yelled out. Although Yinglong stayed silent, his facial expression displayed much the same disbelief. "Zulong listen to me, chaos godfiends are in another dimension of power," they tried to convince. "Well what choice do we have?" Zulong defended. "Besides, my cultivation isn''t far from theirs, I also have two top grade xiantian spiritual treasures on me. We can take a chaos godfiend down together," he boasted. "Big brother you''re smarter than this, don''t let frustration get to your head," Yinglong advised. They attempted to dissuade Zulong for hours. However the elder dragon was a little too stubborn and reckless. "Brother, you know I am always loyal to you but you must see reason. Promote to the Chaos Immortal realm first then talk about defeating chaos godfiends." "Yes, you are right brother. My apologies, the years of no progress are getting to me," Zulong admitted. His youthful face showed clear anger, annoyance, and frustration. ''It seems the benevolent route is unavailable,'' he thought. "Yinglong, Qinglong, who''s a big shot we can kill off safely to get the message across but is also not too valuable of an asset," he demanded. "Well, the big three clans'' experts are out. Turtles, dolphins, and crab clans are also out. I''d say seagulls but they recently began farming spiritual herbs so they''re out," Yinglong contemplated who to pick. "How about the Calamity Serpent?" Qinglong brought up. "Oh that pretentious prick," Zulong scowled. "Well boys, we''ve found our target. what''s his last known location". His brothers shrugged. "There''s a crab village not far from here, we''ll ask them," he commanded. The three dragons were prepared to move when they suddenly sensed something. The three antlered men turned their heads to look at the westward sky. The clouds had darkened, conglomerating into a huge mass. "Is it normal for the clouds to look so ominous?" Qinglong said. "No brother, unless there''s some sort of auspicious phenomenon occurring by way of the Heavenly Dao, this is certainly not natural," Zulong, Qinglong, and Yinglong tensed as a great aura manifested far above them. It was as if the heavens themselves were crying in joy, singing the praises of a lord of heaven. Violent winds kicked up the waves generating hurricanes above the east sea. Mighty thunder rumbled their eardrums. Deep below them, hordes of roaming sea creatures recognised danger and fled. If the dragons were less prideful they would''ve too. For the aura they sensed far outstripped anything they had ever felt before. They heard sonorous voices singing in praise. They heard the chanting of a million sky demons. They heard the winds chiming high above the clouds. They heard bells ringing signifying divine descent. "This kind of natural phenomenon," Zulong muttered in amazement. The clouds, the winds, the hurricanes radiated profound insight into the Dao. As a Great Unity Golden Immortal, Zulong had already stopped relying on the primitive world for insight. But even he struggled to fathom what he was witnessing. "Hm, top grade xiantian spiritual treasures, not bad not bad indeed," the sonorous voice hummed along with an ancient divine voice who spoke. The three dragons could feel their hearts thumping in their chest. Was the feeling of mortals'' meeting with God? "Your ancestor here has been a bit lacking in treasures, don''t you think as respectful juniors you should help this senior out?" The ancient voice asked. The clouds flashed an image within. A titanic whirlwind of smokey air with red eyes carried by massive featured wings attached to the whirlwind. He had no legs nor arms, the only appendages it had were spherical balls of air held by near invisible strings of air running through his body. "And who may I ask is this ancestor," Zulong did not back down. Despite all the feelings in his chest telling him to submit, to venerate, to worship, he stood tall. Even Qinglong and Yinglong were brought to their knees. "Arrogant brat, you do not know to whom you speak," the voice roared in anger. The hurricane became violent, fierce, ripping away at Zulong''s human flesh peeling it away to reveal gleaming golden scales. However his normally gleaming scales had lost much of its lustre in the face of the unknown assailant. "Your ancestor here is the ancient godfiend Shen Feng, the ancestor of divine winds. The war god of the north, the exalted patriarch of the heavens, the most august of heavenly phenomenons," Shen Feng''s sonorous voice rumbled throughout the heavens reaching the ears of those in the east sea. His figure towered over Zulong. "Well you definitely got your wish," Qinglong laughed, trying to lighten the mood. However the trio were all sent quivering as Shen Feng approached. "Brothers listen to me," Zulong said with seriousness. "I will use everything I have to delay him. Take this chance to run, run as far as you can," he commanded, unleashing waves of meritorious golden light. "But brother, what about you?" The two looked frantic at the implication of Zulong''s words. None of the brothers were willing to abandon their family, they couldn''t possibly leave their brother behind. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Fools!" Zulong roared, swinging his fist back and knocking the two many kilometres away. "I am born from Pangu''s Qi of the Yang aspect. I have plenty of merit, I''ll figure out a way," he reassured his retreating siblings. "Brave of you," Shen Feng chuckled. "I could respect your balls brat so I''ll give you one last chance," a stream of air approached the dragon-man resembling a palm. Zulong wasted no time, he exploded in a burst of golden light uncurling his serpentine draconic form. His nine digit claw ripped the wind palm apart. "You''ll have to take it from my corpse," he challenged. The ancestor of divine winds chuckled in mocking amusement. Zulong''s feeling of dread became palpable. His ten thousand kilometre length appeared insignificant before Shen Feng. His profound cultivation became nothing. His mind became distorted, his Dao heart trembled. His vision was blurred, he couldn''t tell if it had been a few seconds or a few hours. It was as if the time itself began distorting. Zulong shook his head to regain composure, the amount of natural phenomenons generated by a Great Principle Chaos Immortal was terrifying. Shen Feng did not participate in the Shenni war, he had defected from Shenni and planned to escape to the chaos. Luckily he had no need to, as the problem was resolved. In the tens of thousands of years since, he''d recovered to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm and regained a fraction of his former divine might. His current strength was far superior to the four evils who fought during the war. Of course after so many years they were bound to have many improvements making victory in a direct confrontation improbable. However Shen Feng was more than capable of crushing an inexperienced Great Unity Golden Immortal like Zulong. The dragon couldn''t even begin moving when his golden body was batted away. Zulong spat out mouthfuls of blood, he just barely stabilised himself. He couldn''t believe it, was the gap between Great Unity and Great Principle so large? He manifested the Dragon Pearl and the Twenty Four Ocean Calming Pearls. The combined might of both treasures unleashed unspeakable power from the sea. "Hmph!" Shen Feng snorted. He clapped his wings and dispelled Zulong''s attack much to his shock. "You are weak, unable to truly utilise those spiritual treasures. They are wasted on you," Shen Feng''s smokey face had a greedy look, his massive form flew towards Zulong at blinding speeds. "ROAR!" Zulong brought up both treasures and met the godfiend head on. In an instant he was blown back like nothing, dropping the chain of beads but was able to hold onto the single azure pearl. "Brother!" To Zulong''s fearful surprise, Qinglong and Yinglong caught the golden dragon. "You fools," he scolded but secretly he felt very grateful. "We couldn''t leave you brother, we are one family. We came into the world together and we must support each other," they insisted. Qinglong and Yinglong unleashed their true forms and dashed for the twenty four sea calming pearls. "Don''t you dare steal from our elder brother," they roared at Shen Feng. "Wait brothers, treasure isn''t as important as your life," Zulong called out frantically chasing after them. Shen Feng found the whole situation amusing. He casually slapped away Qinglong and Yinglong with a wing. "Brats these days don''t know what''s good for them," he mocked. He toyed with the three with little effort nor care. The treasures were already as good as his. "Bullying juniors? Really Shen Feng, have you truly fallen so low?" The three brother''s feeling of dread doubled as another profound aura appeared. Natural phenomenons generating sonorous voices sung in the air, profound scriptures flashed across the waves. Illusions of dancing fairies, marching deities, and celebrating immortals sung in brilliant radiance as the waves parted. Shen Feng''s storm clouds slowly receded as the cloudy outline of an eight headed serpent surfaced. A younger male with a short beard and long yellow hair walked from within the water. "Da Hai," Shen Feng said slowly in recognition. "This business has nothing to do with you, leave," he commanded. Da Hai ignored the wind god and looked at the state of the dragons. "Spawned from the Yang rich half of Pangu''s Qi, the personification of the masculine form known as the ancestral dragon Zulong. He is a creature of great destiny. Why must you harm juniors," Da Hai accused. "Taking the higher ground? You hunger for their treasures too," Shen Feng accused back. Da Hai turned his attention to the three dragons. Pulling from a certain famous phrase, he said, "You three have destiny with me, are you willing to worship me as your master and join my Yingzhou lineage?" The dragon siblings couldn''t believe their good luck. Although this meant bowing their heads for now, they would also get a teacher at the Chaos Immortal realm. Even if it was the weakest tier of Chaos Immortal, it was still far above them. They''d heard of Yingzhou as well, it was one of the best environments for cultivation. The three dragons assumed human forms and bowed. "Greetings master," they said in unison. Da Hai chuckled softly, ''they may be arrogant but they aren''t stupid''. In truth, Zulong felt slightly unhappy at his choice, however given the circumstance it was the only option that will save his brothers. "Shen Feng, you have bullied my disciples. I give you one opportunity to scram from here," he warned. Shen Feng''s smokey face contorted in anger. "Da Hai, watch your tone," he flared up his power causing tsunamis in the open ocean. The sea floor began cracking and the heavens split in two, distant dimensional walls were also beginning to shake. "On the cusp of Hunyaun already?" Da Hai exclaimed in surprise but then laughed. The profound aura of the sea crashed down as well, not losing out one bit to Shen Feng. In fact, it slowly began overtaking the wind god. Shen Feng gulped. Da Hai was proving to be far more impressive than he had thought. The wind dissipated and Shen Feng''s figure disappeared into the horizon. Da Hai couldn''t help but slap the title ''coward'' on the godfiend. "Shen Feng is many things, but brave is never one of them. Do not worry, he won''t trouble you again," Da Hai informed the dragons. "Take this as a lesson, there are always bigger fish in the sea." Da Hai waved his hands, closing up the injuries of the dragons. He picked up the twenty four ocean calming pearls and handed them back to Zulong. "We thank master for your teachings," Zulong, Yinglong, and Qinglong said. Da Hai nodded, "Follow me back to Yingzhou, we have much to talk about and work on." Chapter 42-Students of Yingzhou The mystical celestial mountain Yingzhou materialised there, allowing the three dragons entrance into their new home. Da Hai had done little to renovate the place in the intervening years, aside from restoring the buildings Si Hai destroyed. Da Hai made sure to wow the dragons beforehand. If he were to create a good impression, then being kind and humble was not ideal. He needed to be impressive, to inspire awe and respect. As such Da Hai did not restrain his power. While he did not flaunt it, he made no attempt to suppress it either. The end result was that his new disciples occasionally experienced nausea and disorientation when they looked at him for too long. Da Hai took one step onto the beach of Yingzhou. "The celestial mountain is home to many illusions, so be careful not to wander too carelessly lest you encounter one and fall prey to it," he informed them. "That being said, in the future you may use them to strengthen your Dao hearts." "Yes master, disciple understands," the dragons said with a bow. They too had noticed the mystical clouds atop some of Yingzhou''s mountain peaks. Zulong made a mental note to stay away from those places until he had improved his power. Da Hai led them into the main palace complex and pointed towards the mountain. "Yingzhou is a vast island with many mountains. You may build your abodes anywhere you wish," he said. "Go now, and find a place to stay, meet me when your injuries have healed. Then we may continue with the ceremony," he instructed. "Yes master," the three dragons nodded in understanding. They took a step back and flew across Yingzhou scouring for a good location. All of Yinghzou was saturated in primordial Qi and rich Dao laws, as such they were simply looking for places pleasing to the eye. Da Hai watched the three go off in anticipation. He could feel the beginning stages of his plan taking form. According to legends, the dragons always held an advantage compared to the avians and the beasts. Thankfully the dragons were also the faction he could easily gain access to. "I see you''ve accomplished what you said," Wangshu said when Da Hai returned to the great hall. "But I wonder, was it truly rise to recruit such a rowdy bunch?" "You disapprove?" He asked. "Zulong is someone who holds great ambition, pride, and confidence in himself. If you are not careful, he could easily be your own downfall," she warned. "I will educate him in patience, besides he has two advisors who temper him," Da Hai countered. Seeing her unconvinced face he added, "This is the most effective way to defeat Hongjun and Luohu. The dragons will grow to be monstrous." "How are you so sure? Your confidence in strangers is concerning." "You''ve been observing them with me for all this time, can you not say they aren''t talents?" He retorted. "Besides, what other methods are there? I''m open to suggestions." Wangshu could not respond to that. She was the first and only ally that Da Hai had recruited thus far though that was mostly due to their friendship. If Yang Mei was back in the world then he''d surely help out as well, but he was missing. Creating schemes to go against either Hongjun or Luohu was truly difficult. The thought of giving up his own Dao to make the Heavenly Dao fade out of reach had briefly crossed his mind. However Da Hai shook his head at that proposal. What''s stopping either Ancestor from comprehending his Dao? The answer is nothing. As long as one''s comprehension and Dao realm are high enough, all Dao becomes a mere transformation of one''s own Dao. This left the only option of killing Hongjun and Luohu. This was the easiest course of action and the true result Da Hai wanted to accomplish. However he''d made an oath of obligation to Pangu and is thus favoured by the Heavenly Dao, in anticipation that he would help the Heavenly Dao break free of the influence of the two Ancestors. Da Hai had scratched his head numerous times over the years. He was ultimately selfish, just like Hongjun and Luohu. He did not want to give up his hard work for a small possibility. He wanted to kill his friend''s murderers, he wanted to ruin everything they''ve built. In the current world, Hongjun and Luohu were too much for him to handle. What''s more, they were cultivating equally as fast as himself, possibly faster. ''If only life was easy,'' Da Hai sighed. "I will trust in your decision. Though I hold reservations, I wish you the best, " Wangshu said before leaving Yingzhou for the starry skies. She was someone whose personality clashed with the dragons. Wangshu, despite her proclamation as ruler of the stars, wasn''t a monarch. Nor did she hold the ambition of one. She was like a friendly samaritan who would fight and protect for her community. She''d held a bad impression of anyone with the ambition of kings. Given the three examples in the primitive world, she did have a point. Da Hai observed the three brothers who had decided to make their abodes on a lake southeast of his own palace. They had already gone into the process of healing their wounds. ''They will be powerful assets,'' he thought while striking his beard. ''They will be most useful in the conflicts to come''. In the end, that is all they will be, tools to achieve his end goal. The ancestral dragon was destined to die, in this way he''d be able to benefit Da Hai as well. Thirty years later, the trio of dragons made their way back to Da Hai''s palace. Their wounds had finally fully recovered under the rich ambient primordial Qi. Though their cultivation had stagnated, they were ready for Da Hai''s lesson. The three lined up before Da Hai and knelt and kowtowed before Da Hai. They then brought out spiritual tea for the sea god who accepted them emotionlessly. "From henceforth, you are my, Da Hai''s direct disciples. Zulong, you are the first disciple under me, you are the ancestral Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon whose cry resounded in the heavens. Born from Pangu''s Yang Qi, you are a talent most profound. As the eldest, you have a responsibility as the face of Yingzhou''s second generation, look after and guide your younger brothers." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Yinglong, you are my second disciple. You were born of Pangu''s Yang Qi and the ambient power of heavenly winds. You are the Sky Dragon who shall soar above the clouds. As the second eldest, be respectful to your elder brother and look after your younger brother." "Qinglong, you are my third disciple. You were born of Pangu''s Yang Qi and the true power of Eastern Extremity Azure Essence of Wood. You are a saint who shall guide the creatures below. Look after your elder siblings, do not let them walk astray." After the introduction Da Hai began expounding on the Dao. He spoke about the nature of the Dao and his own insights into Grand Dao. He spoke on the everlasting eternity, without beginning nor end, the absolute infinity. His words were so profound that as time went on, the three brothers struggled to comprehend even a single word. Da Hai saw this and smiled, he pointed a finger at the trio. Zulong felt light headed. He found himself in a corridor with millions upon millions of scrolls. He picked one up and began reading. The ancient language of the chaos godfiends resounded the complex nature of the Dao. Zulong picked out more scrolls and read further. He saw diagrams of himself as a dragon. Texts written about vast empires and the symbol of heaven which denotes the right to rule. As he read, the Dao being discussed broke away from natural phenomena and into concepts of rulership, leadership and domination. He witnessed vast empires and governments ruling over the world. Yinglong found his own scrolls as well. He read on the transformations of the elements, natural forces and the Dao which described harmony between different opposing forces. The Dao spoke to him of earthly principles, of the ongoings of natural order and elemental transformations. Qinglong found himself in a hallway, reading on scrolls with deep insight into cosmic phenomenons. His readings lead him towards the stars, of the elemental phenomenons denoted by heavenly bodies. Of the countless luminaries that blotted the starry skies. Da Hai nodded in satisfaction as the trio fell into deep meditation. They were unlikely to wake up anytime soon. He disappeared from the great hall, leaving behind some of his own written tomes containing numerous spells. He would need to teach these dragons many things. If they were to aid him in defeating Hongjun and Luohu then they needed to realise their full potential before their inevitable demise. Mt Yujing Hongjun looked at the Jade Fortune Disc in frustration. His divination into the Four Seas had been fruitless thus far. He did not know what was wrong. Once upon a time he could divine easily and see anywhere unhindered in the world. His mind suddenly snapped to an individual he had not thought about in quite a long time. Many years ago he encountered a godfiend at the base of Mt Buzhou who he could not see through. The power of the Jade Fortune Disc was not activated, but as the owner he received an unconscious enhancement to his divination skills. He had brushed off that oddity at the time as his own realm had been low and his control of the Disc incomplete. Now he was starting to grow suspicious. He rubbed the edges of the Disc and sighed. Even after all these years the Disc had yet to completely submit. The Pangu Banner and the Taiji Painting had long submitted, but the Disc had stubbornly refused. He traced the butterfly pattern on the Disc injecting more power into the treasure. His frown grew deeper as the more he insisted the harder the disc fought back. Stopping his latest attempt Hongjun leaned back and rested. He took in the sights of Mt Yujing around him to take his mind off the annoyance that was the Jade Fortune Disc. It was unlikely to be cooperative again for a while. Hongjun suddenly looked South and North. The two he had been keeping an eye on were progressing in their cultivation smoothly. He slowly stood up from his seated position. He considered taking the phoenix and qilin as disciples. "Luohu can''t be allowed to reach them first," he said. Releasing the Taiji Painting, he enveloped the entire mountain. He locked space and time, isolating Mt Yujing from the outside world. The barrier grew stronger and stronger, encompassing the entire mountain in a shield. "There should be three destined gods of this generation. Two I am aware of, but the last is elusive," he said after he became satisfied with his work. The Taiji Painting wasn''t a mere xiantian spiritual treasure, its true grade was a chaos spiritual treasure. Its grade was much higher than anything Luohu or anyone in this world owned. Even if Luohu attacked with all his might, it''ll take long enough for Hongjun to rush back. Though the downside was that Hongjun had drastically lowered his defence. Hongjun flew away, heading south while taking extra care to hide his tracks. It would be bad if the devilish Dao became aware of his absence. Mount Buzhou Pangu''s statue''s eyes slowly opened. A wisp resembling a butterfly landed on the bridge of the statue''s nose. It stood there with faint radiance looking very pleasing with its purple sparkly light. "I see," Pangu said. "I apologise, I cannot save you nor wield you anymore. Please, continue helping my disciple as much as you can. That is all I ask." The purple wisp butterfly lifted off of Pangu''s nose and flew away. The statue''s light began fading again. "Heavenly Dao owes me too much to turn against you, the Cosmic Butterfly''s remnant will obstruct Hongjun as best it can. Disciple, I hope you the best, I hope you know what you''re doing". The statue dimmed completely leaving the twelve pools of blood on their own, continuing in their development. Chapter 43-Years of Tutorship Two men clashed swords atop a spiritual lake. They danced around each other, each displaying graceful moves whilst slashing at the other. They flipped and dashed across the lake with fluid ease, stepping on water without ever causing a ripple. One of the two men, who was on the defensive, was dressed in simple black robes and had a head full of spongy-looking blond hair. His opponent who was pushing on the offensive had antlered horns and was dressed in form fitting black combat robes. The older man with a short beard and blond hair was Da Hai, while the younger man with antlered horns was Zulong. The two clashed multiple times with the exchanges ending in a similar result. Zulong would attack rapidly, going in for the kill while Da Hai defended, dodged and weaved out of the way, parrying anything he was unable to dodge. Qinglong and Yinglong stood and watched from the side. Their early morning was disturbed by their master and eldest brother''s spar. The two dragons had, in the years since entering Yingzhou, finally promoted their cultivation to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm, however they still fell short compared to Zulong. "You''re too aggressive," Da hai lectured. He sidestepped a burst of sword light twisting around and landed the edge of his blade on Zulong''s throat. "You are impatient and it shows in your swordsmanship," Da Hai sheathed his blade and walked away. "Continue to temper your mind. If you continue to act so recklessly, then you won''t see much success" he instructed before disappearing. Zulong threw his sword down in frustration. "What''s the point of that exercise," he growled. "We''re not even proper swordsmen," he complained sitting down with his brothers. "Master has always emphasised patience," Yinglong replied. "Master also insists on teaching us more and more powerful spells. Why bother with all this dancing around when I could just fire away and be done with the problem," Zulong scoffed. "It''s not necessarily a contradiction, you are the most hot headed of us brothers," Qinglong said. Throughout the year Zulong had remained hotheaded and aggressive. His pride had diminished little and his arrogance remained untamed. Unknown to them, Da Hai watched from the shadows. He remained undetected due to an invisibility spell that faded him from this dimension, rendering him completely untraceable. ''He cannot be allowed to remain hot-headed. I do not want any incidents with Luohu nor Hongjun prematurely,'' he thought. The education of the dragons wasn''t going too well. He had taught them many spells derived from the Dao, but Zulong''s temperament remained largely unchanged. "I don''t want a weapon recklessly charging in when I don''t want to. Perhaps I chose wrong," he murmured. "Your empire needs to be a strong one, one that will stand against Luohu and Hongjun, at least for a time." Later that week, Da Hai led Zulong into a library. He took out a scroll and unfurled it, handing it to Zulong. The contents were historical writings on conflicts which occurred between various tribes of innate beings, their wars and their rulers. "Where did you find time to collect all these?" Zulong inquired. "I didn''t, I wrote them all in my spare time. Unbiased accounts of rise and fall of various tribes in the world," Da Hai revealed. These records were created as a way to pass the time. Information he gained by viewing the world around him from Yingzhou. Over a hundred thousand races were recorded, many of whom had already gone extinct over the years. "Information that I think may prove useful to you," Da Hai explained while waiting for Zulong to begin reading. "I do not see the point of all these. Lesser beings and their failures," he scoffed. "Master, wouldn''t it be more productive to simply focus on power?" ''An intelligent tool is better than a bumbling one that needs twenty-four hour supervision,'' Da Hai wanted to say. But he suppressed his frustrations deep within his heart. "Just do as your master says," he said rubbing his temples. "Whatever Dao you form must be as perfect as can be for you. The current trend you''re walking is too much like Shenni," he reminded. Zulong was surprised, for Da Hai had hardly ever brought up the Beast Emperor of the past. "Like him?" He wondered after Da Hai had left. The beast emperor was little more than a children''s tale these days. Zulong knew little of him beyond what tidbits he''d heard over the years. Da Hai monitored Zulong''s progress the closest of all. Even when he trained Yinglong and Qinglong, he still kept an eye on the ancestor dragon. "Master, I know you worry for my eldest brother," one day Qinglong told him. "Eldest brother is extremely stubborn, but he is very grateful for master''s education and protection. He just struggles to express it," he said. Da Hai nodded wordlessly. It seems he''d won Qinglong and Yinglong''s trust more so than Zulong''s. His younger disciples were very diligent and in comparison to Zulong. It almost brought a smile to his face, almost. He always reminded himself that he shouldn''t get too attached. Qinglong comprehended the essence of the stars beneath the starry skies just like Da Hai did many years ago. Da Hai could visibly observe the transparent form of heavenly bodies beginning to form within the dragon. A small welling of pride permitted his chest. ''Stop it, I shouldn''t get too invested,'' he told himself. He soon left Yingzhou to do some sightseeing, something he hadn''t done for many tens of thousands of years. The current yuanhui was already progressing towards its mid stages rapidly. Da Hai wanted to see if he could find some old acquaintances. Starry Skies A being of pure wind was running desperately, being chased by an incredible amount of cosmic lunar radiance. Shen Feng was deeply regretting his choices now. Who said the starry skies were safe? Who dares say it now? Wangshu''s power was far beyond the wind god''s expectation. She was even more terrifying than Shenni had been that year. The mass of air flew across the cosmos with all its might, avoiding tendrils upon tendrils of lunar radiance. Cosmic light whipped at him, exploding stars were thrown at him, space and dimensions continuously trapped him. The six armed wooden monstrosity that chased him groaned, and her snarling faces breathed out cosmic star bombs at him. "Fuck this place," the wind god bolted downwards. His wings were ripped apart by Wangshu who tore at Shen Feng''s back. Shen Feng''s body spun, generating massive winds like a spinning top managing to somewhat cut Wangshu. He slammed into the dimensional barrier with all his might, tearing a hole in reality. Appearing above the north continent, the terrified wind god quickly fled while Wangshu stayed in the stars. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "The hell was that about?" Wangshu turned her attention downwards seeing two figures she hadn''t seen in a long time. Da Hai was there, except he looked older, into his forties now. His beard was much longer and wrinkles were present on his face. Another man was with him playing a game of elephant chess. Wangshu recognised him as the Ancestor of Qiankun who she hadn''t seen since the end of the Shenni War. "Fellow daoists, what a coincidence," she greeted, landing softly on their position. "I did not expect to meet you guys again so soon." "It is a surprise to us too, fellow daoist," Da Hai answered. "Who knew just weeks from leaving the East Sea that I will see you and fellow daoist Qiankun again," he said with a joyful laugh. Wangshu took in Da Hai''s appearance, "You looked different. Definitely much different than years past." "If you mean like an old fart then you''re right. He''s like us old fogeys now. Oi Da Hai, make your move already," Qiankun hurried the sea god along. "Indeed, things have been stressful as of late," Da Hai admitted. He placed the general piece forward. "Are you trying to lose?" Qiankun scolded as he easily took the general and sighed in visible disappointment. "Well I''m not exactly the best player so forgive me if I make mistakes okay," He snapped back. "You play like a distracted man, you barely put any thought into any of your moves," Qiankun criticized while Wangshu chuckled. "Is it your disciples?" She enquired before receiving a knowing nod from Da Hai. "Well this was bound to happen, taking them in never really struck me as a natural choice." "Wait, what''s this about disciples?" Qiankun asked. "Few thousand years ago, I took in three of the new generation of innate gods as my disciples," Da Hai admitted. There was no real need to lie in front of Qiankun, he wasn''t affiliated with Hongjun nor Luohu and generally stayed by himself. Even during the chaos period Qiankun hardly interacted with people. "Already huh, time sure flies by," Qiankun murmured. "Are these disciples the reason you look so stressed out?" He was met with silence but he could infer much from Da Hai''s facial expression. "I see, well raising disciples is never easy, during the chaos I remember¡­" Qiankun began rambling on various events of the past. Things Da Hai didn''t really care to listen to. "I told you to not accept them. Your heart is not wholly in it," Wangshu said to Da Hai. "I don''t think this relationship is compatible, as the Dao dictates, let nature take its course." Qiankun raised an eyebrow, "What did you specifically scout them out for tutorship?" He was met with a telling silence and sighed, "I don''t know nor care why you specifically chose these disciples of yours but I do know one thing. A master is a father or life, you took them in to raise them, if that wasn''t your goal then you shouldn''t take in disciples." Da Hai portrayed an uneasy expression. He rubbed his forehead. Qiankun got up as well, "I''ll give you some time to think." "He''s right, you know," Wangshu said after Qiankun left. "Do you disagree with my actions?" "Oh wholeheartedly, you never had the intention of raising disciples, you wanted allies who didn''t exist. So you went for the next best thing. This manipulation is not like you, it''s the antithesis of what Dao represents." "Then what do you think I should do?" Da Hai retorted. Wangshu couldn''t maintain eye contact, "I don''t know, no one wants to risk their lives for someone else. No one wants to risk their lives, period. Especially not chaos godfiends." "If only I was born earlier," Da Hai cursed. Wangshu didn''t stay in his company for long. She soon left for the starry skies and entered her own secluded cultivation that was previously disturbed. She passed by two spirits beneath the laurel tree and sealed her palace. After Da Hai left, a horse-like figure walked out of the mountain. The ancestral Qilin, Zulin, had wondered here where the great ancestors had previously sat and chatted. Zulin looked at the elephant chess set that was still here. "Very spiritually active," he said while looking around. Seeing no one coming he quickly snatched up the chess set and fled the scene. No one really cared to stop him. Yingzhou The three brothers sat by each other drinking some of the wine they found(stole). Three cups lay where the three sat in a triangular formation. "You should lighten up brother," Qinglong said flushed. "Master only wants the best for us." "Right, right," Yinglong agreed. "Master had allowed us to make leaps and bounds in cultivation. You should have more faith in him." Zulong sighed while drinking his own serving, "I am grateful for master, he gave us refuge when we were too arrogant to recognise our own faults." He waved his hand generating a deadly amount of mystical force forming a construct of water which gave off an oppressive might. "He taught us so many powerful spells, just that." "Just what? Master rescued us, gave us a home, and recognised our talents, simple as that. What could possibly irk you?" Qinglong asked. "And here I thought you were the perceptive one," Zulong sighed. "Something just seems off. Something I have a bad feeling about, I just don''t know what. He wants something from us, brothers listen to your older brother. Something just really rubs me the wrong way." The two dragons looked stunned at Zulong''s warning. "Brother I think that''s a little too much. Master has done much for us that we should be grateful for." "I do not deny that," Zulong said. "But don''t you two know that there''s no such thing as a free lunch in this world?" The atmosphere grew very heavy after that. "Zulong, a master is a father for life. No matter what master is still master. He has taken time to tutor us for all these years, why must you¡­ hai," Qinglong sighed taking another drink. "Sorry, it''s just¡­ I don''t know why I have this feeling," Zulong apologized with a look of guilt. "We should put these away before master finds out," Yinglong said when his brothers began leaving. They nodded and began packing the cups. But that was when Da Hai reentered Yingzhou. Needless to say, Da Hai was not impressed to find the three drinking from his own stash. Chapter44-Years of Tutorship II On the beachside of Yingzhou, Da Hai performed a series of movements resembling a dance, reminiscent of the waves in the East Sea. This was known as the Fading Tides Fist, a modified martial arts form the original Da Hai once used. However whereas the original was a vicious form aiming to overwhelm the opponent, the modified version was a more subtle, flowing form. "Cement my movements into your minds," Da Hai instructed when he completed the course. "Remember, the key is to guide your opponents into a state of vulnerability then strike them at their weakest," he reminded while folding his arms and moving back along the sand. "Right, I can do that," Qinglong enthusiastically said. He immediately began applying what he had learned into his practice. Da Hai formed a small smile at the sight. Yinglong and Zulong attempted to copy their youngest sibling''s movements. The two made similar movements as Qinglong but there was a noticeable difference. While Yinglong was somewhat doing them, Zulong''s movements were stiff. Da Hai frowned slightly. Zulong was messing up his exercises in precision again. He seemed to be holding back a lot of force, forcing himself to perform the form hence creating a very stiff display. Da Hai could tell that Zulong was unhappy. He sighed and rubbed his temples. He seemed to be doing this a lot lately. Zulong saw Da Hai''s actions and gritted his teeth. His fists clenched and as he made the next move he accidentally released a huge burst of power. The blast rushed out into the ocean, parting the waves much to Zulong''s embarrassment. "Perhaps we shall stop here for today," Da Hai said, unfolding his arms. "The latest batch of mulberry fruits recently ripened. Remember, you may only take one of the mulberry fruits, they may be beneficial to your physiques, but don''t be too greedy," he said. While Da Hai did not mind the dragons eating the spiritual fruits he took care of. He did however run out of supply often. The Fusang tree wasn''t almighty and the dragons were a gluttonous bunch. Da Hai rubbed his nose bridge and thought, ''Perhaps I should find some caretakers''. Seeing their master leave just like that left the dragons feeling embarrassed. Qinglong, who was doing fine, went to comfort his brothers. "It''s no use," Zulong kicked the sand into the air in a fit of anger. "Nothing I try works, it just doesn''t," he roared in frustration. He took a moment to calm down. "Sorry for snapping brother," he apologised while looking Qinglong in the eyes. "No harm done big brother," Qinglong said cheerfully. "Come, I''ll show you how." The azure dragon spent the next few hours reintroducing the martial arts form. Zulong and Yinglong looked impressed. Qinglong really had taken to it like a fish to water. None of his movements were wasted. Qinglong resembled their master performing the techniques. "So raise your hands like this, feel the primordial Qi pulsing up your arm, let it flow smoothly¡­ no not like that, smoothly, I said smoothly," Qinglong gave out advice after advice to help Zulong and Yinglong. However Zulong still ran into similar issues as his first attempts. "These techniques, these movements, they are so restricting," Zulong complained. His fists crackled in fierce power. Qinglong took this moment to move forward and calm the elder dragon down. Yinglong looked at the side, pondering. He looked at his own palms who morphed into their dragon claw form. He looked at his green tinted scales adorning his claws. Slowly he manifested his feathered wings as well. "What''s the matter, second brother?" Qinglong called out along with Zulong who had managed to compose himself again. They noticed the transformation and grew curious. "I agree with eldest brother," Yinglong said, "but not wholeheartedly. The movements don''t suit me but they aren''t repulsive." He clasped his hands and meditated for a while. Under the supervision of his brothers, Yinglong began testing a new form. It bore resemblance to the original martial form of fading tide fist but had distinct differences. Yinglong''s body and movements resembled a cloud rather than the waves. He danced across the sky and with each footstep, generated auspicious clouds. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. His brothers felt a mesmerising sensation watching their second brother move. His attack then became fierce, transitioning from an auspicious cloud to a thunderous storm cloud. He punched, with his claws resembling lightning strikes. He then proceeded to punch and kick at extreme speeds. Qinglong likened him to a downpour. A flurry of blows just like a storm cloud will continuously rain. Then Yinglong retreated, restoring his previous calm state. Qinglong and Zulong looked in wonder. Their brother was truly intelligent. To devise a totally new martial form so quickly was astonishing. As Yinglong moved he began realising something. Deep within his inner cosmos. The perfected union of Dao and body trembled. Mysterious transformations of earthly elements, supernatural phenomenons appeared swirling in a mass of purple clouds. The cosmos began raining as in the real world Yinglong''s eyes glazed over in enlightenment. He breathed in and out multiple times repeating his martial form. Zulong and Qinglong looked in amazement as their brother reached an epiphany. "The clouds, the rain, the desolation of the land is swept away as I arrive," he spoke softly. Great wisdom in the Dao materialised in tangible form for his brothers who were left gaping in wonder. Yinglong''s body radiated clouds, radiated rain, radiated lightning, as he proceeded to shed his human form. Erupting in an explosion of splendour, three flower crowns appeared atop his head. Enormous amount of Dao radiance appeared supporting his inner cosmos. The ten thousand kilometre winged dragon roared into the heavens. Within his dantian, a sapling had taken root, sprouting into a small trunk with some nubs. "Incredible," Zulong and Qinglong uttered out in amazement at their brother''s accomplishment. The winged dragon danced across the air repeating his martial form in an elongated body resembling a dancing dragon. He brought rain and prosperity to the lands of Yingzhou, causing flowers to start blossoming on the beach. "What is this?" Even Da Hai who had returned with an empty barrel of wine dropped his barrel at this sight with a look of wonder. The thud of the wooden container caught the attention of the three dragon disciples. "Greetings master," the three bowed in submission. Da Hai trudged up to them immediately, cleansing the alcohol from his system. He waved his arms around like a fool before blossoming out into a smile. "How... how amazing! Truly spectacular Yinglong," he laughed in joy. "Well done, disciple, that was splendidly done," he laughed in wild joy, so much so he shed some tears. "Finding one''s own path is a complex thing, what you have done in less than five thousand years of birth is faster than any lifeforms I have ever witnessed," he praised in uncontrollable pride. His open showing of emotions shocked the three dragons, they had never seen their master like this in the thousands of years they''d known him. Yinglong transformed back into his human form as Da Hai celebrated in pride. His middle aged face showed a wide smile. "Come, this calls for a celebration," he announced, leading the three to his palace. Although Zulong felt incredibly happy for his brother, he couldn''t help but feel ashamed. He was the eldest, yet why was he the worst. That night Zulong meditated by himself in his cave abode. The rocky walls were filled with cracks and dents, all victims of his frustrations. Luckily for the dragon, Yingzhou was incredibly durable. Da Hai sat by himself in his own private chambers as well looking at the ceiling. He was frowning the whole time. Time and again he had to remind himself, the dragons were a means to an end. They were destined for death, he shouldn''t get too attached. He needed the dragons for their potential. He needed three powerful fighters who could help him kill Luohu and Hongjun. fighters who also had destinies to become great leaders to influence the world. But somewhere deep down was a feeling he desperately tried to crush. "A means to an end, a means to an end," he whispered again and again. But then he groaned. leaning his face into his palms, he released a low growl. "What the hell am I even doing?" Chapter 45-Years of Tutorship III "Perhaps you should try a different approach," Wangshu said before taking a sip of her own wine. It was the time of year where the lunar cycle came to completion and the moon goddess descended for a visit to her longtime friend and companion. The two chatted and ate privately while the dragons practiced outside. They were uninterested in the occasion and simply paid their respects to their aunt-master. As Wangshu was of the same generation as Da Hai and was even born before Da Hai, she technically held the status of his senior sister though he never acknowledged her as such. For if we were to go into the semantics, Wangshu was half a disciple to Yang Mei who was brothers with the original Da Hai. Da Hai himself was like a spawn of the original, which made him of the same generation as a disciple would be, making them martial siblings. The fact that Wangshu was technically Pangu''s daughter cemented this fact. As a result, the dragons respectfully referred to her as aunt-master. "And what approach will that be?" Da Hai asked while handing out poker cards. "Well you want to teach him proper rulership right?" She said looking at her hand. "I want him to learn a lot of things, patience, caution, rulership, statesmanship, and to temper his reckless mind," he complained. "So many things you have no clue about," she said, taking some pleasure at Da Hai''s embarrassed frown. She had remained unchanged over the years, looking every bit as beautiful as she did years ago. Da Hai on the other hand had grown many decades older in appearance, resembling a man just past his prime years though still very much powerful. The physical appearance of cultivators played no role in their power, insight, nor age. All children are taught this from the moment they begin cultivating. It was an important fact to remember for all living beings. "You are right," Da Hai finally said after several moments of silence. "The best I could ever do was force him to read books," he rubbed his temples and sighed. "I''m surprised the boy isn''t full on resenting you by this point," Wangshu said casually. "If you wanted an effective tool you''d need his full trust, I see you have that with Qinglong and Yinglong but not with Zulong. What happened, Da Hai?" "I¡­He is a most difficult challenge," he leaned back looking very tired and stressed. "I don''t know what to do for him, more books? More meditation?" "Why not take him to the sea clans?" She suggested it as if it was the simplest thing in the world. As a matter of fact it was and Da Hai looked like he wanted to throw himself out the window or better yet grab the nearest blunt object and bash himself. This was how master and disciple found themselves traveling out into the sea. The first time in thousands of years that Zulong had seen the East Sea. The many intervening years had done little to diminish Zulong''s fearsome reputation in the past. Though many of the newer generations had never met him, they at least knew of the big bad dragon who had terrorized their elders. "Why are we out here master?" Zulong asked, irritated. His frustrations were clearly understood by Da Hai, which was why he did not grow angry. "For you to learn how to be a proper ruler," he said, driving the auspicious cloud they rode on into the water. "I know how to be a ruler, I''ve led my brothers for many years," Zulong retorted. "You know how to be a leader, not a ruler," Da Hai said firmly. "I too know little of the subject but I do know those who do." Da Hai travelled many kilometres into a large underwater city bustling with activity. "Turtles?" Zulong looked at his master. "Is this some sort of joke?" When he saw no look of humour on Da Hai he was outraged. "Master, these are the most cowardly lot of sea creatures in the world, all they do is hide in their shells and cower in front of others. What could I possibly learn here?" "The Primordial Sea Turtle clan is the clan with the most successful nation beneath the waves. They can teach you much if you are to become the Sea''s emperor," Da Hai explained to Zulong''s disbelieving face. "I will trust you on this master," he begrudgingly said. Zulong followed Da Hai and descended into the turtle''s palace where the turtle king waited. "Greetings Great One," the turtle king did not dare sit on his throne. He humbly abdicated for Da Hai to take the main seat. Zulong meanwhile looked longingly at the ocean throne, picturing what could be, what will be. "Zulong, for the next thousand years you will work under the turtle king as one of his ministers," he said. Zulong looked furious at those words. He didn''t hesitate to release his overbearing aura, scaring the turtle ministers, kings and princes. "Master, why on earth do I have to serve these, these," his enraged gurgling was ignored by Da Hai who wore a cold expression. "Ignorant fool, I''m doing this for your own good," Da Hai lifted his hand and Zulong felt terrified. He was captured in a ring of azure energy restricting his movements. With one stroke Da Hai forcibly sealed Zulong''s mighty cultivation. "You will work with them and learn all you can. Trust master on this Zulong, you will learn much here," Da Hai said desperately. "What have I done to deserve this punishment master?" Zulong lifted his head once he was dropped onto the marble floor. He looked up in a mix of fury and betrayal. "Hasn''t this disciple been loyal and filial? I have tried all you have asked for so many years, why would you subject me to this place?" Da Hai sighed, "Zulong, this is for your own good. I hope you will understand, this place is the best for you to learn all you can. To teach what I have failed to teach." Da Hai ordered the turtles to treat Zulong as just another minister. He informed them that they did not have to be afraid of the dragon, now or in the future. With that said he left the dragon under the care of the turtles. "Did I make the right choice?" he questioned himself. And so the years went by. Da Hai traveled back to Yingzhou to check on Qinglong and Yinglong before leaving to roam the primitive world. He felt relieved of a burden for the first time ever. He traveled across the East Continent discreetly wandering from clan to clan. The world had indeed evolved in the years he''d been living as a hermit on Yingzhou. Many Golden Immortals had popped up over the years. Many more immortals had risen up in the world. In this day and age, Golden Immortals were something most clans had on hand. The strongest clans had at least several Golden Immortals amongst their numbers. Da Hai nodded, this was indeed within his expectations. According to legends, although the Primitive World''s power ceiling might have been lower than the Three Realms, their concentration of experts was an order of magnitudes higher. Da Hai expected Great Unity Golden Immortals to start popping up soon enough. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Across the lands, various surviving innate gods were engaged deeply in cultivation. All of those remaining had regained the Great Principle and entered the Chaos Immortal realm. None of them were pushovers, every single one of them being ancestral existences of the highest order. The greatest beings in the world. Da Hai stood atop the mountains of the South Continent wondering where the Ancestral Phoenix was. The mystical firebird of legends had not been seen at all since her inception. In fact neither had he heard any news of the Ancestral Qilin aside from that one sighting many years ago. He wondered for a bit then noticed something. A colony of silkworms were biting into a mulberry tree''s leaves. This reminded Da Hai of the thought he had for caretakers. He reached forward and grabbed a handful of silkworms and smiled. "You''ll do," he said and soon left the scene. He briefly looked at a distant location many hundreds of thousands of kilometres away and smiled, "So that''s where you were." A while after he left two women wandered into the same place. Heading the two was an extraordinarily beautiful woman in an enchanting red dress and an elegant crown. Trailing behind her was a younger woman in a dress of red and yellow and a slightly less elaborate crown. "Sister, are we sure we should come here so soon?" The younger woman said. This was Zhuque, the vermillion bird and younger sister to Zufeng, the ancestral phoenix. "Don''t worry little sister, the old immortal has already left. He came here for a reason and I want to know what," Zufeng commanded with a regal air. On her command, various avians appeared and thoroughly searched the land. Unknown to them Da Hai watched from the sidelines in curiosity. "But big sister, shouldn''t we be worried about offending that old senior just now?" Zhuque asked. "Of course not, he didn''t even notice us which proves that he isn''t very capable. Besides, give your big sister enough time and I''ll stomp him and all others beneath my feet," she said with triumph. The avians around her knelt and clapped in reverence. Da Hai who observed from the side could only think of her as very similar to Zulong. "The balls on this woman," he muttered. "Arrogant to the point of mental retardation," he was about to approach when he felt a familiar aura around her. He detected faint tracking signals on her person and immediately recognized it. "So Hongjun got to her first, huh," he sighed in disappointment. It would''ve been good to recruit Zufeng as the other major player of this era. Though truth be told he was already driven crazy by Zulong alone. He didn''t want to deal with the other two ancestors as well. Da Hai decided to leave her be for now. He could sense that her cultivation was still below that of Zulong. "Perhaps we should ask the old senior about the identity of that immortal?" Zhuque said to Zufeng. Da Hai paused, he considered silencing the sisters. In fact his arm charged up an energy blade. But then he felt someone observing him. Looking up, he could faintly detect the Heavenly Dao. ''Of course,'' he thought. ''They were born of Pangu''s Yin Qi, they deserve to live,'' he laughed bitterly. However much to his luck, Zufeng shook her head. "No need to ask the old man, we do not need anything from him," she dismissed arrogantly. Da Hai silently thanked the Heavenly Dao for bestowing such arrogance on the woman. With this small heart attack over Da Hai retreated back to Yingzhou. Upon his return, he deposited the silkworms on the Fusang tree and left them to grow. Once they matured, he would instruct them. Turtle Palace The turtles didn''t really force Zulong to work nor watch, they left him alone for the most part. After Da Hai left Zulong spent much of his time initially raging and cursing his master''s name. After he calmed down he began meditating to cool off his anger. As the weeks passed he stayed in meditation, never speaking to anyone. Eventually, he had suppressed much of his wrath, enough so as to not damage the furniture anymore. In these moments he tried to understand why Da Hai would punish him so. Why was Zulong banished from Yingzhou? Had he proven himself unacceptable after being surpassed by his brothers? He could understand that sentiment, at least. Zulong was the eldest, but thus far he was the weakest. He had learned many powerful daoist magic under Da Hai but the more nuanced aspects of the Dao was something he struggled with. He sat in his room, left alone to his own devices, to his own thoughts for several years. Around nine years after Da Hai''s departure, the turtle king knocked on Zulong''s door. "Enter," Zulong said. The turtle king breathed a sigh of relief. It would seem the dragon wasn''t all rage after all. He pushed the door open to see a trashed room. The damages had evidently been there for years. "Master Zulong, you cannot stay here forever," the turtle king nervously said. Zulong glared at the turtle, terrifying him enough for him to release cold sweat. "The hells wrong with you, you''re a Golden Immortal. I''m at your mercy, grow a pair will you," the younger man scolded the turtle. Zulong couldn''t help but feel angered at the turtle''s lack of proper courage. "What is it you want?" He asked. "Well, the Great One, his most majestic Saint of Yingzhou had ordered you to study here," the turtle began. He had waited years hoping for the dragon to cool off so that he could begin his task. On one hand the dragon was fearsome but on the other hand, Da Hai had personally ordered his education into the workings of the state. Turtle king felt like he was being put in a very terrible position. But he sucked it up and decided to do his job. "Master made a mistake forcing me here," Zulong said in disgust as he confronted the cowardly turtle. He did not truly want to speak ill of Da Hai, but he felt justified in doing so. He walked up to the turtle towering over the old man, "I''m not interested in whatever useless thing you think you can teach." He slammed the door in the turtle''s face. "No luck?" The turtle ministers said when the turtle king returned to the throne room. The turtle king shook his head. "I hope he''ll come around soon, otherwise I don''t even want to think about the consequences," the turtle king said. He immediately made a mad dash for the temple and knelt in front of a statue of an eight headed Da Hai curling along a mulberry tree. "Oh great Ancestor of the Seas please forgive this small one''s mistake, please forgive," he pleaded with incense offerings. Below Da Hai''s statue, three statues of dragons could also be seen. The ministers performed the same actions. When they saw the statue acknowledging their gifts, they bowed and left. They all knew that they were in for a hard time fulfilling the instructions of Da Hai. On Yingzhou, Da Hai who was contemplating what to do while playing with his piece of silk sighed. "It seems this will be even harder than I thought." Chapter 46-Turtle Princess The kingdom of the Primordial Turtle clan flourished for many years, ruling from their capital city of Gui Cheng. The Turtle king was a primordial existence who was already quite old during the Shenni war, succeeding Da Hai''s own birth by only ten thousand years or so. As such he was quite intelligent in forging alliances and trades with other clans in order for his own to survive. Having braved many challenges without resorting to violence had been a great personal achievement for the king. However the responsibility Da Hai had saddled him was truly headache inducing. "Daddy, I''m back!" A youthful girl who looked around sixteen years old ran into the throne room followed by several turtle and shark guards. Turtle king looked up in surprise. "Yu''er, you''re back," he exclaimed in pleasant surprise. He quickly got off his throne and hugged his daughter in tearful joy. "Oh daddy has missed you, silly girl," he laughed in true joy. Gui Daiyu was the only daughter of the Turtle king from his marriage with a princess of the Colossal Shark clan who herself was the daughter of the Colossal Shark ancestor and the Mosasaur ancestor''s sister. The apple in her father''s eye, Gui Daiyu had been in her maternal home for several centuries. "You''re back, and so soon? Did something happen?" Turtle king inquired. Gui Daiyu shouldn''t be back so soon. Last he had heard, she was receiving training under her grandfather, the Colossal Shark ancestor. "Well, grandfather said that since I excelled so much in his teachings, I could come back early," she giggled and held out her hand. Turtle king examined her cultivation and gasped in astonishment. The little girl of yesteryear who was born mortal had very quickly ascended to a Heavenly Immortal realm expert. Turtle king could already see the foundation of a flower crown of the Three Splendours. This kind of talent was extremely rare, Gui Daiyu was still less than a thousand years old. This was less than a fraction of a Heavenly Immortal''s lifespan. "So, what''s been going on dad? Why does everyone seem so nervous?" She asked chipperly. Her father suddenly froze, contemplating whether to tell his daughter or not. She was largely unaware of the dangers of the Primitive World, having been sheltered for a majority of her life. Turtle king looked nervously at the ministers around him who returned the same nervous look. The shark guards looked at their turtle allies in confusion as a result. "Hey, what do you think''s the matter?" One of the sharks leaned in on another and whispered. "No idea bro. They''re turtles, so anything somewhat scary scares them," the other answered. "Yea, it could be anything," the first shark nodded, then asked another question. "Remind me why are we in an alliance with them again?" "They''re rich," the other shark answered. Out of all the factions in the East Sea, excluding Yingzhou, the Primordial Turtles were the wealthiest and had the most knowledge in miscellaneous advancements. They were the best alchemists, the best smiths, the best farmers, not to mention their nigh impenetrable defence. Gui Daiyu crossed her arms and said, "Well dad?" The turtle king could tell she was expecting an answer fast. However he was deeply concerned that she may offend the mighty Zulong. He may be defenceless now but he is one of the few disciples of the Great Saint of Yingzhou. "Well um¡­ Yu''er why don''t you go visit the city again like you always do? We''ve recently built a new temple," he said, trying to divert her attention. "I''ve already been there though," she grumbled. "Why do we need so many temples for one guy anyway? And stop diverting the topic dad, what''s going on?" Turtle king quickly put his finger in her lips, shushing her. "Silly girl, don''t say such things lest you offend the Great Saint of Yingzhou." He carried on on a tangent while his daughter gave him an unimpressed look. "Okay fine, I won''t look too deeply into this," she finally said. She then quickly added an , "I promise". Seeing this the turtle king sighed in relief. "Haha, that''s good, all''s good, now how about we tour the city again like the old days?" His daughter answered with a happy nod. "Very well, men, ready the sea carriage." However unknown to the king, Gui Daiyu held her fingers crossed behind her back. No guards who were standing behind her reported though, seeing as this was the most favoured child in the East Sea. That same week, when the turtle king had left the palace for an inspection on the underwater herb farms. Gui Daiyu snuck around the palace. She quickly noticed a place that was infrequently visited by the servants. A place that seemed to be permeated with a dark aura that she can''t quite put her finger on. "What exactly is going on?" She wondered till she arrived before the guest room. She remembered this room as the same one which hosted her maternal grandfather many years ago. It was a very high class guest room. "I said I didn''t want to be disturbed, leave," a rude male voice commanded from within. Those words held so much force, Gui Daiyu felt almost compelled to obey. ''Some sort of unique bloodline ability?'' She thought curiously. All innate creature clans had some sort of unique ability but not all were that useful and most were very similar. Those clans with exceptional abilities were almost always at the very top of the food chain. Her own Primordial Turtle clan had their shells which were harder than most spiritual treasures in the world. "I said leave," the rude voice commanded again much to her chagrin. The princess gritted her teeth, seething in anger. "I am the princess of the Primordial Turtle clan, who are you to order me around?" She retorted. "Now I order you to open this door and reveal yourself." The voice on the other side growled in annoyance. She could almost feel the water becoming chilly. She could vaguely hear cursing, something about idiotic turtles and stupid master. ''Could he be talking about my Primordial Turtle clan?" She thought in offended anger. She grabbed hold of the door handle and tried to yank it open. It came off fairly easily given her enormous strength. "I said to LEAVE!" A young man with a fierce look and deer like antlers roared back at her. He looked extremely arrogant that it just pissed her off to no end. "And just who are you to command me stranger?" She yelled back. It was then that she noticed the trashed room and grew even more furious. "Do you know what you''ve done?" "Oh? What of it?" The antlered stranger taunted. Gui Daiyu gritted her teeth and mentally chanted her royal lessons in etiquette. It didn''t help much as she immediately commanded, "You better apologise and fix this room or else." "Or else what?" The antlered stranger growled. "Or else I teach you a lesson you''ll never forget." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The stranger laughed as if he heard the most amusing thing in the world. "Teach me? Me? Oh that''s rich, your granddaddy here made your ancestors quake in their little water caves. Who are you to teach me a lesson, hm?" He chuckled, "Nothing but a nobody from a worthless clan." "Worthless?" Gui Daiyu roared and punched the stranger. Her speed shocked him. He could barely react before he was thrown to the wall. "All talk no bite," she mocked. The young man got up groggily onto his feat. He looked absolutely humiliated, he Zulong was a mighty innate god several thousand years her senior. The same god who once terrorised the East Sea with absolute might. Being pushed around by a puny Heaven Immortal quickly ignited his anger even higher. He tried to call forth his mighty strength and howled in frustration when he couldn''t bring it forward. ''It''s fine,'' he thought. ''My cultivation base is sealed but my physical strength is still there.'' He charged forward to attack the turtle princess who met him in hand to hand combat. The strength displayed by Zulong surprised Gui Daiyu. He was able to fight her, who had trained with the best the Colossal Sharks and Mosasaurs had to offer. Zulong was extremely aggressive, but he lacked proper form and all his attacks were wild. He however made up for it with insane physical strength that dwarfed hers easily. Gui Daiyu knew she had to resort to a more technical approach to win. Meanwhile Zulong was frustrated. He couldn''t exert anywhere near what he was truly capable of. He couldn''t help but curse Da Hai at his current situation. This woman was pushing him to the brink. Gui Daiyu leapt back and kicked out waves of water in an arc like wave. They all impacted Zulong who couldn''t utilise Qi to defend. He had to tank every attack with his body. However, although his cultivation was sealed, his dragon scales were still incredibly hard and he didn''t receive any damage. "Hah!" Gui Daiyu got past the staggering Zulong and sent a palm attack directly into his chest, easily sending him crashing through the wall. The dragon couldn''t right himself in the water and was thrown outside into the courtyard. By now the fight had caught the attention of some guards. However they were too far away to do anything as Gui Daiyu swam after Zulong in top speed. She unleashed a barrage of palm strikes at the dragon''s abdomen ending with a kick that rocketed him into the ground. He impacted the floor hard creating a crater. However much to Gui Daiyu''s shock, he was not even remotely injured. ''Just what is he made of?'' She thought with wonder. Zulong slowly got up to his feet and stared at the woman. He was huffing and held onto his own knees for support. All this time he had been attempting to call forth his dragon physique but had been unsuccessful. He was forced to rely on his Dao body. "Yah!" Zulong charged in for his own aggressive attack. Each of his punches carried immense weight, weight that was able to push the princess back with each block. As such Gui Daiyu countered his strong punches with quicker nimble strikes at his meridians. These were sharp attacks some shrimp instructors had taught her. She''d never thought that she''d be forced to use them. Using various martial forms, Gui Daiyu danced around Zulong, skilfully dodging and attacking, whittling him down step by step. With each successive exchange, she guided Zulong into an advantageous position for herself. Before he realised what happened, she''d caught his arm in a wrist lock, twisting it around him and flipped him onto the ground. Zulong found himself unable to exert any strength at all. He began to realise he had lost the exchange. He was shocked to his core. Completely frozen in shock. Gui Daiyu meanwhile was sweating and felt incredibly tired. Her spell repertoire was lacking to begin with hence she relied on her martial ability. This was the most difficult fight she had ever had since she began training. They were both sweaty and fatigued, something they were both unused to as the princess had never been in a real fight while Zulong never experienced difficult fights like this before. "What have you done?" The turtle king who ran through the gates into the palace courtyard screamed. He immediately ran up to the two and manhandled his daughter off of Zulong. "Hey what are you¡­" before Gui Daiyu finished, the turtle king slapped her, surprising her. Her father had never struck her before and at this moment she too became frozen not knowing how to proceed. "Idiot girl," he immediately got onto his knees. "Please exalted lord, forgive my idiot daughter. She is young and naive, she doesn''t know any better." The ministers who trailed after him all began kowtowing and begging. "What?" Gui Daiyu who held her red cheek did not know how to react. Just who was this man to make her father so subservient? She knew her paternal side wasn''t known for their bravery but this was a little too out of character. "What are you waiting for? Kneel!" Turtle king grabbed Gui Daiyu and forced her to kneel as well. "Quickly apologise!" He commanded. "Enough, no harm done," Zulong who had gotten back onto his feet waved to the people kowtowing to get up. He flexed his biceps as the turtles were still apologising. He groaned in pain. "What are you waiting for? Thank his highness!" Turtle king immediately changed his words and offered deep thanks. However Gui Daiyu was still too shocked at the scene to speak. "Idiot girl, this is the exalted Zulong, the ancestral dragon and personal disciple of his exalted majestic Saint of Yingzhou. Oh what have you done, our clan is doomed, doomed. Oh wuwuwuwu wu," the turtle king began crying. ''Disciple?'' Gui Daiyu was slowly realising the gravity of the situation. She felt her previous courage drop and a petrifying fear enveloped her. Zulong was expressionless when he walked up to her. The king and ministers seeing this closed their eyes and accepted her death. They could do nothing at this point but curse the girl for her stupidity. However, no attack came. Zulong reached for her arms and helped her up wordlessly. He looked at her with begrudging respect and said, "Be proud of your accomplishment." He wordlessly walked back to the ruined room and said, "Leave, I need some time alone." "Oh thank you, thank you, my lord, thank you for your mercy. Daiyu, why aren''t you thanking him!" The turtle king cried hysterically. "I said leave!" Zulong roared and following this, the turtles hurriedly left, dragging their princess away. She spared him one last look of shock before she was taken away. Zulong sat down and leaned on the broken wall. Many thoughts raced through his mind. However one thing was certain, he had indeed lost that fight. The fact that it was a lowly innate creature deeply troubled him. Chapter 47-Worth in the Eyes of The Dragon Thud! Stone hit stone with a thud sound as Zulong placed the last piece of the broken wall back in its place. He carefully applied the special substance the turtle alchemist used to fuse back the stones in place. The cracked lines remained, but at least now it was a wall again. Zulong then moved on from the wall. He quietly passed a petrified turtle servant holding a jar of the special substance and began placing a piece of the ruined table''s leg back in place. This process continued for a while. Zulong worked in silence. He only ordered tools to be brought to him, glues, hammers, a new leg. The dragon was not skilled, but he had made continuous improvements throughout his time repairing the furniture. All the while he did not speak anything of Gui Daiyu. The joints were simple enough to figure out though. Zulong wasn''t wholly accurate in lining up the wood and stone. Sometimes his grip would be too strong and he''d crush them. But he was undoubtedly making progress. Without any rest, Zulong completely renovated his room in a little over a week. It was shabby to say the least. The former luxurious residence had been demoted to a common hovel. The turtle helper was however unwilling to say that out loud. "Hey you," Zulong called out to the turtle. "Uh ye¡­yes?" "Stop stuttering, and tell me where''s that princess of yours?" He asked the shaking turtle. "Oh ah, her¡­ Um," the poor turtle debated whether to tell Zulong or not. However seeing Zulong beginning to get impatient he decided to answer. "His majesty had elected to punish the foolish princess," he admitted. "Punish?" Zulong raised an eyebrow. "Where is she at the moment?" "It was decided for the princess to work in the fields," the turtle said. "Right, so where are the fields?" Zulong asked. "Wait, actually what are these fields?" The turtle hastily brought out a stone tablet from his storage pouch. "Ah, that will be the spiritual herb farms. She should be there," he handed the tablet to Zulong. It was a simple map of the turtle kingdom. Zulong looked at the map in a sense of familiarity. He had seen similar drawings in his master''s palace during his long reading sessions. He had never really paid too much attention but he was getting a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu from the tablet. Zulong soundlessly left the turtle heading in the direction of the farms. The stuttering creature hurriedly sent a mental message to his superiors. He was terrified of the prospects of the dragon killing the princess. The turtle king sat in the middle of his meeting. He has been experiencing many headaches since the incident between Zulong and Gui Daiyu. His advisors were imploring him to banish the princess to appease the dragon. Some were even calling for her head. However, the intricate alliance he had built would fall apart the moment she died. But on the other hand Zulong was too important to ignore. Even the Sharks, Mosasaurs, and their underlings can only swallow their hatred in that scenario. However, the personal feelings of a father stopped him from making any drastic decisions. For now, their esteemed guest had been keeping quiet and only made odd requests for materials, so the Turtle king ignored the issue for now. "Your majesty! Your majesty!" A turtle servant ran abruptly into the chamber catching the attention of all the ministers present. It was one of the head butlers of the palace, of some renown though his cultivation was only at the True Immortal realm. Some of the ministers growled in annoyance. They did not like to be disturbed by just anybody, especially not a servant. Hence the king signalled for him to speak. "Speak quickly servant, what is it," he said. "Ah your majesty, urgent news, urgent news! Esteemed guest Zulong had left his room," the servant frantically said. Immediately the atmosphere changed. The orderly chamber descended into complete anarchy as ministers acted like terrified chickens. "We must find him immediately, men let''s go before he gets too far," the turtle king grabbed his closest guards and ministers and bolted out of the room. The urgency was tangible. "Hurry, he could be anywhere by now!" "Your majesty, let me divine his location!" A turtle minister exclaimed and opened his palms to count. "What? Why isn''t this working?" The same turtle exclaimed. "No time ministers, let''s move it," the king called out. "But I haven''t told them where he went," the butler who was left by himself quickly ran after. However his low cultivation ensured that he couldn''t catch up at all. Zulong, unaware of the situation at the palace, made his way to the fields. He couldn''t fly, hence he ran with his legs. Although the loss of his extreme speed was bothersome, he was still quick on his feet. The spiritual herb farms weren''t far away from the capital. It was fairly large and hence easy to find. Zulong looked at the tablet map again to confirm he had the right place. Finding someplace was difficult without the aid of divine sense. He looked up and noticed a familiar woman working the fields. It was a strange sight. He remembered a ferocious warrior who was unafraid to go toe to toe against him who was now working the fields amidst commoners. Even stranger was her enthusiasm in doing so. It looked like she was enjoying her time there. Zulong did not know what he was expecting but he certainly did not expect this. The same person who had defeated him looked so ordinary doing such demeaning work. As a sovereign he''d expected her to at least be commanding these farmers. To think this was the same person who gave him his first defeat. Zulong did not count his fight against Shen Feng as a proper defeat. He acknowledged the wind god as a supreme being of the same stature as himself. But to lose against a lower life form was something he''d never expected to happen to him. Even if such an event were to happen, that person must be of extraordinary disposition. "Hey Daiyu, can you help old Green with the azure spirit grass?" "Sure thing sir," the princess replied and happily went to help another turtle farmer. She aided the older gentlemen in pulling out the grass and collected them in baskets. Zulong noticed that none of the individuals present aside from Gui Daiyu were even immortals. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ''Why would someone do this?'' He wondered. He saw no point in doing such manual labor. An exalted immortal should not be so happy to do these things. He could understand begrudgingly accepting punishment, but this was beyond his comprehension. He was noticed by one of the farmers at the outskirts. It was an older turtle below the immortal realm. He swam up to the dragon who was silently observing the fields with his arms folded. "Hello there stranger," he greeted politely. Zulong did not respond nor acknowledge the turtle''s existence. "Uh, are you the new applicant?" He asked while receiving no response. "Rude," he commented. "Leave my sight before I make you," the dragon threatened as if he was talking about the weather. Although his words carried no true malice the turtle farmer still jumped back in fright. "Hey!" Gui Daiyu called out. She had noticed the dragon and came over. Although she was not as frightened as the farmer she was still evidently nervous and unsure of the situation. Yet she stood bravely sliding the farmer behind her. "You don''t say that here, especially not to my people," she countered. "Why are you here¡­If I may ask?" She quickly added with haste. "Mild curiosity," Zulong admitted after a while. "I expected a fellow monarch, yet I found this," he said in some disappointment. "Monarch? I guess I can be considered such," Gui Daiyu put a finger on her lip. "I''m a princess still though so not really? I mean, I am the designated heir, not that that''s going to happen anymore," she said with a small self-deprecating laugh. "Why''s that?" He asked, raising one of his eyebrows. "I think you already know the answer to that," she countered. "You proved your strength, your power is surely above and beyond your peers. You''d surpass your pathetic excuse of a father within¡­" Zulong counted his fingers and did some calculations based on Gui Daiyu''s performance. "Within like two thousand years or so?" He guessed. It was difficult without divine sense but he was experienced enough to grasp her cultivation during their exchange. "I insulted you," she corrected with slight hesitation. "I jeopardised our entire clan, endangering all our lives. Do you not understand this?" Zulong silently thought back on the scrolls in Da Hai''s library and nodded in understanding. "Strength is what is ultimately important. Just take your crown back after surpassing the weak coward." "Please stop insulting my father, he''s a good king," she said. "So you say." "My father led our entire clan to prominent influence. We are the resource centre of the entire East Sea. Alchemy, smithing, and formations are some of the most important resources for cultivation and we have them in droves, " she proclaimed in pride. "Someone will just come and steal all of it." "We have plenty of allies indebted to us. They know that without us providing the logistics, their ability to sustain their lifestyles would take a massive dive," she countered. "Besides, not everyone is obsessed with fighting and conquering. A kingdom''s purpose is to bring order and stability, as my father had done," she said in admiration and pride. She gestured towards the prosperous city and farms. "Is that so," Zulong said. "What''s stopping a mole from betraying you all?" "We''re not as stupid as you think we are," Gui Daiyu pointed at herself. "We have allies, powerful allies that enjoy our benefits and protect us. Our people are united, they work in harmony each contributing to our clan. They are indebted to my family as we are indebted to them." "What, the commoners?" Zulong scoffed. "What would you care about these lower creatures?" "They are the backbone of our society," Gui Daiyu retorted. "They ensure that we are able to do the things we do. They grow and mine, build and gather. They are key to our kingdom. Let me ask you, what is a kingdom without its people?" "Their purpose is to serve their ruler obediently, as is proper of lesser creatures," Zulong recited. Gui Daiyu looked extremely unimpressed. "You see so little worth in them? You must think they exist for the sake of our ego don''t you?" She asked. " "I do not understand why you as a superior being will so willingly, so eagerly partake in such manual chores with your lessers," he admitted. Gui Daiyu frowned, this man was so thick headed. She looked back at the farmers still harvesting the newest batch. "Perhaps you should show him the system princess," an elderly man with a straw hat swam over. "Mr Greeny," Gui Daiyu greeted. "Yes, that is a good idea," she turned towards the dragon. "Would you like to see how our kingdom functions?" Zulong contemplated, the princess insisted that there was merit. She was also someone who had overcome him even if he was in a severely weakened state. "Young man, it will at least be entertainment for you to pass the time," old Greeny said. "Young man? Who do you think you are?" Zulong threatened. Gui Daiyu took this moment to step in front of the old man. "Esteemed guest, please. He''s just a weak mortal, completely not worth your time. Do you kill everyone who even looks at you wrong?" She said with a frown. "Why do you even care?" "Because he is my subject," she declared. Zulong saw the determination on her face. "Oh what the hell," he shrugged. "What have you got to show me?" "Fantastic," Gui Daiyu smiled, eager to show off her nation. "Follow me, I''ll show you around. Old Greeny watched the duo go off with a satisfied smile. "Finally got him out," he said softly, unheard by everyone. As the duo faded into the lands a group of soldiers approached. "Hey you there," they called out. "Have you seen an angry antlered man around?" "He went that way," old Greeny pointed at the opposite direction the duo went in. "You just missed him," he said with a smile. "Ok thank you. You there, report to his majesty at once," the leading soldier called out another soldier. While they left, some soldiers could be heard complaining about divination not working. Old Greeny was suddenly engulfed by azure light revealing a middle aged Da Hai. "Hope this pans out well," he said before disappearing, unseen by anyone. Chapter 48-Civilized World In many ways, the kingdom of turtles was by far the most advanced civilization within all Four Seas. Although their reputation hadn''t spread past the East Sea and its coast, their influence and monopoly on cultivation resources granted them a unique status in the vast oceans. One of the greatest ingenuities of the turtles was their ability to mass produce immortal spiritual weapons. The turtles were amongst the first to truly excel in forging and this showed with their early successes in forging primordial spiritual treasures in the image of various exalted Xiantian spiritual treasures. Since the great sermon many thousands of years ago, the primordial turtle clan''s ability to create treasures had improved massively. In the years that followed, they had perfected a mass production assembly line that was able to field armies equipped with treasures. Of course the quality can never compare to genuine xiantian spiritual treasures, or even lesser primordial grade treasures and only hovered around the immortal grade. Gui Daiyu led Zulong through one of these facilities consisting of hundreds of turtles working in tandem. The facility was emptied of water and contained large amounts of spiritual fire. "Impressive, isn''t it?" Gui Daiyu said, pointing at the assembly line of workers. Starting with the group''s carriages, carrying raw materials of luminescent sea iron and azure copper. These were delivered to experts of the immortal realm who melted the metal. Another group smiths poured the metal into ready-made casts, then passed to immortal hydromancers. Zulong nodded slightly, "I guess so." He said while observing one of the halberds produced. He dragged his fleshy fingers across the warm metal, frowning at the sensation. He missed his scales. Zulong was reminded of his personal treasures, the Twenty-Four Sea Calming Pearls and the Dragon Pearl. Both items were at the pinnacle of Xiantian spiritual treasures. Compared to both, this halberd was simply too subpar. "But there are so many," he murmured in wonder. He placed the halberd back on the sea of racks. The storage area was half full and already contained thousands of immortal spiritual treasures. "And you just churn out spiritual treasures like nothing?" He asked. "Well, yes. To many of the weaker clans, weapons like these are integral to their fighting force. Not many can afford to be like us major clans." she explained. "Back when I roamed the seas, I found Golden Immortals everywhere. Surely they''d have a few," Zulong said. "When you roamed the sea?" Gui Daiyu took a minute to think, "Well that was before I was even born but I do know a few things. Golden Immortals are numerous but the number of clans out there easily dwarfs them by an order of magnitude. Only the higher end clans have Golden Immortals. How many did you run into?" "Hundreds, dozens of strong ones and many more weaker ones. Nevertheless, there were indeed hundreds of Golden Immortals," Zulong said without hesitation. "That was thousands of years ago, though. Without a doubt there''d be over a thousand by now." Gui Daiyu chuckled much to Zulong''s chagrin. "There are hundreds of thousands of clans out there in the East Sea alone. Not everyone has a Golden Immortal for protection. Not everyone can just raise one, either." Gui Daiyu signalled for Zulong to follow her. She led him across the business district of the city. It was an area which sold crucial cultivation resources such as pills and herbs, along with raw materials for forging. They also passed by many shops selling various luxury goods as opposed to those catering to basic needs. Zulong stared at a piece of artwork being auctioned from a window. Then he saw jewellery displayed in a nearby store. "What is the point of all this?" he muttered. "Come on, the pill hall''s not far from here," Gui Daiyu called out to the dragon. She led him to a tall structure, a massive building where many alchemists roamed. She led him inside the building, showcasing many shelves upon shelves of pre-made alchemical pills that boosted cultivation. Pills rich in certain types of Qi and Dao laws. "Pills are incredibly useful for cultivators. They are the reason we''ve been able to strengthen ourselves and our allies massively in recent years," Gui Daiyu explained while introducing the dragon to the place. The early alchemists of this era learned to combine special spiritual herbs into medicinal pills for the purpose of healing, cultivation, and various effects. Although the higher one''s cultivation was, the lower the effects became, they were still useful for those in the early stages of cultivation. Zulong picked up a red pill and closed his eyes, but in the end he couldn''t sense anything from it. Gui Daiyu took the pill from his palm and explained that it was an Earth Soil pill, designed for immortals attempting to master the earth element of the Wuxing. A crucial step in advancing through the True Immortal and Profound Immortal realms. "This is the backbone of our civilization," Gui Daiyu spread her arms and announced in pride. "This is what allows us to flourish, it''s what allowed us to gain favour with the strongest experts in the East Sea." She pointed out into the streets. "With our strength secured, it afforded us room to grow in other directions as well. Just in case you were wondering, cause you know, I saw you gazing at the shops earlier," she quickly explained. "Many advancements came from these growths as well. The exalted one only provided so much and we had to figure things out. But one person would never be able to advancement in so many directions on their lonesome." She looked at him expectedly, "Pretty cool huh?" Zulong looked around the place with many glancing passersby. All alchemists with varying levels of expertise and cultivation, all functioning like a well oiled machine just like the weapons facility he was at. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "All this just for lesser beings?" He said. "Well it''s better than living in caves, scavenging for food, and praying for the next godfiend you meet to not kill you, then pray that they won''t extort you, then pray even harder that they''ll save you from disasters," she said. "There is strength in unity." "Yeah, I guess it''s pretty impressive," Zulong muttered. His gaze landed on the city outside. Even with his cultivation sealed, his eyesight was still very powerful. "Come on, there''s still a lot more I need to show you," Gui Daiyu announced with her hands on her hips, encouraging the dragon to see more of the city. She showed him everywhere from open parks made to appreciate beauty, to art galleries, to people selling fictional stories of all things. For someone who had spent his whole life fighting and training, it was a wholly unique experience. The way civilians just went about their daily lives evidently brought the princess much pride. The people in turn greeted her with open arms and adoration. In contrast, the dragon was unknown to the average mortal. "My family holds the heart of the people," she explained to Zulong. "We have their faith and trust and thus their loyalty." "Working together huh," Zulong walked with Gui Daiyu for a long time. He simply explored the sights. Not too long after, the duo stood before a large construction site. A new temple complex was in the process of being built as per orders by the turtle king. "Your servants follow your orders perfectly," Zulong said as they sat on a hillside watching the temple''s construction. "Of course, we''re very careful of who we put in charge, or else something terrible might happen," Gui Daiyu admitted. "And by having competent ministers, it frees your father up to improve his cultivation." "That is correct, our trusted ministers require little supervision. They are loyal to us and we to them," she said. "And in the event this proves otherwise?" Zulong questioned. "I think you know the answer to that," Gui Daiyu answered with a sinister tone. Zulong nodded in acceptance. It would seem that the dragon needed to reevaluate the turtles. "Civilization, it is quite impressive," Zulong relented. Sitting beside him, Gui Daiyu smiled triumphantly. Zulong began reflecting on what he''d seen over the tour, on the many signs of cooperation between the masses and their adoration for their ruler. Suddenly, gut Daiyu jumped up. Zulong turned his attention to the princess as she left him behind. At the construction site, a five hundred metre stone statue had fallen as the floating platform transporting it gave in due to its weight. It was going to hit a group of weak turtles who were transporting materials underneath. Despite being an important building site, powerful cultivators were not stationed here. Most Immortals were either in the army, cultivating in seclusion, worked as a minister or some other important post that required their expertise. Gui Daiyu arrived almost instantaneously and caught the statue with her great strength. However she felt the immense weight of the statue and her eyes widened in realization. "Ocean suppression sea stone!" She exclaimed in shock. It was one of the heaviest substances in the entire world with a unique property of immense weight and extreme sturdiness. It was incredibly impractical to use for forging artefacts because it was such a stable and heavy substance. Even a crownless Heavenly Immortal like Gui Daiyu struggled beneath the statue. As she was sweating profusely, she felt a huge amount of weight being taken off her. Looking back she saw Zulong lifting the statue with his own incredible physical strength. "Move out of the way!" Zulong commanded the turtle workers who immediately scrambled away from the construction site. "Gui Daiyu, I''m going to throw it onto the ground on three," he reassured the struggling princess. In a feat of great physical might, Zulong pushed the top end of the statue up, flipping it back onto its base with a mighty thud. The dragon wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Ocean suppression sea stone on a fucking statue?" He asked, bewildered at the sheer extravagance of such an act. Though impractical to work with, this material was also very rare in the East Sea. He examined the statue which must''ve been very difficult to make. He frowned upon getting a closer look. "Is that supposed to be master?" He asked, pointing at the features he vaguely recognized as his master, if slightly inaccurate. "He''s nowhere near as good looking as this statue shows." he declared when the turtles nodded. "What is going on? Why aren''t there Heavenly Immortals or even my father here to supervise if you''re going to move a statue made of ocean suppression sea stone?" She demanded in anger. "Your Highness, a thousand apologies," the head worker kowtowed in fear. "The foreman left in a hurry after receiving a royal decree but we also had a deadline to meet. If the temple for the Great Saint of Yingzhou is not completed, I''m afraid there will be repercussions." "I don''t think he cares about that at all," Zulong said, though this was largely ignored amidst Gui Daiyu''s furious speech "I''ll talk to my father then. If that statue had fallen, a lot of damage would''ve been done. Being crushed would only be the beginning." "And now I question your intelligence in making a decoration of all things out of such a material," Zulong chuckled in amusement. In the end, Zulong stayed to help Gui Daiyu out in managing the construction site. In the meanwhile, the workers around them only stared in bewilderment at the banter between the two. Chapter 49-Master and Disciple Vast amounts of Heavenly Starry might conglomerated within the vast emptiness of the starry skies. Various elemental extremities formed and disappeared amidst the stars. The quakings of such a phenomenon caused the stars themselves to pulsate in excitement. It was as if a new world was being born. Stabilising elements such as the Wuxing, transformations of fire, water, earth, metal, and wood formed the distant image of the five planets. Changes of the seasons, various natural phenomenons of the world appeared in the void between stars. Among the starry phenomenon, the star of Jupiter glowed the brightest. The essence of springtime overtook summer, spring, and autumn. Jupiter swallowed Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. Wood consumed the rest of the five elements. A resounding explosion erupted in the starry skies. Jupiter exploded, lighting up the eastern quadrant of the universe in a burst of starry light. Countless luminaries formed the serpentine physique of a dragon. Nine digit radiant claws, azure scales, catfish whiskers, and deer like antlers. The majestic form of the Azure dragon, Qinglong manifested above the eastern heavens. The aura of a matured cosmic tree could be felt. Da Hai and Wangshu who watched Qinglong complete his path were both pleased with his progress. Cultivation within the starry skies was truly beneficial to the azure dragon, far more than cultivation in the East Sea had been. "Nephew has done well, barely eight thousand years old and he has already progressed his cosmic tree to this stage. It shouldn''t be too long before he crosses into the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm," Wangshu complimented with delight. Da Hai who stood with a stoic expressionless posture nodded. "Indeed, Qinglong''s progress had now overtaken Yinglong. All that''s left now is Zulong," he said. The distinct sound of genuine pride could be heard from his voice. "Of course, I can''t give you enough credit. Without your help, I''m afraid Qinglong would''ve never reached this stage." "Don''t mention it, it''s only natural for me to assist you, Da Hai. Speaking of your eldest, how is he?" Wangshu asked. "The tracking seal says he''s still in the primordial turtle clan''s territory, but other than that I do not know. I haven''t checked up on him for a while," Da Hai admitted. "Well considering my younger nephew''s progress, I think it''s time you focus on Zulong," Wangshu took a glance at the East Sea and focused. Her eyes glowed in silvery light, and if one were to stare into them they''d find themselves staring at the totality of the Milky Way. "That Daiyu girl has been a good influence on Zulong," she said. Da Hai nodded "She could do what I couldn''t, and teach him the path of a ruler." "And they look absolutely adorable together," the goddess said with a cooing smile. Da Hai raised an eyebrow at Wangshu. Was there something he missed from his disciple''s and Gui Daiyu''s interactions? "You''d think with your knowledge of ''modern sensibilities'' you''d understand," Wangshu emphasised the modern part when she saw Da Hai''s confusion. It took Da Hai a short moment to recognise what she actually meant. "Oh, I guess you could call what they have romantic," Da Hai admitted, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "I''m not too invested in that. I haven''t thought back on them for a long long time," he said. "Twenty thousand years isn''t that long," Wangshu countered. Da Hai gave her a look of mock annoyance. She heard him mutter a low ''smartass''. "Oh hey look, Qinglong is coming back," Da Hai suddenly said, changing the topic and pointing to the dragonic figure flying towards them. The ten thousand kilometre long dragon shrunk and kept shrinking until it was only a dozen metres or so. For dragons, they could change their size however they wish, though ten thousand kilometres is their true length. However this length wasn''t the limit they could grow to. Qinglong transformed into a young man and cupped his hands in a polite greeting to Da Hai and Wang Shu. "Master, aunt-master, thank you for guiding me all these years," he thanked the two deities. "Good, your progress is very impressive," Da Hai said in suppressed happiness. He maintained a stoic look all the time. ''And to think you say you don''t care,'' Wangshu silently thought as Da Hai praised his disciple. She sighed in her heart, ''Five Element''s death really broke you little brother. You can only lie to yourself for so long. Da Hai, I wonder when you will realise how terrible you are at this.'' As one of her first friends since her birth till now and after experiencing life and death together, the goddess felt that she had a pretty good grasp on Da Hai''s personality. Perhaps even more so than Da Hai. "If it is not too much to ask master, I would like to remain in the starry skies to further comprehend the Dao," Qinglong said. "With permission from aunt-master, of course," he hurriedly added. "It''s fine, I do not mind," Wangshu accepted the dragon''s request. Da Hai nodded expressionlessly. "Thank you master, aunt-master. I will do my best," Qinglong said excitedly. His Dao fruit had already reached the pre-sprouting stage. The chance to attain the Great Principle and ascend to the Chaos Immortal realm wasn''t far. He did wonder how his brothers were doing. "If this is all, I''ll take my leave," Da Hai said before raising his hand to break dimensions. "Master, can I ask how my big brother is doing?" Qinglong asked before Da Hai could leave. "That is what I''ll be checking," Da Hai promptly left without another notice. Qinglong nodded satisfied, he had already seen his master''s eyes. He was genuinely worried about Zulong. Da Hai traversed through the void between dimensions before exiting above the skies of the East Sea. He scanned around before confirming his location before diving below the surface. It did not take long for him to reach the turtles'' capital city. The city was as extravagant as the last time he was here, with the noticeable addition of another temple complex which dwarfed all the others. However Da Hai largely ignored it after taking a brief look. The use of materials was a bit wasteful, and the incense merit is produced by the individual, not inanimate objects. He passed through the palace walls and manifested within the throne room. There was a distinct lack of a king present, hence the ancient sea god loudly cleared his throat. The various servants, after an initial shock induced heart attack, informed him of the king''s location. The old turtle was spending some ''quality time'' with his latest concubine. "Doesn''t matter," Da Hai said. "I''m looking for my disciple, I did not see him in the capital." "Oh, esteemed guest Zulong? Well he should be at the new settlement," the turtle minister said. "Settlement? What happened while I was gone?" Da Hai asked curiously. "Ah Great Saint, the thing is that a few centuries ago, the esteemed guest informed the king that he wished to run a city of his own and, I quote ''Let''s put your methods to the test''," the turtle minster procured a royal decree with fully signed off permissions for a new city several dozen kilometres away from the capital. "Well, this isn''t too far," Da Hai''s figure faded away, disappearing in a flash of light. He reformed once again at the location he read off the decree. He was met with a growing city when he arrived above. Da Hai did not quite know what he was expecting. He had left for the starry skies a while back for Qinglong''s sake and hadn''t been back in the East Sea for quite some time. After hearing that Zulong is running a city, he''s first thought was a brutal spartan society where all wordlessly obeyed their god king. What he got was a lot less extreme. Da Hai immediately noticed the impressive military presence roaming the streets and guarding the defences. He''d also noticed the shape the city was built in. ''Defensive formation,'' he thought. The Feng Shui of the city''s layout adhered to what he was familiar with. Da Hai was not a pioneer in formations but he had studied the naturally forming illusion formations on Yingzhou and had written some lesser derivatives of it. It would seem Zulong had taken some inspiration from them. Da Hai made note of nine concentrated points of primordial Qi. This formation wasn''t built to trick the mind but to entrap and eviscerate the enemy. It resembled a nine digit dragon claw spread out like a palm. Da Hai landed at the city gates and took in the sights. It was for all intents and purposes, pretty flashy. Zulong had spared no expense in wowing those entering the gate. There was a heavy presence of statues of dragons, murals of dragons, carvings of a particular dragon overcoming famous cultivators in a dominating fashion. The golden coloured paint and distinct facial features were easy to identify for the sea god. To Da Hai, it screamed massive ego. Da Hai walked into the city without any guard nor merchant noticing. He observed the military police roaming the streets, taking note of their elaborate armours and quality weaponry. Da Hai dashed across the water passing through elaborate pagodas and temples held up by pillars showcasing dragon imagery. The palace at the centre of the city was built tall and strong. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. It was a massive complex taking up half of the city, easily dwarfing even the royal palace of the turtle king. Da Hai snorted in amusement when he saw the massive complex. As if there weren''t enough statues of Zulong outside the palace. The only exception was a single statue of a turtle placed in the centre of the courtyard. Da Hai walked into the main courtyard below the main hall''s stairwell. He didn''t even understand why the stairs were necessary for an underwater palace. But then he remembered his own palace and the long stairwell. A man and a woman were talking to each other within the great hall. The man was dressed in elaborate black robes and sat upon a massive throne with a backrest carved to resemble millions of dragons rising into the sky. His own disciple sat in it listening to the woman talk. Da Hai recognised her as the princess Gui Daiyu. She was saying something relating to the new traders from the shrimp clans passing through. The girl had matured a bit since he last saw her a thousand years ago. She now resembled a young woman into her early twenties just like Zulong. Da Hai scanned the main hall. Various ministers and servants were going about their day. presenting reports and suggestions. Da Hai cleared his throat. "It seems you''ve been quite busy Zulong," he said in a normal voice. It wasn''t loud but everyone heard it crystal clear. Zulong and Gui Daiyu''s attention were both on Da Hai in an instant. "Ma¡­master?" Zulong uttered. He immediately got up from the throne and ran down to greet Da Hai with many ministers trailing behind him. "I/we greet master/Great Saint of Yingzhou," they said with a bow. "Don''t stand on ceremony, I only came for Zulong. Those who are unrelated may leave," he said politely, if a bit stiff. Zulong looked back and silently communicated with Gui Daiyu. They sent knowing signals to each other. The princess bowed in respect and led the ministers away leaving the master disciple duo. "Quite a place you''ve built," Da Hai said after a few moments of silence. The awkward tension was not dispersing at all, as both individuals didn''t really know how to proceed. Da Hai elected to go for a standard question. "Yes, I spent much effort planning with my architects," Zulong admitted. "Architects? I''d thought you''d prefer to do the job yourself rather than leaving it to lesser beings." Zulong flinched at Da Hai''s words. "I realised inputs from those more experienced than I was useful," the dragon admitted without a hint of shame. This was a massive improvement from earlier. "That is good," Da Hai said. "How are you finding the experience of running a city?" "It has been a more complex experience than I''d thought. Yu''er has been a great help in the matter," he said simply. Da Hai raised his eyebrows at his reference to the princess. It was quite an intimate remark. "I noticed the thriving markets," he said while thinking, ''Heavens, this is awkward''. "Indeed," Zulong nodded. "The turtle''s techniques were very primitive compared to your collection master. I improved on what they had and it proved to be a success." "That is good, very good," Da Hai nodded. "Would you like to see the sites?" Zulong offered. "Yes, I''d like that." The tour wasn''t anything new. Da Hai had already seen everything in the city the moment he arrived. It wasn''t anywhere near as large as the capital. You could easily fit a dozen of Zulong''s cities into the turtle''s capital. What it did have over the capital was superior cultivation materials and treasures. The pills here were of noticeably higher quality as well as the treasures sold. Zulong informed Da Hai of a few inputs he gave to Gui Daiyu who tested them out which produced the end result. His lack of proper cultivation was what prevented him from doing it himself. Da Hai felt slightly guilty at the mention. "Zulong, how are you?" Da Hai finally asked when the duo passed by a park. Zulong, who was introducing the pretty coral arrangements, looked back. He had a conflicted look as if he was thinking. "Were you displeased with me?" Da Hai asked. "Oh I was furious," the dragon replied. "At least initially. The years had made me think back on a few thoughts I''d had. I''d say, I''ve been good. I realised something and met Yu''er, that is Gui Daiyu," he quickly corrected. "I see, it was the right decision after all," Da Hai wordlessly reached out with his palm and struck Zulong''s abdomen. The change was immediate. Gui Daiyu, who was sorting some tablets, looked up in shock. The monstrous aura of a Taiyi Golden Immortal was unleashed in full force. The might was so strong that it blew water currents up to the surface. The surface of the East Sea erupted in an explosion of sea water, causing ripples that could be felt for many kilometres. The gargantuan shape of a grinning golden celestial dragon swam across the currents. He danced and danced, twisting and twirling within the turtle''s territory. He easily danced from the capital back to his city and laughed in celebration. "I am BACK!" Zulong roared in triumph. "Congratulations to Zulong/city lord/ esteemed guest for regaining his power," many individuals across the turtle''s nation congratulated. "Zulong, come down here," Da Hai commanded. The dragon turned his head and flew back. He transformed into his former human form but was brimming with a vitality he previously lacked. "How are you feeling," Da Hai asked. "Never better master, I have never felt better in all my life." Da Hai stroked his beard in thought. Zulong seems to have changed for the better. His disposition was much more stable than before. However Da Hai didn''t really know what to teach next. Zulong was very stable now but his cultivation had fallen behind. Da Hai thought back to many years ago, when he imparted his martial art form. ''He always complained about those flowy movements, wait flowy movements, movements that''s it,'' Da Hai was reminded of how Zulong fought the East Sea cultivators many years ago. He was reminded of the dragon''s ferocious disposition. "Zulong, come back to Yingzhou with me. I have something to teach you," he commanded. "Ah!" Zulong looked a bit reluctant. He looked back at the palace, at a specific feminine figure within. "I''ll be back in a bit, if you''d excuse me master," he said seeking permission to leave. Da Hai nodded. Zulong came back soon afterwards, having discarded his rich black robes for more form-fitting combat and training robes. Da Hai nodded his head and blitzed away. "Keep up," he commanded. Zulong chased after his master. It was exhilarating to have his power back. The dragon felt slightly out of practice. Back at the palace, the turtle princess Gui Daiyu stared longingly at the departing duo. Yingzhou had changed in the years Zulong had been gone. Yinglong was taking care of the place, watering the plants and feeding the carps which Da Hai had captured a while back. The silk worms had cultivated to become immortals and transformed into moths. The seven moths had taken human forms as beautiful fairies who tended to the Fusang tree. They were also the maids who cleaned Da Hai''s palace under the management of Yinglong. "It''s good to be home!" Zulong exclaimed when they landed. "Brother you''re back," Yinglong yelled in happiness, his serious demeanour in front of the moth fairies abandoned. "Yes, I''m back. Look at you little brother, you''re so strong now," the brothers reunited with a hug. It was a joyous moment for them. "Zulong, if you''re done, meet me at the back mountains where the fields are," Da Hai said before walking away. "Yes master," Zulong obeyed the order. "I''ll catch up later," he waved goodbye and followed after the sea god. He met back up with Da Hai who had his back turned to him in the grass fields in on elf the back mountains. "Previously, I showed you the Fading Tides Fist, do you remember," he asked. "Uh well, about that," Zulong nervously scratched his head. He really didn''t want to recall that embarrassment. "It''s fine if you don''t, I realised that that style is not suited for you," Da Hai turned around and brought his hands to his chest. "It was not suited to your disposition." Zulong looked on the floor feeling ashamed. "I am incom¡­", "But that is fine." Da Hai interrupted the dragon before he could finish. "I learned Fading Tides Fist from my predecessor''s own martial style. I think the original art should be more agreeable with you," Da Hai said. Zulong''s eyes widened in excitement, he grinned at the prospects. "This is the one used by my predecessor Tian Hai, the original Da Hai you could say." "Then what are you waiting for," he said, smiling excitedly. "Show me the moves master." Da Hai stomped the ground hard, startling the dragon. His stance was aggressive and resembled a raging tidal wave. "The Fist of the Great Sea cannot be shown, It must be felt," the thrashing sound of a restless tsunami could be heard when Da Hai spoke. The master and disciple pair began their session just like that. They''d continue to train for the many years to come. Within fifty years, a cosmic tree that dwarfed anything Qinglong and Yinglong could produce was formed. Chapter 50-Leaving the Nest "He should be here by now," Zulong grunted impatiently with his arms folded. "No rush big brother, you know how he is. He''s probably sightseeing, so give little brother some time," Yinglong reassured. The two dragons drifted above the East Ocean waiting for a hole in reality to open. According to their master, Qinglong should be exiting the starry skies around this area. The brothers had not been together for a long time. Now with Zulong''s return, they were only waiting for the azure dragon. As the duo were chatting, the sky above the East Sea began distorting. Reality itself split in two and two nine digit azure claws gripped both sides of the cut and ripped it open. The azure dragon Qinglong flew out of the void between dimensions and returned to the vast wilderness. "Brothers," Qinglong cried out in happiness. The titanic dragon transformed into a young man in his early twenties who greeted the elder dragons. They shared a hug and laughed in happiness at their reunion. "My younger brothers have worked hard. It makes me proud as the eldest sibling," Zulong ruffled Qinglong and Yinglong much to their chagrin. Nevertheless they smiled in contentment. "Nonsense, how can we compare to elder brother? Not only reaching the apex of Great Unity Golden Immortal but also building the greatest city this side of the world? You are the exceptional one," Yinglong and Qinglong praised. "A small matter, a small matter," the three reminisced together as they continued on their journey. The clouds above the East Sea conglomerated, bringing into being the mystical form of Yingzhou. Da Hai had revealed the mountain''s location again. Da Hai appraised his disciples with satisfaction. Going by his calculations, Zulong should have overtaken Zufeng and Zulin. However he was still a distance from being able to challenge the godfiends of old. However, that distance wasn''t large. The sea god gazed down at his hand. It was covered by silk bandages. Just the reminder of his spar against Zulong gave him shudders. No magic of any kind was used, and he only barely managed to win. It wasn''t because Zulong was a better fighter then Da Hai nor was he more experienced as a combatant. The dragon''s physical strength was just that mind boggling. Da Hai''s bones had fractured and he had no doubt that if they both assumed their true forms, Zulong would still be physically stronger. "There is not much left here for them anymore," he muttered as the dragons went to Zulong''s abode for a drink. The moth fairies were busy doing chores around Yingzhou and the carps were not sentient yet. The dragons drank and ate the rich mulberry fruits from the Fusang tree and exotic seafood. Zulong brought out things he''d collected over the years from various juices, dishes, and his own attempts to mimic Da Hai''s wine. This was all done through special pouches enchanted with its own pocket dimension. Innate creatures were animals themselves. During conflicts they too would hunt and consume each other though always from other clans. The act of consuming those within one''s own clan was seen as deeply taboo. Zulong had been presented numerous types of meat many times during his tenure as city lord. "Elder brother, how far are you from becoming a Chaos Immortal?" Qinglong asked after he swallowed a slab of eel meat. "Shouldn''t be far, my Dao fruit is already beginning to take shape. Give me a few thousand years and I''ll break through," Zulong said confidently. "Yes, then we can finally begin with elder brother''s dream," Yinglong said. "Have you given any thought on how the conquest will begin?" "We already have a base with the turtles and I can convince them to join our side easily. The East Sea itself will be simple," the ancestral dragon said. "How so?" Qinglong asked. "Can''t you figure it out dumbass? Just by virtue of who our master is will make the task a simpler stroll," Zulong explained. Qinglong slapped his forehead at the realisation. He felt a bit embarrassed at having forgotten that detail. "Master has never taken any interest in controlling the East Sea nor founded any kingdom. His intentions are clear, from the beginning he''s been grooming me to take command of the sea," Zulong said. His brothers nodded, that detail was very obvious even without hindsight. Zulong''s education specifically geared more towards his ambition than cultivation. "The other seas will be troublesome," Zulong murmured. "I''ve only vague ideas about them. The south is supposedly peaceful, if very militarised, the north is very desolate, and the west is too far away for any concrete news." "Big brother, why not visit and have a look?" Qinglong offered. "Yes, that''s a good idea," Zulong smiled. "But brother, we have no idea on their exact situation," Yinglong countered. "I think it''s better to consolidate ourselves in the East and then slowly expand outwards. Keep to what we''re familiar with." "Second brother, what''s the harm in exploring outside the East Sea? Big brother is fully confident in gaining the east. I say it''s better to scout the rest of the seas first," Qinglong retorted. "Are we sure that isn''t your wanderlust talking?" Yinglong criticised. "I won''t deny that," Qinglong said. "We''ve been cooped up in the east for so long. We''re nearly ten thousand years old, for heaven''s sake, yet we still haven''t seen more than the east." "So what? Most creatures don''t live past a few thousand years. We can always explore later," "And I say we can consolidate later. What''s the hurry in forming our kingdom now?" "And what''s the hurry in seeing the world? Who knows if the opportunity granted to us by big brother will vanish after we return?" "That''s enough, brothers," Zulong announced, tapping the table. "Both of your ideas are valid. But Qinglong is right, we should familiarise ourselves with the rest of the world first." "But big brother, is now not the perfect opportunity?" Yinglong asked. "We already have a base, and you are a known friendly individual in the East Sea. This will not be like that year, we have a status with master at our backs and a proven leader in you." "Our divine status awarded by master will always be present now or a hundred thousand years from now. We can afford to wait," Zulong reassured. He took a long drink from his glass. "My decision is final, tomorrow I will inform master of our plans," he announced. His brothers could only nod their heads. With that, plans were made and the brothers began preparing their journey. ¡­ Mt Sumeru The heart of the devilish Dao was thriving with billions of new recruits joining each year. The spread of the path had allowed many powerful experts to arise. The legions of the devil ancestor were at this period of time the greatest in the world. The mountain was enveloped by rich spiritual power. Enough power to crush even Golden Immortals. The disciples of the devilish Dao know not to wantonly enter Mt Sumeru. The home of their ancestors was not a place anyone could step into. Only a few beings resided here. Luohu, dressed in comfortable rich robes that were a mixture of black, red, and gold strolled through the mountain. He hummed to himself a tune Da Hai would''ve recognised as a song from earth. ''Not Gonna Die'' by Skillet. The devil ancestor was without any weapons. He still wore his amiable smile and appeared very friendly. He strolled along a rocky ravine that was a well known track for those living on the mountain. The second in command of the devilish Dao requested this place. Luohu walked out of the ravine to a small cliff face overlooking distant temples and courtyards. The western continent had flourished over the years. Many temples and schools were set up to train those in the devilish Dao, to embrace sensual emotions and live by the desires within. The true name for the devilish Dao founded by Luohu should be the path of seven emotions and six desires. The Devil who lives by this principle does whatever he or she pleases. The Devil is omnipotent, infinite, he is free to decide all things in this world. Strive to become the devil, to break all chains set upon oneself by outside forces. Accept the truth within, embrace all emotion and desires. "Found you," Luohu called out. Another figure was sitting by himself upon the cliff overlooking the Solar Star setting in the horizon. His face was adorned with three dark eyes glowing with pupils that were bright white lights. He had long silvery hair and tanned brown skin. He was Mara, the demon king of the sixth heaven. "What do you want," the demon king said, displaying no emotion in his flat tone. "Why do I need a reason to see my younger brother?" Luohu laughed and plopped down beside Mara. "Frankly, I''m sick of your moody attitude. Every year, every single fucking year, you stop doing your job and sit here and mope." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Luohu pointed at a distant mountain, "You''re lucky Hundun is willing to cover for you." "And here I thought you advocated freedom," Mara chuckled. "You can do whatever you want, but I too can do whatever I want," Luohu countered. Mara chuckled before going into full blown laughter. "I''ll get back to instructing after next week," Mara said. "It''s not too long of a break anyway. Let them do whatever they want for the week." "Fine," Luohu relented. "But this same shtick is getting old Mara. When will you stop moping?" "When that blue bastard dies," the demon king replied. "When the stars go out, when you merge the universes. I''ll hunt him down myself and personally take this head," he grinned with demented glee. "And I will be by your side, that was our pact," Luohu said. "Even after all these yours, your rage still burns strong. It''s good motivation, isn''t it, Kama?" "Kama is gone," Mara corrected. "Only Mara is left. I am the demon king of the sixth heaven. Second in command of the devilish Dao and rest assured, I am your friend and ally till the end of days. So says our pact." "I have never doubted you," Luohu smiled. "So why come here asking for things you already know?" Mara inquired. "Boredom, 99% of the new initiates died and the foundation hall is quite empty at the moment," Luohu admitted. "Besides, you enjoy the company." Mara grunted. "You made the test too hard. Too many seedlings die." "Only the best of the best of the best deserves to follow my teachings," Luohu defended. "Only they deserve to cultivate the seven emotions and six desires. It is not a path for the faint of heart. Only the strongest deserve to be devils." Mara gave him a look before sighing. Luohu was very set in his ways. "If only you can put them to use," he said. "You think I''m too passive?" "You have an army in the billions. Attack Mt Yujing now," Mara said. "You overestimate the old man." "You underestimate Hongjun," Luohu retorted. "That old villain holds many powers. The army will only get in the way. My lineage shall not be extinguished by recklessness." "Suit yourself," Mara shrugged. "We have the clear advantage anyway. When will you attack?" "When I am sure I have surpassed him," Luohu said. "You do not know Hongjun like I do. If he wished, he could easily compete with the Destiny Demon God at his peak. We must remain vigilant and cultivate. When I achieve Wuji, I will fight Hongjun myself. I am confident in my Dao." "But not at the moment?" Mara asked. "No, My Dao is still not perfect. I am still lacking," Luohu admitted. "Well we have to rectify that," Mara got up. "I''ll come to discuss the Dao with you next week. Now leave me," he gestured for the Devil Ancestor to leave. "Fine, you better not be late," Luohu said, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. ¡­ Unknown location A twisting realm of mystical power beyond mortal comprehension permeated the space of endless, colourless void. Gleaming bright stars shot in and out of focus, swirling around a god. A great divinity whose might was renowned during the chaos sea. A being resembling a tall brute with thick muscles. He had glowing blue eyes but no mouth. An angular head and long protruding horns like a crown. His shoulders had faces of snarling beasts, both had long fleshy tongues that twirled around his pale skin like a floating ribbon. His stomach was the face of a snarling wolf. Yellow eyes glaring across all things, as if it could see the existence of all things. His arms were long and bulky, fit with huge muscles. His palms were wide claws, like that of a bears. His bottom half was not that of a humanoid. Below his waist was a mass of thick muscular legs along a centauric body. His feet were muscular, agile and paw-like. He had no fur and was all skin, pale white skin. The Destiny Demon God, best of all chaos godfiends. Standing above the four strongest chaos godfiends. Stronger the Yang Mei, mightier than Huoyun, more frightening than Sichen, fiercer than Demon Ape. He cultivated in silence within his own self created dimension away from the vast wilderness and starry seas. Since time immemorial he had ignored the existence of the world and focused solely on his own cultivation. To recover the might of Hunyuan Daluo. Suddenly, a cut appeared within his dimension. Destiny Demon God opened his eyes. The cut separated into a gateway and four figures exited. A middle aged man who was half black and half white. The chaos godfiend, ancestor Yingyang. He had not appeared once during the Shenni war and word had it that his presence would have turned the tides of the war. A monstrous being, pale brown skin with ten feathery wings. They leaked bronze light emanating temporal mysteries. This being''s face looked haggard and old, childish and immature, experienced and wise, young and virile all at the same time. He had four human-like arms and two legs. Destiny Demon God recognised this man. A fellow competitor for strongest during the chaos period. Sichen, the god of time, an ancient chaos godfiend who held the mysteries of time. In one arm, he held up the morning, in another, daytime, swinging a third brought dusk, the last arm funnelled into midnight. He was the only one who knew his location. The third figure was a younger man. An unassuming daoist priest who wore a compass on his sash. Just seeing this man gave people vertigo. It was as if he was standing upright, upside down, horizontally, and vertically at the same time. He was everywhere yet still in one position. Shangxia, the ancestor of directions. The final figure gave Destiny Demon God a pause. He barely recognised this figure. An old man in simple purple robes, long fluffy white beard and long white hair tied up in a high ponytail. Hongjun, a relative unknown who came empty handed. Yet Hongjun was clearly the leader. He held himself up in the highest position. Sichen, Shangxia, and Yingyang followed in his wake. Destiny Demon God noted their look of respect and reverence. "The audacity to come here," he spoke for the first time in a hundred thousand years. His voice reverberated across this side of all creation. His presence was awe-inducing. Sichen, Yingyang, and Shangxia felt the urge to prostrate themselves. Yet Hongjun stood still, unaffected. "Fellow daoist, we''re only here to talk," he said lightly. "The audacity to command me," Destiny Demon God began moving. He was slowly raising his right arm. A single attack from him, even in a diminished state, will easily slap a peak Daluo Golden Immortal to death. "I''m afraid there has been a misunderstanding. Fellow daoist, we''re only here to talk," Hongjun insisted politely. Destiny Demon God scoffed. He moved to attack. But no blows were exchanged. Destiny Demon God stopped before he reached Hongjun. He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the purple light in Hongjun''s eyes, then at the purple clouds below his feat. He starred at Hongjun, who appeared very relaxed. "Talk," he said. That was how negotiations between mighty figures began. Yingzhou "Master," Zulong announced when he knocked on the door. "Come in," Zulong nodded at Da Hai''s voice. He opened the door to Da Hai''s study. His master was doing some light calligraphy on a piece of silk sheet. He could make out the characters of the chaos godfiend''s language. The head moth fairy was by his side with an ink pot in hand and spare brushes. She stood demurely with little presence. Ordinary cultivators will not even notice her presence. "Master, I have a request to make," Zulong began. "I know what you want to say," Da Hai said much to Zulong''s expectations. After all, nothing happened in Yingzhou without Da Hai''s notice. "You have my permission to go on your trip," Da Hai said. He raised his hand over the silk sheet. The characters glowed in hot blue light before setting. Da Hai took the calligraphy piece and placed it into a silk satchel. He levitated the satchel and threw it to Zulong who caught it with his hands. "These are some single-use talismans," Da Hai explained. "They contain my own power and should be enough to defend you when necessary." "Many thanks master," Zulong bowed in respect. "No need to thank me. Remember to ensure your safety first," Da Hai said. "This disciple will remember that," Zulong said while putting the silk satchel away. He looked at the head moth fairy and thanked her as well. She and her sisters were responsible for producing the silk Yingzhou now used for clothing, talismans, and forging treasures. It was a good resource. Zulong wondered if he could borrow her to work for him in the future. It will be more productive with him than his hermit of a master. Da Hai nodded in satisfaction. He watched the dragons leave in anticipation. He could feel his own heart thumping. "Soon, just wait brother." Chapter 51-The North Sea Their departure from the east sea was done relatively unceremoniously. The dragons left Yingzhou and stayed for a time within the turtle''s territory before ultimately leaving northwards. It was during their stay that Yinglong and Qinglong met Gui Daiyu. The princess had a wilful but kind disposition. She was also incredibly talented in the arts of cultivation and management. It was no wonder Zulong trusted her to take care of his city. "Here, keep these with you," Zulong said just before they had left. He handed a small bag to Gui Daiyu. Contained within are some of the talismans Da Hai had given him as well as a bag of mulberry fruits from the Fusang tree. "These can help you form the flower crowns," the dragon reassured. Gui Daiyu took the bag with a small frown, "Do you have so little faith in my ability?" "I will never dare," Zulong laughed. "Just a small assurance, even if you don''t need them then at least give them to your family or whatever promising talent pops up." The golden dragon looked very sad when the time to depart came. "Do you really have to go?" Gui Daiyu had asked him shortly after accepting the gifts. "I have to," Zulong admitted. "But I will back, it won''t be long, I promise." "You better," the princess said playfully punching Zulong''s shoulder. Zulong grunted and held his shoulder in mock pain. "Should I be worried if little old me can hurt you?" She said. "Haha, only you Yu''er, only you," Zulong replied. "Heavens, is this really big brother?" Yinglong exclaimed in wonder as he watched the scene. Qinglong standing beside him was also gaping. The youngest dragon couldn''t even fathom what he was seeing. "Perhaps we''re still on Yingzhou, master''s illusions are very potent," Qinglong suggested. "Or perhaps I''m so drunk that I''m still dreaming." "Quite right brother," Yinglong faced the azure dragon and pointed at his cheek. "Give me your best shot," he said. "Enough out of you two," Zulong scolded. He smacked both dragons on the back of their horned heads while Gui Daiyu chuckled behind him. Zulong''s cheeks were flushed at his brother''s behaviour. "We''ll settle things when I get back. Take care Yu''er," Zulong said with a bright smile but embarrassed. He grabbed the scuffs of his brother''s robes, "Come on you rascals." The brothers travelled northwards, bypassing a lot of water. They had picked this direction because of the relative obscurity of the north sea. This body of water had remained largely a mystery to the rest of the world. After the Shenni war, there had not been much if any news at all. Most modern cultivators considered the north sea a ghost town. Zulong wagered that his master probably knew the ongoings of the north sea. At his realm of power, not much can be hidden. Da Hai could very easily peer through the view of the Heavenly Dao and uncover secrets Zulong was not aware of. The northwestern borders of the east sea was a desolate place. Very few hints of civilisation were present. Zulong was saddened when he saw the empty waters. A strong sense of loneliness permitted this place. Zulong didn''t like it. "Let''s pass into the north sea," Qinglong said in anticipation when the trio reached the border. It didn''t take much effort to pass through. The dragons very easily reached the northernmost oceans of the primitive world. The dragons were met with misty black waters when they passed through. It was very cold here, much too cold for mortal life to occur. The waters were rich with Yin energy, gathered from the long years of war. "The north continent was said to be ravaged by Shenni," Yinglong recounted. "Records say that the north continent is a desolate cold hellscape devoid of meaningful life. A continent filled with misery." The winged dragon sighed. "Aiya, tsk tsk, to think just the north sea is like this. I dread to think of the mainland," Qinglong said feeling deeply uncomfortable. For the lively azure dragon, this ghostly world was an experience which he did not appreciate. "Be that as it may, we must press on," Zulong announced. He waved his arm in a wide arc. The dragon in a flashy display of power wiped out the mist. He blew away the Yin energy making his brother uncomfortable with a sneer. "The audacity to make my brother uncomfortable," he spat. Zulong''s feat touched ice cold water. His shoes began collecting ice. Zulong snorted, he heated the cup of his feat and melted the ice. The waters were almost supernaturally cold. "The water here is special," Qinglong said when he too touched the ocean surface. "The coldness did not originate from the north sea itself." "I expected so," Zulong replied. "Qinglong, do you think the three brilliance sacred water may be the cause of this?" "No brother, the three brilliance sacred water is a life giving force. This is something else entirely," Qinglong said. He was intimately familiar with some of his master''s treasures and had encountered the three brilliance sacred water plenty of times. In fact, he had even swam in it during his stay in Wangshu''s palace. "This is likely a diluted variant elder brother," Yinglong said. "The source must be much more extreme. We must be careful, this could potentially even hurt us," he advised. Zulong nodded, "Let''s move on, the north holds many mysteries and I want them all found." The next few years were spent wandering the north sea. The icy climate did not change, not in a year, not in a decade, not in a century. The dragons spent over a hundred years exploring. They found very few treasures, often poor low rank xiantian treasures scattered about on some corpse of a godfiend. Or broken fragments of better treasures lying alongside deceased Great Unity Golden Immortals. "These are our forefathers," Zulong said solemnly. The trio stood admits a mountain made of corpses. Each one appeared distinct and alien. Each one carried the oppressive might of Great Unity Golden Immortal. Chaos Godfiends, long fallen, left to rot in the waters of the blackened north sea. Yinglong walked out from beside the ancestral dragon and placed a small incense holder. He placed it on a small auspicious cloud while Qinglong placed some incense on it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "They should''ve at least been offered a funeral," Zulong said as they paid their respects. He transformed into a gigantic golden dragon and dived into the sea. With his claws, he dug a massive grave and placed the corpses within. "Proud godfiends deserves this at least," he muttered solemnly. "Us younger generation innate gods are lucky," Qinglong said. "Did master live through this massacre?" "What an idiotic thing to say, master fought in the war, of course he would''ve lived through it," Zulong scolded. The ancestral dragon created more and more auspicious clouds. He fouled them into a solid shrine with serpentine dragon statues protecting them. "There, now they at least have some dignity." This was not the last gravesite they discovered. The north sea was littered with them. Hundreds of ancient godfiends who were born in the north and did not join Shenni. Each one died like dogs, thrown into the waves. Their treasures were smashed apart as Shenni considered them filth born of Pangu. "So many years and yet no life," Qinglong wondered out loud. "Is the north sea truly desolate?" "Master once said that the north sea was part of Si Hai''s empire. I doubt it''s lifeless," Yinglong replied. "The ocean is a vast place. The population density should be much smaller than the east." "Spread out and find some. I want to take a look at my future subjects," Zulong commanded. He threw them both bags of talismans. "Defend yourselves if you must, but try to make peaceful contact first." "Of course brother," Yinglong and Qinglong said respectfully. Suddenly, their eyes snapped to the side. A fast figure blitzed across the water with lightning speeds. "Villains, DIE!" A fish man wielding a halberd swung at Zulong. Zulong raised an eyebrow in amusement. He held up his hand and effortlessly caught the blade between his fingers. "Greetings innate creature, who might you be?" He asked with curiosity. He motioned his brothers to not attack, he was not about to waste his only source of information. "GRR, just die already," the fish man struggled. He let go of the handle and drew a saber. He swung it in an arc, catching the icy water in a fast circulation of power. The saber''s edge became ice cold as he swung at Zulong''s arm. Zulong made no attempts to dodge. The saber slashed across the dragon''s forearm with a screech. Vague scaly outlines could be seen beneath Zulong''s ripped sleeve. Zulong frowned and thought, ''This blade could tear the moth fairies silk?'' He squinted his eyes, closely examining the blade. ''That''s not metal at all!'' He blinked in surprise. The fish man, undaunted, returned with another attack. This time he aimed for Zulong''s neck. However, just like last time, the blade slid across the dragon''s skin with a screech. The fish man looked at his blade nervously. "It''s dull?" He exclaimed in surprise. Before he could react, Zulong''s hand was already gripping his face. The fish man screamed in pain as the dragon''s fingers dug into his skull. "A Profound Immortal small fry dares attack me even after I greeted you politely? What is the world coming to, tsk tsk," he snorted. With one eye, he discerned the fish man''s cultivation and age. This cultivator was tens of thousands of years old. Much older than even Zulong. But he was also much weaker than Gui Daiyu. Zulong grabbed hold of the saber and closely examined it etching each and every little detail into his mind. "A blade of ice resembling steel. Cold to the touch, sharp enough to cut through most things. Even the shells the primordial turtles are so proud of will be pierced by this blade. Unfortunately, those shells were like paper to steel in comparison to Zulong''s scales. "What is this material?" Yinglong said in wonder as he took hold of the blade. "Definitely not of the north sea, normal sea water can never form something this profound," Qinglong said. "Talk, my brothers are asking," Zulong said tightening his grip before loosening. "Just kill me, I will never speak to you abominations," the fish man howled in agony. He screamed profanities in the godfiend language''s rather colourful insults. Zulong tightened his grip, he was careful not to kill the fish man but was very willing to hurt him. "Insult me again, I dare you," Zulong threatened. "You are making this very difficult for me. Just do us both a favour and tell me. I''ll release you immediately." As a sign of goodwill, Zulong let go of the fish man. "Foolish bastards," the fish man leapt into action aiming for Zulong''s abdomen. However, the dragon''s iron fist rammed into his skull. The thunderous sound of a Profound Immortal''s skull cracking could be heard. "That wouldn''t have killed and it was light tap, I could do a lot worse," Zulong threatened. "Fuck off," the fish man seeing he had no chance turned tail and darted in extreme speeds across the water. However, he couldn''t even make it one step before auspicious clouds restrained him. "Damn it," he screamed in frustration as he struggled. Despite their flimsy appearance, the clouds held firm. They were like celestial ropes, not allowing the fish man to move at all. "Can we kill him?" Qinglong asked in annoyance. "He''s clearly not co-operating." Zulong sighed, his fist lit up in golden light. "You leave me no choice, I will ask for forgiveness at the violation. But you don''t deserve my kindness," he said. Zulong gripped the fish man''s head and began reading his mind. He broke all mental defences effortlessly and tore out every information he could find. The dragon''s frown deepened as he continued reading. "I feel sorry for you. But you are my enemy," he said before crushing the fisherman''s skull. The Profound Immortal''s head was splattered to bits of brain matter floating in the water. The body was strong enough to not rot but it couldn''t resist the water''s departure. It froze to ice almost instantaneously. Zulong waved his hand and disintegrated the corpse. "Come on, I know where their city is," he said motioning for his brothers to follow. Chapter 52-Misery of the North Sea Within a damaged underwater fort, a talisman displaying the image of a fisherman shattered to pieces. The resounding explosion caught the attention of a fisherman caretaker at the True Immortal realm. "Oh no!" He cried out in fright and rushed out of the fort. He swam past the dozen or so posted guards in a hurry. In his hysteria, he didn''t properly defend against the cold. The edges of his robes began collecting ice. However, he ignored it in favour in rushing to the commanding elder. His merman clan did not have much manpower. The death of anyone was big news. The higher ups must know. "Big news, big news!" He called out. "Halt," a burly fish man roared. He raised his palm and forcefully stopped the hysterical fish man. "What is it that have you so panicked?" He asked. "Elder Bao, big news, big and terrible news," the fish man caretaker made out between huffs. "Elder Ri, who ventured out earlier had perished," he said solemnly. "Impossible! Brother Ri is one of our premier experts just a hairs breath away from the Heavenly Immortal realm. He wields one of the great sabers of our clan, it is impossible for him to just die," elder Bao said in disbelief. "But it is the truth, elder Ri''s life binding talisman shattered," the fish man said sadly. His air of depression was shared by elder Bao. "Oh this is terrible, the annual sealing of the monstrous evil is coming soon," elder Bao moaned depressingly. "Who will take his place?" He hung his head in defeat. "Perhaps we should call for the emperor to come deal with the evil," the fish man suggested. "Absolutely not!" Elder Dao roared. "Have you forgotten what they did to us? Those filthy innate gods cannot be trusted. They are animals who prey on our kind." "Of course I have not forgotten elder Bao," the fish man said. "But think logically, what other choice do we have?" "We''ll fight," elder Bao said with great conviction. "We''ve suppressed the great evil for generations and will continue to do so. We have prevented his coming so it should be weak. With the patriarch''s help, we can kill it." Elder Bao turned to the fish man caretaker. "Notify, the rest of the elders. We must prepare ourselves." He took note of the fish man''s trembling figure and sighed. Their history was long, their entire clan had existed for many tens of thousands of years. Elder Bao could still remember those whimsical days. Those peaceful periods when thousands of races posed up. Peace didn''t last for very long as they were all enslaved. Fed to primordial beasts and innate gods alike. Now they were the only ones left. The few left to take care of the north sea. To prevent the rise of another innate god like Shenni. Elder Bao swam into the edge of an underwater lake. Mighty chains were constructed atop it forming a massive platform where a half dozen Heavenly Immortal masters sat crossed legged. They looked extremely ragged, fatigued from years of activity. "Elder Bao, you''re early this year," an old female tired voice called out. "Quickly, join the seal formation, we cannot allow it to weaken anymore. The cracks are already beginning to form." "Not so elder Yan, I bring grave news," he replied. He explained what the caretaker had explained to him. Immediately the mood shifted. These experts all carried deep frowns. "It seems our last stand is here," a depressed elder laughed self deprecatingly. "If only we weren''t born innate creatures, at least then we''d have a chance to thrive." "Don''t say that old thing. Have you no pride?" Another retaliated angrily. "Be proud of our heritage. Be proud that we as innate creatures born of the world are capable of kindness, capable of empathy." "Hah, what''s the use? Born into a nightmare under a villain. Then when the nightmare was just over another villain took his place," another elder sighed. "Then our numbers were massacred and we thought everything was fine. Such a pitiful dream." "Too right, I have long forgotten what children looked like. Even the place we live hates us. Too cold for anything beyond immortals to survive. And now another villain wants to be born?" An angry elder gritted her teeth. "I say we kill it, the least outcome is us dying in the fight." The depressed elders were all extraordinarily angry. They could sense the rest of the elders approaching. Several Heavenly Immortals followed by a few dozen Profound Immortals. They each drew their ice bladed weapons. Their bloodlust eyes gazed down at the underwater lake. Years of hatred surfaced, years of torment gave way to rage. The ocean began shaking before they knew it. The frozen seafloor rumbled and the chilling waters of the north splashed about. Like a living typhoon, a creature of incredible size burrowed out from beneath the seafloor. A long serpentine monstrosity adorned with pure white scales. A large wide jaw of jagged teeth. Its face was lit by a lantern, like an angular fish except far larger. It had tendrils each adorned with jewel like glowing orbs embedded. "Primordial beats?" elder Bao barely made out as the monster attacked. It tore into their ranks instantly killing an unprepared immortal elder. "Why is it here? They normally don''t leave the mysterious island," the northern sea creatures were thrown into disarray. They hurriedly fled from the platform which cracked as the beast rested on it. "Oh no, the seal is breaking!" A penguin stammered in anguish. ¡­ Zulong flew with leisured haste. His brothers trailed behind him with keen expectation. The information the elder dragon had torn from the fish man''s mind was very useful in allowing them to navigate the north sea. It had also allowed them to learn much of the north''s history. "Up ahead should be their village," Zulong reminded them. The details he''d gotten was that the village was built near the centre of the north sea. It was one of the first settlements built long before their birth. It was subsequently abandoned then resettled during and after the events of the Shenni war. It was also the site of a new discovery. In the aftermath of the war, when the new yuanhui came. An underground lake formed near the village. It was a lake of chilling water, born from the excessive Yin energy that permeated the north sea. The existence of this lake drastically lowered the temperature of the north rendering it nigh uninhabitable for anything that was not already an immortal. Generations of newborns died just like that. This event and in conjunction with Si Hai''s ''pacififying'' of the north led to a tiny population overall. It wasn''t even the clan system employed by the rest of the primitive world. This was quite literally just a camp of various survivors. "I wonder who this suppressed evil is," Qinglong wondered out loud. "Likely an innate god like us," Yinglong said. "What else is there? If it was an innate creature then it wouldn''t need so many immortals to suppress it. Though why would they even consider it evil if it had yet to be born?" "It isn''t," Zulong said. "Whoever fellow daoist is was never their concern. Only his birth status as an innate god." Zulogn sighed solemnly. "Their rage is understandable, seeing Shenni''s actions is different from hearing about them." A single individual had forever changed the climate of an entire region of the primitive world. The north was a wasteland, it was by far the harshest place to live in the modern world. It was also one of the few places where primordial beasts still existed. Though extremely rare and largely extinct, a few primordial beasts had managed to survive up until now. They are few in number but are the strongest of the elites. Remnants of Shenni''s reign. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Whatever the case, the north is an intriguing place for resources. This special water has its own unique properties. I wonder what applications we can use it for," Yinglong said. "Rich in Yin, extremely cold, hmm perhaps¡­Hm?" Zulong''s wondering was abruptly halted as his antlered head snapped towards the village''s direction. "A battle?" He said having felt the employment of Qi. "Intriguing, let''s see what''s going on," Zulogn guided his brothers towards the commotion. Their high cultivations allowed for them to easily reach their destination. The cold water parted ways for them as the three dragons swam. They resembled torpedos in the empty waves. "You are excited?" Yinglong asked Qinglong when he saw the younger dragon''s facial expression. "Of course, this will be our first time seeing a primordial beast. A creature before our time. Does it not fascinate you?" He replied. "Only in how long it''ll last against me." "Heh, you won''t even get a chance, just stay safe behind me." "Why you little¡­" "Enough brothers, we''re here," Zulong announced haunting midway. The primordial beast slithered across the water sustaining blasts upon blasts with no damage. Its gaping maw was bloody with the blood and essence of immortal innate creatures. The beasts took note of the trio and roared its horrifying screech. The immortals near it gripped their heads in pain. Weaker Profound Immortals had their eardrums burst, they gripped their bleeding heads unable to dodge as the beast''s great white tail crushed them. The beast blasted through the water biting at the dragons. Zulong smirked and was about to make a move but stopped. Seeing his brothers about to take action he decided to stop. Qinglong was the first to react. Before the beast had done any damage, it was already knocked upwards. The humanoid azure dragon had sent an uppercut at the beast, it couldn''t resist the terrifying strength of the dragon. "Primordial beast, let me play with you," Qinglong chased after the creature and began brawling with it. The dragon casually danced around the lumbering creature. Each of his blows heavily bruised the monster broke its bones, forced it to spill out blood. "Yinglong, go see if those innate creatures are alright," Zulong said. "At once brother," Yinglong descended towards the underwater lake. "Innate gods? Damn it," a frail looking Heavenly Immortal resembling a sunfish with a human''s body gripped his sword made of ice. "You kind isn''t welcome here, die," he charged at the winged dragon. Yinglong caught the blade and shattered the ice by exerting his strength. "Such good quality material but so poorly made," he idly commented. "Do not mock our culture, what would a fiend like you know," an old woman followed by three men jumped at Yinglong. Dozens of cultivators also attacked with renewed vigour. "Please fellow daoists, I am not here to fight," Yinglong attempted to say. However, he was met by a stream of accusations. The winged dragon felt his blood boil at the stream of words calling him a liar, a villain, a fiend among other profanities. ''This is getting absurd,'' he thought as he was struck again and again. Of course, he took no damage at all and merely held his hand up. He wasn''t even flaring his power, just standing there. "Do not be afraid comrades," the old woman said. "We will die fighting, but we will take him down with us." She was met with cries of agreement. "Yinglong!" Zulong''s voice sounded in his head. The winged dragon realised that this was a voice transmission. "What is it brother?" He replied. "Prepare for engagement, that snake is not the only primordial beast in the vicinity," Zulong said. "Got it," Yinglong waved his hand and froze all the innate creatures. "Fellow daoists, I am not here to fight, I will ask you to take cover while I deal more primordial beasts." The frozen old woman spat at him. "To hell with your lies, you will not break our spirit." Yinglong ignored her, he bound them in auspicious clouds chains and walked to the edge of the lake with interest. Behind him, a massive leviathan with two heads and a thousand tails sprung up from the soil. Another massive bird with no feathers dived into the water narrowly missing Zulong. These creatures appeared to be salivating at the lake. "So the leakage of power attracted them," Yinglong concluded. Two massive feathery wings sprouted from his back. "Comrades, it seems this is it," the old woman sighed sadly. The leviathan was looking to be eating their entire group in one gulp. However this group did not yield, they bravely starred down the primordial beast. However, death never came. A massive creature they did not recognise crushed the leviathan''s left head and severed the right. Its head was like a crocodile with antlers of a deer. It was long like a serpent, clothed in yellow scales. Its whiskers were that of a catfish, long and elegant. Yinglong had unleashed his true form. In but an instant, he killed both primordial beasts. He was quick and efficient, unlike Qinglong who had opted to play around. The azure dragon meanwhile had returned with the head of the snake angler fish hybrid. "What did I miss?" He asked. Zulong silently transmitted the recent events to him. The immortals who were tied up were still glaring at Yinglong who removed their chains. "There, I''m not here to fight. If I wanted to I could''ve killed you all with ease," he stated. "You think we''d believe that. Your kind are a blight on this world, lowliest of scum. You''ll torture us for your amusement, eat our children and force us to make more to fill the bellies of your pets!" The old woman screamed in a frenzied rage. "The audacity to accuse us," Yinglong''s eyes narrowed in anger. He had been patient but patience had its limits. He will not tolerate such behaviour. "We are not Shenni," Zulong said calmly landing with Qinglong beside Yinglong. "All innate gods are the same, merciless scum," another immortal said. "The only difference between innate gods and innate creatures is that we''re born Golden Immortals," Zulong said. "Do not confuse us for the chaos godfiends who made your lives a misery." "So what? You want the exact same thing. I can see it in your eyes," the old woman spat. "Yes, I wish to rule as your emperor, not as your slaver," Zulong said. "I can offer the north sea much. I can bring you peace, I can bring you prosperity. I can grant you resources to help you cultivate. I can guide you all to Golden Immortals." Zulong waved his hand easily healing all their injuries. "I am not your enemy, I never was and I don''t have to be. I can swear an oath under the Heavenly Dao that my intentions are not to use you as a food source. I am Zulong, the primordial celestial dragon, not the beast emperor." The people listening had quieted down as if debating their options. "We already have an emperor, Si Hai rules these waters," one immortal said. "And where is he? What has Si Hai done for you?" Zulong asked. He was met with silence and looks of sorrow and rage. Zulong took out many bottles of medicinal herbs from his inter spacial ring. "Gifts to help you all," he said leaving the bottles down. He also took out various treasures and left them on the sea floor as well before stepping back. "Brother, the seal is disappearing," Yinglong said. Zulong nodded, "Then it is time we meet fellow daoist beneath this lake." Deep within the underwater lake. Admits the ice cold water, a gargantuan tortoise with a snake coiling around its body slept. A sleep bubble expanded and contracted on its nose. Suddenly, it popped. Chapter 53-The Suppressed Innate God The centre of the north sea began rumbling. The underwater lake splashed its contents releasing a transparent milky white liquid, Yinglong held out his hand at the substance before immediately retracting it. "What is it brother?" Zulong asked. "It''s the same material that made the saber, just more pure. Very cold," Yinglong said while showing his brother his palm. His gleaming scales were coated in a thin veil of ice and had lost some of their lustre. "It hurt me," he said. Zulong narrowed his eyes. "How did you lot manage to mould this into weapons?" He asked. "Why should we tell you?" One of the trapped north sea cultivators spat. Many of his comrades nodded in agreement while some appeared reluctant. ''Seems I''ve gotten through,'' Zulong thought with satisfaction. However, he could not stroke his own ego at the moment. The dragon was unconcerned by the shaking but he was curious about the ice weapons. "Should we tell him?" One of the bound cultivators asked. "Are you insane? He''s an innate god, their kind cannot and should not be trusted," The same old woman spat. "But have you heard his offer? No innate gods had ever made something like that before." "All innate gods are the same, they don''t change," the old woman looked angrily at her comrades. "Have you forgotten what they''ve done to us, that they killed our young and enslaved us again and again for their own pleasure? That they turned our beautiful ocean into a frozen uninhabitable hellscape?" "Uh," the north sea cultivators looked extremely unsure of what to do. They looked nervously at the dragon trio. Then they looked at the pile of gifts offered and couldn''t help but feel conflicted. "We diluted it happy?" A cultivator who grew frustrated at the silence said. He was promptly glared at by several others. "What''s the worst that could happen anyway?" He challenged those glaring. "I know you diluted it but the question is how? You cannot possibly touch the water without freezing to death," Zulong said hovering a droplet in his hand. The small droplet of water contained enough power to freeze an entire spiritual mountain range of the primitive world natural defences be damned. Normally, mountains in the primitive world were large gathering spots of Qi. This results in incredibly high durability and resistance towards outside forces. Famed mountains like Yujing, Sumeru, Kunlun, and Yingzhou were all capable of withstanding alot of supernatural forces. This was why they made for amazing bases. "Don''t you dare sell our secrets," the old woman demanded. However, the cultivator who answered sighed. "I think it''s worth hearing this man out," he said. "No innate gods can be trusted," the woman screeched. Zulong frowned and said, "I said it once and I will say it again. The only difference between innate gods and you lot is that we''re born Golden Immortals. I can help you all reach that realm." He patted his interspatial ring indicating that there were more than what he''d offered. "Brother, the shaking has gotten violent," Yinglong called out. "Deal with it yourselves," Zulong said. "Alright then¡­ wait Qinglong where are you jumping?" Zulong promptly ignored the two dragons in favour of hearing the cultivator''s explanation. "There is a crucible, made from the bones of a dead god. We crafted made it in hopes of creating a weapon strong enough to kill innate gods," he began "Shut up fool," the old woman screeched. Zulong waved his hand and isolated her in a barrier preventing any sound from leaking through. "Continue," he said. "Turns out, the corpse we made it from was very in tune with the cold. The lake was previously a forbidden zone but with the crucible, we can extract small portions of Pure Yin Pale water." "Pure Yin Pale water?" Zulong interrupted. "That''s what we named it, after its colour and properties yes. Anyway, the crucible could only extract a small amount else it too risks destruction. The amount we could extract is about one tenth of what you''re holding. We had to add it to a large basin of superheated sea water that''s been cultivated by spiritual fire for over ten thousand years," he explained. "So that''s why you have so few of these," Zulong muttered rubbing his chin. He''d have to ask his master on how to deal with this water. However he knew he''d struck a goldmine, something needs to be done to hide it. Elsewhere, Yinglong was freaking out as his younger brother just jumped into the underwater lake. Qinglong was immediately forced into his true form. The azure dragon grimaced as he felt an intense chilling force surround his body. The underwater lake was much larger than the surface implied. It was like its own separate universe connected by a small hole. It was not only extremely cold but also filled with the screaming wails of ghosts. However the dragon''s physique cannot be underestimated. Qinglong could resist the water but there were difficulties. "Who on earth would cultivate down here?" He wondered. His senses were bombarded by the screaming wails of the deceased forcing a grimace out of the dragon. Qinglong opened his mouth and roared forcing the wails back. His cry rumbled through the lake to middling effect. He could also sense his own limit approaching. He could not dive any deeper than this and he doubts his brothers could do better. Perhaps Zulong can go further in but Qinglong couldn''t for long. The dragon gritted his teeth and looked around. He utilised the full might of his cultivation and forced himself forwards. He briefly caught sight of a coffin in the distance. His sight was hazy and obscured by milky colour. But he could make out the rectangular shape of a coffin. It gave him a feeling of grave danger. The image of a Chinese crown was engraved on the coffin and some characters that were too obscured to see. "What is that?" He wondered before forcefully shutting his eyes. He was assaulted by a chilling force, unlike anything he''d ever seen. The dragon immediately began retreating. However, he felt incredibly sluggish. "Shit, perhaps I was a little too arrogant," he said in regret. His body felt sore and his scales were dim. The dragon felt his consciousness slipping. "Oh dear," a worried voice called out. Qinglong could barely register this voice, nor did he feel the strong force pulling him up. "What are you doing down here?" The worried voice asked. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The dragon felt a wave of power wash over him. His clouded mind could not register it properly but this power formed a black barrier that blocked out the Pure Yin Pale water. "Who are you?" Yinglong''s enraged voice said admits gurgling water. "Ah fellow daoist, I am Xuanwu. I found this fellow daoist while I was waking up," the same worried voice said. They seemed entered into a conversation that Qinglong could barely understand. His mind was still very sluggish. "Here, let me look at him," Zulong''s voice said. Qinglong felt a strong force enter his body. "What the!" Qinglong exclaimed and gripped his head in pain. "Heavens, what was that?" He said in pain. Zulong knelt beside him with silk talisman in hand. He put the silk talisman away and helped his brother up. "What were you thinking?" He lectured. "I thought I could handle it," Qinglong said. "And now we had to waste one of master''s talismans, well done. Be careful next time. Investigate and plan before charging in head on," Zulong lectured before turning to Yinglong. "I would criticise you but I too am at fault for not paying enough attention." "Thank you fellow daoist for rescuing my brother, what may I offer in return," Zulong said cupping his hands and saluting to Xuanwu. It was then that Qinglong finally noticed a fourth individual standing nearby. It was an androgynous looking man dressed in all black with light green hair like algae. He was either an extremely feminine male or a boyish female. Either way, Qinglong felt an instinctive connection with him. Almost as if they were brothers. "Greetings fellow daoist, I am Xuanwu," he said amicably. "There is no need to thank me. I saw you in need of aid and helped you. There was not anterior motives." "Is that so?" Zulong said narrowing his eyes. "Indeed, I was sleeping when I felt a very, let''s say familiar feeling that I couldn''t quite put my finger on," Xuanwu said tapping his chin. "Either way, I would''ve helped, I desire nothing in return." "I trust his word brother," Qinglong said. "Believe me when I say this, fellow daoist Xuanwu''s words hold no falsehood." "If you say so brother," Zulong said with a nod. "You say you were sleeping? Inside that lake?" The elder dragon asked Xuanwu. "Indeed, soon after my birth, I found this cool refreshing lake and thought I''d take a nap. It was a good sleep," Xuanwu added. "Impossible, we would''ve noticed if an innate god snuck in," a chained cultivator said. "We were sure you were a newborn about to take form." "No one was here when I came," Xuanwu said. "Though I must thank you, your seal was a very soothing addition to my nap." "Soothing? You weren''t trapped?" An old Heavenly Immortal gasped. "Trapped? Should I be?" Xuanwu asked confused. He looked around his body for any oddities but found none. He shrugged with an unbothered attitude. "Fellow daoist is very carefree," Qinglong said. "And lazy," Yinglong added. "Who sleeps for tens of thousands of years? Why not cultivate to a higher realm?" "But I did cultivate!" Xuanwu exclaimed. "Look, I''m a Great Unity Golden Immortal as well," he said much to the surprise of Yinglong. "It makes sense, he could resist the underwater lake," Qinglong said before being interrupted by Zulong''s "Pure Yin, Pale water." "What he said, anyway thank you fellow daoist for your help," Qinglong cupped his hands and saluted in respect. He and Xuanwu began talking as if both individuals knew each other their whole lives. "What''s going to happen now?" A trapped cultivator said. As soon as he said that the cloud chains dissipated. "Now you go free, I told you we meant no harm," Zulong said. The formerly trapped cultivators nodded except for a few who were itching for their weapons led by the old woman. "I Zulong shall return and when I do it will be the establishment of my empire. I trust you''d join?" He asked with a smile. "There is still emperor Si Hai to consider," the cultivators said. "I''ll take care of him eventually," Zulong said. "My master repelled him once. It is only natural for the disciple to get rid of him for good." Far away, at the farthest edge of the north sea, where water met endless void. In a land filled with thick cloudy mist, Da Hai sat on a floating cushion of water observing the events. The head moth fairy hovered beside him wearing a thick woolly coat. They were beside a titanic structure many billions of kilometres tall and many billions of kilometres wide. An unimaginably big island that even Da Hai could hardly comprehend. It was covered in thick fog that obscured all but its ruff shape. "Hm, they sure handled things alright," Da Hai said with a small smile while stroking his beard. "Yes, the young lord was quite impressive," the moth fairy stuttered through shivers. "How long would we have to stay here old lord?" She asked. "Until they choose to depart, you can use this time to train your cold resistance," Da Hai said and continued observing the dragon''s movements. "Aren''t you paranoid?" A deep rumbling sound asked him through the mist. "It is natural for a master to monitor his disciple''s progress," Da Hai answered. "To stalk them across the world? You are a very benevolent master to your disciples," the deep voice rumbled. Da Hai frowned. "Keep your comments to yourself Ao," he reminded. "Heh heh heh, you can''t trick me," the deep voice laughed amused. "You barely know me," Da Hai said. "It is obvious on your face," the deep voice replied. "Little fairy, why don''t you come and live on my back? Your master seems to be getting a little grouchy." "No thank you lord Ao, I will accompany my lord till the end," the head moth fairy said. "Besides, such an environment is good to train my fleshy body," she said. "Heh heh, suit yourself. Don''t waste away your life away, live freely and explore the wide world out there. Not like me," the deep voice said amused yet sad. The thick fog was brushed away to reveal a massive turtle head. Ao, the most primordial turtle and one of the ancient chaos godfiends of old. A survivor cursed with a fate worse than death. Unable to move from his stationary location. Unable to do anything but stay in the north most corner of the north sea. Chapter54-Extermination For someone whose cultivation was as high as Zulong, restoring those cultivators of the frigid desolate north sea was but a simple matter. Despite what his detractors said, he never harmed them once. In order to build further goodwill, Zulong used his powers to drive out the frigid cold from a subsection of the north sea. It wasn''t a large area but enough to accommodate those present until a more permanent solution can be created. "The cold will be an issue, a very large one," Zulong mused unhappily. He had set up five point pentagram as a barrier but it was already weakening. "We''ll cover the underground lake, hopefully that''ll insulate the cold," he instructed. "Right/Elder brother is wise," Qinglong and Yinglong said in unison. The two dragons retreated back to the underground lake and got to work. Pulling together their powers they began enclosing the lake with their power. "This is not good," Yinglong said. "We can use the soil present but it is too weak to hold." Zulong joined the duo in their attempts while contemplating. "Fellow daoist Xuanwu, you are a native, do you have any ideas?" He asked. "To be fair, I''ve spent most of my life asleep," Xuanwu said looking somewhat embarrassed. "Perhaps you could put a treasure over it? A sufficiently powerful xiantian spiritual treasure should do the trick." Zulong frowned, he did not wish to part with either of his top grade xiantian treasures. "What do you guys think of solidifying our Qi," he asked. "What like spiritual ore veins?" The others asked. Zulong nodded, the principle of what he proposed is similar just lacking in terms of preexisting raw material. "A solidified chunk of Qi will not be permanent, as time goes on it will erode much faster than a cover forged from ores," Yinglong said. "Do not discount me fellow daoist," Xuanwu said. "The north sea is my home, I can stay and reinforce the barrier." "With all due respect daoist Xuanwu, your cultivation is not strong enough to reinforce the barrier," Yinglong said without any malice. "Even with us four, it is still a struggle to seal this lake shut." "It''s fine, with our cultivation it''ll last long enough. When we return we''d come up with a more permanent solution," Zulong said. "On my signal," he ordered. The three dragons in unison revealed their true forms. Three massive serpentine figures appeared within the north sea depths. The dragons roared in unison, unleashing their profound cultivation and Qi. Xuanwu did a similar action. His handsome/beautiful features faded away to a gargantuan ovoid creature. He was a tortoise with a solid shell with engravings of clouds and waves. He was black with outlines of luminescent blue. Xuanwu''s head was angular and big. His limbs were wide and steady. His shell was thick and strong, resembling a mountain made of pentagonal pyramids. He truly looked like an auspicious beast fit to stand beside a dragon. His most distinguishing feature however was his tail. Instead of a short tortoise''s tail, Xuanwu''s was much long longer and not a true tail at all. It was another beast entirely, a serpent resembling a viper whose breath unleashed cold mist. It was red in colour contrasting Xuanwu''s black and blue body, scaly and sleek. Behind Xuanwu, the bright image of the water star mercury with all it''s watery mysterious might shone. It showcased Xuanwu''s deep understanding of the Dao and its profound mysteries. The black tortoise did not lose out to the dragons. ''This person is not simple,'' Zulong thought to himself as they got to work. He noticed that Xuanwu''s power could be a very useful asset to him for his talent was equal to his brothers. What was more astonishing was how well he coordinated with Qinglong. It was as if they were born to fight side by side, brothers from a foreign family. Their Qi complemented each other in ways that even he nor Yinglong could. ''But there also appears to be something missing,'' Zulong thought after more observation. ''Like two parts of an even greater whole.'' By now, a solid jade platform with four colours of bright gold, dull yellow, azure blue, and pitch black. It held firm against the cold air permeating from the underwater lake. However, this steadiness will not last for long. "Water''s getting warmer," Qinglong idly commented waving his arm around the water. The change could be felt immediately. Although it was still very cold, it was not as extreme as before. "It''ll take some time before the sea temperature drops back to an acceptable level. The barrier protecting the north sea denizens should let them live comfortable lives," Zulong said. They returned to where they left the north sea cultivators. Many of them still bore unhappy looks but equally as many bore grateful looks. "Thank you," they said. "The environment should be enough for your young to survive," Zulong said. "I''ve left you with enough resources nobles from the east sea can obtain. Use it wisely," he said. "Thank you," the cultivator who originally took that leap of faith said. "Sadly, Shenni''s reign has permanently damaged the north''s vitality, innate creatures will never appear again. Even so, we will recover as best as we can," he said. "What is your name fellow daoist?" Zulong asked. "This one is named Xie Chun. One of the few remaining Great Crabs in the north," he said. "It was a pleasure to meet you Xie Chun, I will see you when I return," Zulong said turning to leave. "Actually, fellow daoist, if it is not too much to ask," Xie Chun called out. "I''m afraid the north sea will not truly prosper again until something else is felt with." Zulong narrowed his eyes. This crab was is overreaching. Or perhaps he has a strong enough grasp of Zulong''s personality to dare ask something of him. "Speak away," Zulong said. "Aside from the cold, the north sea is also frequented by primordial beasts. You have already encountered some of them," Xie Chun said. "The fact is that primordial beasts still do frequent the northern part of the great wilderness. They gather at the mysterious island at the northmost corner of the world. If fellow daoist wishes for a true stable kingdom, they''ll have to be eliminated." Zulong nodded, primordial beasts according to ancient records were a pest. They were the first blight on the world that deserved to be eliminated. "What say you brothers?" He asked Qinglong and Yinglong. The two dragons nodded in agreement and agreed to the request. It was not too much of a big deal. "Xuanwu, wanna come with us?" Qinglong asked the black tortoise. "I would love to, I have not seen primordial beasts with my own eyes," he said in agreement. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The group of four took off towards the north most point of the north sea. "Do you think I made the right choice?" Xie Chun suddenly said after the group of deities were gone. "Good or bad, it won''t change much," a cultivator behind him said. "It sounded almost like a dream." "Hmph," the old woman snorted with contempt. "A mistake if I ever saw one. Would''ve been better to go out fighting. My Lin''er would''ve wanted that at least." "You are too consumed by the past," Xie Chun said with a sigh. "Whatever the case, we have walked out of this tribulation with some gains. That Zulong, something about him just screamed out to me." "Falling for an innate god of all things? Guess I never knew you," the old woman scoffed. "I don''t think he lied," another cultivator said. "He sounded serious, nothing about him spelt deceit. Just promise." "Empty promise I''m sure," the naysayers said. Xie Chun however maintained his hopeful disposition. He had a feeling that something big will change about the seas. Something relating to the dragon who just left. A feeling that sprung up from the moment the dragons appeared. ¡­ At the northernmost point of the north sea. At the misty oceans in which the continent on Ao''s back was located. The great tortoise Ao and Da Hai awaited Zulong''s group. "Did you foresee they would clear out my infestation problem? Was that why you took no action?" Ao said in his rumbling voice. "It was a likely scenario," Da Hai admitted. "Though if they had left beforehand I would''ve cleared them out for you." "Heh heh, how shrewd fellow daoist, how shrewd indeed," Ao laughed. "It was entertaining watching them fight themselves on my back, I senjoyed it while it lasted." "You do not mind their presence? Even though they gnaw at your flesh?" Da Hai asked. "I regenerate faster than they could eat. It never mattered anyway. No worse than a small itch," Ao said. The colossal creature had not moved one inch since the dawn of time. He could only perceive the world by way of divination. Da Hai nodded, Ao''s choices were of no concern to him. Seeing Zulong and the other''s approach he began concealing both himself and the head moth fairy. "The beast here are not like those driven out into the larger north sea and continent. The amount of vitality they gained by eating a chaos godfiend is extraordinary. let''s see how well the dragons can deal with them," Da Hai murmured in expectation. He was not disappointed. Zulong, Qinglong, Yinglong, and Xuanwu immediately got to work upon arriving at the ''mysterious island'' shrowed in mist. Because Ao had opted not to speak they could not tell that this was a living creature at all. Yinglong dived in from the air. He controlled the clouds and rain and thunder to magnificent efficiency. He blasted, whipped and clawed at a vast assortment of primordial beasts clearing their number with little effort. His wings carried him smoothly across the clouds as he gracefully fight against his foes. The dragon of the clouds manipulated the clouds themselves as weapons. They were his shield and sword. Qinglong and Xuanwu displayed their starry might. The dragon and tortoise smashed the primordial beasts to bits. Their stellar constructs burned them alive. Xuanwu''s snake head also unleashed its own frosty breath. Zulong meanwhile observed their performance with happiness. Neither his brothers nor the newcomer were weak by any stretch of the imagination. Strength and talent was something Zulong heavily valued. The ancestral dragon soon joined the fray. His golden magnificence dominated the battlefield with a mixture of physical power and water manipulation. "Admits the raging waves, the dragon rises from the sea, soaring above the clouds," Zulong chanted as he thought. As he chanted golden light glimmered along the surface of his scales. However they did not have any real effects other then visual. Da Hai narrowed his eyes. ''His in the process of inventing a new spell,'' he thought. Live combat was a very good learning experience. It allows the spontaneous development of ideas for spells and cultivation. ''I shall see where this new art goes,'' Da Hai thought with expectation. The group had made good progress clearing out the initial waves. However primordial beast lacked a sense of danger and kept pouring out. ''Some of the inner beasts have been devouring Ao for a long time. I wonder how they''ll stack up against Zulong?'' He thought. From the looks of it, Ao''s anticipation was roused as well. The turtle was watching the battle with interest. Among the hordes on Ao''s back. Those special monsters who''d evolved past their weaker kin roused. Their attentions were turned to the invading dragons and tortoise. North Continent Shore A large crowd of primordial beasts were gathered on one beach gorging on the remains of an ancient chaos godfiend long deceased. A dignified antlered man watched from afar with a small smile. He held up a diagram. It glimmered with power before flashing with mysterious lights. The effect was immediate. The eyes of the primordial beasts glazed over and their bodies stilled. "The old man wasn''t lying, this does work," the dignified man, Zulin, said. The ancestral Qilin rubbed the diagram gently. Its scroll was made from the skin of the beast emperor himself. A piece his benefactor claimed to have sliced off eons ago during the war. "With this, I am one step closer to controlling the north continent," Zulin said with a smile. "It''s a shame the sea turned out the way it did. Si Hai can have that wasteland," he said with a dismissing snort. "All that''s left is to achieve the Great Principle," Zulin said while guiding the army of primordial beasts. Only in the north can you find this army of monsters. Only in the north have they survived. "Hm? What''s this?" Zulin''s nosed twitched. His head flickered northwards and sniffed the air. "Such a good smell, very good smell," his curiosity roused, the innate god shed his human form and assumed his horselike quadrupedal body with a long tail and draconic features. The Qilin sniffed the air and his hairs glowed. His whiskers blew in the wind and faint golden flecks drew towards him. "Such a strong smell, how could someone have so much karmic luck?" Zulin lifted one hoof and step on a magic golden cloud. All four of his hoofs were lifted into the air. "You lot shall join up with the others in Shenni''s cave," he ordered his newly captured primordial beasts. The innate god proceeded to dash northwards hoping to catch whatever was giving off so much karmic luck before it Chapter 55-Confrontation of Two Auspicious Beasts A fierce battle raged on the back of Ao. The gargantuan tortoise''s back shell was once a continent of black mountains and flora but had been reduced to a wasteland. Splinters of trees and uprooted mountains lay in a collateral heap resembling a landfill. A monstrous figure standing easily over a hundred thousand kilometres tall resembling a praying mantis stood opposing the group of three dragons and one black tortoise. "This is new," Qinglong said idly from a fair distance away from the mantis. Surrounding him were mountains of corpses ripped to shreds. The azure dragon had been busy as had his comrades. The mantis screeched into the wind. Its cry was powerful enough to create distortions in reality. The fierce gust of wind generated atop Ao was a testament to its power. "It''s eyeing us as if we''re prey," Xuanwu said. His snake and main head alike looked tense at the primordial beast. It was easily the largest living creature he''d ever encountered. The mantis screeched once more and charged at the group. It smashed into the corpses with enough force to kick up its primordial beast brethren into the air. It was raining corpses. It turned and swiped at Yinglong who curled up. The pincers were lined with rows of spiked protrusions resembling the teeth of a shark. It scraped against Yinglong''s scaled body ripping rows of yellow scales out of his side. Zulong not taking any chances charged in and smashed into the mantis throwing it off its feet. The golden dragon ducked out of the way of a retaliated swing before grabbing ahold of its head with his hind legs and tossed the creature onto the ground. Qinglong and Xuanwu flew in and began a bombardment of miniature stars. It was like a shower of comets if each comet were bombs. The light of the Jupiter and Mercury stars spun in the air. Qinglong and Xuanwu smirked at each other. Their energies mixed together and shot out like an arrow. It pierced at the mantis'' abdomen. However, the creature slammed its pincers on the ground with enough force to flip into the air and landed back onto its feet. It swung down at the two gods. "Allow me," Xuanwu said retracting his snake head. His shell projected the image of a massive turtle shell carved from ice. It resisted the strike albeit with difficulties. The mantis began repeatedly bashing on the shield. "It''s unlike the others, its strength is easily within the realm of Great Unity Golden Immortals!" Yinglong exclaimed, "I thought master said no primordial beasts ever surpassed the Golden Immortal realm." "Different eras brother," Zulong replied. He had gotten behind the mantis and grabbed hold of its left shoulder. "Help me," he ordered. With a flap of his mighty wings. Yinglong was at the mantis'' right side in an instant. The two dragons pulled the primordial beast away from Xuanwu. With the pressure relieved, the scale head of Xuanwu reappeared and opened its mouth. Qinglong opened his mouth as well. The two unleashed their combined attack landing a direct hit on the monstrous mantis. This time it impacted the creature easily punching a hole through its body. The side of its injuries showcased signs of frostbite and burn marks. The two dragons holding it in place punched with their claws denting its skull. "This thing''s tough," Yinglong commented in the aftermath of his strike. The mantis inspite of its injuries began rampaging. It was as if it didn''t even feel it. It battered the distracted Yinglong aside with a single strike and stomped at Xuanwu and Qinglong. The two innate gods easily got out of the way and met its oncoming right hook with their bodies. The strike rocked them to their very core as they were pushed back and thrown into the air. Zulong narrowed his eyes and charged. "You nothing but brute strength," he said as a matter of fact. He raised his claws and both the pincers of the mantis in a head on clash. The dragon and primordial beast met in a statement on Ao''s back kicking up a hurricane''s worth of fierce wind rippling into the distance. "There is no mysticism about you, no Dao of any kind, no Qi of any kind. You''re like an aberration in the primitive world," Zulong stated. His muscles bulged, his grip tightened. "Indeed, you are very strong physically," he said idly. "However you are only physical strength. And even in that, you are subpar before me." Zulong raised his strength. With a sharp movement of his nine digit claws, he broke the mantis'' carapace on both pincers. With an extension of his claws, he tore the right limb of the mantis from its body. The mantis fell onto its side. It rolled over and began to get up completely ignoring its injuries. "Master''s records speak true, they really do lack survival instincts," Yinglong said observing the primordial beast. "Be that as it may, I bore of this exchange," Zulong said. The dragon raised one claw and prepared to deal a final blow. Golden light gathered on his claws, the tips turned black and pulsated with power. "Nine clawed killing!" Zulong chanted. He threw down his slow. The massive dragon claw projected the image of a gargantuan dragon claw that blanketed the continent on Ao''s back. The dragon was gold and black, his eyes shone with mysterious royal lights that dominated the heavens. The claw descended and entrapped the mantis in nine directions. Zulong smirked satisfactorily, his new magical technique was working just as intended. Its effects were also very good. The claw closed in on the mantis preparing to kill. Blood would draw any minute now. Suddenly, Yinglong, Qinglong, and Xuanwu turned their heads. Zulong was the last to turn around and just barely missed a fast movement of clouds heading in his direction. He prepared to stop the cloud but it missed him entirely. No, it was more accurate to say that it never aimed for him in the first place. It went onto the mantis and expanded rapidly into a massive auspicious cloudy shield. ''Similar to our clouds,'' Zulong thought. ''No, this cloud is very different. Its auspicious in nature but whereas ours carries the good fortune of rain and Yang Qi, this cloud is¡­'' Zulong rubbed his chin in contemplation examining the cloud. A figure appeared above Ao''s continent after the dragon claw disappeared. It was horse like and scaled creature and bore a heavy resemblance to dragons. In fact, Zulong mistook him for a dragon for a moment. However that was clearly a silly thought. This creature who stood upon golden clouds pulsating with blue flames had gleaming blue scales of darker shade near his back and lighter blue towards his hoofs. His legs were long and muscular and blue. His hoofs were red in colour and had a tuff of red fur that resembled flames. This tuff of red hair also appeared on his neck like a mane and along his spine. This horse looked like it was on fire. His antlers were huge, even bigger than Zulong''s and his head was identical to that of a dragons complete with catfish whiskers. "Cease for your emperor has arrived," the horse announced. "My emperor?" Zulong laughed in amusement and annoyance. "How amusing horse, you make quite a jester," the dragon laughed much to the newcomer''s irritation. "How bold of you," the horse said. "You dare copy my appearance and laugh in my presence? You are but another ignorant fool." A hail of light rays descended like the lightning of god smiting the mortals below. "Brother look out," Yinglong said sending the danger of the attack. "Stay out my way," Zulong commanded in his royal voice. He keeled his head back and drew a long breath. When the light rays neared him, the dragon roared. For a moment, the universe held still. All sound disappeared, all matter disappeared. In this void, there was only him. The supreme king who stood above all others. A long serpentine god emperor hung above the primitive world appearing like his own personal table. The horse dragon stood above a cloud in this world, infinitely smaller then the dragon. He was but another subject to the emperor''s will. Zulin blinked, and the world was back to normal. His attack had disappeared, dispelled. His knees were slightly bent, unlike the high straight position he had them. His golden cloud was dimmer than before. ''What just?'' The ancestral qilin thought in confusion before his eyes sharpened in anger. "The audacity!" He roared facing the dragon who had risen to look him in the eye on equal level. No, Zulong had raised himself to be above him. The continent of Ao shook as two gargantuan auras descended. Two majestic royal auras clashed splitting the cloudy heavens. Two enormous Daos were clashing against each other. Two titanic cosmic trees with the outlines of a Dao fruit were facing each other. "So much karmic luck," Zulin said sniffing the air. "Hand it over to your emperor and I may just spare your life." "To dare covet my goodwill? To dare steal my, Zulong''s face and prance around like a king of the primitive world? How pretentious," Zulong said in visible rage. "Just who do you think you are to demand anything of your emperor?" Zulin raised one hoof and stomped at Zulong. His hoof catches karmic fire. His flames showed the images of dancing deities singing in praise of good fortune. Zulin was born as the beast of good fortune. His mere presence draws in karmic luck allowing him to run unhindered in the world. He could sense the luck of others and obtain the luck of others forcefully if need be. Zulong met hoof with claw. The two emperors clashed with such force that the two titans resembled nascent Chaos Immortals. The two flashed and reappeared a second later a fifty thousand kilometres apart In but an instant, over a thousand exchanges were met. Zulong, in his full length curled around himself with a bloodthirsty look. His scales and fur were ruffled but otherwise, he was uninjured. Zulin who appeared on the other side of him easily stood several thousand kilometres tall. His long scaly tail whipped through the air with a small tuff of red fur at the end. He too was uninjured. "That was a good warmup," Zulong taunted. Zulin grunted in response, he whipped his tail smacking the much larger mantis in the face knocking out the creature who had recovered. "What do you want with the primordial beast?" Zulong inquired as golden clouds covered the beast and shrunk. Zulin opted not to answer the dragon. "I asked a question," Zulong stretched his upper body out. "And you WILL answer," the dragon commanded as he leapt at the qilin. "And why would the actions of an emperor be a concern to a lowly subject?" Zuling mocked and dodged the dragon. He kicked with his hind legs hitting Zulong''s body. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The dragon showed no indication of receiving any injury and twirled around to scratch at Zulin. The qilin leapt into the air standing atop golden clouds. He opened his mouth and swallowed the mantis. Zulong''s claws grabbed onto the edge of the golden cloud Zuling stood on. He pulled and raised another claw to grab the qilin''s himself. Sensing danger, the qilin leapt off the cloud and smashed down with his own tail. Zulong however anticipated this and grabbed hold of that tail with his hind legs and pulled the qilin along with him. The dragon swung his opponent around like a ragdoll. He slammed Zulin into a multitude of mountains before lifting the qilin high into the air. "You dare!" Zulin yelled out. "I dare!" Zulong replied and chopped with his tail. His body was covered in gold and black lights. He resembled a chakram pulsating with immortal might. The art he used was supposed to be applied to treasures, turning them into deadly wheels of destruction like Da Hai had done to the white lotus years ago. Zulogn applied the technique to his own body. He transformed into a massive hoop shape and slammed into Zulin''s back. His scales became steel, his hairs became blades. He was like a beyblade of destruction that grinded into Zulin''s scaly back. "AHG!" Zulin called out in pain. His hoofs landed onto the ground. His scales could not resist and were ripped off. His flesh was cut and bled and he felt humiliated at every moment. No longer able to resist, he lowered his body creating just enough space to rolled out of the way. A scroll wrapped in skin appeared before him and unrolled unleashing a wave of spectral fire. Zulong''s body reappeared and in his right claw was a shining azure pearl. It unleashed a million dragon projections and clashed against the wave of spectral fire. The two treasures were evenly matched bringing slight surprise to Zulong. However, he was not undeterred. His right claw gripped a chain of beads with a calming effect. In an instant, the tides were turned. A wave of heavenly water barred down at the ancestral qilin washing away the scroll. Qinglong, Yinglong, and Xuznwu leapt into the sky to avoid the battle. They couldn''t believe how strong both opponents were. If Zulong had been giving his all then that mantis would''ve died in moments. Zulin gritted his teeth in frustration. He charged at the dragon with his antlers. His body glowed in a torrent of karmic fire. With a mighty stamp of his hoofs, he charged at the wave. His flames burned away at the water and tore a path through it. Karmic flames when used offensively was a dangerous foe. The golden flames of luck generated by the excessive usage of karmic luck struck everywhere. It rose and fell with Zulin turning the tides back into his favour. Zulong saw the danger and retreated. Twirling in the air, he threw down a wave of power using both xiantian treasures. The dragon pearl and the twenty four sea calming beads forced Zulin to return his scroll onto his person. However they could not do anything but somewhat slow down the karmic fire. Not willing to retreat. Zulong roared for all the world to hear and charged towards Zulin. His radiant light glowed in gold and black, colours of the royal heavens. Antlers met antlers as both gods clashed in the centre of Ao''s back. RUMBLE! The skies split. Fire met light. Dragon met qilin. An unstoppable force met another unstoppable force. Both combatants gritted their teeth. Zulong winced under the heat. ''Damnit I need to disengage,'' he thought feeling the danger of karmic fire. The sheer power of such flames was beyond his expectations. His scales were slowly getting charred. Then he had another idea. Zulong grinned and opened his draconic mouth. What was heard next could only be described as the fierce roar of the king of all beasts. Or was it a royal decree from the emperor to his subjects? Or perhaps the motivating battle cries of a conquering general? Either way, the objective was achieved. Zulin felt his heart skip a beat when Zulong roared. He felt his muscles loosen against his will. He felt his own determination wavering. He felt his concentration break and the sudden loss of strength along with it. He was pushed back but tried to hold firm. The innate god born in the north tried to unleash his full might against the dragon of the east but the advantage was lost. His karmic flames briefly receded following Zulong''s roar. His hoofs trembled facing the strength of the dragon. The roar of the celestial dragon was a terrifying thing. It was a special ability that only the dragons possessed and were among their most unique of abilities. A single cry to command to heavens, a single cry to tame the seas, a single cry to dominate the land. "I Zulin will never yield to you," Zulin roared in fury. The fire reignited around him to burn away at Zulong''s own golden black lights. But too little too late, the qilin had long been forced to the point where he was a moment away from losing balance. He could barely apply any pressure to the dragon. "Say that when you''re not getting your ass kicked," Zulong replied with a haughty chuckle. His body began being covered by auspicious clouds. He raised his head breaking the clash and throwing Zulin onto his hind legs. Zulong raised his right claw at the qilin''s face. Zulin widened his eyes in shock and fear. The clouds around Zulong''s claw were like ominous flames. They resembled a nine digit claw of a demon in the eyes of Zulin. They merged into a single long blade with deadly intent, merging the power of nine into one. The impact came next. Zulong landed a hard blow on Zulin''s face. The qilin retreated quickly disengaging from the dragon. His face was bleeding with a deep scar running from his eye to the bridge of his nostrils. Zulin felt extremely humiliated. He glared at the dragon with contempt and some acknowledged respect. He knew at that moment that he was not looking at a senior of the previous generation like that purple clothed old man, nor a timid rabbit like so many innate creatures were. This was a god of the same generation as him. A fellow emperor. A competitor. Someone he had to remove. Zulin as a last resort summoned forth massive amounts of karmic flames, rapidly burning through his own karma in the process. However, with his own talent, it wasn''t a permanent loss. He directed those flames into several laser beams at the dragon. Zulong stopped as the lasers were fired. He too could recognise Zulin as a factor that had to be removed. One emperor can recognise another and Zulong had long recognised who Zulin was, who he could be. The dragon called forth a massive tsunami that focused into torrents of water that answered Zulin''s barrage. Zulong hastily leapt and dodged and weaved around the rest. Karmic fire can bypass all his defences, if they didn''t cost a hefty amount of his luck then he''d use it himself. His water didn''t last long, but they didn''t have to. Zulong just had to make sure he wasn''t hit. Zulin opened his mouth to fire a concentrated blast which Zulong twirled around with his slender body. No flames were permitted to touch him. The dragon unleashed spells after spells to slow the fire down taking care to never be struck directly. He weaved around the figure of Zulin who dodged to the side. And turned around in a hurry. Zulong by now had raised his claw and struck down in a second display of ''nine clawed killing''. The golden black dragon claw descended towards Zulin who fired the rest of the flames at the claw in the shape of a giant qilin. Zulong could sense his reserves of Qi depleting rapidly but chose to fire off a second claw with his unused left claw. Zulin''s expression was fierce as he jumped high, avoiding the claw that was going horizontally slashing at him. "Ha! You missed," he gloated. "Fool," Zulong retorted. "Unlike my master''s version, nine clawed killing isn''t a one step move. It''s a two step one," he said smirking. The open nine digit claw turned on the surface of Ao''s back like a hand stretching out to grab something. The nine claws were like sharp pillars bathed in black light. They closed in like a flytrap on the figure of Zulin. It was as lit Zulong was closing his fists on an annoying insect, crushing its contents. Zulin''s expression was grim and he closed his eyes. Zulong looked gleeful in response. His claw closed with a loud ''BOOM'' that radiated throughout the continent. "So that''s the highest level of combat in the world," Xuanwu said in wonder as he watched the dragon and qilin duel. "No friend," Qinlong shook his head. "This is nothing compared to our master." Xuanwu suddenly felt very inadequate. "To think such beings still exists in the world," he murmured. Zulong looked in satisfactory when he opened his claw. The dragon looked very tired but was otherwise fine. His reserves of Qi will restore itself automatically without any prompt. Immortals in general possessed infinite energy but only in the sense that their limited reserves will continuously fill up from the world. Suddenly, Zulong''s head snapped to the sky at where his claw had closed in on. There standing ragged was the ruffled looking Zulin. "You missed," Zulin said between huffs. Zulong however looked very startled. Zulin took this chance to dash away. Yinglong and Qinglong broke out of their shock first and tried to catch the fleeing innate god. However, they recoiled when karmic fire ignited around Zulin and retreated. Zulong quickly turned around to give chase. However, it was as if the world was working against Zulong. Zulin was unnaturally fast, unnaturally good at dodging all attacks Zulong threw at him. No, it was more accurate to say that Zulong''s attacks all missed. Every single one missed their target. Bolts of energy, water torrents, even another nine claw killing that drained Zulong even further. All missed without exception. Zulong could only watch helplessly tired as Zulin got further and further away. He only heard the words "you missed" ring out in his head over and over. "I missed," Zulong said back in his human form. "Or you just got lucky," he said between realisation and clenched teeth. Away from prying eyes. Da Hai, who had held up a trembling hand out at Zulin before lowering it. "It''s a sin to kill a son of heaven," he said with angry contempt mixed with regret and sat back down on a pile of a dozen corpses. Primordial beasts he removed beforehand discreetly. Beasts that had been munching on Ao''s flesh for so long that they grew to be at the strength of Great Principle Chaos Immortals. Beings that would''ve killed his disciples should they have ganged up on them. Chapter 56-Onward to the West Crunch! Zulong bit into a mulberry fruit and grunted in pleasure as his body succumbed to a sudden rush of power primordial Qi. It invigorated him and restored him to good health. It hadn''t been long since Zulin fled. Only a few minutes had past and the dragon had opted to recuperate. Hence he sat down and began consuming his supply of the Fusang tree''s mulberry fruits. Xuanwu stood at the side and looked at the berry in wonder and amazement. Such a treasure was incredibly rare in the primitive world and would be a definite asset to any immortal in possession of one. Yet here Zulong is devouring three in a row and still had a bag full. "Take these and heal up," Zulong said after he was finished. He tossed the sack to Yinglong to share with Qinglong and Xuanwu. "Is it really alright for me to¡­" Xuanwu began to say before Zulong held his hand up. "You''ve proven yourself our friend. Consider us brothers and just accept it," he said with a friendly smile. "He''s right Xuanwu, we''re already brothers in arms so just accept one," Qinglong said with an arm around the beautiful human form of the black tortoise. He held up a mulberry fruit which Xuanwu humbly accepted. The azure dragon and black tortoise chat along wonderfully after that. Under the watchful eye of Yinglong and Zulong, Ao had been cleared of primordial beasts. "Still, why did you not give chase brother? If you used master''s talismans then that horse would''ve been obliterated," Yinglong asked. Zulong looked back with an uncomfortable look. "Those are for emergency uses against foes far greater than us, that fake emperor was well within my power to defeat," the dragon said. "But what about as he was fleeing? Master''s attack would''ve hit and killed him," Yinglong asked. "Would''ve been embarrassing," Zulong whispered so low that Yinglong did not hear him. "Sorry I didn''t quite catch that," Yinglong said. "I said that whatever ability that horse used made it impossible to hit him no matter how accurate I aimed. What''s to say master''s talismans won''t suffer the same results?" The ancestral dragon responded. "Yes quite right," Yinglong said with a nod. "What do you think that was?" He asked. "Judging by his fire and clouds, something to do with luck," Zulong said with contempt. "Fucking moron, burning through your luck like that will have disastrous effects especially for one claiming to be emperor," he snorted just at the memory of Zulin''s retreating figure. "Forget him," Zulong said. "Without great amounts of karmic luck, that fake emperor''s future is doomed anyway." "Rest up for now, we will return to report our success after daybreak," Zulong said. He reached into his inter spacial ring and brought out a large map and unfurled it on his lap. ''Let''s see,'' he thought tracing his finger along the northern regions of the map. It was a map that Da Hai had given him beforehand to navigate the primitive world. It contained locations that Da Hai had been to in the past but also locations from rumours and legends. "Quite a long trek to the west sea," Yinglong said looking over his elder brother''s shoulder. "West sea, another region we hear nothing about," the winged dragon said grimly. "Master warned us to be wary of that place above all others," Zulond said with a nod. "It''s close to the west continent, the holy ground for the devilish Dao." "Devilish Dao, I''ve never met any from their sect before," Zulong mused. "Master told us to be wary and to retreat immediately if they make any significant movements during our stay. From my observation, it looked as if even master is afraid of them." "Master was afraid?" Yinglong exclaimed in shock. "I guess it makes sense. We know of at least five seniors of master''s generation working within the devilish Dao. I think it is wise to retreat if anything major happens." Zulong nodded in agreement taking his eyes off the map. He saw Qinglong and Xuanwu discussing their Daos. He occasionally caught a few words describing the concept of stars and seasons. "You are right to be wary of the west," Ao''s rumbling voice said in acknowledgement. It was so shocking that the innate gods on Ao''s continent all stood up and braced themselves. "Oh no need to be dramatic," Ao said in amusement. "I mean you lot no harm." "Who is speaking," Zulong demanded eyeing his surroundings. "You want to know who''s speaking? Know that I am a god from your master''s generation. I am in front of you, below you, behind you. I am all of this land, every piece of ground you stand upon is me," Ao''s rumbling voice announced quaking the earth itself. "The land itself?" Xuanwu said in nervous shock. "But that would mean." "We''re not on an island," Qinglong concluded. He looked at the ground in amazement. "If what I think is true then we''ve been standing on a creature." Zulong clapped his hands and dispersed the clouds. For millions of kilometres, the sky was bright blue. The continent of Ao that was once shrouded in mist was revealed to the greater north sea. Zulong from his position on a stone slab could see clearly around him for the first time since reaching Ao. He looked downwards and saw the shape of a mindbogglingly massive head in the distance. So large was it that Zulong struggled to comprehend Ao''s size. "What are you?" Zulong said. He could feel vast power emanating from the great tortoise. It easily eclipsed anything he''d felt before. Even his master was likely inferior loathed as he was to even think that. However, the head made no movements. Ao made no indication that he''d heard them. There was no movement at all, not even the slightest twitch of muscle. It was almost as if he wasn''t even alive at all. "Have I not explained already young ones?" Ao said. "I am Ao, a godfiend of the chaos period reincarnated into¡­ well not quite an innate god." "You''re a piece of land," Xuanwu said in realisation. "You''re both a living creature as well as the environment." "Stuck somewhere in between," Qinglong said in realization as well placing his held on the ground in a kneeling position. "Unable to move, you''re trapped," he stated. "Quite right young ones," Ao answered in his deep rumbling voice. "But it''s not all bad, I get to¡­ to¡­ to¡­" and then there was a long stretch of silence. "Anyway, it was quite an impressive battle you were having." "It was nothing much senior," Zulong said humbly. "Oh but it is, you are already a step into the Great Principle realm, a very powerful one at that. I suspect that when you make the full breakthrough you will be among the top of experts at the Great Principle stage of the Chaos Immortal realm," Ao praised. "Quite right senior, my big brother is the foremost talent in the world," Qinglong said with reverence with Yinglong nodding. Even Xuanwu couldn''t help but agree after witnessing everything that''s happened. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Fellow daoist Da Hai truly knows how to pick good disciples," Ao said in agreement. "You know master?" Zulong''s attention snapped to Ao along with his brothers. "Not well but you can consider us acquaintances," Ao said. "Then it is an honour to meet uncle master," the three dragons cupped their hands and bowed politely. "Haha, since you showed me so much respect then I naturally have to reward you," Ao said cheerfully. "It''s not much but since you cleared my itch you may have some of my special soil. It''s blessed with the primal chaos of creation itself and anything grown on it will yield much better results." From deep within the earth, a ball of rich soil that resembled ash flew up. It came out of a small crack on Ao''s continent and appeared before Zulong. "Many thanks," Zulong said storing away the soil. "As for you Xuanwu," Ao said catching the black tortoise''s attention. "How about becoming my disciple?" "What?" Xuanwu said in surprise. "You really mean it?" "Heh of course. Seeing fellow daoist Da Hai and his ilk got me interested. So how about it kid? From one tortoise to another?" Ao said. "Accept it Xuanwu, mentorship from a senior of the chaos period is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Qinglong said. "Your cultivation will soar leaps and bounds, I know mine did." "Well if you think so," Xuanwu said and after some reservations, flew to the top of Ao''s head. "Disciple greets you master," he said and proceeded to perform the discipleship ceremony. "Good, very good, then from this day forth our destinies are intertwined," Ao said. A stream of ancient mantras flowed into Xuanwu''s head. "These are the introductory lessons to my cultivation arts, memorise them well," the living continent instructed. Zulong and his brothers stayed and recuperated on Ao after that. Around a week after, they left along with Xuanwu to report the good news. Xie Chun and those in his camp were nearly brought to tears when the dragons honestly completed their task. Zulong had not deceived them and had kept his word. "Xuanwu, how about joining our empire?" Zulong proposed when they were about to leave. "You are already familiar with us and we''ve helped each other out. I promise you that we''d treat you very well." Xuanwu scratched his chin in thought. "Well, you''re certainly better than that Zulin fellow. Alright, I can join as an elder. But not now, I still have much to learn under master Ao." "No problem, the establishment of my empire is still far off in the future. May I ask you to guard the north sea until then?" He said. "The north sea is my home. You don''t have to worry about it," Xuanwu reassured. "Though if Zulin comes looking for trouble I will not hesitate to flee," he said. "That fellow daoist is a little too high above my weight class." "I wouldn''t expect you to," Zulong said. "You''re an asset now, preserve your own life above all else for now," he ordered. "As you wish, your majesty," Xuanwu replied with a bow of courtesy. "Safe travels," he offered before leaving when Zulong gave him the signal. "This trip''s been very enlightening," Qinglong said after bidding Xuanwu farewell. "There are so many things in the primitive world that master never even told us about. Who knew there was a living continent in the shape of a tortoise or a giant pool of super cold water underneath the north sea." "It is, the north will need a lot of work. Thankfully, the east is resource rich enough to send relief aid," Zulong said with a nod. "Well then brothers, let us move westwards." "Agreed," the two dragons answered following after the senior dragon. The western border was a distance away but the trio could afford to fly leisurely. The north sea was very depopulated and empty of dangers. ¡­ The former personal abode of Shenni was long since been in a state of disrepair. With no one remaining to care for it, this cave palace had long since been abandoned. Zulin, the ancestral qilin lay on the floor of the cave licking his wounds. His encounter with Zulong had both enraged yet also humbled him. He thought himself weary enough having had accounted for the appearance of the ancient godfiends. But who knew someone from his generation could beat him so badly. The qilin hissed in pained annoyance as the scar on his face stung. Zulong''s attack damaged his vitality and it was unlikely it''d fade. The qilin got up from his resting spot and moved deeper into the cave. He strolled down a set of stairs to deep beneath the mountain. His hoofs clipped and clopped against the dusty slabs of stone. His destination was just before him. An entire underground storehouse containing millions of primordial beasts. Shenni once controlled these creatures using his own mysterious methods. Legends say he''d amassed an army in the billions, perhaps even trillions. In this day and age, primordial beasts were hard to come by in any place other than the north continent. Much of Shenni''s store houses still remained. Zulin pulled out his scroll. It was a gift given to him by his benefactor in exchange for a place in his government. It was a simple exchange, that old man had good precognitive abilities and knew of his destiny. Zulin opened his draconic mouth and released the piece of luck cloud. He winced at seeing his own pool of karmic luck. It had decreased until it was a small dry well. The cloud disappeared releasing the mutilated mantis. Zulin smiled when he saw the creature. Its physical strength was extraordinary. It may be crippled but the physiology of primordial beasts allowed it to recover eventually. Illusionary red and green chains flew down from the roof of the storage chamber. They dangled from an elephant chess board hanging from the roof. They wrapped around the struggling mantis and held it up. It was a valuable treasure he came across a very long time ago. Since he acquired it, he''d also cultivated it to the level of a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure by feeding it large amounts of luck, treasures, and souls. "Primordial beasts grow stronger by devouring those with powerful Qi," Zulin murmured. "How did you grow so strong, this warrants more investigating," Zulin said shaking his head. The innate god held up the scroll and set about the binding mechanisms. Hit was a longer process than usual but successful in the end. The mantis fell under his control. "Now I need to regain my luck," Zulin grumbled. The ancestral qilin left the chamber and continued to lay low. For now, he''d need to fully heal, then find some good spots to siphon more luck. Chapter 57-Thriving Sea of Devils Nan Dao Chen was a coastal city located just off western shore of the West Continent. It was a cultural hub that was widely considered the gateway between the wider west sea and the West Continent proper. As such it was a well known rest stop for travelers. The massive city was a sprawling metropolis and was nominally considered under the rule of Si Hai''s empire consisting of the wider ocean. In practice however, the devilish Dao effectively ran the place. It was a day to day occurrence to see disciples of the devilish Dao walking through the city, buying and selling wares, as well as competing in competitions. The pale skinned youths were considered local celebrities and often recruited from the area as well. "Ash Raven sect is in town again this year," a local townsman said watching the marching troupe of immortals pass by. There were low ranking disciples as well as high status elders present as well. Cultivators ranging from pre immortal tribulation to even Immortals. "Oh yeah, it is time for recruitment," the townsman''s drinking buddy said raising a glass. "Is your son gonna participate?" "Probably, I''ve been trying to convince him otherwise but you know how kids are," he replied. "Why bother? Don''t you know the benefits of getting into a sect of the devilish Dao? Way better than the ocean sects," the drinking buddy said. "Yeah, but don''t you know how high the mortality rates are?" The townsman emphasised with his arms raised. "Old Qin and old San''s families had a total of twenty five youths who went last time. Only little Xi came back alive and she didn''t even get in." "That bad huh," the man said taking a sip of his drink. "Make way! Make way!" The folks on the street''s attention were drawn to the pale skinned devils forming a line. A massive elephant acting as a sedan carried a skinny bird like man wearing a large feather coat. He had a hook nose resembling a beak and a near skeletal body with visible ribs adorning his shirtless chest. "Make way for young lord Blood Raven," an elder announced. "What, lord Blood Raven is here to attend the recruitment?" "Heavens, we have lord Blood Raven in town." The city was sent into a frenzy. A person with as big of a name as Blood Raven had arrived in town to personally oversee the recruitment of new disciples for the Ash Raven sect. This man was the only son of patriarch Ash Raven and a talented figure. Everyone knew to respect this man. Atop his elephant, Blood Raven looked in satisfaction as crowds cheered his arrival. In a nearby restaurant, three antlered brothers sat around a table. The dragons had arrived in Nan Dao Chen days ago and were deeply troubled. The black robbed Zulong frowned in irritation as he read a thick book of various symbols. "This is utter bullshit," he growled. "What did you expect," Yinglong said reading an unfamiliar menu trying to make heads or tails of the text. "The west is so far removed from the east and under the control of another faction. Of course, they''d develop differently." "Those old geezers are still godfiends, they speak chaos godfiend, they write in chaos script," Zulong said pointing at his book which was evidently a dictionary. "Why do you need a new language when everybody already spoke the same thing." "I mean different clans in the east used different writing systems," Qinglong offered trying to read his own menu. "But they still all speak godfiend," Zulong said gripping his forehead. "Even the west''s spoken language is vaguely familiar at best. It''s like someone took a bunch of languages and mashed them together. I only recognise seven sounds tops." "Um, may I take your order?" A nervous serving girl called out. She looked visibly intimidated at the trio of men. "What''s she saying?" Zulong asked Yinglong. The winged dragon put down his menu and turned towards the girl. "We''d use a chicken stick meat and a vegetable bowl," Yinglong said in broken devilnese. He wasn''t sure what to call the local language as they were never given a name. "So a plate of chicken sticks and salad?" She asked. The three dragons looked at each other and nodded in unison. It was better to get the headache inducing conversation out of the way first. "Remind me again why we can''t just rip the knowledge out of someone''s head?" Qinglong asked. "Because someone will notice if someone mysteriously blacks out with missing memories," Zulong said. "And that we arrived without realising the language barrier. That and of course the sentries will notice if we tried something." Zulong pointed in the direction of the mayor''s office and city guards. Amazingly, there were at least three Great Unity Golden Immortals in Nan Dao Chen. The mayor, the captain of the guard, and another person who just arrived. Zulong was certain he can easily beat all three at once but he wasn''t exactly the greatest in stealth nor were his brothers. The cultivation gap was small enough for their actions to be noticed. For now, the dragons actively suppressed their cultivation and have not done anything of note. All the talismans they had on hand were effectively bombs and not for stealth. ''I really need to learn pellucid divine water,'' Zulong idly thought. To date, Da Hai had not imparted the divine water to the brothers. However, it was an incredibly useful tool to add to his arsenal. "So it''s learning a language the old fashion way," Zulong grunted and kept reading his dictionary as the food arrived. The waitress soon brought them the food along with a bowl of curry. "What spice is this?" Qinglong said tasting the substance. "Heard someone call it curry," Yinglong said. "Unique local dish I''d think." "Probably from the continent proper," Zulong pointed out. "You don''t get many spices like these from the ocean herbs and what little we do get is imported from the East Continent proper," he added. "Experience from your trading town?" Qinglong asked and Zulong nodded. They dug into the food enjoying the good taste. As the dragons were eating they took notice of the large parade outside. Of the nearly a hundred cultivators from the Ash crow sect, many stood at the Earth Immortal realm with several exceptional ones at the True Immortal realm. Zulong can sense from their bones that their true ages were fairly young. These pale skinned men and women hovered around seven to nine hundred. "Exceptional," he heard Yinglong comment. Every single of them were talented in their own right. The entire turtle clan as a whole would have very few individuals on par with them. "They''re a sect right," Zulong said in confirmation. "Then their talent pool is probably larger than that of a single clan," he clarified. "Why don''t we take a look?" Qinglong asked. "We''d get a better idea of the western regions and see what their selection process is like." Zulong and Yinglong nodded. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Not a bad idea little brother, from the looks of things they just arrived. They may take a few days to actually begin the process," Zulong said. The three got up and got to leave. "Um, the payment," the same waitress from before began. Before she could finish Zulong tossed her a sack of immortal spirit stones and went on his way. The west was very developed in comparison to the north. In fact, Zulong dared to say that they were more developed than the east. The west had long stopped trading with energy rich spiritual stones and had instead begun trading proper money. Spiritual stones were still accepted of course but there was a proper coin system in place. Zulong found the system quite peculiar. The coins were evidently not spiritually active at all nor did they possess any magical properties but were yet seen with value even by immortal cultivators. "Hey brother, check out those mounts," Qinglong pointed at the use of bestial mounts by the Ash Raven sect. Large elephants and tigers were used as steads by the disciples. "Their fellow innate creatures," Zulong said in observation. It was not a practice he was unfamiliar with. Plenty of cultivators in the east tamed their defeated opponents as mounts upon their defeat. It was seen as an impressive display of strength. A cultural remnant from the chaos godfiends. The brothers resumed chatting as the parade went on. Not just Ash Raven elders and disciples came through, but servants as well. All in all the entire troupe easily contained several hundreds of men and women. "Let''s retire for the night brothers," Zulong said as a gruff looking young man with white hair and silvery armour walked out of a nearby building with a barrel of alcohol. He had a medium length sword on his belt. Aside from his armour, this white haired young also wore a coat of fur around his waist and a cape made of fur with the character ''Íõ''. This young man''s attention instantly snapped to the three dragons when he heard them chatting. "Was that the language of chaos godfiends? Someone here knows how to speak it?" He wondered in western language. His curiosity piqued, he decided to follow the three dragons. ''People of the west all speak the tongue taught by the devilish Dao, even the wider ocean clans,'' the white haired stranger thought. ''The only ones who still remember the chaos godsend''s language are the oldest of ancestors and those clans from the central west sea region.'' Zulong narrowed his eyes as he and his brothers were walking. His eyeballs rolled to look at who was behind him. "Feel him?" He asked by sending a voice transmission to Qinglong and Yinglong. His brothers nodded. "That''s the same guy who walked out of that alcohol store earlier right?" Qinglong asked. Zulong nodded in response. "Probably shouldn''t have spoken so inconspicuously," Yinglong said. "What other options are there? Just stand there silently? Better to pretend to be travellers from the north," Qinglong retaliated. "Heads up brothers, he''s closing in," Zulong said. "That alley to our left, we''ll confront him there." As the white haired stranger rounded the street into the alley, he was greeted with the three dragons folding their arms. "What do you want?" Zulong asked. He observed the white hair man before him. This gruff looking person had a short moustache and a stubble. He looked to be a fierce warrior and it showed in his stance. He looked confident and relaxed but was yet ready to pounce at any time. "Heard you all speaking chaos godfiend," he said in the same language. "And? People outside the west all speak chaos godfiend, what''s your point," Zulong retorted. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the white haired man''s pale blue iris flash into a deep yellow colour. "You''re too rich to be from the north, not after all that''s been done there," the white haired man concluded. "You''re all looked to be ocean folk, I can see the origin of water on you. You from the south or west sea?" "Could be born in a lake on the continent," Zulong countered with interest. He could tell that this young man had a special ability that had to do with sight. "I can tell fresh from salt water, they''re fairly distinct," the white haired man said. "And you didn''t answer my question," He said with an arm resting on the sword handle. However he didn''t look like he was going to draw it. "For what purpose do you stop us?" Zulong asked once more. "We can play this for a long while but fine," the white haired man said. "Everyone on the continent follows Luohu''s teachings, everyone is a devil including those who''re within the ocean empire. You are distinctly not devils." "You can tell?" Yinglong exclaimed in surprise. "You hide your cultivations and appear like inconspicuous mortals, but you move like a superior being. You have none of the telltale signs of those who follow the devilish Dao. You also speak the chaos godfiend language which leads me to think you''re from the south," he said nonchalantly. "I''m just curious what you''re all here for?" "Not from the south," Zulong said much to Yinglong and Qinglong''s shock. "You''re not a devil either," Zulong said pointing at the man. "Indeed I am not," the man confirmed. "I am of the west though, how can you tell?" "I haven''t been around devils for long but they do carry a fairly distinct aura," Zulong explained. "You''re cloaking yourself well but I can smell the faint energy of yours. They''re more along the lines of an innate creature, one who didn''t follow any specific teachings but their own path." Zulong looked closely at the young man before continuing. "I can also sense a familiar primal origin within you," Zulong said looking at Qinglong and the memory of Xuanwu. "You''re an innate god aren''t you. An independent one." "Correct," the white haired man admitted. "You still haven''t answered my question." "Explorers from the east," Zulong stated. "Explorers?" The white haired man said. "East you say, I''ve never met anyone from the east before." "Who are you?" Zulong asked. "Can''t give you my name right now, trying to lay low," the white haired said. "But for the time being you can call me Bai Jian," he said turning around to leave. "Leaving already?" Zulong asked. "You situated my curiosity, I have no more reason to be here," Bai Jian said. Bai Jian disappeared back into the crowd on the main road. "He felt just like Xuanwu didn''t he," Zulong suddenly said to Qinglong. The azure dragon nodded. "Thought so, his senses are sharp, very sharp," Zulong said. "You looking to recruit him?" Yinglong asked. "Of course, an independent is prime recruitment material," Zulong said with a laugh. "Then why''d you let him leave?" Yinglong asked. "We''ll see it again," Zulong said. "A guy like that doesn''t stay out of trouble for long," he said. The most senior of the dragons turned around and lead his brothers away. Chapter 58-Interupting a Massacre Within a week, many cultivators were gathered just outside the walls of Nan Dao Chen. Most of them were young hopefuls who wished to enter the Ash Raven sect. Following the crowd, the dragons discreetly stood amongst the crowd as well. "The devilish Dao is very popular," Yinglong mused watching the procedure beginning to take place. A podium was set up with the young Blood Raven daoist at the helm. The devil gave a few words of introduction, a small motivational speech about how anyone could join and be devils. Zulong tuned out the speech, he couldn''t grasp everything being said, only every couple of words and certain phrases confused him. From appearance however, it was evident that this was a disingenuous attempt as Blood Raven seemed bored throughout. The devil looked very impatient to complete the task. Despite his boring approach, the hopefuls were not deterred. Blood Raven did not have to try too hard to get them excited. The reputation of the devilish Dao established through tens of thousands of years had long since paid off. As an established path of myriads of branches, techniques, and methods, the devilish Dao had grown from a single cultivation lineage into an entire cultivation lifestyle. It was in many ways a culture as well as a path to immortality. Zulong scanned the city again and again taking note of the devilish Dao''s presence. ''There is unity in this,'' he thought with an appreciative look. Thinking back, the dragon could recall that once upon a time, Da Hai had guided the denizens of the east sea in cultivation. He however never fully capitalised on it having not established a sect. In fact, Da Hai had not even passed his own Dao down, merely taught immortal techniques. In contrast, the devilish Dao freely distributed the Dao of seven emotions six desires. All of Luohu''s insights were given away in readily available tomes. All sects and even shops in Nan Dao Chen had these in storage. Of course the former had modified theirs to fit their style, they were at heart, merely a deviation of Luohu''s Dao. "I wonder why that is," Zulong mused. Why had Da Hai not done what Luohu did? In fact, why was Luohu seemingly the only godfiend to have done this? "Why was what?" Qinglong responded to his musing. Zulong shook his head and replied, "it was nothing brother." He broke away from his thoughts to pay attention to Blood Raven''s actions upon the podium. The devil had opened up a portal to a pocket dimension and pulled all those who wished to have a chance in. Zulong looked curiously at the technique and stored it in his mind. Ash Raven''s dimension was not big. It was a square world measured at a 500km by 500km dimension. But it got the job done. The devil released a horde of shadow constructs into the dimension. "There are one hundred slots available in our Ash Raven sect," he said. "Only those with the most impressive performance are permitted to enter. Prove to us that you seek true freedom above all else, that seek seven emotions six desires above all else." He waved his hand and closed the gate trapping thousands within. "That is very vague," Yinglong said with a frown. "So what, does he expect a free for all massacre? Dao debates? Contests? What could impressive performance even entail?" "Seeking true freedom? Seven emotion six desires?" Qinglong contemplated the meaning of those worlds. He could sense that Blood Raven''s commands carried the weight of the Dao. His words carried the meaning of the devilish Dao''s core principles. Of Luohu''s Dao''s core principles. Even though the two parties spoke completely separate languages, Zulong understood everything being said. As the Dao was universal across all forms of communication, the dragons understood all of Blood Raven''s words. "A fucking hoax is all it is," a familiar voice replied. Qinglong turned around and saw the approaching figure of Bai Jian. The white haired swordsmen looked impressive and ferocious as ever. His footsteps spoke of a predator in wait. The swordsman was also surprisingly stealthy. He was able to approach the trio without them noticing and he moved through the crowd without touching anyone. "Bai Jian, nice to see you again," Qinglong said saluting the swordsman. "What do you mean by your words?" "Exactly as I said, this whole spiel about freedom is all a hoax," Bai Jian said gesturing at the pocket dimension. "A fucking lie that tricked the entire western world. There''s no freedom to be had here." "Is that so," Qinglong replied. "So it''s all propaganda then? To be honest I expected them to be mere words of promotion for their sect." "Oh it runs far deeper than that friend, even I nearly missed it if it wasn''t for my¡­the point is that what they''re selling, this established path that ensures success at cultivation is a blatant lie," he said with disgust evident on his face. "That''s interesting," Zulong suddenly said turning towards the two. "Mind elaborating?" "Well it''s¡­" before Bai Jian could start Yinglong unintentionally interrupted. "Heavens," the winged dragon grimaced loudly. A few screams in the crowd was also heard. Some families broke down crying while Blood Raven watched desensitised. Within the pocket dimension, cultivators were being torn apart left and right. Shadow beasts ripped them to shreds, some sacrificed others to get away while others massacred everyone to prove their might. "He said those with the most impressive performance can enter right?" The cultivator massacring both shadow beasts and cultivators alike said with a twisted look. "Well here''s what I can do," he yelled leaping into battle. Blood Raven stroked his chin with a small satisfied look. Even from the distance, Zulong, Qinglong, and Yinglong could recognise the look of approval at those words. "Not used to the violence?" Bai Jian chimed in. "It''s not that," Qinglong replied. "Why was all the killing necessary? Seems kinda extreme." "Master will call it wasteful, I do too," Yinglong said nodding. "In the east sea, youths are tested in combat but there are ways to simulate stress tests without actual death risks," Zulong said with a disapproving look. "What is the point of this?" "In the words of the devil ancestor, only the best of the best of the best of the best may enter my devilish Dao," Bai Jian quoted. "The rest are discarded however they choose, Blood Raven''s just an asshole." With a gush of blood, another person died. Then another was torn apart. More and more families wept around them while others clenched their hands in worry. "I can''t watch this," Qinglong was the first to begin moving. But before he could get far, Bai Jian grabbed his shoulders. "You don''t want to do this, touch Blood Raven and you''d draw the attention of Ash Raven," he warned. "You think we''re scared of some bird in this backwards dump?" Zulong said angrily while Qinglong glared. "No, Ash Raven isn''t the problem, it''s his master that is," Bai Jian continued. "Ash Raven is a favoured disciple of ancestor Taowu, touch Ash Raven and you draw Taowu''s wrath." "Taowu? That lazy cat?" The dragons exclaimed in surprise. "Yes, that same gluten has taken many disciples and is one of the foremost experts of living by excess in the world," Bai Jian said with a grimace. "Disgusting reputation aside, he''s no joke." Zulong reevaluated their chances in the west. It was a place they weren''t totally safe in. In fact, Da Hai had stressed that even he wasn''t totally safe there either. But then again, the distance between the Central, and West Continent, and the shore was very big. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "How big''s the distance between here and Taowu?" He asked. "Taowu doesn''t leave his abode often, so a few years away," Bai Jian stated. Zulong nodded, he touched his inter spacial ring and pulled out a set of masks. He put them on and his antlers disappeared. "Put these on," he ordered his brothers. "You''re not afraid of being tracked?" Bai Jian asked. "We have protection," Zulong assured. He tilted his head expectedly. In an instant, Qinglong disappeared in a mad dash. The ancestral dragon however stood still before the white swordsman. "Who are you really? A former disciple of the devilish Dao?" Zulong asked. Bai Jian nodded, he did not bother hiding that info. "So you''re a traitor to their sect hiding here?" He asked for confirmation. Bai Jian again nodded. "I would''ve appreciated it if you didn''t make a commotion here, especially not at this time," Bai Jian said with a sigh. "You''re talking about the xiantian treasure gestating that way?" Zulong asked pointing towards the ocean. "Don''t give me that look, if you noticed it they why wouldn''t I? Besides, they''re probably here for the same reason." Zulong gestured to the Ash Raven cultivators who had engaged Qinglong and Yinglong. "You''re pretty arrogant aren''t you," Bai Jian said. "And you''re not?" Zulong countered. "I''m no different, planned to kill those fuckers later, guess my schedule will have to be changed," Bai Jian said holding the handle of his sheathed sword. Unnoticeable energy was swirling around Bai Jian. Zulong could feel bloodlust oozing from the swordsman. However, none of it was directed at him. Zulong smiled. "What do you think of joining me?" He announced. "What teaming up? I''m afraid not, I was willing to help introduce you to the west but teaming up to go after a treasure is a bit much. Sorry, but I can''t risk it," Bai Jian replied. "Not that, xiantian treasures matter little to me," Zulong said nonchalantly to Bai Jian''s surprise. "I''m establishing a faction of my own. An empire if you will and I''d like for you to be part of it." "Do I look like a fucking bureaucrat to you?" Bai Jian said gesturing at himself. "I was thinking general," Zulong said. "You look like the type I wouldn''t want anywhere near my office." Bai Jian threw his head back and laughed loudly. "An empire, you''re funny my friend. In this world, what would small fries like you be able to make?" Bai Jian turned around to leave. "You seem smart so I''ll let you know now, don''t try it friend. I speak from experience when I say that some forces in this world are insurmountable." ¡­ Blood Raven growled when an azure fist struck into his abdomen. The masked man before him was simply too strong. "Who the hell are you?" He growled narrowly dodging another hit. He drew forth his sickle for another strike but the masked man jumped back. "A pissed of adventurer," Qinlong''s distorted voice replied. Of course Blood Raven had no way of knowing that this was Qinglong or who Qinglong even was. Qinglong forced Blood Raven back with another punch. The devil''s blood constructs could do nothing to the dragon. Qinglong broke the spears shot by Blood Raven and chopped another blade into pieces. "Young master!" One of Blood Raven''s retainers disengaged from Yinglong to help Blood Raven. Blood Raven quickly retreated and drank a vial of blood. Qinglong lit both hands in blue light. They resembled burning stars. Qinglong''s body glowed transparently. He looked like a living galaxy filled to the brim with stars. "What is this?" Blood Raven cried out in shock at the pressure he felt. He didn''t even know Great Unity level experts were capable of such might. Qinglong blasted a massive wave of stellar energy. Blood Raven quickly drew forth a fountain of blood to form a shield. Feathers began appearing all over his body as he struggled. His retainer, a fellow cultivator at the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm jumped in to attack Qinglong. The dragon in the shape of a man tilted his head and kicked the man in the stomach. Qinglong''s foot was like a comet, he kicked right through the stomach of the immortal. "Grah!" The retainer was fell from the air landing on the ground. His body transformed into that of a massive rat. "You''re gonna regret that," Blood Raven growled. His foot began talons, his hands became wings. His head grew a beak and he transformed into a massive black raven a kilometre wide. Fresh blood was drawn forth from the rat corpse flowing into Blood Raven. "How fitting," Qinglong commented continuing to engage the devil. A sword of stars appeared in Qinglong''s hand as he swung sideways into Blood Raven''s wing. Blood Raven met the blade with an enhanced claw. The two were better matched now that Blood Raven had absorbed his retainer''s vitality. Qinglong frowned and formed a vibrant green and punched the enhanced devil in the face. Blood Raven cried out in pain and retreated. Qinglong moved forwards and slashed drawing more and more blood. Blood Raven psychically gripped his own blood and formed needles out of them to hit the dragon. However, they could not penetrate Qinglong''s skin. "Fuck, just who are you?" Blood Raven nervously looked to the side and saw a horrifying scene. His other retainer and the city lord were both defeated by the similarly masked Yinglong. Both are bound by auspicious clouds. "Hey pay attention," Qinglong''s voice called out. Blood Raven barely had enough time to dodge. Yet still, his left leg was cleaved clean off by Qinglong. Blood Raven felt miserable. His pocket dimension was broken and its occupants freed. Yinglong did not struggle to destroy all the shadow beasts and restrain the cultivators within. Blood Raven did not expect this small expedition to cause him so much trouble. It was so simple, collect the new xiantian treasure discovered by their scouts, stop by to pick a few new recruits and maybe get some clues of the steel swordsman. Why did it all come to this? ''I need to flee,'' Blood Raven desperately flapped his wings. The blood around him became a cloud of red mist. The aim was to obscure the dragon''s senses. Qinglong raised his eyebrows looking at Blood Raven who was quickly disappearing behind the cloud. ''Wait, he''s not looking at me,'' Blood Raven suddenly realised tracing Qinglong''s line of sight. "Finally noticed didn''t ya?" The voice Blood Raven heard chilled him to the bone. He barely turned his head before suddenly feeling much lighter. Bai Jian grabbed Blood Raven''s severed head with a furry black and white tail while his left hand blasted the body to ashes Zulong walked up to Bai Jian and said, "You said Ash Raven can tract his son, how long before he gets here?" "Give him a few hours, Ash Raven sect isn''t that far from here. He already knows his son''s dead," Bai Jian replied. "You know, I didn''t want to fight in the city. Would''ve been easier to meet them in the open ocean." "For my purposes, it will be better to kill him here," Zulong said. He looked down to see the blood cloud split in two as Qinglong and Yinglong flew up. The observers of the battle looked in utter shock and confusion. The mayor of Nan Dao Chen looked in horror. "You really are serious aren''t you?" Bai Jian said in shock. "You''re fucking insane." "I have to be," Zulong answered with a smile. "You are right, the ancestors of the previous generation are monstrous. But so am I," Zulong said with conviction and held a hand out. "They are not insurmountable, not invincible, not infallible, so how about it Bai Jian? Join me and see my dream to fruition." Chapter 59-The Ash Raven Strikes The dragons and the white haired swordsman landed with a soft thud. The head of Blood Raven was still warm in Bai Jian''s tail''s grasp, shrunken to a manageable size. The onlookers were stunned struggling to comprehend what just happened. Zulong grimaced at the course of events. The aftermath will be most troublesome to deal with. If the devil''s popularity were any indication then they will likely be chased out by a mob. "What have you done!" The injured mayor roared. "Do you have any idea, any idea at all what you have unleashed? Do you have any idea who that was you killed?" "Another devil trash," Bai Jian responded tossing Blood Raven''s head onto the ground. The mayor desperately leapt at the head and clutched it gently. He desperately searched for any signs of life desperately hoping that the devil wasn''t dead. "No, no, no, no, NO! This cannot be happening," the mayor cried. Tears poured down his face as he glared at the dragons. "You''ve doomed us all," he said. Zulong frowned, he lifted his right hand faster than the mayor could react. Tap! Zulong''s index finger touched the immortal''s head with a soft glow. The knowledge to properly speak the western language flowed into the dragon''s head. Two extra sparks shot out of Zulong''s hand and into Yinglong and Qinglong''s heads. "You condone a roughness massacre of your own citizens?" The dragon asked. The mayor stood up and glared at the dragon in fury. "It is the universal way, it is the way his most holy devil ancestor decreed for all who tied the path of cultivation," the mayor said. Zulong saw the truth in the man''s eyes, or at least what he believed to be the truth. "Really? And your cultivation requires you to mindless throw youths to their deaths?" Zulong asked. Behind him, Bai Jian whispered a faint, "what a joke". "What would you know of cultivation? Cultivation accepts only the best of the best of the best. Only the most excellent deserves to tread the path of cultivation," the mayor said with fervour. "We are devils, this is our way." "I see," Zulong said. "You only tread the path made for you by your ancestor?" The dragon asked raising his eyebrow. "It is the true way to immortality," a voice of a cultivator in the crowd yelled. "Yes, yes, yes, it is the right way," another agreed. Then another as well. The dragons saw the faces of the enraged cultivator community of Nan Dao Chen. "Such a narrow mindset," Qinglong whispered. Bai Jian nodded in agreement. "What did you expect?" The swordsman said. "It''s all they know, the devilish Dao isn''t just a cultivation sect. To them, it is their identity. They are devils, mortals or not, cultivators or not," he explained with a mocking look of disgust. "Just a bunch of ignorant trapped pigs." "Why do you say that?" Qinglong asked. "Why hold the entire path to such contempt?" "Right, such things aren''t obvious unless you''re already on the inside," Bai Jian said with sadness. "The mechanisms of the devil ancestor is terrifying indeed. With a show of kindness, he prevented all prospective challengers. The devil is a being of freedom, but there can only ever be one devil." "One devil?" Qinglong''s eyes widened slightly. Zulong who was listening in frowned, he could already formulate what Bai Jian had meant. "Oh, what would you know," the mayor suddenly turned his attention to Bai Jian. "Don''t think I don''t recognise you. A bloody heretic is what you are." "What did you just say?" Ire drawn, Bai Jian stepped forth drawing his sword. "Say that again," he growled. "You think me scared heretic? You who only knows betrayal and murder?" Before the mayor could continue, a golden hand struck his sternum knocking him back onto the platform. That same hand pushed Bai Jian''s sword back into its sheath. "That is enough," Zulong said. "I will not have such uncouth behaviour displayed before me," he said placing both hands behind his back. "Apologies," Bai Jian and the mayor apologised but suddenly scratched their heads. ''Why did I do that?'' They both thought. Down below, some surviving cultivators had returned to the embrace of their families who cried tears of joy. They seemed to be ignoring the events happening on the platform. Onlookers still had yet to move, unsure of what to do. However, one youth stood up and cupped his hands and bowed. "Many thanks to seniors for saving my life," he said gratefully. After his example, many others followed. "What are you all doing?" The mayor screamed. "Don''t you realise what''s happened? Ash Raven will be here soon." "Yes, we did realise that," Zulong interrupted. "Don''t worry, I''ll take of him when the time comes." "Deal? How? You''re not even," the mayor stuttered. He felt his legs go weak. He was not very impressive for a Great Unity Golden Immortal. He hadn''t even formed a proper Dao yet unlike the legendary Ash Raven. That beast was said to have competed with the Green Ape devil of the ancient past. "Does that man seriously intend to fight patriarch Ash Raven?" The citizens below suddenly buckled at Zulong''s words. "Fuck it, let''s get out of here. Nan Dao Chen is already lost." "My love, flee the city, I''ll run home and get our essentials." "Shit gotta get my money then I''m outta here." The common consensus was to simply flee. Zulong silently agreed. For mortals, getting caught up in the fight of immortals, much less Golden Immortals would be fatal. "Seniors, why aren''t you scared?" The same young man from earlier asked suddenly. "Don''t you know how strong of a devil Ash Raven is?" "It was us that got involved in this mess. It shall be us that resolves this," Zulong said. "You should leave with your parents child. Staying here is unwise." "But why? Why risk yourself for us in the first place? Why bother saving us?" He said. "We knew the risks going in, why would a fellow devil like you go against the¡­ well¡­um." He stumbled a bit on his wording, it wasn''t a written down rule or tradition. It was just common sense. "Well I''m not a devil aren''t I?" Zulong said. Suddenly, those few words shocked everyone. Not a devil? That was strange for the devilish Dao path was the only sure way of cultivation. Even the strange sea creatures further west agreed. "Then what are you?" The young man asked. "A dragon child, I am a dragon," Zulong said. "How do I become a dragon?" He asked again. This caught Zulong off guard. He was born as he was, a dragon of the sea. How would one go about becoming a dragon? "Brother," Yinglong called out. Zulong''s eyes flicked eastward and he frowned. The sky had darkened somewhat and an ominous feeling could be felt. "That guy is fast," he said. "I killed his son," Bai Jian said. "He''s sect isn''t far from here in the first place, he can get here in record time." The swordsman turned to the dragon, "Can you really handle him?" ''Who do you think you''re talking to?" Zulong said in amusement. "Only another emperor can challenge an emperor," he said slowly floating up into the sky. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Child, I''ll be going now, don''t get caught in the crossfire," Zulong said from high above the ground. "Do not worry citizens of Nan Dao Chen. I Zulong extend my protection to you all." "What a fool," the mayor snorted turning around to leave. "Where''re you going?" Yinglong asked the man. "Not here," the mayor said. His human features began morphing. Scales appeared on his person and his robes morphed as well fading into his body. His form elongated into a large eel. "You''re from the sea?" Yinglong asked. "West ocean tribesman born and raised," the mayor said. "You just cost our clan everything we''ve worked towards," he said with anger. "We''ll compensate you in the future," the winged dragon said. "Future? What future?" The mayor snorted before jumping and diving into the distant ocean. The sky began darkening more and more. The silhouette of a large avian creature appeared. He descended from the skies in a burst of hot ash cloud. That cloud washed all over Nan Dao Chen burying it in a thick layer of ash. At least that was what was supposed to happen. The reality was however a whole lot different. Nan Dao Chen remained covered by a barrier of auspicious white clouds. None of the ash even came near them. "What?" The bird muttered. His ash burned so hot that the land began melting. Small pools of magma began appearing as well. Yet still the clouds did not disperse. "Hmph, murderer of my son, don''t think you''re all that," Ash Raven growled with cool rage. His ash flowed up into a spiralling drill and slammed into the cloud. The territory around Nan Dao Chen shook. "Oi, don''t target the innocents," a royal voice called for Ash Raven''s attention. "They have nothing to do with your son''s death." "All are sinners in my eyes," Ash Raven responded with an attack on Zulong. The devil did not care for anything other than total destruction. In a sense, he was simply venting. The devil''s aura of power was suffocating even to fellow Great Unity Golden Immortals. His Dao appeared as a reddish grey Dao fruit outline on his inner cosmic tree. The tree was all wood and had no leaves, a very distinct look from Zulong''s own tree. "Impressive," Zulong clapped his hands before opening them in a square shape. A column of wind tore Ash Raven''s attack apart and scattered the clouds of ash. The devil frowned narrowing his eyes. Wings raised, Ash Raven flew forward. Each flap generated more and more ash, thick clouds of red hot ash. Zulong waved his arms creating golden black dragons. These constructs struck and dispersed the clouds of ash further frustrating Ash Raven. The avian devils'' claws shone with red hot energy. He flew overhead and clawed at the comparatively tiny form of Zulong. The dragon slightly tilted his head and dodged the attack. "You''re far weaker then Zulin. Your cultivation had reached a similar summit as ours but in terms of abilities, you''re far inferior," he said as if commenting on the weather. "Don''t take me lightly stranger," Ash Raven growled. The swirling energy around him grew more and more. The Skys darkened as well as if an angry ward had descended. It was as if Ash Raven''s wrath had taken physical form. Grey lightning descended from the heavens. Zulong raised his arm and blocked the attack despite being pushed down somewhat. Excess electricity scattered from the first bolt landed on the ground blowing up like bombs. They rented the landscape apart. Zulong raised his hands. The earth sprouted rocky dragon claws that grabbed at Ash Raven. The devil simply flew to the side and kicked the claws to pieces. Zulong smiled and swung his left arm. A gargantuan arc of water rose up like a scythe travelling incredibly fast. Ash Raven barely had time to widen his eyes before his left wing was punctured. "He got through my Ancient Devil physique?" Ash Raven was mystified. He wasn''t the best at physical body techniques but his durability was no joke. He picked up speed, utilising his strong suit as more and more slashes of water was delivered. Zulong jumped in the air propelling himself at Ash Raven. A large sphere of water was already gathered before the dragon. It morphed into a wrecking ball which was thrown at the distant Raven. "Hmph!" Ash Raven closed up his wings before opening them. He released an intense wave of heat at Zulong. The dragon held up his hand blocking the wave with his scales. He grimaced at the heat. The water on the other hand was reduced to steam clouds. They were extremely thick and obscured vision. However, this did not bother Zulong. He could easily see Ash Raven within the clouds. Reaching out, Zulogn took hold of the steam mist and transformed it. Around Ash Raven, the clouds took shape and constricted. "What is this?" Ash Raven gasped in surprise before his body was tightly wrapped in the body of steam cloud dragon construct. The beast gripped his body and roared at his face. Ash Raven opened his beak and shot a ray of hot energy. The cloud dragon''s head merely shifted away from the blast while the real Zulong approached. His fist shone in black and golden light. His skin was textured like rough scales. The dragon threw out a fierce punch at the devil''s face. BOOM! Ash Raven''s head snapped sharply to one side. His neck nearly snapped with a single punch. He couldn''t help but spit out swaths of blood. His face was broken in so many places that he couldn''t even begin to count. Ash Raven attempted to struggle but Zulong tightened the construct''s grip. The steam cloud dragon had turned fully black and exerted much greater strength than it was supposed to. Ash Raven could feel his own bones breaking. Opening his mouth again, Ash Raven blasted Zulong point black in a beam of fire. The dragon frowned and kicked the devil''s lower beak clean off. However, a gaseous being had already flown out. "Abandoning your body so easily?" Zulong sent out his claw. His nine digit dragon claw spread out wide. So big it was that it looked like it could''ve held the entire world in its palms. Ash Raven''s nascent soul screeched in horror as the dragon claw enclosed itself. A small poof could be heard and the devilish presence faded. Down in Nan Dao Chen, those spectating looked in disbelief. One of the devil overlords of the region was killed just like that? ¡­ Da Hai stood in an empty hallway and sighed in relief. Thank gods that Luohu was still in secluded cultivation. In his hand, a dark talisman shattered without anyone''s notice. The sleeping Taowu next room over didn''t even notice. Not even the maid of this temple noticed anything when Da Hai placed a fake talisman on the shelf. "Great lord''s technique is simply ingenious," the head moth fairy praised at Da Hai''s side. She waved her thin snow white arm at the working maid''s face and got no response. "A magnificent yet terrifying ability of my Dao," Da Hai whispered. "Come, I don''t want to find out if anyone can detect me." Chapter 60-Settling In "I can''t believe this," a young man looked in awe at the distant death of Ash Raven. "Not a devil but still a cultivator? Able to easily kill devils? Are devils even supreme anymore?" "Delan, let''s go," Lei Delan''s mother called out. "Patriarch Ash Raven will be here soon and we have to leave!" "Mom," Lei Delan pointed at the distant sky. His mother looked up and gasped in shock. "How?" He uttered. "I wonder, how do I become a dragon?" The young man muttered softly. ¡­ "Well that was easy," Qinglong said after the fact only to be punched in the face by Bai Jian then kicked by Zulong. "WHY?" The downed dragon howled. "Don''t tempt fate brother/my friend," they said. Zulong could already feel the headaches he suffered during his tenure as city lord while Bai Jian felt his scars itch. Splash! The dragons and swordsman turned their heads as a massive eel slithered back into the city. The eel curled up and transformed into the mayor of Nan Dao Chen and looked around in shock. "What are you?" He barely made out the words in shock. "A dragon and your emperor," Zulong said confidently. "Damned fool, I''d like to see you say that to Luohu," the eel man scoffed. "You don''t seem to be from around these parts so let me give you some advice. Stay out of the devilish Dao''s way, go back to where you came from and live peacefully. Don''t try anything, it''s not worth the danger." The eel man surveyed the city again. "Looks like I''m gonna have to rebuild again someplace else. You can have this city." "Wait, eel daoist," Yinglong suddenly called out. "Why do this? Why bother to warn us?" "Well, you did kinda save my life there. No way I was fast enough to get away," the former mayor awkwardly said. "But you also ruined any chances of me joining the devilish Dao." "Do you denizens of the west sea really want to join up with the mainland?" Bai Jian suddenly asked. "I know there''s a bleed in effect there but aren''t you under the jurisdiction of that sea emperor?" "Right, the west sea is still ruled by emperor Si Hai," Qinglong nodded along with Yinglong. "Piss on that, what has that fat turd ever done for us? Sit on his tentacle ass all day, not even so much as a visit, nothing," the eel man turned around and walked away. "He truly doesn''t even visit?" Zulong couldn''t help but ask. "I''ll admit, I don''t have the most up to date information about him. What has he been up to if not ruling?" "No idea, the bastard''s never left his palace in the south seas since whatever it was he tried in the east," the eel man admitted. "The east? This should be several tens of thousands of years ago yes?" Zulong asked for confirmation. "Near the beginning of this yuanhui yes, don''t know much about it but seems he tried to invade the east but got repelled. Don''t really get much news from the east," the eel man said. "You should be careful, with Ash Raven dead Taowu probably knows as well. For all our sakes, we should run as far as we can," with that said the former mayor flashed away without waiting for a reply. "Taowu," Zulong frowned. He was kicking himself in that moment. He hadn''t thought of Taowu his recklessness had caught up to him. "Don''t worry about Taowu," Da Hai''s voice suddenly disrupted the dragon''s thoughts. "Master?" Zulong, Qinglong, and Yinglong looked around as soon as they heard the voice. Bai Jian stood around confused wondering what the dragons were doing. Da Hai had only communicated with the three after all. "Let me handle the devil''s upper echelons, but take heed of the eel''s warning. Do not enter the West Continent," Da Hai said in a grave tone. The dragon brothers nodded. "Understood master," the three of them mentally replied and Da Hai''s presence faded from their minds. "Taowu''s taken care of," Qinglong informed Bai Jian. "How did you¡­" "Our master has taken care of him," Zulong cut him off confidently. "Your faith is astounding," Bai Jian said. "A person''s more likely to leave you to die in this situation." "Our master is not just anyone," Qinglong said. "He''s the greatest powerhouse of the east sea." "Greatest? I would like to meet a man like that," Bai Jian said smiling. "Just what kind of balls must he have to challenge the devilish Dao." "More than you kitty," Qinglong joked laughing. Bai Jian then realised his tail was still out and curled it back into his armour. His fluffy black and white tail did resemble a feline very much. "Why are you trying to hide it Bai Jian?" Qinglong asked. "It''s called keeping a low profile," Bai Jian said. "I don''t think you know what that means," Qinglong said. "Everyone we''ve come across recognised you on first contact. You didn''t even change your face." "Commoners don''t," Bai Jian countered. "And I refuse to change this handsome face," he snarked. "Suit yourself," Qinglong said with a smile. Bai Jian''s face also broke into a small smile. By the next day, the news had already broken out in Nan Dao Chen. Ash Raven was dead, slain by Zulong in a quick battle. Slain before anyone had even noticed his arrival. "Well fuck," Zulong muttered as he observed the agitated city from the manse of the former city lord. The key problem was the succession crisis. The eel man had no children nor wives and had jumped ship due to the devilish Dao. It turns out, Nan Dao Chen was an elaborate scheme by the west sea''s Gleaming Eel clan to curry favour to the local devil overlords. They had aimed to showcase their administrative abilities and economic skills and gain positions as governors under the devil''s watch. The West Continent was fully within the grasp of the devilish Dao. Everything from somewhat traced back to them in some way shape or form. Cultivation especially held the devilish Dao as an integral core. From the texts analysed from Nan Dao Chen''s mayor''s private library. Even the creation of one''s own Dao centred around the devilish Dao. The core understandings of seven emotions six desires were present within Dao itself. "All devils had been successful immortals," Zulong muttered. "They kill off all the ones unable to ascend, they teach one path for cultivation in the guise of many," he frowned as he remembered some of the sutras he read the previous evening. "Big brother, the civilian representative is here to see you now," Yinglong said from outside the eel man''s office. Zulong put down a scroll and walked out. He would think more on the subject later. "Yinlong," Zulong called out as the two were walking down the hallway. "How are the prisoner''s doing?" "Same as yesterday, intimidated and in denial," the winged dragon replied. "An expected reaction, their exalted devil overlord was casually killed and their famed supreme devil is still not here even after a full day despite the absurd speed of Daluo Golden Immortals." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "West Continent''s supreme devils, the former four evils of old and the demon king of the sixth heaven," Zulong recounted. "It''s distressing knowing that there are so many superpowers so close to us." "Makes you wonder doesn''t it?" Yinglong said. "Where did all the rest of the old seniors go after the war?" "Worry about them later, for now, let us deal with the present situation," Zulong said ending the conversation. He pressed both hands on the heavy wooden door and pushed it open revealing the meeting room stacked with a few seats and tables and cups of drinks. Several people were already present. Bai Jian and Qinglong who looked bored and uninterested, and the civilian rep who sat nervously across them. Zulong took his place at the main seat. He took note of the rep''s cultivation. She was already a Heavenly Immortal which probably factored into why she was chosen. Nan Dao Chen was a city that intersected between the West Continent proper and the west sea. As such, despite the Devil Dao''s heavy influence, a large portion of inhabitants were from the west sea. Previously, Ash Raven sect''s fighters were captured and imprisoned. Their cultivations were sealed and their bodies were chained by bindings of auspicious clouds. This retinue included Immortals and even some Golden Immortals. The majority of the civilians had various levels of lower cultivation with the majority below the immortal realms making them mortals. However, as a cultivation heavy settlement, there were a large portion of immortals. This woman was one of the more famed members of the latter. A carp cultivator named Teng Ya. She was known to be a capable combatant and a talent who migrated from the west sea. "So Ms Teng, what do you wish to ask?" Zulong began. "Ah, well lord Zulong," the woman gulped. "We of Nan Dao Chen would like to know what is to be done with us? With the death of Ash Raven and the disappearance of the mayor, many of us are worried about repercussions from the devilish Dao. We''re not exactly a small unknown village." "Yes, I understand your plight," Zulong said displaying genuine empathy. "From my understanding, you are all devils. Would the devilish Dao truly senselessly destroy you all?" "For a no name devil? No. But you killed Ash Raven, one of the few Chaos Immortal hopefuls. He''s too big for this to be ignored for long," Teng Ya said. She understood that from her position, she cannot truly demand anything of Zulong else risking his ire. Experts on his level were known to be fickle. The strong ruled over the weak, why else was she nominated to lead? Karmic ties of cause and effect only went so far. It was only in extreme cases would the Heavenly Dao directly intervene. The use of karmic ties with Zulong was there but it was nowhere near enough to force him to stay. The dragon''s positive karma already far outweighs what he had to pay. "I have heard your words Ms Teng. I Zulong am not an ungracious sort. I will figure something out. You have my word," Zulong said. Teng Ya smiled softly. "Thank you lord Zulong. We of Nan Dao Chen are thankful of you no matter what some say. The losses of our children were always harsh especially for us from the west sea." Zulong inwardly smiled knowing he''d made a positive impact. "Does the west sea truly wish to follow the devilish Dao?" He asked. Teng Ya was slightly taken aback by the sudden question. "Yes, my lord," she answered. "Despite all their misgivings, the devilish Dao is the best option in the world. Their cultivation method is a guaranteed success, it''s just that their admission comes at high risks." The woman took a brief breath of irritation, "It''s not like his majesty would do anything about it." "You refer to emperor Si Hai," Zulong confirmed and Teng Ya nodded. "His majesty declared us his property and never looked back. I remember my parents once saying that they''d only seen him once and they were nobles of my home clan," Teng Ya said. "The people of Nan Dao Chen know what Si Hai is like. The devilish Dao for all their risks are competent leaders. But now that they''re likely against us as well¡­" she trailed off. "I see," Zulong said rubbing his bare chin in contemplation. "I have heard your pleas. You may return and assure your fellow civilians. I am not going anywhere." Teng Ya bowed to the dragon and headed off leaving the dragons and swordsman by themselves. "Why did you promise her?" Yinglong sighed. "Now we''re stuck here for who knows how long. That was most unwise brother." "We are responsible for their current plight. Would you want others to talk about us dragons as troublemakers bringing disaster to all we interact with?" Zulong growled in annoyance. "Of course not brother," Yinglong doubled back. "But we are now in a land far from home, unfamiliar and dangerous. We can afford the karma cost to leave and still retain a large positive overall pool." "Brothers please," Qinglong''s guilty voice interrupted. "It was my fault in the first place. I volunteer to remain to guard them." "Absolutely not!" Both older dragons retorted. "Family don''t leave each other behind," Zulong reminded. "But if it means big brother would not be tied down, I Qinglong am willing," the azure dragon insisted. Bai Jian who was only watching felt moved. The closeness of the dragons triggered a sense of longing in his chest. Distant memories of a lone tiger of black and white aimlessly wandering the jungles surfaced to mind. "You all," Bai Jian interrupted the dragons. "I''m already an enemy of the devils in the first place. I have no issues in staying to help out." "No fellow daoist, this is our problem. I cannot just ask an outsider to get involved," Zulong said. "Unless you''re suggesting joining my empire," the dragon suggested with a devious smirk. "What?" Before Bai Jian could respond however Zulong chuckled. "I jest, I refuse to use to manipulate you," the dragon pridefully said. "I have another solution in mind." "Oh?" The dragons and Bai Jian''s attention turned to Zulong who rubbed his inter spacial ring. A crude crystal appeared in the palm of his hand. "What is that?" The younger dragons and Bai Jian asked. "Experimental tools," Zulong said and crushed the crystal. A small light flew out and disappeared. "Was that supposed to do something?" Qinglong asked. "Give it a few days. If I''m right master shouldn''t be too far so this should reach him," Zulong said. "So a sort of communication device?" Yinglong asked. "Yes, mental message compressed into a small signal released by the destruction of the crystal which acts as both storage and launcher. They''re designed to search for a specific receiver," Zulong said. "Yu''er wanted to fund it and I obliged. Master''s got one as a gift." "Oh, amazing," the dragons praised. Chapter 61-City in a Bottle The week following was a quiet one. The feeling of dread had not left Nan Dao Chen. During this intervening period, the dragons assumed the former mayor''s role. Zulong took this as an opportunity to train his siblings in administrative duties. Nearly two weeks of waiting went by before a watery splash occurred in the mayor''s mansion. Formed from the mass of water was the middle aged spongey blond haired form of Da Hai and besides him the snow white moth fairy who assumed her duties as the head maid of Yingzhou. The dragons were the only ones who detected him and immediately abandoned everything to pay their respects. "Master," the dragons greeted Da Hai with a bow. The ancient godfiend smiled softly with satisfaction. He couldn''t stop the warmth in his chest. "Stand disciples," Da Hai instructed. "I have received your message Zulong. What do you need help with?" The eldest dragon embarrassingly scratched his cheek. Truth be told he had to swallow his pride to call for aid. The previous week had caught him in a pickle. Zulong explained the situation to Da Hai in great detail. Although he surmised that the greater immortal likely already knew simply based on deduction through passive divination. Either that or he was following them the entire time. Great Principle Chaos Immortals were fast but they weren''t quite that fast. Crossing the entire wilderness from east to west will still take years. In Zulong''s mind, the most likely event was that his master was following him from the beginning. "Tying yourself to karma greatly limits one''s aspirations," Da Hai said with a sigh. "You were reckless in your proclamation. As a follower of the Dao, your path cannot be halted partway through." "I will never back down from responsibility master, I made that choice knowingly," Zulong retorted. "I am a ruler by choice. It was bound to happen sooner than later." "Choice huh?" Da Hai mused quietly. "It still does not mitigate the danger. You are right where no less than five Chaos Immortals can reach you. Some of them are probably already at the Primal Origin stage, perhaps even Primal Zenith," Da Hai said angrily. "Master, it was my fault," Qinglong called out. "Do not think harshly on big brother. It was my reckless actions that put us in danger in the first place." "Qinglong," Da Hai began. "While I admire your sense of justice, understand that actions have consequences. I''m sure you understand that this isn''t the East Sea?" "I do master. But to see so much senseless slaughter did not sit well with me," Qinglong said with Zulong nodding slightly as well. "Just be careful next time," Da Hai said finally. "The west is full of enemies. Zulong, remember this well. Even I your master do not wish to linger here long." The group walked into a conference hall where they sat down again. This time Da Hai took the main seat whereas Zulong sat at the side. Not long after, the moth fairy came back with drinks acquired from somewhere. Da Hai glanced out at the city through a nearby window taking in the sights. Nan Dao Chen was a dead man walking. News hadn''t gotten out yet but it will in time. The most Da Hai did was delay the inevitable for a few more years. Taowu was simple to deal with, even Qiong Qi wasn''t too hard. Go higher however and things get complicated. The prospects of recruiting others to help had crossed his mind many times. However, many of the modern godfiends are missing or dead. Shen Feng was out of the question, Qiankun preferred to be isolated, Si Hai was hostile, the others were missing. "Zulong, Qinglong, Yinglong, this is what I can do," Da Hai began. "With my power, I can transport Nan Dao Chen to the east. I shall settle them in your territory. The sudden relocation may be tough on them though so that will be your problem to deal with." "Understood master," Zulong acknowledged. "But I am still in the midst of my journey. I cannot break away from it now." "Not to worry disciple. Nan Dao Chen''s inhabitants have low cultivations," Da Hai assured. "I shall freeze them in spacetime until you return. Is that acceptable with you all?" "Yes," the group of immortals agreed. The casual suggestion of such a feat had surprised them. Internally, they asked themselves, ''Was the gap between Great Unity Golden Immortals and Great Principle Chaos Immortals truly so large? Or was Da Hai perhaps even above Great Principle Chaos Immortals?'' "Definitely not a small fry," Bai Jian muttered. Freezing spacetime with the current stability of the primitive world required a lot of power. Power most immortals simply did not have. Da Hai nodded. He raised a palm and squeezed it into a fist. Before anyone noticed what was happening. The dragons and swordsmen were floating midair. The room they were in was simply gone. Looking around, they realised that what surrounded them was merely a crater. The entire city was missing, Nan Dao Chen had vanished in an instant. Da Hai coughed grabbing their attention. They noticed that within the sea god''s palm was a miniature dome shaped island with a city occupying most of the land. It was the former hub of Nan Dao Chen, frozen still and miniaturised. "If nothing else, I will take my leave," Da Hai said. He stored the city in another dimension and turned around. "Make haste on your decisions and don''t stay for too long. I will distract the major forces for as long as I can." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With a second motion, Da Hai tore the fabric of reality and entered the spatial crack created. He disappeared from the wilderness as if he never existed in the first place with the moth fairy trailing behind him. The woman gave them a soft smile and waved goodbye as she went. "Strong," Bai Jian was the first to break the silence. The dragons agreed. Rarely does Da Hai ever showcase his power. Rarely does he come off as anything other than a normal person. Of course, those with high cultivation can see latent power within, but it was different between noticing and seeing firsthand. "I would love to see a battle on his calibre," Bai Jian said slowly. "In all my years, I have only seen one such battle," Zulong said. "And even then I was barely conscious, barely able to perceive my surroundings." The group took a few moments to grasp their surroundings. "Well, since further inwards is a no go. Let''s head into the open ocean," Qinglong said energetically. "There''s still that treasure we need to see." "Agreed brother," Yinglong nodded. "There is little for us here now. Master also warned us just now, departing quickly is a sound plan." Zulong nodded and turned to Bai Jian. "Are you coming?" He offered. "Might as well," Bai Jian said. "I was going that way to begin with. The signals I''m picking up tells me this is at least high grade xiantian. Expect some tough competition." "As is all cases of xiantian treasures, especially high grade," Zulong agreed. The group flew further westwards in anticipation. The fact of who gets the treasure was left unsaid. It was good to break down friendships so quickly with such a topic. ¡­ Da Hai stood in a colourless void between worlds completely invisible. He stared uneasily at the West Continent and the pale eye projection looking around in confusion. The self proclaimed demon king Mara was actively scanning the West Continent for signs of Da Hai. Well, to be specific it wasn''t Da Hai he was looking for. Mara was trying to see which Chaos Immortal had acted in the west. A distraction to take their eyes off of the dragons until they crossed deep enough into the west sea. The trail left by and activated by Da Hai just now crosses around the West Continent, zigzagging towards the South and Central Continents. Mara was still following the windy paths as Zulong''s group travelled. "The young lord will be fine," the moth fairy assured. "He and the others are already transcendent among Great Unity Golden Immortals. Nothing short of a true Great Principle expert can stop them." "Beings at the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm are strong," Da Hai replied. "But even they are still insects to higher powers. By no means are they the peak of the world. Primal Origin, Primal Zenith, and the mythical Limitless Supreme. They may be classified as substages of Chaos Immortal, but they might as well be complete realms in and of themselves." "This servant was ignorant, I thank the great lord for sharing his wisdom," the moth fairy bowed. "Take heed of it and don''t be arrogant," Da Hai said. "Continue practising. Only when one reaches the higher realms can they truly make a difference." Moth fairy raised an eyebrow. She felt that Da Hai wasn''t really speaking to her. In fact, he seemed to be paying less and less attention to her. ¡­ "MHMM!" A blacked haired woman with messy hair and tattered red and yellow dress screeched through her bindings. She glared bloody murder at her kidnappers. Her gaze was so venomous that if she were free, these men would be paste. "Dishonourable cur, I''ll tear you to pieces," she said, though her voice came out in muffled sounds. "You sure we can''t just kill her?" An angry man who''d been viciously damaged said. He still bore bloody burning scars. Bits of his skin was blackened with burns. "No, her life binding talisman will activate and that bitch will know," the leader, a man in better condition replied. He looked very uneasy at the moment. His entire army had been slaughtered until the merger dozens before him. However, the trap was successfully deployed. Formations were powerful things in this world. A mighty enough formation allowed even an army of Heavenly Immortals, Profound Immortals, and True Immortals to take down a Great Unity Golden Immortal. Their leader was merely a Golden Immortal. Yet he wielded a legendary artefact salvaged during the Shenni war. The Kunwu sword. A clever formation allowed for the deployment of the visage of the Kunwu god in his heyday. An insurmountable figure able to match their target in combat. This followed by the usage of the cosmic rope allowed for the capture of the sister of the supreme king of birds. "Prime Minister Sha said to bring her alive," the leader replied. "But general Chi, she killed¡­" "I know who she killed soldier. But orders are orders," general Chi said. "For the betterment of the four seas empire, we need her alive." To the side, Zhuque seethed in both embarrassment and rage. A stroll, followed by a rumour of a new treasure in the west, followed by an ambush by a bunch of lesser beings. ''What ridiculous day,'' she thought. Chapter 62-Things Escalate Massive amounts of seawater swirled, twisting the surface of the ocean into rippling whirlpools. Primordial Qi was extremely rich in this environment, almost suffocating. Any weaker lifeforms have long since fled from the region. "Even though we are still a distance away, we can already feel such powerful phenomenons," Yinglong said in wonder as the group of dragons and rogue cultivator passed through the ocean. "Are we sure this is only a high grade treasure?" "At this rate? Probably not," Zulong stated with agreement from Bai Jian. This amount of supernatural phenomenons and in such power was on its way of eclipsing what a high grade xiantian treasure could produce. Yinglong dodged to the side avoiding a large wave kicked up by the commotion. "How much further?" He asked. "I don''t think we''re far," Zulong said before frowning. "It''s hard to tell with so much disturbance, I can barely get any read on the signals." The sky of the west sea had long since darkened into a storm. The dragons turned their gaze upwards at the luminous clouds. It was extremely similar to the event which birthed them and the two treasures Zulong carries. "Bai Jian, what about you?" Qinglong asked. "I can subtlety feel it. But Zulong is right, there are so much primordial Qi in the area that it''s hard to tell what is what anymore. It''s like a million voices screaming at once," the white haired swordsman said in annoyance. The waters raged and raged. The sky rumbled and howled. Lightning was beginning to descend with booming thunder. A subtle cry was somewhat heard admist the storm. Zulong frowned, were they mistaken. Instead of a new treasure, was this a new lifeform instead? An innate god like himself and his brothers? The possibility was very likely. "Let''s check this out, brothers be careful," Zulong instructed and strolled forwards. His footsteps echoed through the air suppressing the winds and waves coming towards him. He was not touching solid ground, but rather using a form of spell that created a similar effect. With each step, he paved the way and others followed. A stable path devoid of danger. Assured and steady. The storm was beginning to get more violent. The west sea itself was also tossing and turning. Out of the corner of his eye, Zulong could see some cultivators fleeing from the eye of the storm. He nodded silently, it was wise to leave if one did not possess the power to be here. "The build up is reaching a crescendo," Bai Jian said. His eyes glowed a pale blue scanning far into the distance. He narrowed his eyes concentrating his supernatural vision. "That way," he said pointing southwest of their current location. Zulong nodded and led the charge. As they moved further and further, the storm became stronger and stronger. A unanimous thought surfaced among the group. This was no longer just a simple treasure. A month passed as the group travelled to the epicentre. For the dragons and rogue cultivator, it was not a journey that was too difficult. However, they couldn''t shake a certain feeling of dread. Qinglong observed the waters below him and narrowed his eyes. His sixth sense has been going off for the past month and he couldn''t quite grasp what it was. Besides him, Bai Jian was also experiencing the same thing. It was almost irritating. ¡­ "Hold steady," the Golden Immortal general Chi commanded his remaining troops. The treasure ship that was the prison facility currently transporting his prisoner had been caught roughly by the violent waves. Water was almost second nature for seafood like general Chi but even a storm such as this can be overbearing to deal with. ''We were lucky reinforcements arrived,'' the general thought. If the emperor of the four seas had not had the foresight to send more troupes after his departure, they would''ve been unable to hold Zhuque. This mere act was beginning to restore the general''s faith in the emperor. The general had sighed in relief when the twenty-sixth army arrived. They were one of the new legions formed after the disastrous war that was the eastern war and were filled with immortal soldiers of great strength. A sizeable portion had even crossed into the True Immortal realm. Si Hai''s prime minister Sha was much more liberal in the use of cultivation resources than the emperor himself. Perhaps that''s why the poor man had died. General Chi had only gotten the news from a fellow soldier when the reinforcements arrived with the ship. The emperor had come out of seclusion sometime ago and the first act of his agenda was to behead the prime minister. Although he''d miss the man, he didn''t think too much about it, Si Hai''s temper wasn''t something he''d want to risk. High grade xiantian treasure, the universe traversing boat. General Chi wouldn''t look a gift horse in the mouth. He''d use this ship to get home first and report. He looked nervously across the deck, the muscular figure of Si Hai sat lazily on a makeshift throne eating and drinking away. He was oozing with arrogance and contempt. Words needn''t be exchanged for the message to be sent. General Chi was a swordfish, he should have no trouble with the sea. Si Hai yawned in boredom. He looked northwest with anticipation and interest. He''d take his new treasure first, then take care of the east sea''s Da Hai. Finally, that rebellious chicken on the mainland will be dealt with. ''So much to do so little time,'' Si Hai idly thought. ''Pitiful illusions won''t be a problem anymore. Pathetic of you Da Hai, honestly, relying on illusions to fight, how the mighty have fallen.'' The emperor of the sea tapped his armrest watching as his incompetent generals steered the ship. He was half a mind to disintegrate them for it. However, that one swordfish named Chi had reached the Golden Immortal realm. Something very few innate creatures can claim. His mood was slowly improving, having to be woken up to find more then half his vault missing was maddening. Waking up to find a scurrying rat using his things was maddening. Waking up to find a couple of tiny chickens claiming to be emperor was rage inducing. He had half a mind to eat the bird Chi had captured right now. But he decided it was more fitting of a punishment to eat her infant of her sister. That would be much more satisfying. Said prisoner was silently meditating. Zhuque looked like a statue completely still. She made no movements nor sound and was quite unnerving for those guarding her. However, she was no longer bound. Her ropes were removed and the only thing holding her back were weak steel bars. A subtle message from her captor. The vermillion bird opened a sliver of her eye. The arrogance of Si Hai was well known to her. He had not bothered to seal her cultivation. As such, she was able to detect her surroundings with accuracy. ''A chaos godfiend forefather,'' she thought grimly. The prospects of getting away were not good. She''d long since calmed down from her initial defeat but she was still very much uneasy. Waiting for a good opportunity just got a lot harder. A bolt of immortal lightning struck the sea in an explosion that tossed the ship along the waves. The tussling water disturbed Si Hai who slammed his fist into his armrest forcefully calming the waves. Another bolt of lightning struck out. In fact, the storm had gotten very wild. General Chi drew the Kunwu sword and slashed a bolt apart. He cast a look at his men and immediately went to rescue the weaker ones. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Between Immortals and mortals, the former can somewhat take care of themselves in this storm. The current bolts of lighting had reached a stage where they were genuine threats to Heavenly Immortals. Only Golden immortals like general Chi was safe. Several thousand kilometres away, Zulong and his group defended themselves from the assaulting lightning. The golden lightning bounced harmlessly off of the dragon''s scales while Bai Jian seemed to not be affected at all. "Something is happening," Bai Jian said. His blue eyes shone brightly in the dark sky. The dragons each nodded and braced themselves. As if on signal, the water around them all exploded in a fountain of power. Erupting from deep within the earth was a geyser of raw primordial Qi. It shot high into the sky connecting with the heavens above. The sight of the three hundred sixty five stars was even visible beyond the pillar. It was as if a ladder was being constructed that reached the stars themselves. ''Such a terrifying natural phenomenon,'' Zulong thought as the dark clouds were blasted apart. He shielded his eyes at the ensuing light. Even Si Hai was forced to look away and wait for the light to settle. When it did, an island had appeared in its place. A landmass stretching on for at least fifty thousand kilometres and reassembled a continent in and of itself. It was an extremely beautiful location, one filled with soft forests and shining rivers. It''s most notable feature was a tall thick tree with a purple trunk and dark green leaves. Its bark had the texture of an elm tree and on its branches gre yellow wrinkly fruits resembling jujubes. The tree sat comfortably on a hill beside a river leading up to it. Its trunk was so tall that it touched the sky. A small opening at the peak of the trunk revealed a small opening into the starry sky itself. Its branches radiated with stellar Qi absorbed from the stars which in turn empowered the tree. "No doubt about it, this is on par with the Fusang tree at least," Zulong said feeling overwhelmed. The sudden rapid buildup was beyond his expectations. It was like a giant had suddenly awoken, taking the place of a much less significant event. The prospects of it scarred Zulong. This tree was connected to the starry sky. From the looks of it, it was rooted in place. Cutting it down will not be simple, nor easy. The dragon looked at the roots, they seemed irrelevant when put in comparison to the trunk but they too were hiding something. Zulong looked at the land below and spotted a glimmering light. It condensed into a small lantern shaped like a lotus. It was green in colour and shimmered with immortal power. Evidently, it was a high grade xiantian treasure. "Looks like this is it," Bai Jian said. He folded his arm and looks somewhat disappointed. He was hoping for a new weapon to wield in combat, preferable a sword. As such his disappointment was understandable. The group descended near the tree and took in the sights around them. The river leading up to the tree was crystal clear. The water was sparkling and very beautiful. Zulong took a small drink and smiled in amazement. The life giving power of the water was astounding, it was better than any longevity pill he''d tried, second only to the Fusang tree''s mulberry fruits. Upon further inspection, the water was directly flowing from the tree. It was the plant that was probably the source of the life-force. ''Wait no, that''s not it either,'' Zulogn thought. "Come out," Bai Jian suddenly announced. His booming voice rippled the water. Zulong raised his eyebrow, had Bai Jian seen something he didn''t? In response to the rogue cultivator''s command, the water rippled. Something cloaked in white fur swam to the surface. It was a creature brimming with power, an innate god of the Golden Immortal realm. He resembled a fox with snow white fur. He had small horns protrusions lining his back. This deity also possessed a long flowing tail. The fox creature swam up to the surface and walked up to the group. Its feat touched the grass softly and gracefully. "Who are you supposed to be?" Bai Jian asked. "Chenghuang," the fox said softly. "You after the lantern?" The swordsman asked again. "No," Chenghuang answered. "Oh? Not interested in a weapon to supplement your strength?" "No," Chenghuang answered softly. "Ah, you know you can''t win here," Bai Jian said in realisation. "Yes." "Not much of a talker is he?" Qinglong commented. Indeed, Chenghuang spoke softly and only in short words. He looked to be very mildly tempered. Suddenly, the wind kicked up. Zulong narrowed his eyes. This feeling was very familiar, the exact same as an old enemy. A sharp claw made of air swept the area. It flattened trees and carved the land. Zulong, Qinglong, Yinglong, and Bai Jian leapt out of the way immediately. Chenghuang had also followed their example and jumped out of the way, his flowing tail was very beautiful as he did so. "Shen Feng," Zulong stated with no small amounts of contempt. The blade of wind clashed harmlessly along the tree but the effect was achieved. The ancestor of divine winds had appeared right next to the lantern and gripped the handle. "This treasure is mine. On the account of your master, I''ll show some mercy," Shen Feng claimed. He signalled for the dragons to leave. Zulong felt extremely conflicted, on one hand, Shen Feng was a genuine Chaos Immortal. On another, the godfiend wasn''t particularly strong. There was a real possibility Zulogn could win. But Da Hai''s words invaded his mind and he quickly squashed that thought. The risk associated wasn''t worth the trouble. "Mere high grade isn''t worth such efforts," Zulong said to his teammates. "Just where did that guy come from?" Bai Jian asked grimly. "He always shows up at the most inopportune of times," Qinglong growled. "Liken him to scavenger," he said. "JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" An arrogant voice boomed on the horizon. The shirtless Si Hai carrying his harpoon stood mid air looking at Shen Feng with unhidden contempt. "I saw that first," the emperor of the four seas said. Shen Feng took a small step back. He was sweating since Si Hai first appeared. The previous storm made sensing anything difficult and Shen Feng couldn''t feel the emperor at all. Wordlessly, Shen Feng unleashed a hurricane. He kicked up a storm that engulfed the island uncaring of who he hit. He struck everywhere with his power and threw his wind blast at the emperor of the sea. Si Hai scoffed and punched out at the wind. Even Zulong took a minute to steady his footing and held his allies back. Chenghuang had bolted and ran behind the tree''s massive roots to hide. His tiny size made such a task easy. "Let''s get out of here," Zulong instructed. Si Hai had already engaged Shen Feng, this was a very good opportunity. As the wind kicked up, the sea rose to meet it. Wind and water clashed tearing the land apart. Chenghuang who was hidden looked enraged at seeing his birth place damaged so but remained out of sight and safe. Beyond anyone''s notice. A red bird flew out into the sky, she took one look at the battle and turned to leave. Chapter 63-Alliance With the Southern Bird ''Gotta run, gotta run, gotta run,'' Zhuque chanted within her mind as she flew low on the ocean surface. She took care not to make herself too noticeable and as such did not ignite her flames. Even so, her gorgeous feathers and long tail feathers were very noticeable. She was like a peacock trying to hide its colours. "Don''t let her get away," general Chi commanded his army of hundred thousand. They drive the high grade xiantian treasure after Zhuque who looked back in annoyance. "If not for that defensive treasure, I''ll incinerate you!" She threatened. She flapped her wings and kicked a flying debris towards the boat. General Chi swung the kunwu sword in response. "Getting chased by small fries, sister will be so angry," Zhuque said self deprecatingly. Her tail feathers shot out arrows of orange light in a shower of spears. "Activate the defences," general Chi commanded. A grey dome manifested on the ship defending them against the attack. However, in order to do so, much power was diverted away from speed. "General, the eleventh, sixteenth, eighth, and second regiments are out of power," a commanding soldier said. "Get the next batch ready, we can''t let her escape," general Chi ordered. He stabbed out with the kunwu sword with all his might. His artefact once belonged to a mighty chaos goldfield. The remnant will of the sword possessed terrifying might. Chi stabbed the sword down at the sea. The waters answered the call, waves upon waves darkened into murky pillars of ice. They shot up at the unsuspecting Zhuque. "What the?" Zhuque barely uttered out before her abdomen was smashed by the black ice. The vermillion bird gasped in pain and had to quickly steady herself. She looked back in annoyance. "So persistent, are you looking to die?" Zhuque opened her beak and spewed forth waves of red hot fire. General Chi keeled back and tried to defend his men with the kunwu sword. "Quickly, pool your strengths together, manifest the kunwu god," he commanded. ¡­ "Brother," Qinglong called out to Zulong. "Over there," he said pointing at the bird armoured figure of the kunwu god facing off against Zhuque. "What is it Qinglong?" Zulong enquired looking over. He frowned and asked, "Were you not listening to master''s warnings?" "I have brother, but this¡­I have a feeling that I have to help that fellow daoist," Qinglong said. "Please, only good things will come," he begged. "The same feeling you had with Xuanwu and Bai Jian," Zulong stated for confirmation. When the azure dragon nodded Zulong sighed. "Do what you must," he said. Bai Jian also looked at Zhuque from a distance. The vermillion bird was not struggling with the kunwu god but she was tied down. He''d seen where she''d flown from and both he and the dragons could extrapolate theories. A silent understanding came between both innate gods. They descended in a heartbeat. Between the two, Bai Jian had superior firepower whereas Qinglong had more mystical power. The enormous image of the Venus star appeared behind Bai Jian, resembling a golden metal ball. Behind Qinglong appeared the Jupiter star, appearing like a wooden construct. Both celestial bodies empowered one another and sent a wave of power that washed over Zhuque and the kunwu god. "What was that?" Both Bai Jian and Qinglong uttered. Instinctual knowledge appeared in their minds when they began their move. Zhuque seemed to have also benefited. The avian''s forehead glowed with a circular image of the Mars star in all its fiery glory. "Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Mercury," Yinglong muttered in contemplation and looked at Zulong. Both dragons had concluded that something strange was going on between the four individuals who feared such planer powers. "Qinglong born in the east holds Jupiter the wood star, Xuanwu of the north holding Mercury the water star, Bai Jian whom we still don''t know his real name of the west holds Venus the gold star. Then there is this newcomer who holds Mars the fire star," Zulong said in deep thought. "I''ve read master''s library before, aunt master Wangshu had gifted stellar charts that corresponded with master''s diagrams of the five elements. Each of those stars represents one of the elements," Yinglong concluded. "Could our little brother have inherited something from the late daoist of the five elements?" Zhuque looked bewildered at the two men who appeared before her. They looked puny compared to her gargantuan bird form, mere specs of dust before her six thousand kilometre wingspan. Distantly, the Kunwu god stood aboard the universe traversing boat. It stood proud and tall at just shy of four thousand kilometres. It brimmed with the power of over a hundred thousand elite immortals in addition to a high grade and top grade xiantian spiritual treasure. Multiple lesser treasures on board were also used. Needless to say, the resulting titan was on par with a Great Unity Golden Immortal realm peak. "Thank you fellow daoists for your assistance," Zhuque said genuinely. "You will be rewarded," she said with a sincere voice. "There is no need," Qinglong said. "I¡­" the azure dragon was cut off when the kunwu god held out a rope. Zhuque scowled at the treasure, she flapped her wings to unleash a heatwave. Bai Jian drew his sword and drew the heat wave into its tip. He then redirected all that power in a burst of red lightning straight through the kunwu god. "No!" General Chi cried out as thousands of his men died on the spot. Qinglong joined in as well, he swooped down transforming into a massive dragon and sending tendrils of water to batter the kunwu god around. He soared high into the air and sent a ball of wind right into the Kunwu god staggering him. Bai Jian jumped in next. His sword glowed with a metallic sheen and he roared like a tiger. The symbol for king on his person flashed as he sliced off the other arm of the formation. Qinglong''s draconic form circled the formation clawing chunks out of it while Zhuque joined him and tearing the kunwu god apart. Their coordination generated waves of hot air. Zhuque''s talons lit aflame. In the presence of Qinglong, her talons elongated into swordlike claws even deadlier than what she was used to. Elated, Zhuque tore into the formation and grabbed with her left talon. In an instant, she grabbed hold of general Chi and tore him out of the kunwu god. Tightening her grip, she pulverised all the bones in his body, beating him back into a swordfish. Transforming into her Dao body, Zhuque''s delicate hands held the swordfish general''s throat with a crushing grip. "Should''ve given up when you had the chance," she spat igniting the fish. Her prize, the kunwu sword remained idle before flashing to her side. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Zhuque looked up at the azure dragon who simply said, "It''s your prize." Nodding, Zhuque pricked her finger and allowed her blood to drop into the sword refining it. "Thank you," she said smiling brightly. She couldn''t explain it but something within her chest told her that she was among allies, among family. Qinglong and Bai Jian smiled as well. ''Now we''re just missing one,'' they both thought. "Come, let''s get out of here before both seniors realise what''s going on," Qinglong said. Zhuque nodded and flew up with them. "Yes, but first," Zhuque raised her hand. The universe traversing boat shrunk and flew into her palm. She held it out and flew right before Qinglong who''d assumed human form. She placed it in his hands much to his shock. "I apologise," Zhuque said to Bai Jian. "I regret that I have nothing to gift you." "No need, no need, it''s only a small matter," Bai Jian said dismissively. "No, no, no, I will find something," Zhuque insisted before Qinglong handed the boat back. "I can''t accept this, their grievances were with you. I am an irrelevant party," he said. "This should be your prize." "The hell you are, just accept it," Zhuque insisted. This routine went back and forth for a bit before Qinglong relented when Bai Jian knocked both their heads and pointed at the battle of Chaos Immortals. "Fine, but we should get going," the dragon said. "I know a place where we''d be safe, it''s in the South Continent but it''s on the main land," Zhuque replied. "Very well," Qinglong said. "Brothers, let''s go," he called out to Zulogn and Yinglong. The two dragons flew along with them and nodded. "Looks like our time west is over, let''s head south," Zulong said. "These two are?" Zhuque began before Qinglong interrupted her. "Introductions can wait, we should get away first," he said. The rest nodded in agreement and picked up speed. They flew by broken fragments of the island that were drifting away by the shockwaves. Looking back, everyone but Zulong could barely perceive what was going on. Si Hai battle with Shen Feng had spiralled out of control. But the emperor of the four seas clearly held the advantage. His true form in all its grotesque glory laughed at Shen Feng. His razor like mouth grinned maniacally. "Ah Sheng Feng, you''ve gotten worse," he tainted. Lashing out with his tentacles, he kicked the wind god square in the chest. He held the harpoon and stabbed at Sheng Feng. However, the patriarch of divine wind''s red eyes shot out beams of light that grazed Si Hai''s scales. His smokey body lashed out like a spiral of blades made of wind. He was like a spinning top and grinder Si Hai until he could fly away. "I could say the same for you Si Hai," Shen Feng taunted back. He chained his ball appendages into a large mace and smashed Si Hai across his face and thin neck. Si Hai''s shark face scowled. He punched a second blow away staggering Shen Feng and grabbed both his wings with his arms before ripping them off. His harpoon stabbed into Shen Feng''s body. Bringing another fist down, he smashed Shen Feng''s smokey body of air again and again. "Ragh!" Shen Feng cried in pain and scattered into billions of streams of wind. He flew out of Si Hai''s grasp and tried to reform. The emperor of the sea swung his harpoon in a wide arc drawing up a long arch of water into the newly reformed Sheng Feng. "Bastard," Sheng Feng cried out. "Hand over my lantern and I may spare your life," Si Hai offered. "You want the lantern?" Shen Feng said amused. "Here it is!" Sheng Feng held up the lantern. Si Hai reached out to grab the treasure before suddenly jumping back to dodge. "Shenni?" He cried as the emperor of beast''s crimson hairy form snarled at him. "Heh, so that''s its special ability," Shen Feng smirked revealing a mouthful of jagged razor teeth. His pale blank eyes flashed in a dull coloured light. "What a coincidence I''ve prepared just for this scenario," he said. Shenni charged at Si Hai but the emperor ignored him. He simply reached out to his left and grabbed a bundle of the spheres of air of Shen Feng that was coming up for a hit. "How did you?" Shen Feng uttered while Shenni harmlessly passed through Si Hai. "A spell just for illusions?" The wind god suddenly realised. "And here I thought you were a dumb brute," he chuckled. Si Hai growled, he swung Shen Feng into the air and back down into the ocean surface which hardened into solid ice. CRASH! Shen Feng impacted the ground hard. His body was bleeding Dao essence that flew off like fireflies. Si Hai repeated this action several times before raising his harpoon. "Wait, wait, wait, Si Hai, wait a minute," Shen Feng called out. Si Hai was about to stab down unbothered by Shen Feng''s words before stopping when the lantern appeared before him. "You can''t run Shen Feng," Si Hai sneered. "It''s mine either way." "What about your ship?" Shen Feng returned. Confused Si Hai twisted his neck and looked back. His eyes widened. "No! Those useless grunts," he got off and immediately flew off. Shen Feng smirked, getting up he wasted no time to break the fabric of reality and fly off. Within the void, Shen Feng made some good distance before halting. His crimson eyes widened in fright at the figure just arriving. ¡­ "Master, what''s wrong?" Xuanwu said getting from his meditation position in a stone pillar. The stone like face of Ao appeared uneasy. "A commotion is taking place in the west sea," Ao said. "West sea? But isn''t that where Qinglong and the others went?" Xuanwu said in a quick panic. "Are they involved?" "Indeed," Ao''s booming voice replied. "Shit, I knew I should''ve gone with them," Xuanwu cursed. He turn and braced himself to fly off at max speed. "Where are you going? You are nowhere near fast enough to get there without flying for another few centuries," Ao said stopping Xuanwu. "I have to help them, master, can you help me get there?" Xuanwu asked. He got onto his knees and kowtowed before Ao. "You lot were born to work as one, fate has decreed it so," Ao said. A tear in reality opened before Xuanwu revealing a portal. On the other side, Xuanwu could see a violent storm. "I''ve already imparted my cultivation style, go at your own peril." Without hesitation, Xuanwu jumped through. "Four innate gods, four stars, four elements, four symbols," Ao mused. "I wonder, your future, it is not bright," he sighed. "Da Hai, the ripples you''ve made, are they big enough for them to escape their fate?" Chapter 64- Four Symbols United ''Somehow, the storm''s gotten worse,'' Qinglong thought grimly. The group of five were flying as fast as they could but could not yet escape the storm. The shockwaves from the clash of two genuine Chaos Immortals had disrupted natural order. BOOM! ''Another one,'' the azure dragon thought to himself. Whatever was happening was incredibly fierce. His divine sense was being scrambled beyond his control. It was as if millions of birds were shrieking into his ear while fire was being shoved into his eyes. ''Looks like they''re experiencing the same thing,'' Qinlong thought upon noticing the grimacing expressions on his comrades'' faces. He''d felt stronger than ever with their presence but even so, it was difficult to observe that fight. Only Zulong remained calm. ''Wait not, why is big brother looking like that?'' Zulong''s expression was one of anxiousness. He appeared incredibly twitching. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Run!" "Those useless grunts!" His brother''s and the booming voice of a greater deity rumbled the heavens. Qinglong turned his neck to look back. His heart froze in a rare moment of fright. Gargantuan, inconceivable, invincible. These were the only words he could describe the emperor of the four seas. A Great Principle Chaos Immortal who''d long condensed the Dao fruit. A superior being beyond ordinary understanding. His arm was raced and he was quickly gaining pace. He''d easily outside all five of them. Besides him, Zhuque looked back in shock and even Bai Jian had a rare frightened expression. Si Hai''s harpoon was raised high in the air. The giant moved unbelievably fast skirting across the surface of the water. His swing was so powerful, it looked as if it could''ve split the heavens. Just looking at his movements alone were mesmerising. Qinglong couldn''t tear his eyes away. It was both beautiful and frightening at the same time. There were so much packed into it, so much understanding into the Dao. How vicious the ocean was, how violent the storms were. How dangerous water was. The sky distorted, his vision distorted. Si Hai''s appearance was beginning to change. It was as if Qinglong was looking at an ocean storm barreling towards him. A storm formed from the four oceans of the world. The voices he heard were murderous and zealous. Screaming for blood, screaming for food, screaming for prey. He felt hopeless as if the supreme deity was standing before him. An unstoppable wave that wished for his head. BOOM! ''GAHGH!'' Qinglong, Yinglong, Zhuque, and Bai Jian all cried out in pain. A massive golden tail slammed into all four of them hard. They were all thrown dozens of kilometres before impacting the water pushing up geysers. Stretching over ten thousand kilometres. The snarling face of the first dragon Zulong faced the much more powerful emperor Si Hai. His body was bent in a wide arc having moved his tail earlier. He''d managed to force his brothers and friends away in time while narrowly dodging the physical blow. His size and glow were magnificent. Gleaming golden scales, a radiant imperial aura. His full might as a Great Unity Golden Immortal was on full display. However, the golden scales along his mid section were noticeably dimmer than the rest of his body. In fact, some scales were flaking off his body. ''To think he didn''t even make contact,'' Zulogn thought. He was incredibly tired. It had taken a lot out of him to resist just the aftershock of the blow. The dragon looked downwards from his floating position. The ocean was split in two for as far as a hundred thousand kilometres at the minimum. It was probably longer by an order of magnitude. As if fearing for their very existence. None of the water rushed to fill the gap. They were like peasants making way for the king. Cowering in fright, not even daring to meet his eye. Si Hai''s face resembling a cookie cutter shark looked perplexed. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the five Great Unity Golden Immortals and sneered. "This generation is pathetic," he muttered but clearly intended for his voice to be heard. The insult ignited rage from all those present, sparked by wounded pride. Bai Jian was tempted to pounce with caution thrown to the wind but held himself back, stupidity had no place in this lifetime. "Just a small slash and you''re reduced to this," Si Hai sneered. Zulong had half a mind to yell out that he was an entire realm above him. He shouldn''t be able to fight Si Hai. "Should you really be bullying juniors," Zulong said. Now was not the time to throw his weight around. He needed to be very careful. "We want no part in this, we are merely bystanders with no stake in your dispute. Let us¡­" "And yet you are already involved," Si Hai scoffed. He swung his harpoon around and pointed at the woman in red and yellow, Zhuque. She gave out a small gasp before tensing. ''Fuck! Plan B it is,'' Zulong thought depressingly. "Out master is a great immortal of the east sea and a veteran of the Shenni war, ancestor Da Hai, I don''t think you''re willing to incur his wrath," Zulong stated. The history between both sea gods was no secret in the east. Si Hai publicly got his as kicked by Da Hai and ran away with his tail between his legs. Da Hai''s current location was unknown but he should still be in the west. A month wasn''t long enough for him to cross the entire continent. Too bad the communication crystal prototype was used up. "Da Hai? That coward?" Si Hai started chuckling before blowing up into full blown laughter. "You''d threaten me with that small fry? Ha! If not for that pile of rocks, he wouldn''t dare fight me. He doesn''t even dare come after me," he laughed. Zulong was suddenly overtaken by an overwhelming feeling of rage. How dare this creature bad mouth his master, his teacher, foster father. He gritted his teeth and tightened his hold over the small bad in his gargantuan palm. There were several Great Principle level attack talismans within. Zulong surmised that that should at least buy them some time. "I''ll hold off!" He screamed through mental communications. The order was met with a collection of "What", and "are you insane?" But Zulong took no head. He released the talismans within without hesitation. Qinglong and Yinglong looked bitterly as the first explosion rang off. The startled Si Hai was pushed off of his tentacles and landed on his back. His wings flapped backwards pushing him back up again but Zulong had already unleashed another. The two dragons felt incredibly conflicted. Their big brother was putting his life on the line and expected them to just run? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! "You guys go," Qinglong said to Zhuque and Bai Jian and received a look Yinglong flashed him. They were thinking the same thing. "I¡­" Zhuque muttered hesitantly. The kindest of others weren''t things she took lightly. She too hesitated to leave, her sister would understand, right? Definite not, she''d say something like us, "Us phoenixes are the most precious things in the world". But she really wanted to help Qinglong. Bai Jian too contemplated. He''d been running for a while now much to his own wounded pride. Yet he was also deeply jealous of the bonds the dragons shared. That sense of family that he''d briefly been a part of just now in their company. That sense that he''d found missing pieces of himself returned. Qinglong and Yinglong were already flying back. The vermillion bird and rogue swordsman both sighed. "Chances of us realistically getting away from a Great Principle Chaos Immortal no matter how delayed is nonexistent at best," they justified. "The fuck are you lot doing?" Zulong yelled desperately avoiding an enraged slap from Si Hai. "GAGH!" He cried having received a graze. His cheek had its scales peeled off revealing exposed skin. The dragon had been in combat for a very short period of time when he noticed his fellow siblings and two extras coming back. While it was deeply worrying and rage inducing, he''d also felt very thankful. Yinglong and Qinglong both roared, transforming and unleashing incredibly powerful breath attacks resembling lightning at Si Hai. They landed harmlessly against the deity''s chest. "What fools," Si Hai scoffed. "We came into this world together, we leave it together," Yinglong and Qinglong said. "You two are just plain stupid," Zulong growled at Bai Jian and Zhuque. The vermillion bird had the decency to look away while Bai Jian muttered something like, "I don''t like to be in someone''s debt". "We are all lacking in brain cells today," Zulong sighed. He gazed up at Si Hai. The emperor of the four seas sneered at the display. "Then you can all die together," Si Hai''s harpoon lit up. Navy blue light lit the tip of the blade. "All tremble before me, all be washed before me, all be consumed before me," he chanted. Extending his arm, Si Hai swung his harpoon up into the sky. "Be swallowed by the fiercest of all waves, Mouth that Swallows the Land," he roared. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The bunch of Great Unity Golden Immortals became weary as the spell was deployed. An oncoming wave rose to a million kilometres tall. The tsunami was navy blue in colour. It resembled the maws of a terrifying beast. A fitting appearance for the spell. Yinglong sighed and extended his wings, he rose up and spun in the air and outstretched his impressive feathered wings. "I am the clouds, I bring the rain, I am the god of this world that oversees the skies," auspicious clouds gathered along the dragon''s wings spraying a myriad of water arrows. Qinglong, Bai Jian, and Zhuque all smiled at each other. Beneath such pressure, their true forms were forced out. Qinglong, long and serpentine, majestic and wise, an azure dragon. Zhuque, red with a massive wingspan, radiant and beautiful, a vermillion bird. Bai Jian, coated in metallic white fur and black stripes, paws sharp with claws, a predator of the jungle, a white tiger. At once their stars glowed together. Jupiter, Venus, and Mars appeared in sync, the winds blew, the temperature was hot, time was shortened and an aura of decay was felt. The wind picked up speed, the fire burned, and metallic substances appeared. Supernatural phenomenons formed the vague outline of the universe formed spinning like a wheel unleashing mysterious stellar power. Immediately, the three knew something was wrong. Something was missing and that held back their full potential. Zulong flew onto the surface of the sea. His muscles tensed and contracted and his body glowed. Yellow and black, imperial heavenly colours. "The dragon was born in the ocean," he chanted softly. "Rising to the surface," mighty power gathered around him engulfing his serpentine figure. "Lifting his head," the image of a dragon resembling Zulong, but many times bigger appeared. "Soaring above the clouds," the biggest dragon in all history so far flew into the air. A hail of rain, a diagram of the universe, and a dragon flying into the sky. The three clashed against the wave of Si Hai. "Hm?" Si Hai suddenly adopted a confused expression. "What?" He uttered when the most unexpected thing happened. With a burst of golden light, his wave to end all waves was broken. As he felt the droplets of water splashing him, Si Hai looked bewildered. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "YOU DARE!" He roared beginning to throw his harpoon full force. He was so fast that the spontaneous attack barely registered in the dragons'' minds. He aimed directly at them, directly at Zulong''s head. His defiance will not be tolerated. As his Harpoon was about to leave his hand. Si Hai suddenly received a frightening feeling. In his heart, the murderous malevolent intent invaded his very being. Shaking his very core. Hurriedly, he diverted the attack just barely missing Zulong. ''What was that?'' Si Hai looked around. Not long had passed since the battle began, less then half a minute in fact and no one else had entered the battlefield. Then he spread his divine sense and inferred the secrets of heaven. The truth was then revealed. Looking at the sky in rage Si Hai seethed and snarled. "See if I care," he roared and prepared another swing. Suddenly, his thin neck was hit by something cold and hard. "WHO DARES!" He roared twisting around catching a black spinning shell to the face. Stumbling back, he saw the shell fly up to Qinglong and sprout legs and two heads. One was a tortoise while the other was a snake. "Another pest?" Si Hai growled in annoyance. Time and time again he was disturbed. It was as if the universe was working against him. "Sorry for being late," Xuanwu hurriedly apologised. "How did you?" Qinglong began asking. "My master," Xuanwu stated. The azure dragon nodded in understanding. "Wait, who is this?" Bai Jian asked gesturing at the massive turtle. "Oh this is Xuanwu," Qinglong hurriedly said. "And Xuanwu, this is Bai Jia¡­" "Baihu," Bai Jian interrupted. "My real name is Baihu, please address me by it," he said. "This is Baihu and Zhuque," Qinglong completed. Xuanwu nodded. He gazed up at Si Hai who had begun racing up to them. He was nearly onto them when Zulong flew up attempting to meet him. "Brother, you don''t need to shield us," Qinglong said. His Qi connected with Xuanwu, Baihu, and Zhuque. Their powers unified and despite their comparatively low cultivation, a mystical formation was achieved. The four divine beasts blinked in front of Zulong. Si Hai, harpoon raised struck a barrier unlike any other. A circular diagram of the stars. Seven constellations on top resembling a turtle with a snake for a tail, seven on the left resembling a coiling dragon, seven on the right resembling a tiger lying in wait, seven on the bottom resembling a dancing bird. An outflow of power pushed Si Hai back burning his scales off and hurting his skin. His tentacles thrashed wildly as the embarrassed emperor defended himself. His harpoon was dropped in the chaos. Zulong looked in wonder at the display of power shown. It was beyond anything he''d ever seen. The diagram of the stars spun larger and large entrapping Si Hai in its halls. Long stellar chains made of starlight chained all four of his arms. The constellations began bombarding the godfiend with monstrous power. Each shot was like a star exploding, and there were untold thousands of them. Si Hai screamed. He''d never felt so humiliated in his life. This entire fight was nothing but a test of his patience. To think he''d be restricted like this? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous and inconceivable. No one must know, no one was allowed to live. Si Hai extended his strength. However he could feel himself weakening, these chains were even draining him to suppress him. Si Hai pulled hard and roared. Stellar sickles game down and sliced into his flesh. Dao essence bled out of him like blood. A hammer smashed his face, he spat out more. Searing heat further eroded away his flesh. "RAAAAAAGH!" Up one chain ran razor sharp winds cutting into his skin. Another had a chilling cold gust wearing his hold. Another was like a bunch of swords pricking into his arm draining him of life. The last chain was a torrent of flames searing his flesh away. The struggle between both forces were fierce. The emperor of the four seas refused to relent despite being trapped within the formation. His pale eyes looked around, scanning and studying the formation around him. "Enough of this," he growled admits the battle. Si Hai stretched his neck out and turned to one side. He opened his maw and chomped down hard on one of his arms. His razor sharp teeth sank into his flesh tearing the arm off completely. His stump wasn''t useless however. Water quickly generated around the stump, stretching out into a whole new limb of ice. With this arm, Si Hai tore at another chain. His tentacles reached up and gripped on the chains. His harpoon as well flew up, it pierced at the base of the diagram. "You can''t hold me," Si Hai growled and pulled. The tight chains creaked under the pressure. The sheer strength on display was astounding. The light of the Dao fruit within Si Hai''s core magnified. The very concept of Si Hai''s Dao was pulling along with him. From within the stars, painful grunting was heard. The chains were beginning to be pulled towards Si Hai. The emperor''s pale eyes gleamed in murderous delight. The chains tied to Qinglong, Xuanwu, Zhuque, and Baihu were pulled along. The four divine beasts pulled back as hard as they could but were quickly losing energy. "Damn it, we were so close," Baihu cried in frustration. "The gap in cultivation was simply too big," Zhuque sighed. "The Dao fruit makes so much difference." "It''s been an honour friends," Xuanwu sighed softly. "Sorry, I couldn''t do more." "What are you so sad about Xuanwu?" Qinglong chuckled. "We did so well against a renowned peak Great Principle Chaos Immortal as a couple of Great Unity Golden Immortal small fries. No small feat." The star diagram cracked. Pieces of starlight began falling off and the formation crumbled apart. "No!" Cried Zulong rushing up as the four divine beasts fell out of the formation. They looked completely exhausted and drained. They were bleeding from their mouths and looked incredibly weak. "Heh," Si Hai chuckled in triumph. His tentacle held onto his harpoon and he stretched his neck back. "You pay for humiliating me like this," Si Hai growled. He looked at his severe injuries in utter disgust. "You must all be so proud to injure me. But guest what, injuries are superfluous at best, I will heal as good as knew while you all will be dust." The dreadful feeling invaded him again but Si Hai ignored it. He opened his mouth wide much to Zulong and the rest''s dismay. "At least I''d get a good meal out of it." Behind the sea god, a spatial tear opened and a visibly pissed off Da Hai stepped out. "Touch them again," Da Hai said from behind Si Hai. "I dare you." Chapter 65-Breaking the Sea For most people looking at him, Da Hai came off as unassuming. He was someone who blended into the background. Someone you''d brush off as unimportant. Sure he''d dress nicely and was well kept but the feeling he gave off was not extraordinary in any way. Compared to the likes of Shenni, Si Hai, or even Wangshu who made an attempt to stand out, Da Hai was practically invisible. He''d contributed greatly to the Shenni war sure, but everyone else participating who survived was equally crucial. His reputation didn''t exceed others either. He''d hardly made any appearances outside of the east sea and barely any news reached the rest of the primitive world. As he spent all his time hauled up in Yingzhou, he was an afterthought to many powerhouses in the world. A name you remember but don''t think much on. But the current situation has changed. For all the years he''d known him, Zulong had seen many sides of Da Hai. He''d seen him amiable(mostly), deadpan(always), disappointed(sometimes), frustrated(a lot), happy(rarely). But he''d never seen his master as he was now. Da Hai''s facial expression could only be described as a chilling rage. His mouth did not move from that thin line it was in but his glare was positively apocalyptic. The air around the sea god had changed as well. From the moment he stepped through the hole in reality. All things were silenced. The storm made no sound, the waves lay in wait, the wind stilled. Zulong felt a chill down his spine just from being near his master, and he wasn''t even the one targeted. Da Hai took one look at the barely alive four symbols divine beasts and took action. Although he didn''t move, the effect of primordial Qi was felt. Baihu, Qinglong, Zhuque, and Xuanwu regained colour. Si Hai stood on top of the ocean starring in somewhat of a disbelieving expression. "You actually came here?" He wondered as if he was looking at the dumbest man alive. "You actually came here away from your island?" Si Hai''s crooked mouth broke into a smirk. "Heh, heh heh, hahahahahahahaha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The sea god exploded into full blown laughter ignoring all those around him. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, this is too funny," Si Hai laughed. "Da Hai, heh, I pegged you for a, heh, somewhat intelligent, haha, man. Not a smart one but at least not one this dumb," Si Hai made out between chuckles. Da Hai tilted his head to one side and smirked. "The only fool here I see is you," he said softly. "Haha, Da Hai you fool. You were safe on that island, save from me for the most part I''ll admit," Si Hai smirked. "But that is all you are, a turtle who cannot fight anywhere else but from the comforts of your own home." The sea got pointed his harpoon at Da Hai. "But even then, I no longer fear that place. You see, for the last ten thousand years I''ve tirelessly developed ways to counter your little mind tricks," he boasted. "Your illusions no longer affect me, you have lost all chance you''ve had of defeating me. But at least you were boosted in Yingzhou." Si Hai sighed and shook his head, "To think you''d actually willingly leave. You realise that out here, you''re weaker than ever right?" "Heh, yeah, I am weaker outside of Yingzhou," Da Hai admitted. "But you seemed to have gotten the wrong impression Si Hai," Da Hai said holding bu Si Hai''s bisected arm. At first he was confused, then his mind caught up to him. Si Hai''s pupilless eyes widened and looked down. One of his arms, the lower arm on his left side had been torn off. It took a few moments between his realisation for the pain to catch up to him. "What?" He grunted. He looked back at Da Hai and couldn''t help but be unnerved by his smile. "Si Hai," Da Hai began. "If anything, you''ve proven yourself dumber than I thought." The ancestor of the great sea chuckled and threw the arm into the sea. "Ten thousand years to figure spells to counter illusions. Ten thousand years in seclusion to study illusions. Ten thousand years of sitting on your ass and learning techniques," Da Hai repeated over and over. "Ten thousand years wasted." Si Hai gritted his teeth and growled. He leapt into the air preparing to smash Da Hai to pieces. The full weight of his cultivation came barreling down. The sea quaked beneath him, the thunder and wind howled behind him. The storm clouds swirled with him as the epicentre. "Tsk tsk Si Hai," Da Hai said not even moving. He looked up at the descending Si Hai. The emperor of the four seas was incredibly fast, but to Da Hai''s eyes, he appeared very slow. "You see, while you were busy studying spells, I''ve been enlightening myself on the Dao," Da Hai said. "In ten thousand years, I''ve made so many improvements that I''ve left you behind." "Indeed, you were smart to figure spells to counter my greatest weapon. On earth you''d be like a gamer changing his loadout for a new boss fight," Da Hai said softly while Si Hai became confused upon hearing these words. What was Da Hai talking about? "But Si Hai, while you did get stronger, you grew laterally," Da Hai said smiling brightly. "Whereas I grew vertically," he sighed and waved up. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. In one motion, Si Hai had suffered a grievous cut that left his entire left side hanging by his waist. He bled out in shock, herculean amounts of blood like Dao essence leaked out like a fountain. The golden radiance showered the area. "You''ve, to think you," Si Hai muttered in shock. "Yes Si Hai, I''ve left you behind," Da Hai said smiling sadistically. "My Dao has long since left the realm of Great Principle," he said swiftly swinging his hand across. Si Hai wasn''t prepared to defend himself. But even if he was, he couldn''t defend was he was bisected at the waist. Si Hai desperately lashed out with a punch. However, that blow never reached Da Hai as his fist was crushed and encased by water before tearing off. Da Hai leisurely walked up to Si Hai still smiling. "You really have no shame do you Si Hai," Da Hai laughed. He shoved his hand, tiny in comparison, into the gargantuan Si Hai''s chest. He made and gripping motion and tore out an ethereal construct of a Dao fruit. Si Hai''s eyes widened fearfully. "Wait Da Hai, wait, please wait a minute," he begged. "My kingdom, all my slaves, all my treasures, they''re yours, I''ll even serve you." Da Hai tightened his grip. The sound of something succumbing to high pressure was heard as loud as day. All the while Si Hai begged. "A slave, no a mount, I''ll be your mount, don''t do this," Si Hai begged helplessly. "Please Da Hai, as a fellow godfiend, as a cultivator, you know why this is wrong," he screamed as cracks began appearing on the Dao fruit. "This is not the way of us godfiends!" "Si Hai, were you not the one who said the Chaos Godfiends no longer exist? That what remained was but names?" Da Hai said with venoming dripping contempt. "To think someone like you managed to forge a Dao. A toxic Dao I''m sure. To so willingly bully juniors, to hurt my s¡­ to hurt those who belong to my sect. You really are trash." "You do not deserve to be in the realm of Great Principle ChaosImmortal. So I''ll send you back to the Great Unity realm, even the odds for a bit. Pretty fair wouldn''t you say?" He snarled. "Or maybe I''ll break your unity, and send you tumbling back to a mere Golden Immortal. Give you a taste of your own medicine," he said. "Not a bad idea actually. I''d deposit you on the south continent where the empress of birds would love to see you," he said taking a brief look at the amazed yet scared Zhuque. Those spectating the battle didn''t know what to feel. Sure, they were immensely thankful to Da Hai. They wanted to all bow in respect and revere him. Zhuque wanted to convince her sister to build a shrine for him. But there was something intrinsically wrong with what Da Hai was doing. An intrinsic feeling that they all dreaded. The Dao was precious. It was something fundamentally a part of you. As Great Unity Golden Immortals who''d found their Dao, they all understood the importance of such. "What an emperor of the four seas," Da Hai scoffed. "I showed you mercy last time, but you dare scheme behind my back. No wonder you followed Shenni, you two are so alike." Radiant Dao essence broke away from the Dao fruit of emperor Si Hai. He could feel his cultivation becoming unstable. His power was plummeting. His current state was miserable. "Da Hai, don''t think you''d get away with this!" SI Hai roared. "I am a valuable ally to the devil ancestor, you really think he''d let you get away with this?" "The same tactic? Really?" Da Hai raised an eyebrow in amusement. He crushed his fist tearing off have the Dao fruit. He completely pulverised fifty percent of Si Hai''s Dao. The emperor of the seas fell back in pain. He was barely able to maintain his stature and desperately tried to crawl away. "Ah, ah, ah," Da Hai sang teleporting before him. He gripped the other half of the Dao fruit taking his sweat time torturing Si Hai. "Let''s take this nice and slow." Si Hai looked utterly miserable. He felt extremely depressed right now. How had Da Hai reached the Primal Origin Chaos Immortal realm? He''d completely surpassed him in every way. Based on the way he''d fought, he wasn''t new to the realm. Da Hai''s cultivation was very stable. Si Hai looked in petrified fear. He''d never felt so weak before in his life. So helpless as he gazed up the phantom image of eight hissing serpents. Their manes were glowing menacingly. Above the clouds, violet light gathered and an old man in purple robes appeared. His hands were placed firmly behind his back. He looked down at the dark clouds in curiosity. "What happened while I was gone?" He muttered. He took a brief look eastwards towards the mainland before tearing his eyes away. Luohu shouldn''t care too much about the ocean anyway. Descending towards the ocean surface, the old man observed the panicked look of Da Hai and the half dead Si Hai. "Oh, well isn''t this interesting," he muttered. "Hongjun," Da Hai whispered letting go of Si Hai giving the old man, Hongjun his full attention. Chapter 66-Da Hai Against Hongjun
Da Hai''s mind swirled with old memories of a world he''d barely dwelled on. Truth be told earth or terra or whatever you''d call it rarely entered his mind unless he wanted to remember mythological trivia. In this time period however, barely any was useful. But no matter what source, no matter which text, no matter which description. One consistent thought was universal. Do not fuck with Hongjun. Yet right now, all Da Hai could think about were the last few conversations with Huoyun. Those memories tens of thousands of years old. Memories that remained vivid throughout all his time cultivating and instructing. "Wait a second," Da Hai had said. "You vitality Huoyun, you''re severely injured. Are you really going to fight in this state?" "Hm? What other choice do I have," Huoyun answered flying with equal pace with Da Hai. "Our home is being threatened by a madman drunk on revenge. Just abandoning everything and leaving is not an option." "Except it is, you once taught me to not be too benevolent less I be taken advantage of. To be wary of strangers, to not pick fights I cannot win," Da Hai said. "I did," Huoyun sighed. "But right now, things are bigger then just you and me. I cannot let something as big as this go." The daoist of the five elements closed his eyes in tired sadness. "This world is still in its infant stage. Hongjun and Luohu, their desire for control, their desire to cultivate this world. The bodies of our brethren they''ll leave in their wake will be catastrophic." "You''ve already told me," Da Hai stated. "Hongjun injured you so?" "I wish it were not so, else I''d be at 100% for the fight," Huoyun sighed. "Who knew the grass cricket will grow so strong so fast. I know he incarnated early but to already¡­Hai, I don''t know if he''d pursue me or not but¡­" he shook his head. "The past is the past, we can only look to the future, work with what we''ve got." "Stay safe alright," Da Hai said. "We''ll come out of this war fine." ''How idealistic I was,'' Da Hai thought retching himself out of his memories. ''Hongjun, I blame you. I hate you,'' the sea god closed his eyes to suppress his rage from showing. "Fellow daoist," Hongjun approached steadily, not too fast nor too slow. A steady past with firm steps and a strong posture. He appeared old but not frail, not simple. Just looking at him gave off a feeling of vast mysteries, deep enlightenment into Dao. "Daoist Hongjun, greetings," Da Hai said evenly. He discretely motioned with his fingers facing away from Hongjun for Zulong to move away. The old man took a side glance at Zulong and the four divine beasts. His eyes got a brief look of relief. In fact he''d also looked incredibly happy. ''Right, Zufeng exhibited an aura similar to Hongjun. There is a high probability he''d gotten to the Qilin as well,'' Da Hai thought while observing Zhuque for any reactions. ''No reaction, she doesn''t recognise him. Approached from a false identity perhaps?'' "It is Da Hai correct?" Hongjun asked and Da Hai nodded. "Well, I haven''t seen you in ages. I believe this is the second time we''ve met." "Yes," Da Hai said. "But the last time could hardly be called a meeting," he said taking a deep breath. "You are troubled fellow daoist?" Hongjun asked appearing concerned. "What ails you friend?" "A lot of things," Da Hai admitted. "But I must say, your appearance here was unexpected." "It was merely a quiet stroll," Hongjun sounded very friendly when he talked. "It''s not good to stay cooped up for too long. Cultivating can get quite boring." ''Likely story,'' Da Hai thought. ''What could he be after? He took zero interest in Si Hai, but a lot in me and Zulong. Zulong I understand, but I am just a background character.'' "Haha, when I first met you, I thought you were an oddity," Hongjun said smiling. "So like Tian Hai but so different in your aura, you were like a completely new person. Tell me, do you still go by Tian Hai?" "I am not he," Da Hai said. It was no secret that all three thousand chaos godfiends knew each other at least to the degree of an acquaintance. Hongjun had seen Tian Hai and spoken to him plenty of times. It was only natural considering how many yuanhai passed in the Chaos Sea. The chaos godfiend civilisation brought to extinction by Pangu had been around for many cosmic years. Around 313 or so, that was to say 313 Yuanhai went by before Pangu executed the godfiends. Translated to the time flow of the primitive world, that was 40,377,000 years. Plenty of time for the main three thousand to meet. "Wonderful, fellow daoist Da Hai, it truly brings this old man joy to see how much progress you''ve made. Truly I am envious," he said jovially. At the same time, a seniority was established. Yet Hongjun is acknowledging Da Hai, attempting to play to his ego. "How can I help you fellow daoist," Da Hai finally asked. "I stand by the justice I''ve dealt to Si Hai." "So such small issue," Hongjun said. "I was merely appraising you," the old man walked up to Da Hai and suddenly appeared very serious. "The truth is, this world is in danger," Hongjun said sadly. "The Heavenly Dao is in danger of assimilation by a terrifying demon." "Luohu," Da Hai whispered. Hongjun nodded. "I see you''re already aware," he said stroking his long white beard. "Truth is, I am gathering allies. An alliance of the strongest cultivators to combat him." ''A sales pitch huh?'' Hongjun sighed in sadness appearing very tired and distraught. "Already we are losing this war. Many comrades had fallen over the years. Even the mighty godfiends like patriarch Kunwu. Even one of our greatest, daoist Huoyun was tragically assassinated by Luohu," he said with a grief stricken face. No falsehoods could be found in his voice. ''The fuck did you just say?'' This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Alas, a tragedy, struck down before his time. Luohu is a man who''d do anything to win," he said. ''You hypocrite.'' ''How dare you!'' "Yes, it was. Most tragic loss," Da Hai gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. His blood boiled like magma and it was only through years of controlling his emotions that none were leaked out. "You were familiar with the late daoist Huoyun?" Hongjun said with a hint of surprise. "Indeed, it was a tragic day when he perished. Luohu snuffed out a very kind soul. Inspire of his fearsome reputation, daoist Huoyun was not like others of his rank," the old man smiled sadly. ''You despicable lying piece of shit.'' "Fellow daoist, you are quite possibly one of the strongest immortals that exists in this world. Please help me avenge daoist Huoyun," Hongjun pleaded. ''What utter nonsense.'' ''I wish you dead,'' Da Hai thought trying to keep a perfect poker face. Then he twitched, and twitched again, then again. "What a load of bullshit," he whispered. "Hm?" Hongjun grunted tilting his head. ''What am I doing?'' "Tell me Hongjun, does your goal not equal that of Luohu?" Da Hai snarled. "Do you not admit your involvement in brother Huoyun''s death? Do you not admit your true intentions?" ''I am making a mistake.'' "What?" Hongjun raised an eyebrow. ''But right now¡­'' "I think there''s been a bit of a misunderstanding fellow daoist," Hongjun said evenly. ''As I stand before you¡­'' "I am working for the betterment of all living beings," Hongjun admitted. "You must understand the gravity of the situation. I cannot be lax in my judgement. Are you with me?" ''I just don''t CARE!'' "Fellow daoist, you are making a mistake," Hongjun sighed. "You do NOT want this fight." The world exploded in a flash of light before Zulong''s eyes. He couldn''t open his eyes he was thrown back. He tumbled across the ocean slamming into an island, shattering the island and continuing in his trajectory. Tensing his claws, he gripped the fabric of reality to steady himself. The dragon slid for millions upon millions of kilometres before managing to somewhat steady himself. He raised his head and immediately looked away. The assault to his senses was too much. The sky sang, the ocean rejoiced, the lightning danced. Bridges of immortal marine gods were beating their drums of war, blowing on their trumpets, announcing the offensive. Reality distorted and tore apart. Two titanic auras washed over the dragon making him question what was real or not. Water rose up and clashed against celestial clouds. A javelin of ice landed somewhere close to Zulong. A massive explosion threatened to rupture his eardrums. Da Hai, 12 Petals White Lotus spun in one hand, each of its soft lotus leaves were like steel blades, desperate for blood. In his other hand was a large flag swirling with dense water, the xuanyuan water control flag. Hongjun grunted in surprise as he leaned back to avoid a swing of the flag. Then he raised his arm to block a torrent of water the force of which cracked reality and slipped into the void before doubling back for another hit. Hongjun closed his eyes and sat crossed legged mid air. He clasped his palms and breathed out. The water splashed harmlessly over him and returned to the ocean. The grinding power of the white lotus did not reach him. Hongjun slowly opened his eyes which glowed purple. "ARGH!" Da Hai flew back having been struck by a fierce blast of immortal power. The white lotus appeared behind him in support. Its nursing energies empowered the sea god. The flag at this side was raised and the ocean along with it. At least 30% of the west sea rose into the air transforming into a mighty serpent. It stretched on for tens of millions of kilometres long. The serpent lurched forward and Hongjun. The old man sighed, he clasped his hands and chanted. The maw of the serpent bit down at Hongjun before exploding into uncountable amounts of droplets. Hongjun sat mid air looking disappointed. "Last chance fellow daoist, with me?" He asked. The droplets in the air froze into sharp edges the size of a pocket knife. They bombarded Hongjun in a hail. The old man opened his palm and slapped the air. A massive wave of wind obliterated every single droplet in existence. Da Hai snarled in rage and drew his sword. In a wide arch slashed at Hongjun. The sea parted in his wake and the heavens split. CLANG! Between Hongjun''s index and middle finger, he held the edge of the teardrop sword. He sent his other palm out at Da Hai''s stomach. A massive wave of purple light radiated from the impact point spanning vertically in a circular shape like a disc. The eight headed serpentine form of Da Hai impacted the ocean floor below. Eight pairs of eyes glared at Hongjun hatefully. With those eyes, sixteen beams of laser shot into the heavens carving at Hongjun. The old man opened both his palms and held them open before him, one up and one down. He twisted them around. The two extremities of black and white met forming a diagram of the Taijitu. The spinning wheel of two extremities gave rise to the spinning wheel, perfectly balanced harmony. Bleeding into each other, they gave rise to five aspects of creation, four surrounding a fifth. Eight images appeared beyond forming a perfect balance of the cosmos. The Taiji painting, a piece of Pangu''s axe that split off after the primitive world was opened. It appeared in Hongjun''s hands and spun. All things in this world exists in harmony, the process defined on the painting detailed the change from primordial heaven to early heaven with the oncoming rise of latter heaven. Da Hai ultimately failed to land a single blow on Hongjun. And as the wild winds of the primitive world blew. Da Hai rose to face the ancestor of the great balance. Tuesday at 11:41 A Chapter 67-The Mighty Hongjun Incredibly long, monstrous, ferocious and furious. This was the current state of Da Hai as he lunged at Hongjun. The divine water known as pellucid divine water flowed through the sea god''s veins allowing him to avoid Hongjun''s palm strikes. The old man whirled his palms around and deflected one of Da Hai''s heads into another head. The sea god flew up and wrapped his tail around Hongjun only to be prevented by a bubble. "Hmph! how uncouth," Hongjun snorted. The bubble exploded in a bright purple light. Golden radiant Dao essence bled profusely from Da Hai''s remaining stump that was once his tail. Sixteen eyes narrowed as eight mouths opened blasting bolts of electricity in unison. Hongjun pointed his index finger up. It glowed purple with swirling clouds surrounding it resembling a tunnel. A narrow laser shot out of his finger, its might easily eclipsed Da Hai''s attack. The lightning was shattered as the purple laser blasted through them all. Da Hai''s eyes widened. With impeccable reaction speed, his entire body melted into a stream of water phasing through the beam. Hongjun narrowed his eyes. The great immortal clasped his hands and breathed out calmly. A small spec of purple energy appeared in his hand. With a quick motion, he threw it at the battery form of Da Hai. BOOM! What could only be described as an apocalyptic purple blast occurred in the largest explosion ever conceived in the history of the primitive world. Space and time were torn apart revealing a gaping black hole into the void between realms. However, Da Hai in a pure water form still floated in the air. Slowly, the water receded as the sea god moved away warily. The distance between them was at least 43 million kilometres. Hongjun frowned in irritation. The purple bomb had done more damage to the primitive world than Da Hai. The taiji painting appeared in his palm. The dual extremities of the black and white expanded and covered the surrounding area in an invisible dome. Da Hai narrowed his eyes as the dome expanded faster than he could move. The hole into the void was also enveloped. The balancing effect of the taiji painting instantly took effect. Space was locked down and this area was isolated from the outside world becoming its own separate universe. Like shards of glass, pieces of reality mended the hole restoring it to the blue cloudless sky. It was as if no damage was ever done. Hongjun smiled in soft triumph. Purple lightning crackled in his eyes as orbs of immortal energy floated around him attacking Da Hai with long distance bombardment. Da Hai gritted his teeth and flew away kiting the attacks. As he''d done so, his tail regenerated bit by bit. Da Hai swerved into the air abruptly flying up then turning again and again. As one of the serpent heads looked back, Da Hai noticed the projectiles gaining ground. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated, pellucid divine water ran through his veins again. ''What if I¡­ok let''s do this,'' he strategised in his thoughts. As the energy blasts neared, Da Hai dived. He descended and flew above the ocean surface while pulling tendrils of water to intercept the blasts. Hongjun waved his hand and the blasts swerved around him. Da Hai nodded in expectation, he ripped a huge portion of the water into a tsunami hoping to engulf the blasts. In response, Hongjun flexed both his arms out and pushed. Without hesitation, the blasts shot through the tsunami wall nigh effortlessly. They continued chasing Da Hai as he dived deep underwater. But he couldn''t continue running for long. Hongjun looked pleased when they impacted in a massive explosion. Because of the sealed universe, collateral damage was also none existent beyond the ocean being kicked up a few million kilometres. "Now how will I approach the dragon?" He stroked his. His eyes suddenly widened. Behind him, water conglomerated into the human form of Da Hai. In his hands lay the xuanyuan water control flag. The actual flag was neatly wrapped around the pole. Above the flagpole, the 12 Petals White Lotus disengaged into a conglomerate of white steel petals. They attached themselves on to the top and built upon themselves until they became a coherent sharp blade. Around the base of the blade, the cycling waves wheel manifested and became a hilt guard. The ancient looking ocean swallowing jug appeared and attached itself onto the pummel of the flagpole turned handle. Water rose out of the jug into the handle forming a long thick hilt of ice. The completed weapon heavily resembled a zambato. With both hands, Da Hai held the fused treasure. The sheer power from combing two top grade xiantian treasures and 2 high grade xiantia treasures was incredible. The top grade treasures were notable as they provided the offensive power while the high grades merely stabilised it. As he swung down, Da Hai did not make a peep. His eyes carried a look of bloodthirst rarely if ever seen on the man. The white blade glowed in transparent greyish light striking at the back of Hongjun''s head. All of this took place in an instant. Divine sense was an extremely useful tool at a cultivator''s disposal able to detect foreign energies. They awakened early on during the development of the nascent soul and only grow exponentially more powerful from there. The only real way of defending from a sense was to forcefully block it or be lucky enough that the user doesn''t have it on. Hongjun was an experienced member of the chaos godfiend civilisation. He was no stranger to using divine sense and as such had a small passive sense active warning him of the danger of incoming attacks. Throughout the years he''d admittedly grown lax as he became confident in his position. However, that wasn''t to say he''d neglected divine sense entirely. As although he''d not actively used it after assuming he''d killed Da Hai in that blast, he was able to sense and react to an oncoming attack. CLANG! The white blade formed from the white lotus clashed against the flagpole of the Pangu banner. Hongjun had long since turned around and blocked Da Hai''s strike with clear surprise in his eye. "Today is just full of surprises," Hongjun muttered. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sensing danger immediately disengaged and leapt back assuming a full form of pellucid divine water as a grey wave of power washed over his form. Hongjun''s face twitched as Da Hai phased through his deadliest method of attack. The chaotic sword Qi had failed to reach Da Hai. "I''ve already sealed dimensions, how is he doing that?" Hongjun raised and brought the Pangu banner down in a slash motion. He cleaved the oceans and skies apart in one stroke. Loathed as he was to admit it, Da Hai was becoming somewhat enlightened from just watching the moves employed by Hongjun. He felt pellucid divine water drain away from him as he narrowly avoided the oncoming blow. ''This cannot go on forever,'' he thought regretfully. His moment of raw rage is now costing him dearly. He quickly bought his weapon up to block a casual swing by Hongjun. ''He''s not even taking this seriously.'' "Tell me, what other surprises have you''ve got," Hongjun asked. "And what was that technique just now. I''d love to trade pointers." ''This motherfu¡­'' Da Hai raged as dodged and went for another swing only to be denied blood by the Pangu banner. Hongjun smiled softly as the banner slid across the white lotus blade and slashed at Da Hai via the flag. Da Hai leaned back just barely dodging the blow and associated shockwave. Bits of his hair flew off as well as a small gash on his forehead. Looking back Hongjun, with his banner raised, was generating a huge amount of chaotic sword Qi. It was formed into a blast. ''I cannot let that reach me,'' Da Hai thought as Hongjun brought the banner down and unleashed the blast of grey. It sped and sped travelling for a very long time yet not at all. "Great control of space," Hongjun complimented. The space between them was forcefully expanded yet the two still stood very close together. The distance travelled by the chaotic sword Qi continued to increase however. "Sadly, chaotic sword Qi is very good at a few things. Most notably, destruction," he casually said. The grey wave of energy was like a gas of clouds. Reality suddenly twitched, Da Hai lurched back, and the chaotic sword Qi expanded in a deadly wave. From within the pummel of Da Hai''s blade. The ocean swallowing jug unleashed its stored contents. Years of pellucid divine water harvested and stored came gushing out meeting the wave of Qi. "Hmph, were you not listening young man?" Hongjun spoke condescendingly. "Hai, this old man will teach you a lesson¡­hm?" Hongjun looked in confusion as after the water enveloped the Qi, it harmlessly travelled without affecting anything. It was as if the Qi was right here, yet so far away that they couldn''t cause harm. Da Hai huffed and puffed as he narrowly escaped with his life. Hongjun was not an opponent to take lightly at all. "Okay," Hongjun finally relented in annoyance. "Guess I can''t mess around anymore." ''Fuck,'' was the singular thought running through Da Hai''s head. He raised his weapon and blocked a single bash by the Pangu banner. With his free hand, Hongjun followed up with a palm slap. A slap Da Hai could not avoid. BOOM! Da Hai flew incredibly fast and incredibly disorientated. He slammed into the barrier isolating this dimension so hard that glass like fragments came off. His treasures were split and fell to his sides. Da Hai looked up a gargantuan purple palm came at him. Immediately, the 12 Petal White Lotus appeared surrounding him. It wrapped Da Hai''s body and expanded into a massive shield specialising in defence. BOOM! The lotus flower was pushed so hard that the barrier formed by the taiji painting was beginning to crack. Da Hai looked back at the wall, the teardrop sword appeared in his hands and he slammed it with full force into the barrier. His full cultivation struck with everything he had concentrated at a singular point. Combined with the force of Hongjun''s own attack, a small crack opened through. ''Yes!,'' with a single thought, Da Hai transformed into a stream of water. His treasures disappeared in flashes of light, fading into himself as he exited through the crack. Watching this go down, Hogjun frowned in irritation. He spread out his arms dispelling the taiji painting. With his superior vision, he saw a severely injured Da Hai. He was bleeding everywhere, golden Dao essence was also coming off of him. "It was entertaining at least," Hongjun muttered and prepared another attack. "Can''t have a variable running around." "MASTER!" A voice called out as a black and yellow light rocketed for Da Hai. Hongjun raised an eyebrow as a golden serpentine dragon wrapped around Da Hai''s severely injured form. "What is?¡­ Zulong you fool. Get out of here," Da Hai screamed. "No, I cannot obey you this time master," Zulong replied inspite of his own injuries. "I cannot allow you to die." "You," Da Hai uttered. He clenched Zulong''s body and pushed. "Get away from this place, you''ll only find your own death," he said desperately showcasing more emotion than he''d ever done for many years. Up above, Hongjun hesitated. ''Master and disciple? Shit,'' he thought in anger. So that''s where the dragon was this whole time. The phoenix and qilin were hard to track but he''d managed it. Only the dragon eluded him and it turns out, he''d already had a master. ''What''s going on? I need more information,'' Hongjun thought in a panic. He dispelled his next attack making sure to not accidentally do anything like killing Zulong. ''Hmph, well played,'' he thought bitterly. "But," he said aloud. "It''s not like this is too much of a hindrance," he said coldly. Hongjun waved his arm in an arc, Zulong widened his eyes as he felt trapped. A purple outline enveloped the dragon. "GRRRR, " Zulong attempted to resist but could not move. His body moved without his own input as he unwrapped Da Hai and flew involuntarily into the air. "GAH!" The dragon roared as he was forcefully thrown away. "ZULONG!" Da Hai called out. Hongjun smiled as he raised to Pangu banner preparing to stab out. BOOM! Hongjun suddenly turned around and grabbed the forearm of a new arrival preventing a devastating palm strike. "Even you showed up?" He said to a furious Wangshu. Interlude 1-W-The Goddess of the Cosmic Sky I was once told that inhabitants of earth developed a taste for sunbathing. A method of relaxation deemed healthy for people. I have to agree, though my definition is probably a lot different from mortals. Only someone like me can float in space and eat in the rays of a primordial star. It also provides a good place for me to relax and think. To reminisce about the past. To all the ongoings of the world. A big difference from how I was in the past. The earliest memories I had were a blank void. I don''t know how long before I became accustomed to my surroundings. I couldn''t see, couldn''t speak, couldn''t move, couldn''t hear, couldn''t feel. I simply existed in a void of nothingness. "Oh?" But after a while of existing like that, I heard a voice. A deep gruff voice but one which spoke in a method beyond my understanding. Because truth be told, I couldn''t understand anything at the time. "This is new," that same voice had said. "What are you doing in there? What is your name?" I didn''t, couldn''t answer him. I didn''t know how to. But I wanted to. I wanted to know what he was, of what I am. There was so much I wanted to ask that I even surprised myself. Was I getting smarter because I couldn''t remember knowing these things before nor how to even express them in words. But somehow, on that day I suddenly understood language. Suddenly I spoke the same tongue as him. Well spoke is an exaggeration as I couldn''t speak, but I did understand him. "Not answering?" He sounded almost surprised. "Hm¡­Oh, I see. So you are the first." First? I remember asking in my mind. First of what? What did that even mean? The sudden surge in my knowledge was still overwhelming me. I barely understood what he said. "Hm, let''s try this. Follow my instructions," he instructed. I accepted and followed along, after all, what else could I do? "Feel that tug within you, that spark. No, no, no, not like that," he said. "Here, let me show you. Feel this," he said sending some sort of signal my way. I felt it, then I followed it as best I could. "Yes, well done child," the voice said again. I could understand him better after that, in fact, I could almost see him. The vague outline of a man. In comparison to what I see daily nowadays, he was massive. Above all else, he was powerful. He was massive, he was tall, he was gargantuan, so many words to describe him yet they are all synonyms of big or powerful. He seemed invincible in this world, more than something like me. It was then that I truly felt insignificant. "Ha, ha, now you can see," he said. His face was blurry to my senses. But I could make out his features. He had a lot of hair, so much hair in fact that I''d liken it to a forest. He had been holding up something, his arms outstretched and held high. Honestly, I couldn''t see below his upper sternum. Whatever was below was obscured by a veil I couldn''t penetrate. Or it was simply too far for me to see. ''Who are you?'' I asked. At that time, I was incredibly excited. It was a break away from my norm. I was meeting with something completely new, someone new. "Me? Well, I am Pangu of course," he answered. Pangu, what a strange name. Just the words alone spelt something super ancient. Older than me, quite possibly vastly older than me. "What is your name?" He asked me. I couldn''t answer him, I didn''t know what I could be called. It was not like the current me, where I could definitively say who I was, what I was, what I like, what I do, or anything like that. I would say that I detested the form of being I once was. "Don''t know huh?" He said. I didn''t know how he knew what I had been thinking. But thinking now, Pangu''s cultivation was so high that he''d have no problem reading my mind, even as abstract as I was. "I am sure one day you''ll know my child," he said kindly. "One day, you''ll find out for yourself, after all, you are the first xiantian lifeforms in my primitive world," he said with pride. At the time I didn''t know what a primitive world was. But I was curious, I wanted to ask what it was and where it was. Could I see it? Could I experience it? Was it as magical as learning as I''d done just moments prior? "Well, the pri¡­Oh, I hadn''t noticed," he said with some sadness. I was initially confused, but then I saw his presence fading. "I''m sorry my child, my time has come. Eighteen thousand years, such a short amount of time. I wonder what Vishnu will think of me now. Wonder how Ra''s doing, is he still having beef with Apep? And how are that group calling themselves the protongenoi, I remember them starting a civilization recently not unlike the chaos godfiends." What? So many names, so many names that I was overwhelmed. What are you saying? Who are these people? Were there more like you? Like me? I wanted to meet them. I remember desperately asking for more as he faded. "Hai, I wonder if it was the right choice," he didn''t seem to be talking to me. "I am sorry for wiping out you all. Can you forgive me for my selfishness? Hai, the most I can do to repay you is to allow you to exist in my world." Then he was gone. And I was enveloped in void again. I took a few moments, then I screamed. Where are you? Come back? Don''t leave me! Don''t leave me alone like this! What am I supposed to Do? After how many years after I stopped weeping. I finally looked up and saw a sea of blinding stars. Massive celestial bodies in the far off distance, so far away from me. To alleviate my time, I started counting. One, two, three, and so on and so forth. Sometimes I''d miscount and start again. It was tedious and annoying, I made progress only to restart again. But in actuality, I was intentionally making these mistakes. Because I didn''t want this to end. If I finished counting, what else was I going to do? That space was so empty, so lonely aside from me and the stars. Just us in this black world. Eventually, I started noticing the stars becoming fewer. They weren''t disappearing, they were merging. I gasped in shock when I counted three hundred and sixty four before I''d noticed. There were once trillions of them, I''d regularly reach the billions before resetting. What now? There were only three hundred or so left. I sat there for many more years. Now I truly had nothing. Why isn''t anyone here? Why wasn''t anyone talking to me? "What do we have here?" That voice changed my life forever. For the first time since forever. I looked away from the stars and turned my gaze downwards. I had been sitting on grass was the first thing I noticed. I was resting on roots was the second thing I noticed. The third thing I saw was a curious old man holding a horsetail whisk. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Can you speak yet? Curious, you can see but you can''t speak. You are already so powerful but you don''t have form? What kind of godfiend are you?" He asked. ''Who are you?'' I asked back. He didn''t seem to be able to understand me. But he didn''t leave. He sat down and closed his eyes in contemplation. So I waited, I waited for him for years. He opened his eyes after a few thousand years had gone by. "Follow my instructions," he said. I accepted of course. Then he guided me. First I felt energy, primordial Qi. Then I condensed it. I morphed it into shapes I desired. My helper was smiling as he instructed me. As he went on, I got better. He taught me how to make sounds, how to properly speak, how to project my thoughts outwards rather than simply thinking. He taught me how to harness the primordial stellar Qi. He even corrected me on the number of stars, turns out, there were three hundred and sixty five as I had neglected to count the one star I existed on. "Well now, preparations should be complete. It''s time for you to take form," he said kindly. I acknowledged him, so I began the process. Three flowers appeared mid air as storm clouds gathered above me. They struck me but I persisted, they weren''t actually that tough after all. Afterwards, I felt a tugging. Admits my assault by lightning, fire, wind, rain, ice, and a whole bunch of other things. I felt a tugging at the universe itself. So I pulled, and I ripped out a golden gas that flowed into me. My first step into the world was a wobbly one. I actually fell and had to craw for a bit. My helper, the old man was laughing at my embarrassment as I pouted at him. He handed me a change of robes. I raised my eyebrows, what were these for? "Hai!" he said. "You need to cover up your modesty," he said. I was a bit confused but I obeyed all the same. After I was done, I looked back and saw what once housed me. It was a laurel tree, the biggest one of its kind. Of course, back then it was the only one of its kind that I was aware of. It was a truly majestic sight to behold,, it was simply beautiful, but also powerful. "So, what''s your name?" He asked me. "Wangshu," I answered him. "Wangshu?" He asked for confirmation. "Yes, I was once this tree so majestic that it must be the king of trees. So I am Wangshu," I said. "Fine, I am Yang Mei," he replied. That was how I met my first friend. He was both my friend and my mentor. He taught me a lot of things, he told me about the Chaos Godfiends, about his old travel buddies, about his brothers in arms. Tian Hai and Huoyun, there were so many stories about them that I wanted to meet them. "They will show up, I''m sure of it," Yang Mei said sadly. He told me that he was one of the first to reincarnate so he wasn''t aware of much. Apparently, the primitive world was a space that existed below where I am. That''s why I couldn''t find it, it was too far out of my range and in another dimension. Yang Mei couldn''t stay unfortunately, he had to go and travel. Sometimes I followed him. Sometimes I stayed behind. But he''d always come back once in a while and tell me stories. I wanted to travel to the Great Wilderness too and explore all corners of the Primitive World. But Yang Mei wouldn''t let me. "Too dangerous he said," he said. "My contemporaries would see through your origins and desire the Laurel Tree, they''ll hunt you," he said. A seal was placed on me despite my protest and I could only watch from afar. There was only me here. Only me. And then years passed just like that. Then I finally met Tian Hai. Or well, turns out he was Da Hai. I was honestly a bit confused at first. But, in that moment, I met my second friend in the world. We talked, drank, and hung out. Fought a war together as well. He was responsible for saving my life and I his. I even met the famous Huoyun. Though meeting is a bit exaggerated as we only met briefly. But he was instrumental in saving my life as well. Hongjun and Luohu. I remembered feeling fear for the first time when they turned to us. But I made it in the end. No one aside from Da Hai even really comes to the starry skies. Oh Da Hai, you were so loyal, you made an excellent companion. Even though he''s long since passed, you still wish to avenge him. But I worry about you. I could feel your hatred then and I could feel it now. It''s not healthy withholding it for so long. It''s not like I don''t understand. I want to help you as well. But your plan, it sounded a bit dumb. Training up the dragons and using them as your army? Then what, armies are useless in the face of a superior foe, I can fight the entire four seas by myself and win with both hands tied behind my back blindfolded. I hate how you are right now. I hate how dishonest you are right now. Your current disposition is not good. Why must you keep doing this? I can see how this is all destroying you. Truthfully, I don''t think you know what you''re going to do. I don''t think you think that you could win. If what you told me about their legends are true, I don''t think I''d win. If only Yang Mei will come back, I miss him. But at least one good thing to come out of the current state of the world were the dragons. Qinglong looked so adorable running around the starry skies practicing stellar arts. I wonder if I should take in a few disciples as well. Sadly, no one in the primitive world fits my requirements. Then again, I hadn''t been looking that hard I opened my eyes, the closest star shone brightly. It''s the little things about life that counts. Constant vying for supremacy just isn''t my style. Just relax and enjoy the world. I certainly hope Da Hai can understand this. I think he wants to deep down. But he''s become so obsessed that he can''t even perceive that desire. I floated upright and looked behind me and smiled. Ever since I grew in power, my connection to the lunar star had strengthened. I can now move it with me everywhere. Of course, taking into the primitive world will cause a big commotion but here in the starry skies, it was fine. Hm? What that? I looked at a small disturbance near me. It appears t be some kind of tree branch. Wait a minute. Is that a fucking hole in my starry skies? Chapter 68-Battle of Star and Ocean Against the Heavens "Wangshu," Da Hai said in surprise. Zulong who was suddenly released sighed in relief at the appearance of his aunt master. Wangshu tore her hand out of Hongjun''s grasp and leapt back kicking at the immortal. Hongjun leaned back avoiding the blow and frowned in displeasure. "Wangshu, are you declaring yourself an enemy of the world?" He lectured. "Enemy? Heh, the only enemy I see is you," Wangshu spat. The goddess sent a blast of silver light at Hongjun. Narrowing his eyes, Hongjun unleashed the taiji painting forming a shield. Looking to the side, Wangshu threw out a guard at Da Hai. "Take that," she said. Da Hai nodded unplugging the guard and drank its contents. It was filled with three brilliance divine water, filled with endless life giving energy that filled his vitality. Da Hai''s injuries were healing fast and very quickly recovered. The miraculous power of the three brilliance divine water was astounding. A guard full had restored the sea god to peak fighting condition. Wangshu lashed out at Hongjun showing an incredible level of skill in martial arts. Hongjun twisted his head avoiding a palm strike before grabbing that hand. A fist encased in purple clouds struck Wangshu''s abdomen hard. The moon goddess had to steady herself. Her abdomen had gained a wooden texture. Wangshu''s eyes glowed silver, her skin faded away, her divine features disappeared into a snarling wooden creature. Assuming her true form gave Wangshu a power boost. Her limbs creaked as they moved. Her silver eyes shone in anger. Opening her mouth, she fired a blast of lunar energy, Hongjun held out his right hand and stopped the blast. He raised his left and blocked Da Hai''s concentrated laser. Hongjun growled in visible anger. "This has gone on for long enough," he announced. His eyes darkened into a deep purple. The gas clouds around him quivered. The skies darkened in ominous wrath. Purple lightning danced admits the clouds and divine chanting could be heard. The praise of daoist priests from across the cosmos was concentrated into the heavens above Hongjun. The chanting rejoiced in his teachings, thanked him for his benevolence, they chanted for his victory. "Youths these days," Hongjun said looking almost condescending. "You should''ve been good little boys and girls and listen to your elders. Disobedience requires punishment." In a flash of purple, Wangshu and Da Hai were both overwhelmed. Da Hai gritted his teeth plummeting into the ocean. Wangshu did much better as she was able to catch herself. The wooden goddess humphed at Hongjun triggering him. The silver radiance of the moon clashed against divine retribution of the heavens. It was a sight worth seeing. It was as if the moon in all its grandeur was standing defiant against the heavens themselves. Hongjun resembled an absolute deity, his beard and robes fluttering in the wind. He sighed in disappointment. "In the end, you refuse to accept my pitch? Wangshu, I thought you fought for the world, surely you will put aside petty grievances," he lectured. "Petty? I could still remember your desire to kill us," Wangshu snarled. "Have you really forgotten all your involvement in Shenni?" "Slandering me are we? Please at least pick something believable," Hongjun sighed condescendingly. "You really are naive, there are forces in play much larger than yourself. I thought you were smart as a direct descendent of Pangu." "It is because I am smart that I recognise you for what you are," Wangshu retorted. Her arms tensed preparing to fight. Down below, Da Hai surfaced from the water holding the xuanyuan water control flag. Hongjun looked down and said, "Such precious treasures does not deserve to be in your hands. The legacy of Pangu shall not be tarnished by a villain like you," he immortal said righteously. "Yeah right," Da Hai scoffed waving the flag around. Perfect hydrokinesis on any scale. Too bad the bodies of Golden Immortal weren''t flesh and blood else Da Hai would''ve made Hongjun explode from the inside. The ocean rose as one for Da Hai. They charged and thought for Da Hai. They roared and challenged the heavens for Da Hai. The west sea''s seawater rose in an all consuming wave intent on swallowing Hongjun. On an island not far from the battlefield. Qinglong and the rest of his group recuperated from their earlier tussle. "Things are not looking good," the azure dragon said getting up. "Yinglong, we have to support master." "What? Are you insane?" Baihu exclaimed in disbelief. "Do you not see the kind of battle going on? Any stray bolt of lightning will kill us." "No, I don''t think they will," Yinglong chimed in. "That senior, Hongjun, he deliberately chose not to kill us nor eldest brother," he explained. "We''re valuable to him," he concluded. From top and bottom, the sea and the moon clashed against the heavens. Purple gas clouds met against the horrifying might of the ocean pushing it back. It countered the radiance of the moon holding it in place. "Da Hai," Wangshu called out mentally. "We are not gaining an advantage on him, not anytime soon." "Get to the point," Da Hai respond forming a shield with the white lotus to block a bolt of purple lightning. He attacked with the flag and defended with the lotus allowing him to somewhat manage. However, he''d already sustained a few injuries from Hongjun''s assault. Evidently, the great immortal was focusing more on Wangshu than himself. "We need the lunar star, I can call it to us," she said. "Then what''s stopping you?" Da Hai replied back. "The pressure is too much, I cannot extend enough concentration to call it to me," she admitted. "Is it nearby at least?" Da Hai asked. "Yes, just beyond the hole in the sky," she replied. "Alright, I''ll try to buy you some time," Da Hai said. He crossed both his arms as a pillar of purple slammed into him through the ocean. The sea god spat out his Dao infused blood and reared back. His forearms were bent in unnatural ways. "Master," Da Hai turned his head to the side and witnessed to approaching forms of Yinglong and the four symbols. Suddenly an idea reached him. ''What luck,'' he thought in relief. "Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, Xuanwu, you can all hear me yes?" "Yes master/senior," they responded instantly. "Good, form the four symbols formation," he instructed. "Before you say anything, let me finish. I''ll use my cultivation base to fuel it. You only need to build and guide it." Wangshu struggled against chains of purple clouds and growled. She radiated silver light that tore apart myriad clouds. However, they just kept coming back. Hongjun pointed his fingertip at her and formed a thin laser beam. ZOOM! The beam fired for Wangshu. It travelled blindingly fast and packed enough energy to heavily injure, if not outright kill the moon goddess. Suddenly, that laser swerved out of the way missing Wangshu. Hongjun narrowed his eyes, "I wonder how much karmic luck you can expend." Wangshu reached out and tugged at her chains. Roots came out of her body lashing out at Hongjun. The great immortal slapped out at the tendrils. Each and every one of them was met with shockwave producing slaps. Hongjun raised his palm and unleashed a gargantuan purple palm. The pangu banner lay at his lap as he fought while supplementing him with hits destructive might. Wangshu roared shaking the heavens. The image of the lunar star appeared behind her. On her head, a crown with embedded jewels manifested. The intense light was blinding but Hongjun only grunted in annoyance. Wangshu proceeded to shatter her bindings and bring her arms to getter. She fired a blast that was a replica of her own monstrous face against Hongjun''s palm. Zulong had to shield his eyes at the explosion as he lay low on the ocean surface. He stepped on the water straddling to get up. "What power," he muttered before steeling his eyes. "One day, one day, I''ll stand at that summit." "Hm?" Hongjun suddenly looked downwards. A cosmic diagram of the universe brimming with starry might rose up at him. He looked back at the injured but a smirking Wangshu and humphed in distaste. Wangshu was missing a good chunk of her body, three of her arms had been severed and the left side of her head was missing. The diagram of the universe turned, the ocean below it swirled with it. It lit up with twenty eight constellations in four quadrants acting out in unison. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The taiji painting manifested below Hongjun''s feet expanding into a diagram of the taiji greater in size. The two forces clashed against each other. The harmonious power of existence against the heavenly bodies of the universe. A titanic struggle began as Hongjun was deeply troubled. The four symbols formation formed by the four guardian beasts with support from Da Hai was exponentially stronger. What''s more, all of Da Hai''s xiantian spiritual treasures were placed into the formation. "Damn it, obey me and break it apart," Hongjun growled at the taiji painting in frustration. He picked up the floating Pangu banner and smashed it downwards. The chaotic sword Qi that originally split the chaos sea descended in waves. Absolute destruction clashed against the cosmic universe. Lightning of a wide assortment of colours littered the skies. Da Hai howled in rage mustering his Dao fruit to its absolute limit. High up in the skies, Wangshu back in human form held her arm outstretched. "Come on, come on, travel faster," she begged. She pulled with her full might while taking brief glances below. The cosmic universal diagram was beginning to crack. Under Hongjun''s bombardment, even one of the most powerful formations in the world was beginning to break. Hongjun looked almost gleeful at his progress. "No matter what, you cannot discount the gap in cultivation," Hongjun stated smashing down with the Pangu banner once more. The banner bearing the iconography of Pangu was once apart of a greater weapon, the Pangu axe. After heaven was split from the earth and the primitive world was opened from the chaos sea. The Pangu axe exhausted all its power. After, it had cut apart the highest level of reality possible, a feat not even Dao realm ancestors could lightly achieve. In the wake of such an act, the axe split into three. The axe head became a banner, the neck and eye became a bell, and the handle became a painting. These treasures were not simply xiantian spiritual treasures. The Pangu axe was an ultimate existence far beyond xiantian spiritual treasures. Unlike the 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus which split into ten top grade xiantian spiritual treasures. The axe split into three chaos spiritual treasures. Although they came from sources of similar level. The Pangu banner was far superior compared to the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag and the 12 Petals White Lotus. Da Hai sucked in a deep breath and braced himself for the impact. He could only take solace in Hongjun''s earlier words about imperfect control. The flag struck the surface of the formation damaging it like no other had before. Da Hai spat out a mouthful of blood as the cracks became too much. The formation was destabilized, it was breaking. ''Wangshu, where is the lunar star?'' Da Hai thought desperately. On the ocean floor, the unconscious bodies of the four symbols floated in the water. Yinglong swerved trying to collect them. Hongjun had held back from killing them and was making an active effort to pull his punches while they were in the area. In the sky, a visibly stressed Wangshu looking very haggard was pulling with both hands. The doorway at the summit of the Jianmu tree showed the lunar star on the other side. However, the doorway was too small. "Fuck," Wangshu growled punching out. The sound of glass shattering was heard as reality was punched apart. Wangshu''s attempt at widening the hole was met with some progress. However, the lunar star was simply too large. Hongjun looked back at Wangshu. He felt the devastating power of the lunar star trying to descend into the great wilderness. The right eye of Pangu was an existence on the verge of Dao. It was nothing to scoff at. It was actually the primary reason Hongjun valued Wangshu and why he never fought her in the stars. "Oh no you don''t," he swung the Pangu Banner around sending a wave at the unsuspecting goddess. Wangshu felt danger. She looked back just in time as the wave bisected her at the waist. "GAH!" She screamed in pain. Her Dao essence bled out and her nascent soul too sustained damage. "Wangshu," Da Hai called out flying up with a combined zambato sword. Hongjun blocked the oncoming blade with his forearm. He clawed sideways with that same arm. SPLATTER! Da Hai''s entire left side was torn away from his body. It was only connected to his body by his abdomen. ''Damn it,'' Da Hai thought. ''Will things really end like this?'' Hongjun raised another palm intending to slap Da Hai to death. A mysterious golden light appeared on Da Hai''s body. A miracle occurred in which Da Hai was whole. He dodged the palm strike of Hongjun and send a palm strike of his own. Da Hai''s palm was lit in the auspicious karmic fire. He slammed into Hongjun''s waist with a heavy impact. The shockwave could be felt across the world. "GRAH!" Hongjun growled in pain as his waist was burnt badly. Da Hai spun mid air and kicked Hongjun with a leg encased in karmic fire. Hongjun flew into the sky while Da Hai assumed his true form. The eight heads spewed forth karmic fire in a concentrated stream of fire at Hongjun. Da Hai''s own karmic luck was plummeting extremely quickly. His desperation had nearly cost him his entire stockpile. Hongjun threw both hands down. The Pangu banner, the taiji painting, and the jade fortune disc appeared in unison. The greatest force of the universe, the karmic fire was successfully being blocked. Zulong looked up in a panic. He was prepared to propel himself up to shield his master with a tail slap. But suddenly, space distorted beside him. Qiankun stepped out from the portal looking at the battle. "Good, I made it in time," he said softly. It was then that Zulong noticed that in his hands, Qiankun held the dying body of another immortal, Ancestor Shangxia. Qiankun himself looked scruffled. He had obviously been in a tough battle just now. "You''re Da Hai''s disciple right?" He asked to which Zulong nodded. "Good, I owe a debt to your master," he explained dropping Shangxia''s body. Cosmic rays condensed wrapping around Shangxia. Qiankun himself blasted high into the air. "What a Hongjun," he scoffed. "After all these quiet years, you finally make such a move. No matter, it''s not like I have to fight you directly." Qiankun''s mastery over space was second to none. Even though his cultivation was currently inferior to Hongjun, his control was in reality much finer. With this, he was the fastest immortal cultivator in the world. Beating out Hongjun and Luohu. Wangshu who held herself together in a blob of three brilliance sacred water was the first to notice Qiankun. "Why are you here?" She asked. "I want to say that it was pure coincidence that I was in the area, but something else probably had something to do with it," he admitted. "To think this all started when I had a premonition a few decades ago to come west." Hongjun spread out his arms dispelling the karmic fire. Da Hai looked extremely spent and lay mid air panting. "Using so much of my power to punish brats," he scowled. "To think so much usage was needed to put you down. Wait¡­ this presence, Qiankun?" Hongjun turned around and saw Qiankun standing tall. "Hongjun, you don''t get murderous intent against me without repercussions," Qiankun said. "And you certainly don''t try to assassinate me with a recruitment pitch. Don''t underestimate the ancestor of the universe." With one motion, Qiankun opened a gargantuan portal into the starry skies. A portal visible from the West Continent where a black robed young man walked out alongside a silver haired young man. "What the hell is going on?" Luohu asked Mara who merely shook his head indicating he had little idea. Hongjun looked nervously at the sky as the lunar star appeared in the primitive world for the first time in history. Wangshu smirked as her lower half was restored by the moonlight. Her eyes glowed and her crown emitted a horrid screeching song. It sounded as if a million celestial fairies were celebrating. As if the stars themselves became royal servants laying out the carpet for their ruler. Wangshu breathed in and out feeling the power of the stars flow into her through the portal. "Let''s pull him into the starry skies," she informed Qiankun and Dai Hai. Chapter69-Arrival in the South ''The ocean air of the south sea carried a much different feeling than that of the west or north,'' Zulong idly thought. The sailing journey had been very smooth with very little interference aside from a few wannabe pirates. Of course with the group''s power level, what pirate could possibly threaten them. But if the dragon had to be honest, the journey had gotten incredibly dull. There was little to do and most people knew better than to approach a ridiculously fast ship carrying several powerful auras. Zulong concisely looked westward and opened his divine sense. ''Still nothing,'' he thought sadly. He looked back at the sitting figures of the four symbols divine beasts. They sat in a formation representative of the four cardinal directions. "Anything?" He asked with hope. Qinglong opened his eyes and shook his head. Zulong sighed at the implications. "The starry skies is sealed," Qinglong said. "It''s unusual for me to not even feel the power of the stars for such a long period of time." "Right, it is strange. Almost like that constant companion that just one day disappeared," Xuanwu agreed with similar nods from the other two. "I don''t think any more attempts of probing the starry skies will work friend." "Zulong," Yinglong called out from the steering platform. "I''m sure master will contact us when he has returned. Don''t stress too much." "You say that like you''re not stressed," Zulong retorted. He could see the same hopeful glint in Yinglong''s eyes as he had. Yinglong''s was a pretty good actor when he wanted to be. But nothing his brothers do can fool the eldest dragon. "Whatever the case, probing the stars are useless," Zhuque said walking up the platform. "We cannot detect those seniors and even if we could, what can we do? It''s not like any of us are strong enough to matter." The vermillion bird took over from Yinglong as the helmsmen and steered the ship northwards. "I''m familiar with this region, used to explore here every day, still do actually. We should be seeing the mainland in a few hours." "Wait, you explore these parts? I thought Si Hai had it out for you?" Baihu said. "Doesn''t his men like, hunt you or anything? You''re not exactly subtle." "Oh please, that ugly turd hadn''t gotten off his lazy ass since before I was born. His men can''t ever hope to match me in a fair fight or even a normal ambush," Zhuque scoffed. "Didn''t they just do that shortly before we met?" Baihu snarked. "That''s why I said normal ambush. That was anything but normal," she said. "Pure happenstance and will never happen again." "Right, of course it won''t." "Shut up Baihu," Zhuque said zapping the tiger with a stream of fire. "In other news, you guys are going to love the phoenix''s roost. My sister''s castle is the greatest fortress city in the world." "Truly?" Qinglong challenged. "My brother''s success in the east I nothing to scoff at either. They tout it as the trading center of the seas." "I''m sure brother Zulong''s city is impressive, but my sister is an emperor of the world. The crowned phoenix sovereign and direct descendent of Pangu," Zhuque said smugly. She looked down at the conflicted gazes of Qinglong, Yinglong and Zulong. ''Hm? What''s up with them?'' She thought. ''This complicates things,'' Zulong thought. He thought back to the last time he''d encountered a fellow emperor and wondered if this Zufeng he''s meeting will be similar. ''Zulin exists in the north, my brother to the east, Zufeng in the south,'' Yinglong pondered. ''Only the west is spared but are ruled by the devils. Three rivalling emperors of the primitive world, it''s almost like the primitive world is gearing itself up for another conflict.'' The universe traversing boat continued to travel at a steady pace. The southern parts of the primitive world weren''t known for conflict unlike the rest of the world. It was actually one of the quietest and most peaceful portions of the world. During ancient times, many innate creatures who became refugees migrated here and set up their own clan compounds. These clans only had a handful of strong fighters left and over the years very few were produced. Over the years, the south had garnered a massive population that rivalled the thriving west continent and east sea. However, unlike the latter two, the south continent wasn''t home to many powerhouses. Zhuque looked up at the sunny bright sky in anticipation. She''d missed her home for the past several years now. Her sister must''ve been very worried for her. "Who''s that?" Baihu suddenly asked standing up. Zhuque was only confused for a moment before sensing the approaching presence. She smiled softly and replied, "That''s one of my sister''s generals, Chongming." "He''s strong, I can feel it," Xuanwu complimented getting up and gazing at the distant flying bird. Chongming was massive, he was easily several thousand kilometres in wingspan. "Chongming has been following my sister for a long time. He''s an innate god of the east continent and one of my sister''s most loyalist follower," Zhuque explained. "He''s trustworthy, he''s likely patrolling right now." As Chongming got closer, the rest of the group got a better look at him. This bird deity was similar in build to Zhuque''s true form. He was also red and orange with some golden feathers jutting out like flames. He resembled a skinny chicken and had two eyes. However, each of his eyes bore two pupils making four pupils in total. Chongming was one of the most majestic bird''s they''d ever seen. Second only to Zhuque and far superior to the devil raven father and son duo. He was also pretty powerful at the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. Zulong suspects that he could fight Yinglong. Perhaps not win but could definitely hold his own for a time. Though this was only preliminary speculation. Chongming could be a support specialist for an alchemist with poor offensive capabilities for all he knows. "Chongming, over here!" Zhuque called out to the massive avian. "Princess," Chongming greeted descending from his position in the sky. His avian form shrunk until he was approximately six foot tall and took the form of a man. His hair remained red and yellow while his eyes possessed two pupils each. "Princess, it is good that you''ve returned. Recent movements in the south seas have gotten her majesty worried," Chongming said looking around. "Who are your companions?" "These are my new comrades Chongming," Zhuque said then introduced everyone on the ship. "They helped me get out of a trap and escape emperor Si Hai." "What? Si Hai was spotted returning to the sea a little while ago. Did you have anything to do with that?" Chongming asked. "What''s there to say? We encountered him and had to fight him but managed to escape," Zhuque explained. "I think we''d need more detail," Chongming replied. "Yes, but I want to go home quickly, I''ll let my sister know myself," Zhuque said calmly but with small amounts of excitement. "I have guests here as well and we were in a hurry. Please return and notify my sister of our arrival." "Very well, greetings to you all," Chongming said nodding to the rest of the crew on the universe traversing boat. Then he suddenly had a thought, "My princess, when did you learn to sail?" Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Oh I don''t, this ship is sailing itself. I''m just telling it where to go," Zhuque revealed. "Wait, you mean to tell me that I didn''t need to be steering?" Yinglong chimed in. "Don''t speak to the pri¡­" Chongming tried to say before he was interrupted by Zhuque''s gesture. "It''s fine Chongming. As for you, well you never asked," the vermilion bird said. "She''s right Yinglong, you kinda just walked up there when she got down," Qinglong said smirking. "But I thought ships¡­ Sigh, treasure not ship," Yinglong sighed gripping his forehead. He walked away and sat down while the azure dragon laughed. "Charming bunch," Chongming said slowly to which Zhuque nodded. " In any case, I shall be returning now. Princess, I shall send escorts for you immediately," he said. Zhuque gestured for him to go and the innate god soon took flight and left. "The phoenix''s roost is due 137 thousand kilometres offshore," she announced. "Prepare for the most amazing sight you''ll ever see," she said giddily. "We''ll see about that," Qinglong retorted. Though deep down, he was also curious about his fellow divine beast''s elder sister. This scenario was quite similar to his own family after all. He idly wondered if Zulin had any such siblings. In just under three hours, the universe traversing boat arrived in a small bayside fort. It was one of the military bases set up to watch for movements from the south sea. Chongming''s personal forces were already there waiting for them. However, they were not the primary reason they were there. Due to Zufeng''s ambition, tension was high between the continent and ocean. Normally, with Si Hai''s presence, such insolence would be crushed. However, the emperor of the four seas had not made any moves in many generations. As such Zufeng''s boldness had increased exponentially. As such, the borders between both powers were rife with armies. Even Zulong was impressed by the squadrons of Immortals present. It would take an alliance of many clans in the east sea to gather this many forces that were present along the southern borders. ''It seems that I''m a bit late to the party,'' Zulong thought stroking his chin. From what he''d understand and what Zhuque was telling them, Zufeng had been in power for quite some time. In fact, she was already building her empire when he was still in training. ''Meeting master held back my plans by a lot,'' he mused in his thoughts. ''But I do not regret them, slow and steady shall win this race. I still have a lot of time,'' the dragon said to himself and smiled. He admired the sights of the south continent, it had a charm to it that many places he''d been to lacked. The south continent was not as dense with primordial Qi as the east nor west. It was densely populated but at the same time exuded a peaceful aura that was the exact opposite of the north. The south was dense with woodland areas and grass fields and very temperate. It was in many ways, the perfect place to cultivate life. The group was treated to an army of servants who greeted them. Hundreds of maids and butlers readied chariots pulled by magical horses. Zulong idly pondered if these horses were rewarded for their services as mounts. "My princess, this way please," the servants said bowing to Zhuque pointing towards a prepared chariot. Zulong and the rest followed after the vermillion bird collected the universe traversing boat. She''d also had the kunwu sword strapped to her side on full display making no attempts to hide its rank. It was evident why she''d done so when the servants and soldiers she''d passed held fingering gazes of awe. Zulogn doubted that they''ve ever seen a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure in their lives. Low grade perhaps but higher grades were exponentially rarer. When they were on board the carriage, various refreshments were brought in. Fruit juices, exotic fruits and meats. Overall, a universal standard treatment reserved for royalty. Zulong was not unused to this, he quite liked it. Seeing Zulong nod in approval filled Zhuque with happiness. Once someone''s gotten to know Zulong, they instinctively knew he was in charge. Among the four symbols, they were all fellow siblings born apart but united as one. They were a team with equal input and equal rank. But Zulong had always been above the rest. Everyone trailed behind the dragon. Even strangers would hold themselves respectfully when meeting him. Her servants were also extremely polite and dutiful and the vermillion bird could tell that not all of it was simply following orders. The dragon reminded her of her own sister. In many ways, that actually quite frightened her. The anxiety of what could come of it did not fill her with much hope. Free as she was, Zhuque loved her sister a lot for all her faults. She prayed to the heavens that such a meeting would go well. The four symbols as a family depended on it. ¡­ "Great Unity Golden Immortals? All of them?" A woman dressed in long elaborate imperial robes decorated with fire and birds of all kinds and a crown of many jewels and beads hanging on the side. The appearance of her crown vaguely resembled that of a peacock''s tail. She rested her hand on her knuckle on her right looking down. This woman was exceedingly beautiful. Everything about her screamed beauty and power beyond even Wangshu. His eyes were orange with trails of fire. The light of the yin and yang were held in her pupils. Her power at the peak of Great Unity Golden Immortal was unquestionable. This was Zufeng the Phoenix Sovereign, someone who was undefeated since birth. "Such a large gathering of experts followed my sister?" The phoenix sovereign asked. The person she was addressing was Chongming. The innate god was kneeling at the foot of her throne rigidly. "Yes your majesty," Chongming said. "All five of them were Great Unity Golden Immortals. It is a for sure guarantee that they''ve all found their Dao as well." "Hm," Zufeng placed her index finger on her right cheek in thought. "Capable servants are rare to find. My sister deserves many rewards for her efforts." "Your majesty," Chongming said. "I believe that is an incorrect assumption." "Oh?" Zufeng gazed down. "What makes you say that? Do you believe my sister is incapable of recruiting Great Unity Golden Immortals? Especially for the chance to serve under me?" "With all due respect your majesty," Chongming began. "Great Unity experts at theirs and my level won''t submit for just a name." "The audacity," Zufeng snarled igniting the room around her in a flurry of Nanming Divine Fire. "You dare spout nonsense?" "Not nonsense your majesty," the Chongming bird met the sovereign''s gaze with his own. "I apologise if my words offend you, you may punish me anyway you wish. However, I stand by my opinion." "Hmph, we''ll see about that," Zufeng got up and stepped down from her throne. "You''re lucky you''re useful," she said walking past the kneeling innate god. Exiting her throne room leaving Chongming on his own, Zufeng spotted the ministers waiting outside. "Prepare a banquet," she ordered. "We shall celebrate my sister''s return." Chapter 70-The Phoenix Sovereign The famed location of the South Continent known as the Phoenix''s Roost is both a castle and a city. Rather, the name refers both to the palace of Zufeng and the surrounding city built around it. The towering structure of the imperial palace outlined by a statue of a phoenix spreading its wings was visible even at the coast. Upon entering the city, the iconography of various birds subservient to the phoenix was depicted. Although he''d only been there once, Yinglong found the build philosophy to be similar to Zulong''s city. That was to say, very egocentric. However, whereas Zulong had a pragmatic side to him as evident by prioritising security, the phoenix''s roost seemed to lack that. From a glance, Zulong''s city can be identified as a death trap to attack for any army of immortals. But the Phoenix''s Roost appeared more decorative. That wasn''t to say that the avian''s capital was defenceless. It certainly had formations drawn in place and powerful fighters stationed. It was obvious from the distinct auras of half a dozen Golden Immortals and three Great Unity Golden Immortals that it was a force to be reckoned with. Seeing the concentration of fighting power, Yinglong thought it made sense why the avians were able to stand up to the south seas. If you ignore the presence of Si Hai, both sides had a similar amount of experts. In fact the avians likely had more. The winged dragon studied the city while paying close attention to Zhuque''s introductions as the journey continued. While his older brother had proven himself very observant, Yinglong thought it best to give him a second opinion. "And just over that way is the market area. Foreign clans travel here often to make trades in cultivation and crafting resources from us. Our supply is the greatest in the South Continent," Zhuque chatted merrily with her fellow divine beasts. "That''s impressive sister Zhuque," Xuanwu complimented. "Just how many people come here?" "Oh I think Minister Lu said there were about nine million people a month," Zhuque said. "Most of these are just the visitors, farmers or merchants conducting whatever business they''re doing." "Oh, so many people," Xuanwu felt dizzy. He was of a similar age to Zhuque and roughly knew there were a lot of people in the world. But to hear it being stated so casually was a little nauseating. Especially since he primarily resided in the north. "Might sound like a lot, but it really isn''t," Qinglong said. "The east sea where I''m from had tons of settlements with millions of people travelling to and between. It''s not strange to see billions of movements on important days." "Wow, same," Zhuque said. "I thought only the south was so populated." "I''ve travelled more than my brothers so I''ve seen the continents from a distance," Qinglong explained. "The East Continent is not that populated compared to the south but the east ocean is heavily populated." "Wow, I''d love to visit there," Zhuque said in amazement. "But unfortunately my sister banned me from there. Said it was too dangerous or something like that." "Really? How so?" Qinglong asked. "Something about how it was a chaotic mess of clans vying for power. How there were Golden Immortals by the dozens in every few hundred thousand kilometres," the vermillion bird said. "Hm, well big brother is more familiar with the situation than me but I can see that being the case," Qinglong said. "What''s the current census of Golden Immortals?" He asked Zulong "At least one per clan, extrapolate from there," Zulong replied. "Heavens," Zhuque squeaked at the implications. If the east sea was anything like the South Continent, then there were easily tens of thousands of clans. "How does one raise so many Golden Immortals?" She asked curiously, "Advancement in methods," Zulong explained. "Everyone knows everyone in the east. It''s not strange for cultivators to trade insight and recourses." "But to develop so quickly," Zhuque mused in wonder. "All thanks to our master," Qinglong smiled in pride. "Many years ago, he preached to the masses and upped the quality and quantity of cultivation techniques. Since then, the successes of cultivators had risen exponentially." "Wait you mean the eastern preaching session actually happened? It''s not a rumour?" Zhuque exclaimed. The there dragons all started chuckling at that. "Hm, I wasn''t sure either," Baihu said. "There were some rumours a while ago about a sect in the east but I never paid it any mind. You''re saying your master accepted the entire east sea as disciples of his sect?" "No, nothing like that. I wasn''t born then but from what those who attended say, he gave lots of pointers and generic advice that enlightened everyone," Zulong corrected. "The east sea is indebted to master, without him, the secrets of immortality will be held back for ages. Even the continent proper had benefitted." "Now that you mention it, I think we benefitted too," Zhuque said in realisation. "I always thought the progress was natural but it may have flowed from the east sea considering our interactions along the dimensional wall." The conversation continued after that with both sides trading information casually. For Yinglong, it was a good time to prepare himself for meeting the famed Phoenix Sovereign. His advanced hearing picked up idle chatter from their escorts and from their description, she was quite a prideful person. The group finally arrived at the palace compound. As their destination was reached, they exited the carriage and were greeted by the familiar Chongming and another individual of similar rank and power. "General Chongming, Minister Lu," Zhuque greeted the two. "Welcome back princess," both innate gods greeted her back with a salute. "Her majesty is anxiously waiting for you in the main chamber." "Of course," Zhuque nodded. "Come alone, I can show you the way," she said gesturing to Zulong and the rest. What greeted them inside was a structure showcasing the colours of red, yellow, and orange in every way they could without being jarring. The palace was built to be the lap of luxury and power with depictions of the phoenix. Most notable was a statue of the phoenix roosting above a multitude of birds below its feet. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The message was clear. The phoenix was the king of the world. She stood above all avians as the supreme king of birds. When Zhuque led them into the throne room. Zulong''s gaze met Zufeng''s for the first time. In that moment, the world stood still. Roaring water met with burning fire. In that moment, two emperors recognised each other despite never having met. It was as if two swirling abyss of primordial power clashed. Both came from the same source. Both recognised each other as family. Yet at the same time, both detested each other for daring to impose themselves above the other. There was an old saying, two tigers cannot share the same mountain. If one considered the primitive world to be a mountain, these emperors are tigers born to rule it. They knew from the get go that they were each other''s adversaries. From the moment they''ve locked eyes. Zulong felt almost nostalgic. Yet his eyes narrowed as he instinctively knew that the woman before him can never be his follower. No words needed to be exchanged for both parties to know this. ''Such is the clashing path of my destiny,'' Zulong sighed in resignation. He felt very guilty at this moment. His little brother felt for the first time, truly complete, yet now that blissfulness may well be stripped away. "Ng¡­Zu..ng¡­Lo¡­g¡­Zu¡­ Zulong," Yinglong''s soft voice snapped Zulong back to reality. He broke contact and looked to Yinglong. "I''m sorry, what were you saying?" He asked. "You were spacing out a bit there, things got a bit awkward," Yinglong whispered back. Looking forwards, Zulong also saw Zhuque repeating a similar action to a slightly stunned Zufeng. "What''s wrong sister?" Zhuque whispered. "This is very unlike you." "That man," Zufeng gestured with her eyes at Zulong. "Who is he?" "Hm? Don''t tell me you''re interested in Zulong?" Zhuque gasped. "Well, he is easily the strongest of the group and very handsome." "Stop," Zufeng snapped raising a finger. "That''s not what I meant, give me a second." The phoenix snapped her eyes back to the rest of her audience. Chongming and Lu were looking curiously at what was happening. Zufeng felt slightly embarrassed at her silence. She could see that the other guests, Xuanwu, Baihu, and Qinglong were getting slightly agitated at the silence. "Greetings," Zufeng announced breaking the ice. "I welcome you all to my domain. It is my understanding that you aided my sister?" "Yes, your uh¡­your majesty," Xuanwu and the others gave a respectful bow whereas Zulong only gave a respectful salute. Zufeng felt a sense of irritation aimed at the ancestral dragon. ''That''s fine, they always are arrogant in the beginning,'' she comforted herself in her heart. After all, Lu and Chongming''s loyalties were among those she''d won through combat. "Do you not bow before your sovereign?" Zufeng challenged. "These legs don''t kneel to any bar one," Zulong returned. The atmosphere became tense again. Both Zhuque and Qinglong could feel their hearts tighten. "Ah, fellow daoists are all just awed by sister''s beauty," Zhuque quickly came up with an excuse. Qinglong motioned to do the same but Zulong threw him a glaring look. "You should already be able to guess why I won''t and never will," Zulong said. Behind him, Chongming and Lu tightened their stances. "Heh, hahaha," Zufeng chuckled before narrowing her eyes. "On the account of my sister, I shall forgive you. But I will not tolerate disrespect in my court." "With all due respect your majesty," Baihu began. "We are not a part of your kingdom nor are our statuses inferior in any way to you. Expecting fellow daoists of similar standings is a bit presumptuous don''t you think." "You think yourself my equal?" Zufeng raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Baihu, that''s enough," Zhuque snapped. "Don''t needlessly antagonise my family," she scolded. "Please, sis, spare them some leniency," she begged Zufeng. "Fine," Zufeng huffed. "I shall permit this," after she''d said so, the room returned to normal temperature. An invisible pressure that did not affect those present but could be felt lifted. "As thanks for aiding my sister, I have prepared a banquet for you all. That is to be held tomorrow evening. I trust you''ll all attend?" Zufeng extended the invitation. "What right do I have to refuse such a generous offer?" Zulong accepted. Seeing that everyone else had no objections once Zulong spoke Zufeng nodded. "Very well then, I''ve also prepared rewards for you. Ten thousand kilograms of top grade spiritual herbs and ores as well as xiantian spiritual treasures. I will have minister Lu guide you to receive them." She announced. "Very generous of you, your majesty," Zulong said. "I spare no expenses when it comes to family," the phoenix sovereign retorted. "Neither will I," the dragon mused softly. "I accept your proposals. We''ve only done what any good samaritans would''ve done. And as well, my brother and your sister belongs to the same family of divine beasts. It was only natural for us to help." "Same family you say, inform me later," Zufeng whispered to Zhuque. "If that is all, then I shall extend my hospitality to you all. You will find my kingdom to be beyond expectations." Taking the signal, the party turned to leave for the waiting minister Lu. However, before they left Zufeng Called out again. "All experts are welcome in my empire, I hope you make the wise choice," she finished as the doors closed. Zulong narrowed his eyes but kept silent. He wordlessly sighed, he was right after all. "Come, this way," Minister Lu gestured for them to follow him. ''We can regret it later,'' Zulong said to his brothers through mental communication. ''Enjoy whatever time we have now.'' Chapter 71-The Moments Prior
Overnight, the busy city had transformed into one on festive mode. All on the whims of their divine ruler. From his position at the window, Zulong observed the people below. His suite was one that allowed for easy viewing into the greater city. This was something he''d requested from minister Lu and granted with no resistance. "Hm, these people know who''s in charge, who they should worship," Zulong quietly mused. Yinglong who sat deeper in the room sorting through the collected treasures perked up. "They practically have it all shoved in their face, it''s quite pretentious if you ask me," Yinglong said before going back to his work. "Yes, a bit too on the nose," Zulong agreed before diving into deep thinking. He reflected upon how he''d built his city and saw the startling amount of similarities. ''Perhaps I should tone done things in the future. It just looks like I''m overcompensating,'' he pondered. ''I should ask Yu''er when I get back.'' Meanwhile, Yinglong moved a pile of ores rich in fire Qi into a small pouch. The enormous amount of material was shrunken down to make it manageable for such tasks. Yinglong had already gone through the collection of herbs sorted based on their elemental affinity. Placing the fire ore pouch alongside the others he stretched his neck. "Their foundation is not shallow brother, the avians have rooted themselves into the south quite successfully," he said. "I wonder if Zulin had done the same in the north". "Her head start is troubling but not unchallengeable. Once we return I can finally begin assuming power," Zulong said. "There are a few things I want to try first, however." "Oh? May I ask what?" Yinglong enquired. "Look at them," Zulong said pointing to the people below. "What do you notice?" Yinglong narrowed his eyes and observed. His divine sense shot out of the phoenix''s roost and into the city below scanning the civilians. These civilians consisted of both mortals and immortals in a nine to one ratio. However, even so, the mortals held varying degrees of cultivation at least above the Nascent Soul realm. Only the youngest of children were still below that and hence remained in their natural forms. "They''re all birds," Yinglong stated. "Or at least of avian descent, only a very minor few are not." The winged dragon turned towards his elder brother in thought. "That''s odd, the beasts and sea folk who live here remain out of the way towards the outskirts." "Zufeng is herself an avian," Zulong said. "She is the ruler of all birds in this world. I sense a separation going on between the avian and non avian members of her empire." "Is that not a bit early to tell?" "Above all else, the phoenix sovereign is arrogant and conceited. In the eyes of the supreme of all birds, she is first, that means the family she comes from, that is to say birds, come directly after her. Everyone else comes after that," Zulong said sitting down across from Yinglong. "I know this for the same reason you do brother. I am exactly the same in how I view ourselves." "Or rather, how I viewed us dragons at the dawn of our inception," Zulong mused drinking his cup of juice that was on the table. "It does bring about an interesting fact though. Everyone below identifies themselves as avians, even the beasts. Hence there is a level of unity." "Sounds similar to the devils," Yinglong said. "Except theirs was a cultivation method that evolved into the basis of an entire civilisation and way of life." The winged dragon suddenly perked up and said, "You''re thinking of doing the same aren''t you." "It brings about a level of unity and stability. But how I do so will need to be different. I cannot be as wasteful of the devils in Nan Dao Chen had shown themselves to be," Zulong said. He reached into his inter spacial ring and pulled out a scroll and handed it to Yinglong. "That''s the silk sheet you were drawing on during our journey," Yinglong said in recognition. He took the scroll and began reading its contents. "It is only in the prototype stages, I hope to infer with master once he returns," Zulong said with a sad look. "I hope he returns soon." ¡­ "Have you picked out what you''re going to wear to the banquet?" Zhuque asked. She was sitting before a large table playing cards with the rest of the four symbol divine beasts. They were subsequently all dressed in plain guest robes except Zhuque. "What? Why does it matter?" Baihu shrugged throwing down a five. "I''ll just go as I always go, in my normal clothes." "You kidding? You look like you''re dressed for a hunt," Zhuque snorted. "If you want to look tough at least play up the warrior look and go in armour." "My fur is my armour, unlike your soft feathers, they can take a hit without being plucked off," Baihu joked. "Sides, I look great." "My sister thinks you''re a barbarian," Zhuque replied flatly. "I don''t want her to think my friends are barbarians," she sighed. "Xuanwu, Qinglong, you understand what I mean right?" "This is my first time I''m attending something like this" Xuanwu said uneasily. "Truth be told I''m a bit clueless." "Never really crossed my mind," Qinglong scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "You''ve met my brother, right? He doesn''t really care much for these things." Zhuque sighed, "Just make sure to dress nicely. In fact, I''ll get the servants to bring us matching robes. We''re a set of divine beasts, we need to look the part of divine beasts." "You''re really stressed about this," Xuanwu said. "I don''t know much so I can''t guarantee anything but I promise to do the best I can." Baihu and Qinglong nodded along with the black tortoise. "That''s all I can ask for," Zhuque sighed. "My sister expects great things from all of you. You mustn''t disappoint her, she''s a bit prideful but I promise that she''s a good person." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Prideful''s putting it lightly," Baihu snorted only to receive the vermillion bird''s glare. "Alright, alright, I''ll concede," he put his hands up in mock surrender. "It''s been a while since I''ve been to a gathering like this. Some of the major provincial leaders on the west continent hold similar events." "Oh trust me, we avians take clothing very seriously. Nothing in the world compares to us, you have not seen anything," Zhuque insisted. "Beauty is intrinsically ingrained into southern culture." The other three divine beasts nodded. "Alright, the servants will show you where all the noble outfits are. If you really can''t decide, then I''ll pick one for you," she stated with finality. The divine beasts could only nod in agreement. ¡­ That evening, the banquet hall of the palace was littered with esteemed nobles. Powerful cultivators, ministers, and generals alike gathered under the orders of their phoenix sovereign. Tables were aligned along the room. Rare spiritual fruits were adorned upon plates. Herbal dishes as well as the meat of immortal beasts were also served. Dishes of carefully cultivated worms were lined upon colourful dishes decorated with images of flowers and feathers. Banquets were not an unfamiliar sight to Zulong. The sheer extravagance of what is being served was also not strange for the eldest dragon. What was new however was the dress codes for the participants. Zulong himself had opted for his preferred colours of yellow and black. His given outfit was one made of plums of feathers embedded with jewels. He honestly found it gaudy and unbefitting of his royal visage. He scanned the room and found groups of Heavenly Immortal and Golden Immortals. Clearly, the upper echelons had shown up. Perhaps not all the sum total of Zufeng''s forces had arrived but a good majority had. Zulong thinks it''s likely due to distance. Already, the guests were chatting merrily. The major players had also arrived. Zulong easily found minister Yu who''d guided him a day ago. The man was a bit of an enigma to the dragon. He was very dutiful and disciplined. However, he was also not very talkative nor sociable. Chongming had not arrived yet but Zulong guessed that he may be with Zufeng. At least one powerhouse should accompany the sovereign as her guard if only for appearance''s sake. "Is this everyone?" He heard Qinglong ask Zhuque. The vermillion bird began to shake her head but stopped and made a so-so gesture instead. "Kinda? Minister Changfu should be here and if not, he''d likely accompany my sister. But otherwise, all the important people are here," Zhuque said. "Changfu? I guess he''s the third Great Unity Golden Immortal after Yu and Chongming," Baihu chimed in. "Indeed, the three primary immortals under the phoenix sovereign involve myself, brother Chongming, and brother Changfu," Minister Yu spoke up calmly for the first time. "We serve as the direct servants of her majesty." "I see," Zulong mused. "How did you meet the Phoenix Sovereign if you don''t mind me asking? How did you come under her employ?" "Is that a question?" Minister Yu asked with a raised eyebrow. He was a burly man bigger than Chongming. In fact, he looked to be the sort that''ll be a soldier rather than a simple minister. He''d also worn a nose ring like a bull. "Her majesty is the supreme king of all avians in the world, it is only natural we follow," minister Yu said. "It is only a matter of time before all come under her rule." "That so?" Zulong grinned. "You sure about that? I hear that many hidden powers exists in the primitive world. The supreme bird is not the supreme of all living creatures after all." "Be that as it may, all shall accept their place as avians," Minister Yu stated looking blankly at Zulong. "You will learn as well fellow daoist, as I have." BANG! The doors swung open with an entourage of servants. They announced the entrance of Zufeng. Chongming and another smaller man wearing puffy feathered clothing trailed behind her. Zulong could distinctly sense their auras as mighty Great Unity Golden Immortals. ''That should be Changfu,'' Zulong pondered. ''These three are not second rate, they''re all innate gods, I can feel it.'' Zufeng marched until she reached the main seat above all others and at the centre of the main table. Zulong sat a few places to her right along with his brothers and three of the four symbols. He looked up feeling Zufeng''s gaze bear down upon him. He frowned slightly. He''d long considered himself a sovereign of the world just like Zufeng. At this moment, he felt a bit peeved at his placement. It was like he was being treated as an afterthought. He should at least be placed on equal to Zufeng seeing but seeing as he was only a guest, he could accept things for now. The dancers were trickling in along with other performers. Zufeng smiled at the banquet. She raised her voice and announced the commencement of the celebration. Immediately, the room was flooded with her power. Her Qi was felt bearing down upon all beings. To Zulong, this power was vastly different from his own origin within the seas. Zufeng''s origin was that of harmony between yin and yang, of the five elements born in between. All the transformations of the five elements were keenly sensed by Zulong and he gasped in wonder. Zufeng''s attire was a royal dress decorated like a peacock. Behind her was a train of tail feathers lit up in brilliant colours resembling the peacock. A divine aura hovered around her that reminded the dragon of both himself and Zulin. "Today we gather upon the successful return of my dear sister, your princess Zhuque," Zufeng announced. "She''d done great work dealing both a fatal blow to our fierce enemy, Si Hai of the four seas." "She''d also done great aid to our divine nation by bringing in additional help against our foe. May I present immortals Zulong, Yinglong, Qinglong, Xuanwu, and Baihu." Zulong narrowed his eyes. He hoped this ordeal will be over soon. There was only so much he could take. Chapter 72-A Banquet on Fire Sitting here, in this banquet hall, being served fruits and worms. Zulong felt extremely uncomfortable and unsatisfied. Keeping his thoughts to himself was never something he''d found challenging up till now. But currently, the dragon was itching to start something. Zulong looked to the side and saw his little brother and Zhuque happily chatting and sighed. He''d bear with things a little longer. After all, some petty slights aren''t the priority. Instead, Zulong defaulted back to his standard behaviour when in an unknown environment. The ancestral dragon silently observed those around him, taking in as much as he could. The hall had a jovial atmosphere yet there was a clear air of pride exuded by those present. Zufeng was trying to court the four symbols and himself to her side and it was aggravating. Personally, Zulong found the decorations to be gaudy. Too much flashy gems, too much flashy iconographies of the phoenix. But once voiced, Yinglong will call him a hypocrite. His own master would just give him a blank stare with the same meaning. Zulong drunk down a glass of spiritual fruit juice and grumbled. ''Some wine would''ve been better,'' he thought. He began contemplating about spreading his master''s creation to all corners of the world. It will be something that''ll make events like this slightly more bearable. "Ng¡­Zu¡­g¡­Zulong," the dragon''s attention snapped to his second brother beside him. The winged dragon had been calling out to him for a bit trying to get his attention. "What is it brother?" Zulong whispered back. "The royal party is beginning to get agitated," Yinglong warned and Zulong realised his mistake. He''d been scanning the various noble guests and the banquet hall but had neglected the hostess herself and her entourage. Turning his gaze over, he saw the calculating yet disapproving looks the three Great Ubity Golden Immortals at Zufeng''s side. Her seating position at his superior still bugged him but she showed an expression of clear annoyance. Not to the degree of outright anger but enough to know that she is displeased. Zulong put on a small smile and made a compliment to ease the situation. "Your generosity knows no bounds," he said. "To spend so much on such short notice speaks volumes of your character." "Obviously, as civilised people, it is only natural that lead by example," Zufeng spoke pridefully. Zulong frowned a little within, there wasn''t even a hint of humbleness that was common in social interactions. "It is from my understanding that you came from the east?" The phoenix sovereign suddenly asked. Those around her silenced themselves as she spoke intending to listen in. Placed on the spot, Zulong sighed in his heart and began answering. "Indeed, I originated in the western portions of the east sea," Zulong answered truthfully. "Sea? I am only familiar with the east continent," Zufeng admitted. "I hear it is a brutal place of power struggles between rivalling factions." "There is some truth to that," Zulong said. "But there are mutual rules obeyed by all. Rules for engagement between the various kingdoms." Zufeng scoffed, "Say what you want about that abominable Si Hai, but at least he brought order to the seas and the lesser beings." The phoenix sighed, "Unfortunately, the east cannot be like the south. It must be hard living in such a barbaric place." Zulong had to physically hold himself still less he lose his temper. What was this woman trying to do? Purposefully antagonise him? Instead he decided to probe for more information, "You seem very knowledgeable of the east." "Of course, the continent at least is famed for being home to ancient experts. Who hasn''t heard of mystical Mt. Yujing, fire cloud cave, or the mysterious Mt. Kunlun," the phoenix said. "The east sea is also a place for experts," Zulong reputed. "Yingzhou mountain''s ancestor Da Hai, not to mention the host of Great Unity Golden Immortal leaders of the sea folk clans." "Yes, a most chaotic place," Zufeng nodded. "Not to worry, it is only a matter of time before I ascend to a higher realm. I shall bring order to your home and put an end to the fighting," the phoenix assured sincerely. Qinglong turned away from a slightly nervous Zhuque and frowned deeply. Yinglong slowly put down his glass as well. Around them, the rest of the four symbols also somewhat frowned. They were not overly familiar of the east sea but they still felt cross due to their friendships. Zulong leaned back and took a deep breath. "I would suggest taking that back," the dragon said. "The east sea does not appreciate such dismissal of us." Zufeng raised an eyebrow. "You think I speak falsehoods?" She inquired. "The waters of the east exhibit none of the harmony I have brought. Mosasaur, Plesiosaur, Colossal Shark, primordial turtle, and so many sea clans vying for power. Whereas I have united all the avian clans and even beast clans recognise me as sovereign." "The east sea is vastly superior to your measly territory in every conceivable way," Zulong began. "You do not have a right to rule our waters. Less so before I." "Hmph, amusing dragon. You believe yourself my equal?" The phoenix sovereign taunted. "I have an established kingdom. I am a sovereign recognised by the Heavenly Dao. What do you have in comparison? A measly city?" Zulong perked up in surprise. "I figured it out," Zufeng said. "I''ve heard of a famous trading city in the east sea shaped like a nine digit claw. Goods from that place came here as well." She leaned forward and sneered. "When I met you, I felt the imperial destiny that you and I shared. But after all this time, what have you to show for it? You''re not even a monarch, just a rogue cultivator, a cit lord at best. A bunch of primitive fishes," the phoenix sovereign laughed a mocking tune. "You should to the smart move and join me. I can put your muscle to good use." "How dare you!" Qinglong jumped up and pointed Zufeng. "Is this how the avians act towards their guests?" Yinglong roared jumping up. "Such uncouth behaviour, as expected of barbarians," he threw back the insult. "Ignorant worms," Changfu got up and began flexing his power. "You should speak with respect when speaking to her majesty," he growled. "And what would a feathered pig like you know of respect," Yinglong bit back revealing his wings. Changfu humphed and sprouted three wings from his back. "Wait, perhaps we should calm down a bit," Zhuque stood up trying to appease both sides. However, Chongming held his arm out and nudged her back. "Princess, get back, these are dangerous individuals," he insisted. "No, they''re my friends," the vermillion bird tried to say only for her eldest sister to stand up as well silencing her. "You''re still young and naive," Zufeng said. "These foreign dragons are ignorant. I shall teach them why they should not stand against the phoenix." "But sister!" Zhuque began. "Silence!" Zufeng commanded washing the room in a wave of heat. The harmonious fire of the Nanming Divine Fire glowed along with her figure. Numerous brilliant tail feathers rose up behind her spreading outwards like a peacock. "You were foolish and deserve to be punished as such," Zufeng announced. "But I am a gracious ruler, you still have a chance to join my ranks." "Stop your drivel, it''s killing my brain just listening to you talk," Zulong growled. "Peacock, you will regret declaring me as your enemy," the dragon replied in equal pride. "What did you just call me?" Zufeng frowned. Her aura flared outwards shaking her palace. The various guests took this as the opportunity to begin running. Not even Golden Immortals can survive her full fury without proper protection. Chongming, Lu, and Changfu took stances behind their sovereign. Baihu materialised his sword and moved to stand alongside Qinglong and Xuanwu. The trio looked in apologetic regret at Zhuque who remained by Zufeng''s side with a horrified expression. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "I am the celestial phoenix worm, sovereign of all avians. You will treat me with proper respect," Zufeng growled flaring her aura even more. An invisible Dao fruit manifested behind her and glowed in five coloured radiance. Her eyes flashed with the light of the yin and yang. Zulong scoffed and flared his own aura. "I am the celestial dragon peacock. First disciple of ancestor Da Hai of Yingzhou, chief disciple of Yingzhou, sovereign of the seas. I shall treat you however I please peacock," he responded back. Black and yellow light appeared around the dragon countering Zufeng''s own. Both sides glared as they rose into the air. The cries of a dragon and that of a phoenix could be heard. To the outside observer, the phoenix sang a harmonious song, it made them want to kneel down and revel in her glory, to follow her to the ends of the earth. The dragon''s roar however manifested an imperial might. It made observers shiver in awe and respect. It made them want to kowtow and bestow the title of rightful emperor upon his head. The heavens above darkened. Storm clouds rumbled and an ominous presence could be felt for many kilometres. Both sovereigns shed their Dao bodies and assumed their true forms. Zulong stretched ten thousand kilometres in length covered in glistening golden scales. Although the injuries of yesteryear were still visible on his body, he still looked magnificent. The phoenix who appeared was both fresh and much smaller. Her body was only a thousand kilometre from head to the base of her tail. Her head was green with a crown of feathers, her neck was white with a metallic sheen, the back and wings were crimson red, her chest was covered in black feathers. Her legs and claws were of a yellow colour. Zufeng looked like a beautiful male peacock. Her tail was much longer though and stretched for many kilometres, vastly longer than her body and wingspan. The king of all birds appeared majestic alongside the celestial dragon. Below both monarchs, the others took to their true forms as well. The azure dragon, winged dragon, white tiger, and black tortoise appeared combating against Chongming, Lu, and Changfu. Chongming was a Herculean chicken with polycoria. His red feathers clashed against Qinglong''s fierce blows without losing out. However, Qinglong managed to effortlessly dance around the bird and strike from behind. During this engagement, Chongming had to admit that Qinglong was the superior fighter. However, while he was not able to win, he was able to tie Qinglong down for a time. Changfu was much more hideous. He was a pheasant with three heads, three wings, and three sets of legs. He was fanatical in his fight and engaged Yinglong in a brutal struggle. Lu was perhaps the most unenthusiastic of the three. Unlike the two birds, Lu was not wholly birdlike. His head was that of an ox, his body was that of a reptilian fish complete with small fins. On his back were birdlike wings and flapped to defend him. Baihu and Xuanwu together was overkill though as Lu struggled with the pressure. So much so that he disengaged and flew back. Above them, Nanming Divine Fire flashed in many directions. This particular divine flame was generated from the harmony between the five elements and the dual yin and yang. It is perhaps the most stable substance in the primitive world while giving off an all encompassing energy. Zufeng was by all accounts an incredibly skilled fighter. She had no reservations against going all out from the get go. Arrogant she may be, but she was far from incompetent. In contrast to the dragon''s invincible physique. The phoenix kited Zulong, blasting him from a distance. The ancestral dragon narrowed his eyes and unleashed a blast of lightning from his mouth. Zufeng''s body glowed in myriad lights. Her body unleashed a wave of glittering radiance that seemed to calm Zulong''s raging attack before dissipating it. "Hmph," Zulong''s body glowed before his aura expanded into a massive dragon hundreds of thousands of kilometres in length. "The dragon emerged from the sea, soaring above the clouds," he chanted. Zufeng grimaced in panic flapping her wings fiercely, she backed away as quickly as she can when the attack was fired. A massive burst of light made up of five different colours emerged from the phoenix''s body. Both sides clashed producing heaven splitting rainbow lights. Zufeng pushed hard, she unleashed the Nanming Divine Fire in conjunction with her rays of lights. However, her opponent was Zulong, he was like a brick wall that refused to move. Zulong grabbed hold of the energy wave coming at him and held it back with his claws. Growling, he stretched out his right claw releasing the dragon pearl. The treasure was deployed like a hammer. Zulong smashed Zufeng''s attack to pieces with a strike that could only be described as a universe full of endless ocean condensed into a tiny orb used for bludging. "Gah!" Zufeng was pushed back spitting out a mouthful of blood. The phoenix looked astonished at the dragon who despite his previous injuries held a distinct advantage in this battle. The phoenix sovereign was barely able to stabilise herself before being hit by a fatal swipe of Zulong''s claw. Her body was paper in comparison to Zulong and could not withstand the blow. Her chest and side bled profusely as her innards spewed out and much of her gorgeous feathers fell. "Your majesty!" Chongming cried out attempting to gain altitude only for Qinglong to grab the bird by his talon and smashed him back down onto the ground. Chongming''s attic of tying down Qinglong had turned into Qinglong timing down Chongming. "No!" Changfu opened all three of his beaks to breathe fire at Yinglong. The winged dragon flew up in an arc avoiding the flames. His auspicious clouds generated rain putting out the flames and enraging Changfu. "Get out of my way," Changfu jumped to attack with his claw. His attempt was met by Yinglong''s own claw strikes. His pecks were slapped aside by the dragon''s tail. Crashing down onto the ground, Chongming and Changfu raised their heads to look at both dragon brothers hatefully. The disdain from the dragons was evident in their gaze, On the other hand, Lu continued to put minimum effort into his battle. Baihu and Xuanwu as well did not give their all. There was no point in wasting energy when the dragons had everything handled. Knowing Zulong''s pride, he''d hate for them to interfere anyway. In the sky, Zufeng engulfed herself in an eruption of flames pushing the surprised Zulong back. The brilliant Nanming Divine Flames flashed in rainbow light spreading out in a radiation of divine fire. Phoenix''s roost was bathed in this fire knocking down buildings and statues. From out of the fire, Zufeng emerged looking as if no damage had been dealt. However, her disposition was noticeably different. The phoenix was slightly pale. He narrowed her eyes into a glare. Zulong met her gaze with equal contempt. Neither was willing to back down. Both wanted the other dead. Perhaps this innate dislike was why Zufeng purposefully antagonised Zulong. Either way, there was no way they could tolerate the other living. "Wait, stop this. Please, just stop this already," Zhuque''s panicked scream suddenly rang throughout Phoenix''s Roost. The vermillion bird blitzed into the sky. "Just stop fighting already!" Zhuque''s cry was like a sonic boom. The Great UnityGolden Immortal unleashed a sound wave that caught the attention of the dragons and avians. Her red and yellow avian stature spread out her wings coming in between Zulong and Zufeng. "Please, just stop fighting," she begged. Chapter 73-Separations The presence of the vermillion bird lit up the sky in a new colour. Zhuque''s radiance was one of extreme heat originating from the Mars star. It was a flame that burned much hotter than the Nanming Divine Flame. In this regard, Zhuque''s fire was much more destructive than Zufeng''s. The vermillion bird''s wings forcibly separated the ancestral dragon from the phoenix sovereign. Both fighters were briefly stunned and Zhuque took this moment to cast divine winds. They forcibly pushed both Great Unity experts back. "Please sister, brother Zulong, stop this madness," she pleaded. Her physical size dwarfed the phoenix but her presence felt vastly lesser. Zhuque narrowed her eyes in hesitation once her sister was in the way. "Please see reason, we''re all friends here. Stop this before things get out of hand," Zhuque cried out. The divine flame of summer flared around her, fuelled by the full weight of her cultivation base. "This is an order," Zufeng commanded. "Move out of my way and assist our experts." "But please just list¡­" Zhuque tried to say. "One warning," Zulong growled. "Move aside." His glare was carried both a look of regret but also one of venomous rage. The dragon''s demeanour was far worse than what Zhuque was familiar with. His sharp claws, his fanged mouth, his narrowed glare. Even his catfish whiskers that normally invoked a look of wisdom now waved menacingly in the air. Just his presence gave the vermillion bird a bone chilling frightened feeling. However, Zhuque steeled her resolve. "Please just listen. You do not need to fight like this. This is all a misunderstanding, lets go back down and work things out." "You don''t understand," Zufeng said coldly. "There could never be peace between us. It was never an option." Zulong merely closed his eyes and gave the softest of sighs. Zhuque flinched back. ''No, I can''t give up yet,'' she thought and moved to please her case. However, she saw Zufeng''s eyes widened in shock and rage. Then she felt a tugging force. Turning her head back, Zhuque felt her body being battered aside. Zulong''s left claw slammed into her body before she could register his actions. The vermillion bird was battered aside while sending the ancestral dragon and surprised yet disappointed look. "I did warn you," Zulong replied regretfully before moving to engage the Phoenix sovereign. Zhuque''s world lit up in a hail of rainbow explosions as she hit the ground. The earth shook violently at her descent cracking like spiderwebs. Buildings were toppled over and the city was in full evacuation mode. The vermillion bird craned her head up and got onto her feet. Looking below her, she looked horrified at rows of crushed people. Looking back up, the battle between Zulong and Zufeng had raged to the point of spilling out of control. The two seemed to be completely ignoring all the ongoings around them. Their only focus were on how to kill each other. Although their battlefield was high in the sky, their shockwaves affected the land as well. Zhuque spread out her wings manifesting two golden wings covering the entire city. A herculean shockwave consisting of black light and divine flames smashed into her impromptu shield. "Gah," she grunted. "FUCK," she cried out. "Why won''t they listen. Zulong is very honourable and caring. But it''s like he''s a completely different person. I can get through to sister, I know it. But I can''t if brother Zulong is in the way." The vermillion bird opened her beak and breathed a fog of red gas that cloaked hundreds of thousands of powerless civilians. With a had turn, she threw them into the distance before taking flight herself. BOOM! Explosions from impacts rang throughout the sky. The gargantuan form of the dragon chased the much smaller phoenix who pelted him with blasts of power. The dragon would fire back and attempt claw strikes while gliding through the air. Zulong''s attacks were so sharp in fact that reality suffered tears into he void between worlds. In turn, Zhuque''s smaller form glided above Zulong''s claw and kicked his body with her claws. Her talons too tore into Zulong''s scales drawing blood. The dragon answered back with his hind limbs. He pulled the phoenix off of him and began crushing her with his body. Zefeng retorted with a burst of five colour light. The force of the primaeval life giving force ripped into Zulong''s body forcing him to relent. The two deities tangled brutally. Blood was drawn from both sides as both parties went to a bloodthirsty frenzy. The dragon''s scales resisted a lot of damage while the phoenix consecutively restored herself with the Nanming Divine Flames. Both were incredibly skilled and experienced fighters. Zulong from his long years battling across the east sea and later on, his journey around the world. Zufeng from forcing native innate gods and experts intro submission. As they fought, Zulong winded his head back and opened his mouth. The roar he unleashed was so loud that heaven and earth shook. Fleeing civilians instantly went onto their knees and kowtowed, many had also lost consciousness, unable to bask in Zulong''s presence. Chongming and Changfu could barely hold on under the twin dragon''s pressure. Both avian experts were forced onto the retreat unable to bring their hundred percent under these circumstances. ''This is bad,'' both thoughts as the azure dragon and winged dragon carried on towards them with claws ready. Zulong''s cry had affected even Zufeng. The phoenix felt her heart stop and the urge to submit. However, she was not one to give up easily. She looked up in defiance only to see the tail of Zulong barrel down full force. SPLOOSH! The phoenix''s body was reduced to meat paste, exploding mid air into pieces of feather and gore. Zhuque looked onwards in horror, her brain stopping to comprehend what she was seeing. The bits of gore surrounded Zulong who sneered. He was ready to finish off the rest of the avians when he noticed the presence of Zufeng. ''She''s not dead,'' he realised. The pieces around him caught fire. Multi coloured fire that flashed with divine light converging upon a single spot. They lit a huge bonfire so bright that Zulong shut his eyes. Massive beautiful tail feathers emerged from the fire. They stretched into the sky before revealing the full appearance of the ancestral phoenix. Zufeng emerged with a fully reconstructed body showcasing no injuries. However, there was one noticeable difference. Her strength had dropped considerably. Her cultivation at the peak of Great Unity Golden Immortal had fallen. Her Dao was still present but her cosmic tree had changed considerably. Instead of a fully matured structure, it appeared to only be an adolescent tree. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Hmph," Zulong snorted turning to attack once more. Zufeng grimaced flying at full speed to avoid a claw strike that ripped into the void. She took this chance to dive into the void between worlds. Her abrupt departure angered the dragon. "Come back here," he roared tunnelling his way out of the great wilderness. His tear into the fabric of reality split space apart like glass. It was as if the world was a mirror that had just had a hole blown through it. Wild currents washed into the great wilderness. Chongming and Changfu took this chance to follow the suction force into the void to pursue their sovereign. Lu''s cow face looked complicated. He glanced back at Baihu and Xuanwu wondering what they wanted to do while contemplating his next course of action. He sighed before choosing to follow into the void. On one hand, if Zufeng lived then he''d done his job of assisting his sovereign. Not he other, the void provided easy escape opportunities, it was endless and invisible unless he opened up portals into the great wilderness. Zhuque sighed in relief in the moments after her sister''s resurrection. Tracking the combatants remaining in the great wilderness, she quickly bolted for the dragons. Qinglong and Yinglong were about to head into the void with Baihu and Xuanwu when the vermillion bird caught up. Yinglong immediately took a hostile stance but Qinglong flew up front. "Qinglong, you have to help me," Zhuque cried. "Stop them from fighting. Only you can convince Zulong." "Things have progressed too far Zhuque," Qinglong sighed regretfully. "I am sorry but as of this moment, I cannot¡­I...I cannot think of you as a friend." The azure dragon flinched when he saw the hurt look on Zhuque''s face. Baihu and Xuanwu both grimaced, they''ve both put their eggs in Zulong''s basket long ago but now they felt extremely conflicted. "Qinglong please," Zhuque began. "I cannot let my sister die," she said flaring up her aura and took a deep breath. "And I can''t let any harm come to my brother," Qinglong said taking a big gulp. The vermillion bird''s power washed over the four innate gods. The mars star hovered behind her meaningly bracing to charge. His posture became more defeated as time went on. The small moment of silence felt like it stretched on for eternity for Qinglong. Yinglong was already charging in for an attack against Zhuque. ''This is all kinds of fucked up,'' Qinglong screamed in his heart. He glanced quickly at Xuanwu who met his gaze in understanding. CLANG! Yinglong yelped in surprise when Xuanwu''s shell appeared before him blocking his call strike. "Xuanwu, what is the meaning of this," he cried. "Deescalating the situation," the black tortoise responded without hesitation. Yinglong looked back, he saw Zhuque follow Qinglong into the void along with Baihu and Xuanwu. With the support of the other two, Qinglong and Zhuque''s speed gained unprecedented heights. They were out of Yinglong''s reach within moments. The formation of the four symbols formation was nearly instantaneous. The four were already experienced with working together and their natural instincts aligned perfectly. They were heavily pressed for time but luckily, Zulong and Zufeng did not travel far. The diagram of the cosmos skipped past the three Great Unity Golden Immortals of the avians and reached the chase between Zulong and Zufeng. The phoenix was looking much worse than before. Her loss in cultivation hurt and she likely would''ve suffered a second death if the four symbols formation had not formed. Faster than both fighters could react, they were sucked into the formation. This was a construct that nearly struck down a Chaos Immortal. Despite the powers of both Zulong and Zufeng, they were hurled into an endless void of stars, restrained by chains of starlight. "What the?" "What is the meaning of this?" Both innate gods cried out once separated. The seven constellations on the east and south descended towards them. They consolidated into the azure dragon Qinglong and the vermillion bird Zhuque. "Brother/sister," they said. "Qinglong, let me go this instant," Zulong ordered. His voice rumbled throughout the formation shaking the azure dragon''s resolve. Qinglong shared a look with Zhuque and hovered forward. "Enough is enough brother," the azure dragon said. "It''s not worth pursuing petty insults. The battle has already spiralled out of control and in a heavily populated place. Let''s just leave." "Sister, please just listen to me. You had no reason to escalate things as they''ve had. Let''s just let all this go and repair phoenix''s roost. Too many have perished already," Zhuque said. "You do not understand sister. As long as he exists, my rule will forever be challenged. Battle was inevitable, we cannot be friends," Zufeng retaliated. "Zhuque, these are our enemies. Be a good girl and let your big sis handle this." "Then at least for my sake," Zhuque pleaded. "I will follow all your instructions from now on. I will never disobey you again. Please, don''t you see the condition you''re in." "Zulong please," Qinglong joined in as well. "Zhuque is my sister in all but blood. Just this once, let this matter go. Let''s just go home and rest. There is no point in staying to fight anymore." Zulong and Zufeng gave their respective siblings a complicated look. Sharing a look together, they both glared with hatred. Two tigers can never exist on the same mountain. Zulong and Zufeng could never live in the same world. If Zulin was here, he''d agree as well. The ying and yang Qi of Pangu. Although they both emerged from the same source separated by distance. They hated each other instinctively. Yet in this moment, they both agreed on the same thing. Wordlessly, Zulong and Zufeng relented. The chains around them disappeared. Zhuque breathed a sigh of relief. The formation disappeared as well now that it was no longer needed. As both parties faced off, Lu, Chongming, and Changfu arrived beside Zufeng. The phoenix sovereign raised her hand and halted their advance. They realised immediately that the fighting was over. As the group wordlessly reentered the great wilderness above the ruined phoenix''s roost, Yinglong joined them. They shared one last look. "You know what this means right," Zulong asked the four symbols. Three out of the four symbols all looked regretfully at Zhuque. The sovereigns, natural born rulers of the primitive world. Why did there have to be more than one? Why was heaven so unfair? As the two parties departed, Zhuque sighed depressingly. ''Why did things have to end like this?'' Chapter 74-Fallout Flying high above fertile grasslands and gentle streams. The group of dragons plus divine beasts fled in silence. The gentle natural view of the southern lands were lost to their depressing mood. Dark storm clouds were generated in the wake of their flight. Zulong did not speak to Qinglong and vice versa. In fact, no one spoke at all. The azure dragon could see clear anger in his brother''s posture. Yet at the same time, Qinglong was also furious at him. The bond the four divine beasts shared was a sacred one. It transcends words and is deeply tied to their existence. Separating from Zhuque hurt Qinglong, just as it had hurt Baihu and Xuanwu. Although if you''d asked them for their personal opinion. Baihu, Xuanwu, and Qinglong would''ve said they made the right choice in following Zulong over Zufeng. However, that did nothing to stop the hurt they felt. The four symbols that were completed so recently had been shattered. After fifty six days of non-stop slight, Qinglong finally spoke up. "Did things really have to end like this?" He asked, voicing his frustrations. The other two divine beasts couldn''t help but listen in as well. "The avians had declared themselves our enemy. They are a threat to big brother and must be elimi¡­" Yinglong began to say. "I wasn''t asking you," Qinglong abruptly cut his winged brother off. "Zulong, I support you wholeheartedly, but¡­why did you have to¡­" "Little brother, I am sorry for your loss," Zulong said. "But understand this. In no universe would that peacock, that horse, and me exist merrily together. After meeting with that peacock, I finally understood." "Was there really no other way brother? Why did you let her get to you?" Qinglong growled. "If it wasn''t Zhuque, would you have cared?" Zulong retorted. Qinglong gave a brief look of surprise before shaking his head. "My ambition is the same as that of that peacock and the north''s horsey. When I met them I finally understood. We are diametrically opposed, our very existence clash. Peace was never an option." "Is it? Or is it because she insulted your pride," Qinglong accused. "The fact that she insulted me is part of the reason yes," Zulong admitted calmly. "But were you so far in paradise that you forgot how she insulted our home and master as well?" He growled. "I¡­" "I admit that my own rage overtook me. But Qinglong, where is your anger at her insults? Will you just let some stranger slander the good name of the east sea and master?" Zulong accused. The azure dragon went silent. "I will freely admit," Zulong said. "I am naturally extremely arrogant. I don''t take insults lightly and I will kill for far less. I am sorry for breaking the bonds you share, blame me if you must." "Just know that what''s done has been done. Zufeng and I are on a collision course. You may have stopped the battle now but the conflict will get far worse in the future," Zulong said. "You can feel it can''t you." The two silent divine beasts nodded along with Qinglong. The feeling they''ve received when they saw the dragon and the phoenix fighting. The same one Xuanwu felt faintly when Zulong met Zulin. The same destiny that was innate between all three. The heavenly Dao was trending towards conflict. It was almost like it wished for war. "I''m sorry brother," Qinglong apologised. "Don''t be, I get your frustration," Zulong comforted. "The heavens were unfair to you. This brother of yours has failed you." "No, you were right brother. I am just too frustrated over how things ended up. But what''s done is done," Qinglong relented. "Though I hope to repair this relationship in the future, I cannot if Zufeng remains in the picture. What say you two?" He asked Baihu and Xuanwu. "I think I speak for Xuanwu when I say we''ve both thrown our all in with your lot," the white tiger answered. "I will not say I am pleased with the result. Zhuque was as important to us as you¡­Zulong I''ll be frank with you, I understand wholeheartedly why you lashed out and in your position, I would''ve done much the same. I think you are more worthy then Zufeng but I cannot deny the blame I''ve placed on you." "Whatever the case, it is too late to go back now," Xuanwu sighed with regret. "Personally found Zufeng a bit distasteful. I trust you more then I do her for your deeds in the north so. So we can only move on from here. What''s the plan boss?" "For now? We return to the east sea and rest," Zulong said. "I have several ideas that needs to be proven before I am fully confident in declaring myself sovereign. While I do that, we stay vigilant and wait for master''s return." "Alright," Yinglong, Qinglong, Baihu, and Xuanwu nodded. The four followed Zulong''s lead as they flew through the dimensional wall. In the years to come, their journey would remain peaceful. Around another seventy nine years later, the group finally reached Zulong''s city. ¡­ In the shadows of the Jianmu tree, the stairway to heaven, Chenghuang woke up from his self induced hibernation. More than a hundred years spent healing an injury that was caused by stray shots during the fierce battle that took place here so long ago. The foxlike innate god got out of his hiding spot admits the roots and wandered off. He silently looked in sadness at the environment around him. Much of the initial island had been shaved off and what remained was but a tiny portion of the original. Barely a tenth remained. However, Chenghuang could also see distant islands that were once apart of the same mini continent he''d been born on. He sighed in relief knowing that chunks weren''t outright destroyed. He still had sentimental value on his place of birth after all. ''I need to improve my cultivation,'' the innate god pondered with determination. His witnessing of the power possessed by Great Unity Golden Immortals and Great Principle Chaos Immortals had shaken him to his very core. He was not a violent person nor a fighter by nature yet he recognised the need to improve his strength. ''How should I progress now?'' He pondered silently. Chenghuang sat on his hind on one of the many hills on the yet unnamed island. The innate god slowly attempted to map out his progress. However, without accurate knowledge about the primitive world, he was struggling. THOOM! ''Hm? What was that?'' Chenghuang silently stood up and looked around. He closed his eyes and proceeded to sense the disturbance around him before taking off for the shore. His white paws landed gently on the beach making tiny indents. The foxlike creature narrowed his gaze across the water to a nearby island. It was actually a new landmass created by the impact of several chunks smashing together. Chenghuang dashed rapidly across the surface of the open ocean. Each step he took was one of elegance and grace. His long luscious tail fluttered behind him. Foom! Chenghuang landed softly on the larger island. Immediately, he felt the extremely dense amount of primordial Qi in the area. This will be useful to his cultivation. The Jianmu tree had boundless starlight leaking through constantly. But Chenghuang will be the first to admit that he wasn''t suited for it. He much preferred this second island. The innate god began investigating around looking for the source of that sound. He sniffed around the air and jumped high into the sky giving himself a huge vantage point. ''There,'' he thought dashing out of the clouds. He landed gracefully on the opposite end of the island on another beach. He walked over slowly seeing with his own eyes, a body lying in the sand. This being had evidently washed up just now impacting the nearby rocks. Chenghuang noted how tough this man was. The waves were still quite violent as an after-effect from the battle over a century ago. This man was carried by the waves quite violently and looked nearly dead. In fact, Chenghuang could barely feel his life signals. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Getting closer, Chenghuang got closer to him. As he did so, he caught a sense of vertical. Suddenly, he could not register what direction he was going in. Up became down, forwards became backwards, left became right, and on and on the effects went. ''Focus,'' Chenghuang berated himself. He shook his head violently and sent a burst of Qi outwards before enclosing himself in a thick veil of one. With this defence, he could just barely stop the nauseous effects. ''This one is powerful,'' Chenghuang concluded. It was hard to judge given the distance between him and Si Hai not to mention the nearly deceased state of this man. But Chenghuang likened them both to be of similar rank, Great Principle ChaosImmortals. Chenghuang circled around the body studying it. He could already feel the extremely potent Qi leaking off of him. His Dao was an established one and felt eldritch to the Golden Immortal. He stopped when he saw the man''s open eye staring weakly at him. ''He''s alive,'' Chenghuang thought. ''No, he''s barely alive, dying from the looks of it.'' The innate god examined this man closer. His injuries became much more obvious when examined using divine sense. Immortals could look fully healthy with no ailments appearing on their person. But looking at them from a spiritual lens will often tell you just how injured they truly are. For Great Principle Chaos Immortals, their body was to an extent expendable. It would hurt their combat prowess and vitality but they can survive it. This man on the other hand. His internal structures were collapsing. His nascent soul was nearly dissipated. His Dao was already fading. Chenghuang idly wondered what happened as he sat down. He met the gaze of this dying god silently and did not speak a word. "Are you not going to say anything?" The dying god heaved out with great effort. "Not going to ask why or how or who I am?" "Who are you?" Chenghuang asked softly. He was not one who liked speaking but if he needed to then he''d comply. "Don''t feel compelled to," the dying god laughed weakly. "I was merely curious. It is nice to not die alone after all, heh heh." "To be honest, I do not like this ending. I did not survive battling Shenni only to die at the hands of an old friend. Hai, he didn''t even stay for my final moments," the dying god said regretfully. "But I didn''t have a choice. The world is already setting itself up for the next great war. The three beast sovereigns birthed from Pangu are not the central characters. They are merely second fiddle to the true chess masters," he said much to Chenghuang''s confusion. Who were these sovereigns he was speaking of? "We all felt it you know. Every single one of us old fogeys felt it the day they were born. We didn''t know their location but we did know they existed. It''s one of the privileges of reaching the Chaos Immortal realm. Not much can be hidden from you," he said. "Most of us didn''t really care. I don''t think Si Hai even noticed given how obsessed he was. But Hongjun knew, that old schemer knew he was losing a race," the dying god sighed. "What choice did we have? Between Hongjun and Luohu, they both want to use this world to ascend. At least one of them was willing to help me retrieve my Dao," the dying god said. "I am pathetic, I took the coward''s way out. Living as a puppet or as fuel to someone else is not how I wanted things to go. But they are both so far above us, there was never another option. Getting Qiankun to kill me was the best way right?" "This world is young still. But it is already so much better than living in the Chaos Sea. It is so much more beautiful, so much more peaceful," he said with a small smile. "After all these years, I can''t say I fully forgive Pangu. But I genuinely appreciate his efforts." "My name is Shangxia little one. I once mastered the Dao of myriad directions and distorted the sense. Don''t forget me," he said before stopping. Chenghuang neared the man. But he''d already drawn his last breath. His primordial Qi left his body rapidly. His corpse was left behind, completely fresh, looking like a living person. However, his lack of moment nor presence was very telling. Immortals did not rot. If they passed peacefully like this, they will leave behind a fully intact corpse that was itself a powerful weapon. Shangxia had been holding on for over a hundred and thirty odd years. His death came slowly but no further harm was done to him that would result in a mutilated corpse. Chenghuang hung his head low in respect. He did not know this senior well if at all. He''d have to perform some divinations to learn more. But he felt it appropriate to give him a proper funeral. The fox chose a forest clearing closer inland. He constructed a crude shrine for Shangxia made of stone. Then he plucked several tail hair and transformed them into incense sticks. "Farewell senior," Chenghuang said. He''d benefited greatly from this. Just being close the Shangxia gave inspirations and revelations. Chenghuang felt that his progress will be much smoother. Around Chenghuang''s feet, white lines of primordial Qi surged outwards. They flowed throughout the island catching the innate god''s curiosity. These lines touched all over the island, across rivers, plains, and woodland. From these lines, people sprouted. Elegant, graceful, beautiful people. Their skin was white as snow, their hair was long and elegant just like Chenghuang''s tail. A new innate creature tribe had formed. "White," Chenghuang commented. These people, these men and women prancing in the nude. They were all so white, so much like snow, so much like his own white fur. These white people were blessed beneath the aura of Shangxia and Chenghuang. By being born in the land filled with such rich primordial Qi, they possessed very long lifespans in comparison to mortals of a similar cultivation level. "Baimin," Chenghuang whispered after observing for several years. "I will call you Baimin," he said. "You all look so much like me," Chenghuang said softly. "You also have bits of myself in you. So, I will protect you. This land is your home as it is mine. So consider me your guardian deity," Chenghuang told the Baimin people. Afterwards, he lay down and quietly began cultivating, the Baimin people followed his example. ¡­ "What have you found?" Luohu asked lounging on a couch in his personal palace. Hundun who sat opposing him slid a scroll across the table. "We suspect that Hongjun will not return for quite some time," Hundun said. "Will you be moving our forces?" "Hm, it is the perfect time to attack and destroy Mt Yujing," Luohu said smirking. "Mara, muster our forces," he commanded. "Should we get the Taowu as well?" Mara asked. "No, those beasts are still too hard to control," Luohu denied. "Just get my army ready and we''ll move out as soon as we can." "Understood, it''ll take some time considering how sudden this is. Will you be going ahead of us?" Mara asked. "We don''t have a clear idea on Hongjun''s forces." "I suspect that old man likely placed traps around Mt Yujing. I''m also unsure what allies he''d gathered during my retreat. But I am willing to take the risk," Luohu said. "Meet me at the western borders and we''ll move out as a unit." "Very well, my lord devil," Mara and Hundun said in unison. "Oh and someone wake up taotie, that fool''s been sleeping way too long," Luohu reminded before walking out. Unbeknown to them, a small ripple appeared above Mt Sumeru. Chapter 75-Final Efforts In the day of primal heaven, when the world existed in muddled chaos. Two extraordinary opposing forces defined by black and white combined yet remained separate. They formed a seamless balance which together generated many other concepts that brought the world into being. Hongjun was the ancestor of the great balance. His Dao was one that represented the primal heavens. The balance which appeared before creation. His purple clouds are a symbol to his deific might. When his two corpses appeared over a century ago. The starry skies lit up in an ocean of violet energies. The celestial stars themselves began trembling. The primitive location which will one day become the heavens became the staging grounds of the biggest battle in primitive history. Hongjun sat in a lotus position calmly. His breath was steady and his appearance was one of calm superiority. However the robes he wore still bore cuts and damages received many years ago. His hair wasn''t neatly tied and flowed freely. As of this moment, the western portion of the starry skies was a mess of purple clouds, stellar lights, explosions, and constant fighting. The gargantuan form of the lunar star positioned itself opposite of Hongjun, taking its place among the western quadrant. The sheer presence of the lunar star was a sight to behold. Its power was used to augment the three innate gods who regularly fought Hongjun to a standstill. A testimate of its might as it was once an eye of Pangu. In any other scenario, its opponent would''ve been crushed. However, Hongjun was not like any other opponent. Whence he finally decided to hold nothing back, there was little that could stop him. His Dao was such a powerful one that even those who''d stepped on the path of Wuji would not challenge him. Qiankun, Wangshu, and Da Hai had to all work together with assistance from the lunar star to tie against Hongjun. If they could drag him into the lunar star itself, they could kill him. But how impossible of a task was that? Despite their best efforts, this battle was a tie with neither side gaining an advantage. Or at least that was the case for moments at a time. As the battle waged on for decades on end. The side consisting of Qiankun, Wangshu, and Da Hai began taking breaks. Not that they needed to rest as that was wholly unnecessary. The true reason was for the individual ''resting'' to experiment and try to find ways to invent new ways of attacking. One of three will break away for half a decade or so and this before rejoining the other two when the pressure became too big. However, Hongjun was extraordinarily powerful. Without the presence of the third, Hongjun will start gaining ground very quickly and would eventually break all their defences in as little as three years. As such, Da Hai, Wangshu, and Qiankun could only take a few years off individually while the other two fought their hardest. A few years was really too short to overcome Hongjun. Any small improvement Da Hai had made no difference against the purple clouds of Hongjun. Already, a palace had appeared among Hongjun''s clouds mocking the sea god with the image of a safe and unbothered Hongjun. With a continuous wave of palm strikes, Hongjun finally scored a direct hit on Wangshu and Qiankun. Both deities recoiled back in agony as their defences were finally broken after half a decade of nonstop assault. Wangshu''s quickly waved her hand forming a temporary silver tree that just managed to block a strike of the pangu banner''s flag. Hongjun pressed the advantage. Purple clouds surged outwards towards the panting duo. Their presence was both divine and menacing, awe yet dread inducing. They glowed in trillions of divine lights that resembled singing gods and dancing fairies. It was then that a blue light blasted out of the lunar star. A wave of water illuminated by trillions of specs resembling stars surged into the purple heavens. Both forces washed over each other making Hongjun frown in irritation. Da Hai had rejoined the battle. It grated on Da Hai as he moved to join Qiankun and Wangshu in the fight. Despite the constant fighting improving his ability in active combat. They''ve in reality made little progress in actually defeating Hongjun much less killing him. "HAH!" Da Hai roared as he opened with a downward slash using the merged form of all his treasures. The zambato like blade cleaved across spacetime smashing into the purple clouds. Empowered by the stars, they shaved off large volumes of purple clouds. "Hmph," Hongjun grunted releasing a palm strike that repelled Da Hai''s attack. The aftershock of the collision shook the fabric of reality. Da Hai had put everything into that attack and reeled back for more strikes. Hongjun in retaliation sent another palm strike. Wangshu''s wooden face snarled, she moved alongside Qiankun and together deployed the universal cauldron to block the attack. BOOM! An even bigger explosion rocked the western starry skies. Celestial bodies were physically moved out of their regular trajectory. Reality itself started bending and tearing. Were it not for the balancing act of the purple heavens and the lunar star, a hole would''ve been blown out of the starry skies decades ago. Hongjun concentrated his might and placed both his palms together in a single strike. His two corpses above him repeated a similar motion. The resulting attack hurled through towards the trio on the lunar star. In unison, Qiankun deployed the universal cauldron, Wangshu the lunar crown, Da Hai the 12 Petals White Lotus. The three ancestors formed a massive trigram meeting Hongjun''s strike head on. "Gah!" All three grunted in pain being forced back. However, they did manage to dispel Hongjun''s strongest strike. Hongjun himself frowned, he''d been preparing that one for a while and would need to prepare for a second one. Qiankun and Da Hai retreated back as Wangshu sent a wave of moonlight. Any injuries they sustained in that fierce flash was instantly restored. Da Hai snarled, his mouth was one of jagged fangs and a forked tongue. His normal short spongey hair was now long snake heads coiling around him. All seven of them snarled in frustration. The petals of the 12 Petals White Lotus circled before Da Hai. With the xuanyuan water control flag in hand, he unleashed a sharp blast at Hongjun. Seeing this action, Qiankun followed as well. The cosmic ruler at his side struck out with its full might. Both parties released some of their greatest techniques hoping to gain an offensive advantage. Scoffing, Hongjun deployed the defensively superior taiji painting. The diagram of the yin and yang before the old man circled before separating. The conjoined attack by Da Hai and Qiankun was torn apart into billions of particles until they too disappeared were splintered and destroyed. The back and forth continued on as all three reached a stalemate once again. They had not managed to hurt Hongjun but they had not suffered at all. An eternal stalemate was reached once again. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "We cannot go on like this," Wangshu grunted out while parrying a one of Hongjun''s palm strike. She kicked with a root like appendage only for the pangu banner to slice it and the following kick into bits. "Agreed," Qiankun said raising the cosmic ruler. The edge of the ruler smashed into Hongjun''s oncoming attacks driving them back. A second successive strike forced out the taiji painting to defend. Qiankun spun his galaxy like true form sending spirals of fire, water, lighting, and wind out to harass Hongjun. "We need a new plan of action. I for one am sick and tired of fighting," he said. "We cannot," Da Hai growled back. "We have an advantage here, continue attacking. We''ll breakthrough his defences eventually and he''ll be vulnerable." "Da Hai," Wangshu said in anger. "Look around you, does it look like we have the advantage?" She raised her arms summing tendrils of silver roots that ripped apart a construct of purple clouds. She lashed out with slaps of her own. "She is right fellow daoist Da Hai," Qiankun said. "We''ve been stuck here for far too long. We should disengage and get away, he can''t track us with my methods." "And abandon out position?" Da Hai questioned in disbelief. "We''ve got him on the ropes for the first time since the dawn of the primitive world. We can''t give it up now, not when I''m this close." " Da Hai listen to yourself. This battle will never end," Wangshu retorted back sounding very exhausted. "I don''t know about you but I do not want to spend the rest of my life in constant fighting." "We just have to push a little harder. All out efforts in one spot, then we rip through and attack," Da Hai said. "Like what we tried twenty years ago? Or the time thirty one years ago? Or that other time fifty nine years ago?" Qiankun grunted while repelling another attack. "This is not working, even with the stars on our side, we''re not gaining any ground." Da Hai gritted his teeth and roared in frustration. He cannot refute their claims nor will he agree with them. The snake heads around him unleashed breath attacks in geysers of water pushing back against Hongjun''s fist formed from clouds. The sea god uncharacteristically leapt forward howling in rage. "Qiankun," Wangshu said softly. The swirling vortex of stars that was Qiankun merged back into an old man holding the cosmic ruler in one hand who nodded. "I have an idea," she suggested as she raised her hands to support Da Hai. The sea god swung his merged blade at the heavenly projection of Hongjun. The old man within smirked forming a titanic celestial general holding the pangu banner. transformed into a halberd. It clashed against Da Hai''s own attack. A swirling mass of stellar water punted the general pushing it back. Hongjun brought a fist forward and punched in retaliation obliterating the block of water. The force of his blow ploughed into Da Hai who hastily stabbed his blade down to block the blow. Space tore at the soles of his feet as the sea god slid back. He quickly regained his footing and battled against a projected army created by Hongjun. Waves of purple soldiers were torn apart as Da Hai fought with the fierceness of an out of control beast. Heavy lightning and celestial fire struck the sea god at his back. Da Hai grunted turning around to defend while controlling waves of water to harass the enemy. Beams of stellar light shot past Da Hai as Qiankun''s rocketed over cosmic ruler in hand. He smashed chunks of the purple heaven apart tearing his way across the battlefield. "Hai, get off," Hongjun sighed clapping his palms. The magical force transformed into a tidal wave of dust clouds containing an uncountable amount of purple lightning bolts. They tore at the fabric of reality as they went along. Grunting, Qiankun slammed the universal cauldron onto the surface of the clouds forming an image of the universe. Wangshu also flew over with a luminescent glow that lit up the western sky with bright moonlight. Her presence directed moonlight at the two gods rejuvenating them. "Coming in here again? When will you guys learn," Hongjun sighed shaking his head in disappointment. "No matter the variation of tricks you try, they never work." Hongjun''s performed several motions and released a surge of power. They transformed into various elements to drive the trio back. Wangshu smirked and raised her hand and pulled. The lunar star that previously stood still began moving. It hurled its way towards the heavens created by Hongjun. The old man raised an eyebrow. "Smashing the star into me again? Same old same old," he sighed moving back. The purple heavens followed after him as he retreated from the lunar star. "Qiankun," Wangshu cried. Da Hai turned around with confusion on his face when Qiankun raised the cosmic ruler. The ancestor of the universe leapt high above and smashed into the fabric of reality. Hongjun looked up in surprise. "Attacking reality instead of stabilising it? What are you planing?" He shot out a purple beam of lightning at Qiankun. Wangshu acted with haste, she flew into the way of the attack. The image of the lunar crown appeared before her resisting the lightning. "Open the gate," she commanded and Qiankun nodded. The ancestor of the universe took a lotus position and summoned the universal cauldron. The gap opened by him expanded into a full portal into the void. "Finally running away I see," Hongjun said. "Wise of you indeed, now quit wasting my time." "What are you two doing?" Da Hai roared in disbelief. "You''re going to waste all our years of progress." "Connect us Qiankun," Wangshu commanded. Qiankun nodded and folded his hands in several motions. He opened his eyes which glowed in cosmic light. Hongjun threw aside Da Hai with a slap and looked towards the portal only to raise his eyebrow. "The great wilderness?" He said in confusion. He was wondering why they opened a portal into the very world where tracking them would be so much easier. Qiankun gripped the portal and pulled, ripping it into a massive hole in the sky. With this amount of visibility, Hongjun recognized the land through it. "West continent," he said. "RAHG," Wangshu roared as she pulled. Hongjun turned around horridly right into the approaching lunar star. He had been distracted by the Wangshu and Qiankun''s actions that the lunar star had reached him. "Damn it," he said raising both palms. With all his might, he pushed against the lunar star. The sudden hit pushed him back. The lunar star was moving quickly towards the portal. Unable to gain his footing in time, Hongjun flew through the portal right into the sky above the west continent. "Why would they?" He began saying. "No!" Da Hai howled. He ran forwards only Wangshu to appear beside him and kick him away as Qiankun sealed the hole shut. "Damn it he got away!" Da Hai raged. In the West Continent, Hongjun looked around in confusion. He stopped moments later when he came face to face with an equally surprised and equally appalled Luohu standing right below him with a marching army. Chapter 76-Trash "NOOOOO!" Da Hai roared furiously. The portal into the great wilderness'' west continent slammed shut, back into real space just as Da Hai swung a massive water blade down. It instead ripped into the void. "Hey, stop damaging the fabric of reality," Wangshu growled back. Da Hai instead of listening reached out with his hands and pulled. He tore into the void attempting to open another portal. However, Qiankun slammed his palms down against shutting down each and every one of his attempts. "Qiankun open another portal now," Da Hai demanded. "Watch your tone with me," Qiankun retorted angrily. "There will be no gateways to the west. Let Hongjun be Luohu''s problem." "You squandered the perfect chance to end them," Da Hai growled back. The seven snake heads around him hissed menacingly. "Don''t antagonise me Da Hai," Qiankun warned. The cosmic ruler in his palm began glowing. "Fine, if you won''t help me then I''ll do it myself," Da Hai said turning around and drawing the teardrop sword. He gathered a huge amount of stellar water onto the surface of his blade and made to strike into the void. CLANG! Da Hai''s blow clashed against the outstretched form of the cosmic ruler. "What is the meaning of this?" Da Hai demanded. "Going after them now is the equivalent to committing suicide," Wangshu roared at the sea god. Da Hai swirled around to glare at the moon goddess who returned with a glare of her own. "I''m not about to let you walk to your own death," she said snapping her fingers. In a flash of light, silver chains bound Da Hai from head to toe. The sea god tensed to break the chains but they held firm. "Release me Wangshu," Da Hai growled. "Not until you calm down," she replied. "I am perfectly calm." "You are irrational," Wangshu shouted suddenly surprising Da Hai. "You have allowed your rage cloud your judgement. Analyse the battle, we were barely tying him down. Follow him into the west and the only thing you''ll find is your death. Do you really desire to seek your own death?" The starry skies rumbled in accordance with Wagshu''s voice. It was as if the stars themselves echoed her rage. The stars themselves shouted in unison along with her. "But we were so close," Da Hai argued. "Closer than we''ve ever been in years. Closer than we ever will have." "Did that look close to you?" Qiankun said stepping forward in anger. "Hongjun was on his own and yet he stopped all three of us with the lunar star''s support. What if Destiny Demon god had shown up?" "What?" Da Hai turned in surprise. "He''s allied with Destiny Demon god?" "The ancestor of time Sichen and the ancestor of yin and yang as well. Shangxia told me in his recruitment pitch," Qiankun said surpassing the feeling of regret. "Then it would''ve been all the more reason to go all in," Da Hai tried to argue. "He was without his greatest allies." "I underestimated Hongjun as well. I thought we could take him when allied, I was wrong," Qiankun said shaking his head. "Frankly I do not see a possibility of fighting him and winning. Even at my peak I still would''ve lost. At Da Hai''s peak, you still would''ve lost." "How can you be so sure. He couldn''t gain any ground on us. Eventually, we would''ve managed to corner him." "Don''t speak to me about battle experiences boy," Qiankun growled angrily. " I have a dozen yuanhui''s worth of experience in combat and there was no beating Hongjun. The gaps taken to figure out new techniques was too short to make any meaningful breakthroughs." "They would''ve added up over time." "That''s not how cultivation works and you know it," Wangshu scoffed. "We lacked the raw power to hurt him but he still could hurt us. Face it, we simply lacked methods to beat him much less kill him." "So we should just give up?" Da Hai yelled. The chains binding him started quaking much to Wangshu''s shock. "I refuse to spit on brother Huoyun''s memory. Hongjun needs to pay, both him and Luohu." "And now you want to fight both of them? Are you insane?" Qiankun said shaking his head. "I thought you a lot more rational than this." "Like master like disciple," Wangshu muttered messaging her nose bridge. "Your single minded obsession will be the death of you," she accused. "It is not an obsession, it is justice," Da Hai cried. "Do you hear yourself?" Wangshus scoffed. "If not for your naturally non confrontational personality you would be long dead." "I for one do not wish to walk to my death," Qiankun said with a humph. He turned around and casually ripped a hole into the void. "I will be entering secluded cultivation. Do not try to find me," he said stepping through closing the gateway behind him. "Damn it," Da Hai growled in frustration. Qiankun sudden refusal to help will negatively impact his progress. He hadn''t made any major progress in years and his own lack of power frustrated him to no end. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ''Zulong still exists,'' Da Hai pondered. ''He''s already nearing the Chaos Immortal realmand it''ll only be a matter of time before he can properly assist him. By then the dragons should be set up and I can call upon support from around the world.'' ''Wangshu in the stars, Zulong in the seas. I''ll have Hongjun and Luohu cornered,'' he pondered taking a brief look at Wangshu. However, he only found her displeased gaze looking right back at him. "Qiankun has a point," Wangshu said. "If Hongjun is already so strong, how terrifying is Luohu? Best let them both deal with each other," she said breaking Da Hai away from his thoughts. "I am sorry," he managed to say. "But I will not stop on this path," he said. "Huoyun can''t have died for nothing. You were there, you know what happened. You are the legacy of Pangu, it is your duty to protect this world. So will you help me or not?" PAH! The chains shattered around Da Hai as he staggered back from the sudden burst of pain on his cheek. Wangshu''s glare was one that frankly frightened the sea god. "Guilt tripping me? You embarrass yourself in your delusions," Wangshu said disappointingly. "And you shame his memory," Da Hai said glaring at the goddess. "He saved your life, he saved my life. He was instrumental in saving the world. His killers, those who ploted and schemed against us are still out there having the time of their lives. How dare you stand there like nothing''s wrong? "How dare I?" Wangshu said in startling disbelief. "Yes, do you care nothing for brother Huoyun at all?" Da Hai accused. "You should be leading the fight against them. Youn Qiankun, Shangxia and all those who know the truth." "I care nothing for daoist five elements." Wangshu, visibly hurt and pissed off, gave off a chilling aura. "The only reason I went along with you, the only reason I offered my aid was because of you. Because I saw you as my friend." "You''ve become so obsessed that you start seeing everyone around you as another tool to use," Wangshu scoffed. "The current you is no different from either of those two. Hiding behind a justifiable cause for your own hatred. Using others for your own revenge. Pushing those close to you away and fencing yourself." She gripped her fists tightly. The pale light of the lunar star had never shown so menacingly. The light of the moon was a peaceful one. Yet in this instance, it appeared furious. "I genuinely prayed that that was not the case. But it seems you are consumed down to your very essence," Wangshu sighed in disappointment. "Go back to Yingzhou, you are no longer welcomed here." "I." Not giving Da Hai a chance to speak. Wangshu struck Da Hai with a powerful kinetic blow. The goddess hurled the sea god away from her, deep into space, into the void, towards the east sea. At that moment, Da Hai stood still in a trance. He wore an expression of shock even as Wangshi forcibly hurled him across the fabric of reality. Though he could easily resist, he did nothing as he plummeted for the great wilderness. Those words hit Da Hai harder than any blow he''d been felt before. The tidal wave of guilt settled in at the same time. His rage had given way to clarity and horror. SPLASH! Da Hai crashed into the east sea. For a time, he simply floated there unnoticed. His snake heads had long faded into his body. The sea god remained motionless for a long period of time. Many thoughts raced through his mind. Memories from the time he broke Huoyun''s seal to his confrontation against Hongjun. The scenes played within his mind over and over again. His middle aged appearance suddenly appeared very tired. He did not look like he had any strength to move at all. There was an air of loss surrounding him. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. All the while Da Hai lay in a blanket of despair contemplating his choices until now. Was Wangshu right? Was he truly so consumed in wrath that it had become an obsession? He thought about his disciples. Originally accepted with the intention of producing powerful pawns. Then he thought about his commitment to that plan. ''Just what had I been thinking at the time,'' he pondered. Aimless, clueless, hopeless. The emotions the sea god felt were ones he''d suppressed for nearly half a yuanhui. He thought about Zulong and the other sovereigns he''d observed. The lessons he''d tried to teach, to steer the dragons into a certain direction. About the result he wanted to achieve. About the contradictory claims he''d made and contradictory actions he''d taken. ''I guess I wasn''t thinking at all. Deep down, I had long realized how impossible of a foe I face. How aimless I was. How I was drifting from half baked idea to half baked idea. Acting in bad faith to myself and those around me.'' Looking up at the moonlit night sky, Da Hai sighed depressingly. "I really am trash." Chapter 77- The Return Tap, tap, tap. Da Hai''s soft footsteps touched down upon the beach around Yingzhou''s shore. The sea god sighed before heading up the main pathway. He''d been away for quite some time, nearly a thousand years but even so, Yingzhou did not look any different Not a single bush was out of place, not a single but of weed. The trees were well maintained and the decorations showed regular signs of polish. The various statues and his own palace did not look any different, well maintained and clean. "I''m home," Da Hai muttered to himself. He walked steadily up the trail leading up to his palace. The trail was quiet and peaceful, Da Hai immediately noticed new vegetation added. The end result was a beautiful trek through nature. "When did?" He looked around confused. Yingzhou had excellent natural beauty but it seemed between the time he was gone and now, more had been added. There were thousand year old spiritual trees and gourd trees and this wasn''t even the dedicated farm. These trees didn''t use to be here. The sea god calculates that these were likely planted several centuries ago. Either by the head moth fairies as decoration to liven up the place or by the dragons for the same goal. Either way, the trees flourished under the rich environment of Yingzhou. Looking around, Da Hai admired the beauty of the flora around him. He''d never partaken in such actions before, even Yingzhou was little more than a good base for him up until now. He took a gourd and took a bite out of the fruit. "It''s good," he said smiling softly. He tilted his head hearing soft footsteps. Coming through from a path that led to the spiritual farms, a group of the moth fairies maids passed through. They immediately noticed Da Hai and made to prostrate themselves. "Welcome back great lord," The surprised voices of three of the moth fairies called out. They were carrying baskets that were filled with various types of plants and fruits. It made sense to Da Hai, these spiritual fruits looked to be ripe for usage. "This is wonderful news, the young lords will be very pleased," the moth fairies exclaimed excitedly. "Big sister was so worried when the young lords returned with you gone. We''ve been without news for a very long time." "It''s fine, inform them of my safe return," Da Hai instructed. He gestured for them to leave. "My lord, I shall prepare a banquet for you," one of the fairies enthusiastically said. However, Da Hai raised his hand and stopped her. "No, there is no need for that," he said. "I admire your enthusiasm but celebrations for such small things are unnecessary." "Uh, if you''re sure," she managed to say shyly. Da Hai instructed her to follow her sisters then proceeded to make his own way up. Watching them leave, Da Hai sighed. "I don''t deserve this," he muttered. He looked down at the trails of golden light in the palm of his hand. "I don''t even believe in your cause, I don''t even really care about you," he said lowering his hand. What little amounts of karmic luck that remained disappeared back into him. Strolling up the pathway, he stopped as the figures of two of his disciples came to view. "Master!" Qinglong and Yinglong called out in unison rushing down, barely stopping themselves. They bowed respectfully to the sea god and made joyous faces. "You all," Da Hai didn''t know what to say. "Master, it is good to see you safe," Qinglong said joyfully. "How did the battle go? Has that old villain been vanquished?" "I¡­" Da Hai sighed and shook his head. At his air of depression, the dragons'' expressions fell. "Do not worry about that matter. That is something for I, your master to deal with," Da Hai assured. "Focus on your own cultivation and do not worry over it." "But master, he threatened you. That is more than enough reason for¡­" Yinglong began saying before Da Hai stopped him. "That person is an ancestor before even my time. Let me handle things for now and when you all reach the realm of the Great Principle, I will properly brief you," Da Hai promised. "Heh, in that case, master you''d better prepare for that debriefing soon," Qinglong said smirking. "That confident in attaining the Great Principle?" Da Hai said raising his eyebrow. "Ha, I expect you to follow through with such a claim," he said with a small warm smile. The two dragons were slightly stunned at Da Hai''s more amiable behaviour but gave it no mind. The most important knot in their hearts had untied. "We will not disappoint master," they proclaimed. The ancient sea god felt no small amounts of pride, this time he did not suppress it. Within his heart, he sighed with disappointment and regret directed at himself. "Where is your senior brother?" Da Hai inquired. "I do not feel his presence on Yingzhou. In fact, where is the Yi Fei''e? Her presence is also missing." Yi Fei''e was the given name of the head moth fairy. Da Hai had bestowed rather uncreative names on all of them when they became fully sentient. "Oh! Big brother and the ms Fei''e are tending to Nan Dao Chen as we speak," Yinglong explained. "The city has been allocated within the primordial turtle clan''s territory for now." "I see, so she made it safely back after all," Da Hai sighed with relief. One of the first actions he made before confronting Si Hai was to punt the head moth fairy across the void. He aimed her directly at the east sea with instructions to deliver Nan Dao Chen back to Yingzhou. Normally, it could take tens of thousands of years for her to travel on foot. The head moth fairy had sailed across the void with speeds unfathomable to her. She reached the east sea after a few decades but had to trudge her way back. Thankfully, she received no trouble due to her identity. All residents of Yingzhou carried a unique energy signature placed there by Da Hai. It was something most experts of the east sea recognised. According to Yinglong, she met up with the dragons sometime after they returned to the east and they carried her with them. To Da Hai, this was great news. Yi Fei''e had been a good assistant and had been equally steadfast in her loyalty. Though Da Hai had never paid her too much attention until now. ''Perhaps I should upgrade her status to a proper disciple,'' he pondered. Pushing his thought aside, Da Hai turned back to the two dragons. "Inform them of my return but don''t rush them back, I will want to see their progress myself," he instructed. "It shall be done," they said bowing. ¡­ THOOM! A chain of mountains collapsed into rubble. Resting around the edges of the dimensional wall towards the central continent, large continents of devil soldiers sat nursing their wounds. The cataclysmic clash of several ancestor level figures had unintentionally caught many high ranking devils in the crossfire. The resulting losses were quite severe for the devilish Dao. "Well that was a disaster," Mara snarked taking a seat beside a frowning Luohu. The demon king was missing his entire left side and one of his legs was encased in ice. Not far from them, the gargantuan form of Qiong Qi lay motionless mid air within a bubble. Mara reached out to interact with the time bubble before pulling back. "Fascinating," he said. "Now that I''m out of combat, this technique is quite sophisticated. It''s not quite of Shiva''s level but it''s par beyond anything from the devas." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "What the fuck were they doing here?" Luohu growled. "You recruited us into your sect, are you really surprised Hongjun would do the same?" Mara said placing his right arm on his knee. "What do you think Hundun?" He asked the faceless god. Hundun floated nearby facing the time bubble. His six skinny arms were stretching outperforming some sort of magical ritual. The godfiend was in actuality trying to undo the time bubble trapping his fellow evil beast. "Yinyang was expected but nothing to worry about, Sichen was a surprise and a threat but nothing we can''t handle," Hundun said smoothly. "But the destiny demon god presents a problem," he admitted. "How the fuck did that old fool gain the loyalty of the destiny demon god much less find him?" Luohu growled. "His whole shtick prevents others from tracing him." "He does present quite a conundrum doesn''t he," Mara sighed. "Alone he is a difficult opponent," Luohu admitted. "I can''t beat him easily and he can escape anytime he so chooses and I''d be unable to stop him. But him and Hongjun together are not a match I can handle," the devil ancestor gripped the shaft of his god killing spear so tightly that a creaking sound was heard. Silver and blacklight hovered around the devil ancestor and all those around him skirted a wide breadth. Only those such as Hundun and Mara could remain within his presence. "We need another edge," Mara said. "I will be frank with you when I say we should''ve attacked sooner, your lack of confidence costed us the advantage." Luohu remained motionless but hesitantly nodded. His expression was the ugliest Mara had ever seen. "The ideal choice is to recruit more godfiends to our side," Mara concluded. "Who else is still alive?" He mused. "The starry skies'' guardian, empress Wangshu, the ancestor of the universe, great immortal Qiankun, and the hermit of the seas, Da Hai, the mysterious vertigo immortal Shangxia,. Then we have emperor Si Hai of the four seas, and the scavenger Shen Feng," Hundun listed one after the other. "Of these, the former likely hold a grudge after the last war. The latter is more amiable but their power level is too low to make a meaningful difference," the faceless godfiend said. "Doesn''t Si Hai have a deal with us?" Taotie asked approaching the trio. "He''s indebted to us." "He''s a moron who doesn''t recognise that fact," Luohu scoffed. "Even back during the chaos days, that moron was always too arrogant for his own good. I sometimes wonder how he survived so long without getting killed." "But the pressing matter remains. We could still approach those experts and try to win them over. However, Wangshu is the only one we know the definite location of. We''ll approach her and try to win her over. Hopefully, she doesn''t hold too much of a grudge," Luohu pressed his hands on his chin in thought. "Fuck, things are not looking good," Luohu tapped his lip. A million thoughts raced through his mind. "Perhaps we should look into the new era innate gods," Mara suggested. "Hundun, do you have any news on them?" "This generation is a slippery bunch," Hundun said. "Most are smart enough to remain in hiding or pretend to be a member of an innate creature clan. However, we do have news of one calling herself phoenix sovereign." "Oh? Do tell," Luohu spoke up, his interest piqued. "She''s an expert on the South Continent and maintains a large territory near. Her cultivation though should still be in the Great Unity Golden Immortal level," Hundun reported. "That''s a shame, Great Unity is much too low," Luohu frowned. "We need a weapon, relying on another expert is too unreliable." "You want to craft another treasure?" Mara asked. "No, unless we''re dealing with a bonafide Dao artefact, another treasure won''t add much. My destruction mill and god killing spear are equal to what Hongjun can pull out. Fuck he really lucked out grabbing Pangu''s stuff," Luohu cursed. Why did Hongjun have such good luck whereas he had to hunt for treasures in the chaos sea. "Give me some time to think about it," Luohu said getting up. "I''ll be entering secluded cultivation. You two, get the devilish Dao up and running again," he instructed before disappearing in a haze of light. ¡­ A portal opened up within Zixiao palace. The palace of purple clouds rested peacefully atop Mt Yujing in a sea of soft purple clouds. Its lustrous walls hummed with divine chanting and immortal insight. Hongjun stepped through the portal frowning. A deep gash ran down his wrinkly face and red stains were on his beard. The hulking monstrosity that was the destiny demon god followed after him. His yellow eyes slanted in an ugly glare. Sichen chose to remain silent while Yinyang wisely skirted to the side. "Explain yourself," the destiny demon god''s deep voice rumbled. His unsatisfactory feelings were on full display. "I made a tactical retreat, it is not the right time to face Luohu," Hongjun explained calmly wiping the blood off his body with a few gestures. The destiny demon god lacked a proper human form. His emotions could not be easily read based on his expression. However, the air around him was permitted with irritation. "Then why did you initiate the battle?" The destiny demon god asked slowly. Every word was said with power and dissatisfaction. His very presence made even Hongjun slightly uncomfortable. The ancestor of time, Sichen leaned on a pillar remaining silent. He too was surprised that the battle Hongjun. Though, unlike the destiny demon god, he was not that upset at having to retreat. "It was¡­an unfortunate accident," Hongjun said. "Luohu detected me while I was in the area hence the initiation. Luckily, we were able to deal him a humiliating blow." "Improve your hiding ability Hongjun," destiny demon god growled. "Only contact me, when the real battle begins," he said. With a loud crack of thunder, the hulking form of the godfiend vanished. "I take it Shangxia''s dead?" Hongjun asked after a few moments. "His life bound crystal shattered," Sichen said. "Shame, do we know where his corpse fell?" Hongjun inquired. "Only that it''s somewhere in the west sea. But now Luohu will be paying more attention. I don''t think we should go there," the god of time said. Hongjun nodded as well, he strolled forwards and took a seat on a meditation cushion at the middle back of the hall. He appeared both imposing and grand. "Very well, you should all improve your cultivation," Hongjun advised. "We still need to prepare." "Just remember your promise Hongjun," Sichen and Yinyang said. "I will uphold my end of the bargain. Your Daos will no longer be of use to the heavenly Dao once the earlier heavens are set in motion. By then, you''ll be free to progress once more," Hongjun said smiling kindly. ''After all, you lot have no place in the world to come,'' he added in his mind. "I''ll hold you to that," Sichen said narrowing his eyes before splitting open the void and teleporting away. Yinyang followed soon afterward. Left on his lonesome, Hongjun massaged his temples. His face was flushed with embarrassment and a solid cloud of red anger radiated from him. "How dare they," he said softly but angrily. "The timeline is progressing too slowly," he said. "I must cut out my next corpse." Chapter 78-The Dragonic Dao Gui Daiyu stepped onto the balcony of Zulong''s palace with some hesitance. She found the royally dressed dragon standing in excitement before her. Smiling softly, the princess approached him. "What''s got you so riled up this morning?" She asked. Zulong tilted his head at her and smiled. "I''ve gotten news from Yingzhou," the dragon said smiling. "Master has finally returned safely." "This¡­this is wonderful news," Gui Daiyu gasped. Upon studying Zulong''s face she asked, "Is his excellency coming here?" "Yes, he wants to check in on my progress," Zulong said turning around. "I can''t disappoint him. I have to show him what I''ve been working in for the past few centuries." "Are you sure it''s ready?" Gui Daiyu questioned. "This kind of project has never been done before. You still haven''t even tested its credibility." Zulong sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, it is much harder then I expected to create a new cultivation path. But I am confident that it''ll impress. After all, I worked on it." "Wow, I think your overconfidence is getting to your head," she joked. Zulong chuckled in response. "But in all honesty, if you''re sure then go ahead. I''ve seen how hard you''ve been mulling over it so you should show it off. But I''ll just say I told you so." "All the more reason to," Zulong said walking inside the bedroom. "Master can give me suggestions and directions. His cultivation is still much higher than mine, he can surely catch things I''ve missed." Zulong held Gui Daiyu''s hand and offered her a kiss. "I am lucky to have met you. One more reason to be thankful," he said softly. He suddenly snapped his head to the side and smiled. "He''s here," he announced. "Let''s not keep him waiting." The dragon guided Gui Daiyu out of the room. The two made their way through the palace towards the front steps passing by many servants who bowed their heads in reverence. The current Zulong was not another rogue expert known for his combat prowess. The dragon now held a very high status as the inheritor of the saint of Yingzhou, Da Hai. To the sea folk of the east sea, Da Hai''s name was synonyms with ancestor. He was the cultivation ancestor of the east sea and their most venerated god. His temples were everywhere along with palates depicting his quotes. As they walked, Gui Daiyu fidgeted uneasily. Zulong took notice in realisation of this and held her hand softly. "Don''t be nervous," he said. "Master is not as grandiose as you may think." "Easy for you to say," Gui Daiyu snapped back. "You didn''t grow up attending festivals and ceremonies with his statue looming over you. This is our god for heaven''s sake, I used to play around the foot of his statue with my cousins and siblings." "I see what you mean," Zulong nodded. "But master honestly doesn''t care much for formalities. He just comes and goes and talks like any regular person. He''s not that bad, I promise. Besides, haven''t you already met him?" "Only at a distance and he barely acknowledged me," the princess cried. "Oh heavens, what if he finds out about the time I spilt juice onto his statue? I mean, I did clean it out and nobody found out but¡­" "Ok Yu''er, calm down," Zulong said placating his partner. "It''ll be fine, master already thinks highly of you. In fact, I think he thinks you''re better than me." The dragon''s reassuring smile calmed the turtle princess. Unnoticed by both of them, Da Hai had already caught the entire conversation. As such it was quite weird when he suddenly burst out laughing while drinking beverages served by the servants in this guest room. "This is so strange," Gui Daiyu whispered as she and Zulong entered the room. Da Hai sat on the main seat. Yi Fei''e had already arrived and sat down rather than taking the position of a servant. "This small one greets you honoured exalted one/Hello master," they said in unison. The vast difference in tone was palpable. While they were both very respectful, Zulong was noticeably more casual and intimate. Gui Daiyu on the other hand carried a fear of rejection yet awe. "Good disciple, it is good to see you again," Da Hai praised clapping Zulong''s shoulders. Zulong was briefly surprised but thought nothing much of it. But he did note that Da Hai had become noticeably warmer compared to their previous interaction. "And you must be my disciple''s Dao companion," the famed sea god said turning towards Gui Daiyu stunning the girl. The princess flushed and looked away unable to meet his eyes. "Truth be told I did not expect this development when I first sent you over," Da Hai said to Zulong. "Nevertheless, I believe she is good for tempering your more undesirable qualities," he praised Gui Daiyu while dissing Zulong. "Hey," Zulong called out in embarrassment. "The follies of my youth are long over, I am not a child anymore master," he said. "Of course not, you are this universes premier talent, above all else you are my disciple," Da Hai praised. He led Zulong and Gui Daiyu to take a seat and drank with them. It surprised how openly friendly his master was being but it was not an unwelcome change. Da Hai had always had a more warm side beneath that cold exterior. Zulong never did know why his master was the way he is and he never pried. However, he felt his master was in a better place now compared to before. Very quickly, Gui Daiyu left her nervous persona behind. The atmosphere became a lot more lively and the princess felt a lot more comfortable talking. She told all sorts of stories about Zulong and vice versa. The head moth fairy sat a little further behind. She nevertheless smiled softly at the scene. For her, Yingzhou mountain was the most important place in the world. It was much better when their lord and master got along joyfully. Yi Fei''e and her sister were not born on Yingzhou. But for them, they might as well be. Their earliest memories as themselves were as silkworms on Yingzhou. Their whole lives had been on that island whether they be cultivating or working. Da Hai was not a bad person to work under. In fact, he was basically a teacher and parent to all of them. Cold and distant as he may be most of the time, he also spared no expense in providing for those under him. "Here, this is for you," Da Hai said taking an object wrapped in cloth out of his pocket dimension. It was revealed to a pair of earrings pulsating with primordial Qi. Gui Daiyu''s eyes widened when she realised that this was a xiantian spiritual treasure. "A¡­a¡­a mid grade xiantian spiritual treasure?" She uttered. "I can''t possibly accept this," she held the treasure in her hands like it was the most precious thing in the world. Xiantian spiritual treasures of any grade were hard to come by. Even low grades were seldom seen and treated as national treasures. Yet here was Da Hai randomly giving out a mid grade like it was nothing. In truth, part of the reason Xiantian spiritual treasures were so rare was because they were hoarded by the most ancient of experts who were there first. Da Hai might not be the most sociably of people but he does leave Yingzhou and nearly always comes back with treasures he picked up. Many seniors of his generation were pretty similar. Da Hai stored most things on him while others like Hongjun stored them on their home abodes. Luohu was unique in that he funnelled his wealth into the devilish Dao. "Accept it, it''s a gift," Da Hai said smiling softly. "For all the things you''ve done for me, you deserve it." "But I," the princess was momentarily speechless. "Just think of this as an early dowry for Zulong then," Da Hai added. ''Wait, shouldn''t that be the other way around?'' said dragon thought gaining a weird expression on his face. "Uh," Gui Daiyu managed to say utterly bewildered yet embarrassed. She could only accept Da Hai''s gift. "Good, good," Da Hai laughed in satisfaction. "You have potential, I can sense it. It is only a matter of time before you break off all chains in this world and step into the realm of Golden Immortal. Perhaps not now, but definitely by the end of this Yuanhai." The princess smiled happily at the praise. With the recognition from the greatest god of the east sea came a desire to meet that expectation. Zulong smiled at the praise she''s gotten, he silently vowed to reach Chaos Immortal as soon as possible as well. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Later that day, in a more private study. Zulogn entered the room with eagerness. "This way master," he said eagerly leading Da Hai in. He hurried to the drawer and pulled out a collection of scrolls and lay them on the study table. Da Hai chuckled at the dragon''s antics, only in a private setting could he be like this. "What is it that made you so eager Zulong?" He asked. He looked around the room. Da Hai had always preferred to keep things where they can be easily be found. That wasn''t to say he was the neatest person ever, just that he preferred a certain level of neatness that he imparted to the dragons over the years. Zulong''s private study was a mess of papers and models. Random diagrams and test tubes scattered about. Pictures of anatomy, plants, models of the cosmos and various other diagrams are scattered about. From a first glance, all these things had nothing to do with each other. They were easily different fields of study even for cultivators. However, Da Hai had an inkling to what Zulong wanted to show. After all, this era was famed for a reason. During the era of the three beasts, there existed the phoenix, the qilin, and the dragon. Among the three, the qilin and the dragon had numerous descendants forming massive clans. The phoenix was the only exception having only two children in her lifetime. Although the dragon clan consisted of millions upon millions of members. The current world only consisted of three male dragons. What''s more, the ancestral dragon was only ever recorded to have had nine sons in legends. When Zulong grabbed one particular scroll and unfurled it for Da Hai to see. Things started to make sense. Da Hai held that contained a large summary of unique principles in his hand while Zulong gathered several others for him to see. "How ambitious," Da Hai said in wonder. "I''m impressed Zulong, is this what you have been working on for the last several centuries I''ve been away?" "Yes master," Zulong nodded. "I''ve had this idea brewing in my mind since I first touched down on the west continent. My further analysis of the north, west, and south has led me to a conclusion of how I want my empire to turn out." The dragon held up a scroll containing a set of steps followed by an image of the dragon. "I believe this will be the ideal step to achieve this." "Smart idea, unifying everyone of the four seas under the singular communal cultivation path. I can see where the inspiration for this came from," Da Hai praised handing back the scroll he held. "Do you have a name for it?" "Yes master," Zulong said. "I plan to call this the path of the celestial dragon. or simply the draconic Dao." "Very well, draconic Dao it is," Da Hai said nodding. "But I must warn you Zulong. This path like all others can only lead to the Golden Immortal realm." Zulong looked slightly alarmed, "Wouldn''t it be more beneficial to go into the higher realms? Cultivation is about progress right and enlightenment after all." "Yes, and that is precisely why there can never be a path that goes beyond Golden Immortal," Da Hai said grimly. "Ponder on this as you create this path. I''m sure you can figure it out on your own." He took another scroll into his hands and frowned slightly. "This will be a lot harder to achieve," he admitted. He eyed a nervous Zulong who nodded in agreement. "The creation of an entire race of innate creatures," the sea god mused. "It is very doable and considering your presence, a guarantee." "I sense a but," Zulong said. "But you lack key ingredients," Da Hai said. "The basis of life relies on the five elements. However, this is the easiest material to gather. The primitive world is rich in the five elements, even the winds, the grass, the water, and land are rich with it. Specialised materials like the five element soil are not needed." "However, the other component is the three brilliance sacred water. This is where it gets tricky," Da Hai said frowning. "I understand master, this is why I was planning to leave and scour the world for some," Zulong said. "Already?" Da Hai frowned. "It has not been long since you returned. I can see how badly Gui Daiyu wants you here." "I know, it''s not anytime soon. I still have to work on my cultivation," the dragon replied. Da Hai stroked his chin in thought. ''The amends I need to make,'' he pondered. "Do not worry about three brilliance sacred water," Da Hai announced much to Zulong''s surprise. "I will secure it for you." "What? But master, Yingzhou for all its riches does not possess the quantity I need," Zulong cried out. "Do not worry about that," Da Hai retorted sharply. "Worry about your own cultivation and your administration. Besides, it is a master''s duty to support their disciple." At this moment, Zulong felt extremely emotional. He was a xiantian lifeforms, whole from the moment of birth. Unlike innate creatures, he did not have parents. Da Hai was the closest thing to a father he has. "Of course, master. I''m already close to a breakthrough. Within a hundred years I will ascend to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm," Zulong announced. "Hm, very well. I shall await you until then," Da Hai said smiling proudly. ''Yes, this is a good feeling,'' he thought. ¡­ "Sister, why are we here?" Zhuque asked following behind Zufeng. The pair of sisters had sneaked away from Phoenix''s Roost and discreetly entered the east continent. "You should be in secluded cultivation to restore your strength," the vermillion bird urged. Her elder sister shook her head gloomily. "No sister, I have to do this first," the phoenix sovereign said. She lead her sister into a cliff face overlooking a large valley. The two flew down until they reached the entrance of a cave emanating with power. A robed old man with the head of a vulture awaited them. "So you''ve come after all," he said slowly. "Yes old man, now where is it?" Zufeng demanded. She was loathed to be here but her self confidence had been shaken. Any extra power was good in this scenario. "Such impatience, hai, how good it is to be young," the old man said chuckling. "Enough of this, show me where this five element light is," Zufeng demanded with strength. The ground beneath her shook and dark clouds swirled above her. "No rush, no rush," the old man gestured into the cave. "This way, you''ll understand once you enter," he said. "Wait outside," Zufeng informed her reluctant sister. "If he tries something, kill him." She boldly walked into the cave. This same cave accepted her entrance. In fact, to the phoenix, it was almost as if she found kin. Strong red clouds guided her deeper and deeper into the cave. The golden rays of destiny were now more visible than ever. "It''s true," Zufeng whispered. She spread her arms that transformed into beautiful wings. Her neck elongated and her face gained a beak. The illustrious form of the phoenix was revealed in all her glory. She reached the centre of a cave where a large gathering of power sat. A small incense bowl lay beneath her but she paid it no mind. "This''ll do nicely," she said excitedly. Five coloured lights began rapidly entering her body. Zufeng took deep breathes and felt her body strengthen like never before. "Old senior of the previous era, thank you for this gift," she said when the lights finally dimmed. The multi coloured aura of the five coloured divine light shone in her head. This legacy she gained was one that was beyond her own expectations. "Ancestor of fire clouds, a true monster of the chaos sea," she whispered. She withdrew several instances and paid her respects before abruptly leaving, after all, her beloved sister was still waiting outside. Watching the two avian goddesses leave, the old man smiled. "Thank you for your sacrifice old friend," he said looking up at the sign displaying the proud words ''Fire Cloud Cave''. His birdlike features faded to reveal a happy Hongjun. "The stage is slowly being set," he said stroking his beard. "Shame I couldn''t get the dragon but no big loss. Now I just need to find that piece of Jade. Then my future is fully secured." Chapter 79-The Dragonic Dao II "It''s finally happening," Da Hai mused looking up into the sky. Above Yingzhou, the heavens lit up in a shower of golden light. Singing and dancing, images of gods manifested welcoming the descent of an ancestral deity. Yinglong, Qinglong, Baihu, and Xuanwu looked up from their perch on Yingzhou in equal amazement at the magnificent sight above them. Raw primordial Qi gathered in radiant bursts, shining as they rose up into the sky. The serpentine form stretching over ten thousand kilometres long danced admits the clouds. Zulong soared in the heavens, his golden scales glistened and gleamed as they shed divine light. Around the seas, various experts gathered to watch the spectacle of Zulong''s breakthrough. The high level experts who''d reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal stage gazed in amazement and wonder and a strong sense of longing. For those lower, below the Heavenly Immortal realm, they struggled to comprehend the dragon dancing above them. For many with low cultivation, they could not even perceive Zulong''s existence. Even immortals struggled to comprehend what they were seeing. The sheer concept of the Dao emanating off of Zulong was both awe inspiring yet so out of this world that they could not comprehend it. "You know, hearing about this is one thing. But to actually see this with my own eyes," a strong raspy voice said. This was the plesiosaur ancestor. "Quite right old long neck. Guess I shouldn''t be surprised he''d be the first one of our generation to reach that realm," Plesiosaur''s longtime rival, mosasaur ancestor said. "I guess it''s inevitable now." "Indeed," Colossal shark and plesiosaur replied together. "I''ll move my troops away and you do yours. Our new sovereign won''t like his subjects fighting that''s for sure." "Haha, who knew that kid from all those years ago will follow through with his words," Plesiosaur laughed and sighed in resignation. "What kid? That kid kicked your, mine, and every else ass before he was taken in," Colossal Shark huffed. "It was only a matter of time anyway, the only thing he needed was the honoured exalted saint''s approval." As Zulong pushed open the boundaries between Great Unity Golden Immortal and Great Principle Chaos Immortal realms, he felt as if he entered a whole new world. The sheer clarity of which he could view the cosmos astounded him. He felt as if he''d been blind all this time and only now learned to see. "So this is how master sees the world?" He mused. His eyes appears to be glazed over as golden strings of destiny flew by him. The winds of fate originating from the heavenly Dao, the winds that set the trend of heaven became visible to him. Zulong slightly narrowed his eyes. "I see," he mused. His body twirled in the air floating millions of kilometres above sea level. He took a deep breath and released the culmination of his cultivation. He bathed the east sea in rich Dao essence so much so that some people had an instant breakthrough. "The dragon was born admits the waves, he rises from the sea, flying into the sky, soaring above the clouds," Da Hai mused watching Zulong dance in the air. Even he felt admiration towards the dragon. His current cultivation was absurd, his accumulation was incredibly high even compared to the godfiends of the ancient past. "Without Pangu, even I would be inferior," Da Hai mused with a look of pride. "I truly don''t deserve this." Zulong descended in a flurry of wind. He was wreathed in auspicious clouds that cloaked him, shrinking down until he restored his human Dao body. He was immediately glomped by Gui Daiyu. "You did it, you did it!" She laughed joyfully. "You finally reached that realm. Now you''re the first expert beneath the honoured saint." "Of course I can do it, who do you think I am?" Zulong responded joyfully swinging the girl around. The primordial turtle ancestor looked a little uneasy at such a public display. He nervously looked towards Da Hai and sighed in relief when he saw the sea god smile. He''d been lucky to have been allowed to stand on Yingzhou, everyone else including the top three east sea superpowers either sat in the ocean or in the air. "Yes, with this big brother will be one step closer," Qinglong smiled with excitement. "The time of coronation should be soon." "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves," Yinglong retorted. "Big brother has already stated he doesn''t want to rush things like that peacock from the south. He''s already told us breaking through was only one of three situations that must occur before he''s crowned." "Yeah, yeah, I know," Qinglong said. "But this is no less joyous." "That we can agree on," Yinglong nodded. ¡­ Several thousand years after Zulong''s breakthrough, news reached the east sea. The south continent had lit up in a hail of five coloured light and the cry of the king of birds reached all corners of the world. Almost overnight, all avian species across the five continent four seas began a pilgrimage. In unison, birds from all over the world marched for the south continent. Many were slain during the trek but many made it as well. Then the news arrived, the Phoenix Sovereign had risen. The first of the three to be crowned, the illustrious king of all birds finally appeared and announced herself to the world. This Great Principle Chaos Immortal expert overthrew all other powers of the South Continent in the span of ten years and quickly assumed total control. The geopolitical situation between the South Content and Sea had shifted completely. It was only through a lack of interest in the waters that spared Si Hai''s forces not that he''s ever admitted it himself. The worldwide announcement of the Phoenix Sovereign had also shaken the hearts of two individuals. The qilin and the dragon suddenly felt the urge to challenge back in defiance and fury. However, the dragons quashed that notion down quickly. "You''re really not doing it?" Gui Daiyu asked her lover in bed. "No, the territory I want is much much much larger than what that peacock has got. Personal power doesn''t matter at that distance," Zulong shook his head. "But don''t worry, the draconic Dao has reached a major breakthrough." "You''re leaving for Yingzhou again right?" Gui Daiyu asked sounding almost disappointed. Her hand touched her abdomen causing Zulong to falter. "I''m afraid so, but don''t worry, it''ll only be a quick visit," the dragon promised. "You should stay there longer, you''d get more time to work with honoured saint. I''ll just enter secluded cultivation," Gui Daiyu stated much to the dragon''s surprise. "Hm? Well, alright then. You are close to a breakthrough yes?" Zulong asked for clarification. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The turtle princess sighed, "How can it be so easy to enter the Golden Immortal realm? I can see the gateway but I suspect I am still a few thousand years off." "Why not come to Yingzhou with me?" Zulong suggested. "The Dao rich environment there is extremely suitable for cultivation." "Would I even be allowed? That''s the holy land and¡­" she began only for Zulong to place a finger on her lip. "You''re not a foreigner anymore Yu''er," Zulong said smiling softly. "You''re family and master considers you one of us. You don''t have to be so nervous around him all the time. I''ll put one of your brothers in charge of Nan Dao Chen and Long Chen and we''d be set." "Alright then, if you''re sure," Gui Daiyu relented. The duo left for Yingzhou. With Zulong''s newfound strength they reached the mystical island in hours. The difference between Great Unity Golden Immortal and Great Principle Chaos Immortal was like heaven and earth. The current Zulong could casually squish the old Zulong like a worm. The loving pair was greeted by Baihu and Yi Fei''e. For the past few thousand years, the white tiger had stayed on Yingzhou as a guest whereas the black tortoise had returned north for cultivation under Ao. As such Zulong was not surprised to see these two here. "Let master and my brothers know I''ve returned," he told them. While doing so he examined the two''s cultivation. The moth fairy has already reached the summit of Heavenly Immortal while the white tiger was close to Great Principle Chaos Immortal like he was so long ago. ''Looks like the foundation will get even stronger,'' the dragon thought. "This way young lord," Yi Fei''e gestured. Da Hai had already been expecting Zulong for several centuries now. The sea god awaited them in the main hall of his palace cultivating in a lotus position. "Zulong, Daiyu, it is good to see you both again," Da Hai greeted. Zulong and Gui Daiyu saluted him in turn. "I suppose you''re here to discuss the draconic Dao again aren''t you?" Zulong nodded in response. When the two immortals began speaking on the subject, Gui Daiyu could no longer understand them. The concepts they spoke of was so all encompassing yet transcendent that she could not follow along at all. Her cultivation was simply too low to follow their discussion. A discussion on the Dao between high level experts would always seem like nonsense to lower tier experts. Between two apex existences like Zulong and Da Hai, this fact was magnified. Nevertheless, Gui Daiyu maintained a stiff polite position if only to not be rude. ''It''s not even like they''re speaking another language, it''s like they''re just making weird sounds,'' she thought in admiration. ''I wonder how they see the world compared to me. It was so confusing even when Zulong explained it to me.'' "And for the final portion, connecting all the roots into one singular gateway which acts as the tribulation instead of the heavenly tribulation. This dragon''s gate will serve as the culmination of the transformation into a true dragon," Zulong explained to Da Hai showing him a holographic diagram projected from his palms. "Thus recreating your own physique but on a lesser scale. Then there is the potential for growth into your true physique that is to say the body of the immemorial celestial dragon," Da Hai confirmed nodding. "Those branching paths, they all lead back to this one source," Da Hai said adding his own projections. "Ao many starting points with similarities only in that they''re dragons, all leading back to the immemorial celestial dragon, you. Brilliantly done Zulong," he praised. "Yes, there are still some kinks and the process needs to be streamlined for ease of access but the foundations are almost done," the dragon said. "And you also leave room for others to build upon this, the branching starting points are things each individual can create and make their own lineage of the draconic Dao," the sea god smiled in satisfaction. "I suppose you''ve also figured out why a cultivation sutra should not exceed the Golden Immortal realm correct?" "Yes master, it was perplexing at first but as I worked on the pathways I had an inkling to it. Will master confirm for this disciple?" Zulong asked to which Da Hai nodded. "Then, I suspect it is due to the Dao itself. Golden Immortal represents the breaking away from the universe, breaking away from the river of destinies and obtaining true freedom from the world. Progressing from there requires the creation of one''s own Dao, one''s own understanding to obtain enlightenment." "But that is the key fact, everyone must have their own Dao. To copy someone else''s Dao is to walk their path. But one''s own Dao only reaches to the creator''s level, and the creator themself holds the apex position. As such no one can ever supersede them. Only when they perish or abandon their path can another take their place but this cycle repeats." "Master, the devilish Dao is a trap, isn''t it? No one can ever surpass the devil ancestor, not unless he perishes. No one can ever progress past a certain point," the dragon outlined. He locked eyes with Da Hai asking for confirmation and approval. "Well done Zulong," Da Hai clapped his hands smiling. "Well done indeed, yes, that is indeed why no sutra can ever supersede the Golden Immortal realm. To do so is cruelty of the utmost degree. Remember, you must never do so, understand?" "I understand master," Zulong said. "It would be unfair to all those who''d follow me, unfair to all creatures who''d cultivate under me." "It''s good that you do, I suppose you''d want to enter the testing phase soon yes?" Da Hai asked. "Yes, and I have the perfect test subject in mind," the dragon said smiling. Da hai looked curiously as the dragon got to work. ¡­ On the back gardens of Yingzhou, a pond lay in a beautiful garden. Several dozens of carps lived there peacefully. They were spiritual beasts captured years ago by Da Hai and brought here as decorations, as such they had yet to gain true sentience. Zulong walked into the back garden holding a finished book. He gazed into the pond and looked around stroking his chin. "You''ll do," he said pointing at the runt swimming about. With a gesture, he captured the carp in a bubble of water and brought it to him. "Okay fish, this is the draconic manual, read it, memorise it, cultivate it," he instructed. The carp looked at him for a moment then swam around the bubble. "I''m going to inject it into your mind now fish," Zulong warned. "Good luck," he said pushing the entire manual into the carp''s mind before dumping it back in the water Chapter 80-Past Grievances "You know, reflecting back on a lot of things through this eternal lifetime of mine. I''ve come to regret many things. I am selfish, cruel, blind, I thought myself an intelligent schemer when all I was was but an ignorant fool. I was a horrible friend." Sitting beneath the moonlight, Da Hai drank small sips of fruit wine. The aromatic taste of the alcohol carried with it extremely potent primordial Qi. Any mortal who drank a fraction of a droplet would become a strong cultivator, any who drank more than that would burn to ash. After all, the fruit of the Fusang tree was used to brew it. "Hai," Da Hai sighed looking up at the moon. "Old friend, I hope you can forgive me. I realise now that for the sake of my disciples I would. Hai, I really am shameless." Da Hai sat on his wooden rocking chair and sighed again. Reminiscing about the past often brought nothing but pain and regret and this was no different. "I want to fix things between us," he admitted. The moon hummed hauntingly sending a shiver down Da Hai''s spine. "So you are listening," he said in confirmation. As soon as he said that, a faint feeling he''d been experiencing, one that resembled the frigid north dissipated. "Still, Zulong needs three brilliance sacred water. This is the only way," Da Hai sighed taking a big drink. "I can only hope you don''t think me too shameless. If it were me, I know I''d cut myself in two on the spot, but you were always the better person. Just like Huoyun was." ¡­ "Remarkable progress," Zulong mused jolting down notes. His observation of the carp was going along better then smoothly. In three hundred years, it had already formed a nascent soul and was steadily progressing towards "Based on his performance here, perhaps I can add¡­" he further mused toying with the ideas in his mind. His recent progress had been much greater than the ten thousand years he''d spent on this project beforehand. "Was this what Luohu was like when he made the devilish Dao?" Zulong idly asked. Naturally, no one answered him but it was a rhetorical question in the first place. He jolted down the formation of the dragon soul within the carp. "Next should be the formation of the bones, followed by organs, flesh, scales, then dragon gate should open allowing for true dragon blood," Zulong racked his mind for any other muses. "Hm, strong naturally occurring phenomenons could help this process, blood of other dragons as well. Preferably blood as that''ll be easier to obtain." Zulong stroked his chin, "Hm, would Qinglong be willing to donate?" He quickly squashed the thought and retrieved a knife. "But as big brother, I should take the fall instead," he grumbled letting loose a small droplet of blood for the carp. "You better be grateful fish, that''s royal dragon blood you''re tasting," he roared pointing at the carp who merely swam away. "To spill the blood of a dragon, how humiliating," he grumbled. Just then, loud footsteps caught his attention. The sliding door several hundred metres away was abruptly slid open and Yinglong ran out. "Big brother, urgent news," he cried catching the elder dragon''s attention. Normally Yinglong was not one to be so energetic, that was Qinglong''s job. "Slow down brother," Zulong instructed. His tone immediately changed and the serious nature of this confrontation was palpable. "Tell me what''s going on?" "Emergency voice transmission from brother Xuanwu, the north sea is being invaded by an army of these insect like primordial beasts," Yinglong reported. Zulong widened his eyes in surprise before narrowing them in anger. "Zulin?" He asked to which his younger brother nodded grimly. "Has Xuanwu engaged that horse?" "No, Xuanwu reported immediately when he sensed Zulin enter the sea," Yinglong said. "From the delay of the message, this event should''ve taken place several months ago, they may have already started battling." "Xuanwu has uncle master Ao''s protection, he can last for a few decades, perhaps even a century. We need to hurry," Zulong said. "Grab Qinglong, I''ll be going ahead," the dragon said flying away. The prototype communication crystals Zulong had used over ten thousand years ago was now reached a stage where they can be easily used to message others over long distances. Zulong''s own extremely high cultivation allowed for the device to cross world boundaries in record time. At the speed Great Principle Chaos Immortals were capable of travelling at, several years was all it took to reach the north sea as opposed to the centuries to millennia it''ll take a Great Unity Golden Immortal. The golden black ray of light Zulong transformed into bolted into the void skipping straight for the north sea. "Master, Yu''er I''ll be going out," he informed both individuals as he left Yingzhou. Gui Daiyu looked up at the disappearing ray of light and frowned slightly. She turned to look at Da Hai who''d been instructing her. The sea god was pinching his fingers and performing divination. His eyes glowed in a soft greyish blue before frowning slightly. "He''s just taking care of some pest, don''t worry, Zulong can take care of himself." "I know, it''s just. I can''t help but worry," the princess admitted. "I wish I was there for him, fight by his side. Please help me, most honoured exalted saint of Yingzhou." "As I have told you and as Zulong has told you, you do not have to call me that," Da Hai sighed. "Very well, I will impart some insight upon you. Listen carefully." ¡­ Void turbulence, violent spatial tides that pushed and pulled in all directions within the void between worlds. Such things meant nothing to a Chaos Immortal as Zulong rocketed at top speed. "After all these years, you finally come out of hiding," Zulong scoffed. His claws tore at the fabric of reality ripping a hole into the skies above the north sea. The sight that greeted the dragon was one of chaos. Thousands of monstrous insects hacking away at a creature the size of a continent. A creature resembling a tortoise and a snake, the true form of the great god Xuanwu. Not far away, Zulin stood on a cloud. He was in his human form and looked rather nonchalant about the whole ordeal. However, when the hole into the void was ripped open, he looked up and grinned. "So you''re here," Zulin said smirking. He looked tiny compared to the gargantuan dragon. However, his aura did not lose out. The qilin glared at the dragon. "I predicted you''d come," he announced to the floating dragon. Admits the clouds, Zulong scoffed. His voice alone generated divine winds that instantly shredded thousands of insect like beasts relieving Xuanwu. The tortoise did not appear harmed at all, in fact, he seemed more worried about Zulin. In truth, the entire skirmish was merely Xuanwu resisting Zulin. With his Great Principle Chaos Immortal cultivation base, no one except the qilin could''ve harmed him. "You know, those took time to make," Zulin said in irritation. "Since when did you start breeding primordial beasts?" Zulong growled. The air pressure around him strengthened viciously. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Since I realised emperor Shenni never lived up to his potential," Zulin sneered. "Now get out of my territory." "Your territory?" Zulong laughed. "What a Joke. What gall you must have to come back here after the beating I gave you. I am in admiration," he mocked. Zulin stopped smiling. "What do you care? You don''t even live here. Scurry back to your east sea, the north is my kingdom," he proclaimed. "The oceans are my kingdom," Zulong scoffed. Both parties glared each other in a standoff. The immense auras of two very powerful Great Principle Chaos Immortals erupted. They clashed with each other creating two separate heavens. A divine court of the land dwelled by myriad beasts stood behind Zulin. The cries of billions of monsters roared in unison. Behind Zulong was a divine court of the ocean, a royal throne trailed by majestic crab soldiers and turtle ministers. The seas rumbled in anticipation of their clash. Xuanwu retreated, he unravelled his body revealing the hiding forms of what remained of the north sea seafolk. Many of them looked uneasily at both destined sovereigns. "He''s actually back," the giant crab Xie Chun said in awe at the dragon. Zulong''s visage was even more profound than before. The Heavenly immortal felt he''d go blind if he looked at the dragon for too long. Two more gashes opened up in the sky. The winding bodies of Qinglong and Yinglong flew out accompanied by the white tiger Baihu. Zulin narrowed his eyes. "Using numbers, have you no honour?" He sneered. "As if the likes of you deserve any," Zulong scoffed. "The ocean is my domain and I alone am enough to deal with the likes of you," he grinned with a bloodthirsty look. "Hmph, domain? You aren''t even a proper king," Zulin scoffed. "I on the other am a true sovereign in this world. Hear me heavenly Dao, I Zulin, the ancestral qilin declare myself sovereign of the primitive world. I am the rightful ruler of the land and the myriad beasts within," he declared. The skies rumbled, an immense amount of karmic luck descended. They drifted into the qilin admits purple lightning and golden clouds of merit. Zulong narrowed his eyes. Golden light condensed around Zulin forming an imperial dress. The crown with twelve strings of beads on both ends formed atop his head. A staff with the head of a qilin appeared in his hands. "You stand in the presence of a sovereign," Zulin declared. "Why are you not bowing?" He threatened. "This sovereign remembers past crimes you have committed. But this sovereign is merciful and can overlook your crimes if you apologise and enter my court to receive proper punishment." "Fat chance," Qinglong roared beginning to rush forward. Zulin scoffed and sent a wave of energy out at the dragon. "Such insolence deserves death," he declared. Spacetime warped as a deadly ray of light blasted at the dragon. Qinglong gritted his teeth and readied his defences. "Don''t you dare touch my brother," Zulong howled untangling his massive body. In an instant, the golden dragon''s tail whipped around, smacking the ray of light into bits. Zulong laughed in the face of the attack. "This is all the Qilin Sovereign amounts to?" He taunted. "Brother Zulong," Xuanwu called out mentally. "The safety of the seafolk, they mustn''t be caught up in such a battle, they would not be able to survive," he warned. Zulong narrowed his eyes in anger momentarily frightening the black tortoise. Then he took a moment and calmed himself. ''He''s right, I can''t escalate without collateral damage,'' he thought grimly. Simply him and Zulin flexing their powers had been enough for the dragon to make some simulations in his head. Zulong scowled at what he was about to do. It was extremely aggravating to the point where he wanted to snap at his subordinates. At full strength, something he''d need to guarantee a kill on Zulin, even Xuanwu''s impeccable defence would have to be focused on himself to survive. "Not at all worm," Zulin said raising his arm. A massive chessboard appeared behind the sovereign. Its pieces send down beams of light releasing an army of ridiculous proportions. Primordial beasts appeared in such numbers that it was frankly ridiculous. A virtual ocean of hideous bodies appeared. Hundreds of millions, possibly billions of primordial beasts comparable to Golden Immortals, thousands of the same ones comparable to Great Unity Golden Immortals. Zulin lifted his arms and smiled. "Behold, years of experimentation and breeding. These are no longer like the primitive primordial beasts that roamed mindlessly in these lands. These are living weapons. I call them Gu worms. What do you think?" He challenged. "Numbers do you no favours here," Zulong retorted. "What is an army of weak immortals against several Chaos Immortals?" Zulin frowned and clicked his fingers. The chessboard shone with even more light and a beast skin scroll appeared in Zulin''s hands. Millions of beasts climbed atop each other and melted into each other forming truly massive grotesque titans. Many others also combined in weapons for these titans to hold. "Throwing themselves at you aren''t the only thing they can do," Zulin smirked. Zulong braced himself and gritted his teeth. "Xuanwu, move to into the void with the north sea seafolk," he instructed saying forwards. Just then, everything stopped. Daylight became moonlight. Despite the open daytime all this took place in, suddenly the world was shunted into the night. The entirety of the north sea had changed in an instant. "Aunt master?" Zulong called out in shock. Zulin frowned at the sudden appearance of an illusionary moon among the night sky. "Honoured senior, though I respect you, you should not get involved in my matters," he ordered. The moon above him hung menacingly, emanating a dangerous aura, an aura that far surpasses everyone present. Zulin felt his courage waver. He subconsciously took a step back. He glared at the celestial construct only the frown angrily. "So this is your stance?" He asked. "Very well then, you better be careful star emperor," he threatened before turning around. His body and his army transformed in a beam of light and flashed away. "Just like that?" Baihu asked walking forwards. Zulong nodded and said, "Despite our current rank of power, the ancestors of the previous generations are still supreme." "Sovereign or not, we must still respect them," the dragon concluded. "But the gap is also getting smaller. Sooner or latter, we''d be equals," he said. Before the dragons, a tear opened up and out stepped Da Hai. His hands were tied behind his back and around his waist was a gourd. "Come on, finish your businesses here first, then we''d return," he instructed. "Master, is that?" Zulong asked pointing at the gourd. He could feel the rich life giving force from within the bottle. Pretty much what he''d need to create the dragon clan. Da Hai nodded. "I had to clear some stuff up with Wangshu but I managed to get some of what you need. Chapter 81-Resolving Grievances Space distorted as Da Hai emerged from a portal. Stepping into the void between worlds, Da Hai was momentarily assaulted by chaotic energies. He quickly shook off the effect and strolled forwards. "Finally here," he whispered to himself. Another ten thousand years had passed since he''d last been to the starry skies. More than ten thousand years spent working with Zulong, Qinglong, and Yinglong to improve their cultivation. Gui Daiyu had entered secluded cultivation to tackle the Golden Immortal realm head on. As such Da Hai left Yingzhou at the hands of Yi Fei''e. "I''ve procrastinated long enough," he said. Stepping forwards, Da Hai utilised his divine sense to feel the direction of the starry skies. His footsteps touched nothing as he walked through the void. Very quickly, his destination was within reach. The world of the void was vast and itself a colourless empty gap that existed between the many dimensions of the primitive world. If the primitive world was a cake where each layer was a world such as the vast wilderness and the starry skies, then the void was the box that contained the cake and all the space in between. Immediately, Da hai stopped at the edges outside the starry skies. He felt the membranous fabric that separated the void and the world of the stars. "Strengthened to this degree, you really don''t want anyone in do you?" He mused. Instead of forcing his way in, Da Hai sat down cross legged. "I''m here to¡­I''m sorry for everything I said," he explained. He retrieved a barrel of spiritual wine and pushed it forwards towards the starry skies. "A peace offering if you will, made from the essence of the Fusang tree itself." "Hai, who am I kidding? You wouldn''t care about any of that. It''s one of the reasons I admire you," Da Hai admitted. "You have so little greed nor ambition in this universe that calls for both and yet you thrive." "I am sorry for how I treated you. I never heeded your advice nor did I bother to see your warnings. I thought of you and everyone else as tools and it left me hollow." "I tried to justify itself to me. I lied to Pangu to his face. I desecrated the sacred bond of a master and disciple. These days I wonder why Huoyun saved me out of anyone else. Why did he remain my brother?" "Hai, even so, I''ve never accomplished anything meaningful. Even if I''d left Zulong and the others to their own devices they''d still have reached Chaos Immortal in record time. Still accomplished all they did." "I am really sorry, deeply sorry. I hope you can forgive me even though we''ll never be friends again¡­" "Why are you really here?" Wangshu''s cold voice stopped Da Hai. "I am here to apologize, properly this time," Da Hai said. "Why are you really here?" The goddess asked again. "Like I said, to apologise," Da Hai said. "Not for three brilliance sacred water?" Wangshu''s cold chuckle rang throughout Da Hai''s ear like frosty needles prickling his skin. "No, I had intentions of asking you at first but I realised how wrong that''ll be," Da Hai admitted. "There are other places which could potentially spawn three brilliance sacred water, sites where innate creatures first appeared. Sites teeming with life, kunlun, Mt Tai, Mt Nongli. I had planned to travel to these places to look." "Even when it''ll place you in great danger?" Wangshu scoffed. "You do realise you''re on Hongjun''s radar now. Those places are all on the east continent. Heading to these places would be a deathtrap." "I''ve got no choice," Da Hai said. "Three brilliance sacred water spawns living beings, places with them would have yet to spawn any and the Qi rich location that is the east continent which is also sparsely populated is bound to have it in droves." "You¡­you''re actually¡­you''re serious," Wangshu''s voice seemed to be getting closer unexpectedly. Da Hai felt space warp around him in surprise. His surroundings warped and distorted into nine rings spinning faster and faster. Da Hai did not feel panicked however. If Wangshu attacked him then so be it, he had no real intention to fight in the first place. Besides, this was not an attack, this was a forced teleportation. Da Hai''s surroundings rematerialised themselves into a grassy field. He was just outside the celestial moon palace on the lunar star, in front of the laurel tree. Wangshu sat leaning against the tree below two large hanging fruits. "You really are a top talent," Da Hai commented in wonder. Wangshu in the past was at least relative to his level. But although Da Hai was an incredibly powerful Primal Origin Chaos Immortal, Wangshu had already left that realm behind. The goddess'' eyes glowed in nine rings. Her aura wasn''t so much silvery as they were starry. They resembled actual stars rather than the lunar star. Her Dao had evidently evolved to another level. "Greetings to the most exalted great god venerable," Da Hai saluted. In the Chaos Godfiend civilization, those who achieve the apex of cultivation, that is to say the completion of a Dao path, were unanimously named great god venerable. The ancestor of the king of trees, Wangshu now stood at the same pedestal as those figures. Ten thousand years really made a lot of difference. "Don''t praise me yet," Wangshu said. "I''ve only recently entered this realm and only with the help of the laurel tree. I would be nothing without Pangu''s inheritance." "Neither would I," Da Hai admitted sadly. He gazed up at the two large hanging fruits curiously. "The next generation," Wangshu said simply. "The sovereigns will be crowned before this yuanhai ends. Then this intermediate phase will end." She pointed at the two fruits and sent waves of nursing starlight into them. "They appeared a few thousand years ago, still got a long way to go until they mature and take form," she said. "Xihe and Changxi," Da Hai said watching the two. "Is that what they''d be called? Interesting." "Yes, the gods of China before Daoism came into existence. The solar goddess and mother of the ten suns Xihe and the goddess of the moon Changxi," Da Hai described. "They were the generation directly preceding the investiture of the gods." "I take it they didn''t end well?" Wangshu asked. "Who knows, accounts are confusing at best," Da Hai admitted. "After the death of the nine suns, Xihe just fades from history. Changxi as well though she was probably conflated with Chang''e. The moon lord by the time of journey to the west was Chang''e after all." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "I see, hm," a long pause occurred in between the both of them. The awkward silence lasted for quite a while until Wangshu retrieved the barrel Da Hai had gifted. She lifted a glass and drank it. "I never understood why you like this stuff, tears at the throat," she complained. She tipped a droplet out and watched in fascination as the soil disintegrated at the touch. "It helps me deal with everything going on," Da Hai sighed. "Not a very good method." "No, it was not." "¡­So my nephew wishes for three brilliance sacred water," Wangshu finally said. "You don''t have to. Like I said, I will be retrieving them myself¡­" "Abababababa! No, this water is not for you," Wangshu held out her hand stopping the sea god. "This is for my nephew Zulong. This is my gift to him, it has nothing to do with you," she said. "So I''m only the delivery boy?" Da Hai joked. "Yes, that''s exactly what you are," Wangshu laughed. "Besides, I have to take care of those two," she pointed up at the gestating deities. "They are my responsibility just as Zulong, Yinglong, and Qinglong are yours." "So you''re planning to?" "Yes, since you have some I thought I may as well acquire some for my own. And these girls prove the perfect candidate," Wangshu said chuckling. "Well be careful, disciples can be quite a handful," Da Hai joked. "Hah! Don''t you know it." The two ancient gods began chatting like old friends. Slowly the frosty atmosphere became a lot warmer. Though the trust would never restore to what it once was, Da Hai felt satisfied. No matter the result, he would''ve accomplished what he set out to do. ¡­ Below the laurel tree, Wangshu smiled a happy expression. Before her, she held a gourd containing gallons of three brilliance sacred water. One of the richest sources of life in existence. "I suppose Zulong will be getting crowned soon," she commented. "And married, heavens so much has happened. The world as we know it is changing into its next phase." "It will be a brutal one, one that decides our fates as we know it," Da Hai said. "Does it? Will everything really come to pass as you say?" "I cannot say for certain if events will follow exactly as I think. But I''m sure you too can sense the trend of heaven," he stated to which the moon goddess nodded sadly. "Why does the heavenly Dao seek conflict? Why does it seek misery on living beings?" She grunted. "It is Hongjun and Luohu who wants this to occur. The chaos created by the three sovereigns will open the world for new opportunities. One where they can finally realise their ambitions," Da Hai said. "And that is?" Wangshu asked almost accusatory. "What do they actually want. Why go through such a convoluted scheme? It doesn''t make logical sense." "Who knows. They''ve gleamed the future as have I. It''s probably the only way they think it can go," Da Hai admitted. "The heavenly Dao is a mysterious thing that not even I understand. Right now, the source of the conflict is a shadow war to win favour with it. Whoever wins shall be the path the heavenly Dao follows." "How disturbing!" Wangshu gasped. "You''d think the heavenly Dao would think for itself. Choose a path rather than this farce." "It''s already compromised in the first place," Da Hai explained. "Either Luohu or Hongjun would overpower it in time and subsume it. I don''t know what happens after that. For now, all that will do is lead to indecision." "I see," Wangshu sighed and massaged her temples. "Things just keep getting worse and worse¡­I suppose you''re leaving now." "Yes, I don''t want to impose, especially not after¡­well I''ll go now," Da Hai stood up with the gourd Wangshu gave him. "Do you want me to say anything to Zulong, Qinglong, or Yinglong for you?" "Just tell them their aunt wishes them well," Wangshu said taking a side look only to frown slightly. "Ohya? They seem to have run into a slight problem." "Problem?" Da Hai cast his own divine sense into the great wilderness. He scanned the north see and immediately was angered. Upon seeing Da Hai''s reaction Wangshu smiled slightly. "Not to worry, I''ll drive that brat away," Wangshu said. She began directing her power into the great wilderness. "The Jianmu tree was good for one thing, it made it easier for me to reach the five continents four seas." "It seems I am in your debt once again," Da Hai said thankfully. "What debt? I''m their aunt master, it''s only natural I help them out," Wangshu smirked. "Thank you," Da Hai said one final time before turning away and leaving back into the void. Wangshu watched him leave and sighed. "You can come out now," she said coldly. Her posture tightened and a frigid aura emanated from her body. From behind the laurel tree, a handsome young man dressed in black robes walked out calmly. He looked amiable but gave off a deadly feeling like one was standing beside a pit of endless horrifying power. Luohu, the devil ancestor was standing on the lunar star, mere inches away from Wangshu. "So that''s what became of the ancestor of the great sea," Luohu''s silky smooth voice said in curiosity. "He truly has changed to last I saw him. Stronger, wiser, he''s certainly interesting now." "Just because I extended hospitality to you does not mean you can eavesdrop on my conversations," Wangshu retorted. She faced the devil ancestor eye to eye. Both of their cultivation was even and currently, Wangshu had the home-field advantage. Yet the goddess still felt slight fear. "Easy, no need to be upset. I didn''t hear anything," Luohu said. "I know you distrust me but I am not the type of man who breaks his word. I will not pry into your privacy." Wangshu snorted, "You should go." "Naturally, I''ve been here too long anyway," Luohu agreed. "Just think about my offer okay? Great god Pangu''s legacy shouldn''t end with you." He clapped Wangshu''s shoulder before walking off in the direction of the Jianmu tree. Seeing the terrifying man leave, Wangshu shivered and released a sigh of relief. "What should I do?" Chapter 82-The Dragon Clan In order to prevent another invasion by Zulin into the north sea, Baihu remained while the dragons returned. With two of the four symbols together, even the Qilin sovereign cannot easily defeat them. However, this was not a permanent, to guard against such a powerful threat will recover more than them. Zulong followed behind Da Hai in eagerness. Around his waist was the gourd which contained gallons of three brilliance sacred water. The dragon had a bright excited smile as he walked. "Zulong, do you understand the full process?" Da Hai asked. The air around the greater deity was extremely calm. The cloud they all rode on travelled in such speeds that even the dragons were hard pressed to replicate. "Yes master," Zulong nodded. "I''ve been preparing a long time for this. Presiding over a trading hub has its uses," he complimented tapping his inter spacial ring. "Indeed, you''d think people will put more value in natural phenomenons but they get traded around so casually it''s honestly shocking," Da Hai said in agreement. "That''s because only specialists like alchemists or artificers know of their importance," Zulong said smiling. "I mean, even three brilliance sacred water is pretty useless in an actual fight." "Don''t forget the current environment as well," Da Hai added. "The sheer density of primordial Qi and Dao laws does not necessitate the need for these things. Simply resting a mantra and training is enough to gain power in the primaeval heavens." "Master, correct me if I''m wrong but you say that like that''ll change," Yinglong asked. The confusion was evident on his face and it was evident he was trying to work out the sea god''s words. Da Hai chuckled amused. "Sometimes I forget the primitive world is not a regular chaos world," he mused. "You''ve lived all your lives in this universe, all your lives in Pangu''s world that you know very little about the chaos sea beyond." "The chaos sea," Zulong mused. "I''ve never really thought about that place before." "What was it like master?" Qinglong abruptly asked. "You''re a chaos godfiend like all the other ancestors and lived during the chaos period right? What was it like roaming and living in the chaos sea?¡­If you don''t mind me asking of course" Zulong and Yinglong looked curiously too. Da Hai momentarily paused and thought about things a little. "I''ve actually never been to the chaos sea," he admitted with a little embarrassment. "What?" All three dragons exclaimed in shock. "But¡­How?" "Bit of a misconception," Da Hai explained exasperatedly. "I am not the Da Hai of the chaos sea but I did inherit everything from him. Consider me a pseudo reincarnation if you will. I know many things about the chaos sea and the chaos godfiends precisely because of those memories I inherited but I''ve never personally been there myself." "I see," the dragons said. "To answer your question, the chaos sea is the ultimate world behind our own. It is the supreme multiverse in which all chaos worlds or universes as we call them exists," Da Hai explained. "Every once in a while, a universe will come into existence either naturally or through outside means. These universes typically age and die within a single Yuanhui." "A single?" Yinglong exclaimed and proceeded to calculate with his fingers. "Then this means¡­we''ve only got several tens of thousands of years left until the apocalypse?" "No, that is wrong," Da Hai corrected. "Pangu''s primitive world is not ending anytime soon if at all so don''t worry about that," he placated his disciples. "The principle this universe is built on is likely the most powerful and stable ever seen in all creation. The sacrifices used to make this world essentially made a¡­um¡­ a second chaos sea if you will." "That is fascinating master but what does that have to do with your earlier statement?" Zulong asked bringing back the original topic. "Oh, you mean the cultivation issue. You must understand that like an ordinary chaos world in the chaos sea, our universe goes through development cycles as well. All of this is centred around the heavenly Dao which acts as the central will of the universe and guides it along. We are currently still in the infancy stages," Da Hai elaborated. "So the heavenly Dao is not complete?" Yinglong asked for confirmation. "Indeed," Da Hai nodded. "It exists and is fully functioning but it yet lies immature. Its suppression is weak and the barriers that stop ordinary beings from sensing Dao is nigh nonexistent. Even the most common of rats can sense the Dao and cultivate to immortality. All one has to do is sit in a cave and they''ll see some success." "But that will not be for forever. Eventually, the world will develop to a point where so many immortals are not desirable. Dao will become scarce and cultivation becomes hard. Natural phenomenons such as three brilliance sacred water, five element soil, pure yang sun fire, nanming divine fire, even my own pellucid divine water will become extremely desirable for consumption," Da Hai said. "To think the future will become so tough," the dragons mused in disappointment. "Don''t feel down, that future is very far away. At least millions years, likely after several dozen dozen yuanhuis or so. Even then, cultivation is not impossible, it is merely harder and requires more effort," Da Hai comforted them. "Don''t think too much about them, you won''t have to deal with those times for a long time." Zulong nodded in understanding. He tapped the gourd bottle on his hip and sighed in relief that he was born so early. The current world was rife with opportunities and cultivation was still simple. Even cultivating the Dao sounded much easier than the eventual future. ¡­ Returning to Yingzhou, Zulong immediately got to work. He checked up on the carp before going to see Gui Daiyu. The turtle princess was still in secluded cultivation hence the dragon returned to Long Chen in advance His personally founded city Long Chen served as Zulong''s main place of residence these days. With Zulong''s status, the amount of traffic the city got was a magnitude higher than other similar nature cities. Zulong stayed there collecting and experimenting for a time. Little by little, a thousand years had passed since he returned. "I want her to be here with me when I begin," Zulong said disappointingly starring at the gourd of three brilliance sacred water. "But I really can''t wait," he mused. He''d been working on sending traders to all corners of the world for the last few years and the news he''d gotten made him nervous. Zufeng''s hold on the southern continent had gotten stronger and it seemed her battle techniques had improved. There were rumours she clashed with Taotie of the devilish Dao three hundred years ago and she beat him black and blue. Zulong rubbed his chin in impatience. "She''ll understand right?" He murmured. He closed his eyes in his office and debated for a day and night before leaving for Yingzhou. Da Hai who was doing some calligraphy at the time looked up in surprise when Zulong suddenly appeared on Yingzhou. "Zulong, what are you doing back here so soon?" "Master, I need some advice," Zulong started. "I wish to commence the creation process. But I also want Gui Daiyu to be there with me. We promised to be together after all but¡­" "But the current geopolitical situation does not allow you to wait," Da Hai interrupted with a sigh. ''Romance, why is he coming to me for this kind of advice. He does realise I''ve never been in a relationship right?'' He pondered. "Uh," Da Hai stammered. He glanced at Yi Fei''e standing in the corner who looked just as clueless as he. The head moth fairy shrugged in response. "Well¡­I''m afraid I cannot give you much advice on that front Zulong. If this is a big moment you promised her you''d do together then you''d probably end up hurting her but it''s nothing permanent. However, I believe you should follow through, your time window is getting awfully tight as is," the sea god suggested. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Zulong nodded hesitantly. "Thank you master," he said before turning around to leave. Da Hai remained seated and sighed. "I am the wrong person to ask this of," he said while Yi Fei''e only laughed at his expense. Da Hai sent the moth a look silencing her. "Since this is the case then I''ll," he closed his eyes and gathered his insight. Feeling the rich Dao laws within his body Da Hai punted all of that in the direction of Gui Daiyu''s room. "That''ll help her form the third flower," he mused. "Once she exits secluded cultivation, send her to Zulong," he instructed Yi Fei''e. "Of course my lord," the moth fairy bowed. "By the by, how do you and your sister feel about Yingzhou?" Da Hai suddenly asked. "Hm? What do you mean? We love it, living here at Yingzhou," the moth said. "No, I meant your current status in life. Are you satisfied?" "Uh, I mean there is not much else we''d want. We have everything we need. May I ask why you''re asking this, my lord?" She asked curiously. "What do you think about becoming full disciples under me" Da Hai said. "Huh? Uh, what brought this on my lord? My sisters and I are very content serving Yingzhou and have never desired anything more. What''s more who will perform our duties if we do accept?" Yi Fei''e stammered having been caught off guard for once in her long life. "It is a natural evolution of events. Your talents are not bad and your current duties already coincide with disciples under a master," Da Hai said with slight bewilderment. Truthfully he expected her to accept right away. Call him arrogant but discipleship beneath a venerated ancestor such as himself will always be a lucrative prospect. "Oh! Um, in that case of course we''d accept. If master is willing to take us. This moth is dull so my accomplishments will never compare to senior brothers but this I will try my best," Yi Fei''e immediately said getting onto her knees and beginning to kowtow. "Hm," Da Hai nodded. "Call your sisters over, I will name you Yi Fei''e my fourth official disciple. Your sisters will henceforth be my named disciples," he said. "I shall present you with my personal spells once the ceremony is over." On that day, Yingzhou gained several more disciples to its lineage yet lost several servants. However, very soon the island will be swarmed with servants courtesy of Zulong. ¡­ "Alright, let''s begin," Zulong whispered holding his arm out. His two brothers stood behind him in anticipation. They kept themselves restrained behind their elder brother and future sovereign. They stood upon a cliff face overlooking the east sea close to the location of their birth. This place was one of nostalgia bringing forth many memories of the trio overcoming the Golden Immortal tribulation an eon ago. Beside Zulong''s feat, the gourd of three brilliance sacred water sat waiting to be called forth. Around him lay other barrels containing every unique or strange naturally occurring spiritual materials. The only exceptions were those supremely rare substances such as Nanming divine fire. "My blood, the royal blood of the dragon shall set forth the creation of the dragon clan," Zulong declared. He raised his right hand transforming into a razor sharp claw and cut deep into his left elbow. Pools of blood leapt out of the dragon''s arm draining from his true form. Rich essence belonging to the dragon flew into the air in the shape of a crimson dragon. It flew and twisted in the air reaching a size of thousands of metres. Zulong slightly bent over and gasped his breath. He felt large portions of his own vitality leave him as he made the sacrifice. "Still within expectations," he said to the worried faces of Yinglong and Qinglong. He lifted his arms and unleashed the seals on the barrels around him. An instant explosion of natural phenomenons rose into the air. Various types of materials rose high up into the sky combining with the crimson blood dragon seamlessly. "It''s working," Zulong smiled. He grabbed hold of the gourd and unsealed it unleashing a stream of the life giving water. Wangshu had kept her promise, this gourd contained authentic three brilliance sacred water with all its effects in large volumes. The stream rose up like a geyser shooting directly into the mixture the crimson blood dragon had become. As it did so a change occurred. The heavenly Dao itself began to stir. The sky above the east sea lit up in a golden glow. A divine aura settled upon the ocean grabbing the attention of all living creatures. A shockwave was unleashed that could be felt across the world. Zulong smiled brightly. "Hahaha! Yes, come my children," he roared. His royal voice of the supreme king carried its full effects in washing over the east sea and beyond. In conjunction with his cultivation of Chaos Immortal, the effects were magnified. Across the land, various sea folk knelt down welcoming the new clan that will be joining them. The living creatures of the continent also began kneeling though they were confused as to their reasons in doing so. Within the throne room of Phoenix''s Roost, Zufeng sat resting her head upon her palm. Her eyes were now extremely powerful, able to perceive events around the world. Unhindered by the heavenly Dao, Zufeng saw into the east sea. She sneered as she saw Zulong''s actions. "Creating his own innate creature clan? How droll," she said. "What''s the point of creating a race in after yourself? All you''re doing is diminishing your uniqueness. Hai, but that''s to be expected from a mere worm." Within a field filled with insect like beasts, Zuling turned his attention eastward towards the vast phenomenon occurring. His mighty eyes narrowed at the sight. "So much karmic merit, the amount of luck is insane," Zulin spoke in wonder and jealously. "Creating his own race. Hm, this idea has merit." Across the world, experts from all over took attention. They all suddenly all took a step back when a powerful roar rumbled throughout the heavens. A gargantuan golden dragon circled the skies. He stretched ten thousand kilometres long and looked incredibly majestic. His long catfish whiskers portrayed wisdom beyond his years, his claws were sharp and ready to destroy his enemies. "I am Zulong, from this day I declare the formation of the primordial celestial dragon clan," he declared. His words carried such weight that across the world, the land rumbled. Millions of shadows erupted from the bellow of the crimson blood dragon. Millions of serpentine dragons of all sorts of colours flew into the open air above the east sea. Yinglong and Qinglong took looks at each other and smiled. They leapt into the air transforming into gargantuan dragons following their elder brother. "You are children of my clan, from this day, no matter what type, you are all dragons," Zulong declared. "We greet lord patriarch," millions of voices called out. These dragons were formed from all types of materials. Spiritual flames created fire dragons, spiritual clouds created cloud dragons, spiritual water created sea dragons, shadows created illusionary dragons etc. Across the east sea, all folks knelt down and kowtowed. "We greet ancestral dragon, they declared." The beastly face of Zulong smiled. He scanned around him and bought the sight of a small boat. He smiled as he saw the individuals present. Gui Daiyu stood at the forefront and waved at him all smiles. Behind her, Da Hai had a strong look of pride while all seven of the moth fairies gave him applause. "Well done Zulong," Da Hai said. "From this day onwards, your path truly begins. Chapter 83-Conquering the Four Seas "Lord Baihu," Xie Chun greeted as the white haired man walked up to him. Despite the last nine thousand years, the crab man was still terrified of the innate god. There was just something about him that invoked a sense of primal fear. "May I ask what you''re doing here?" He inquired. "Just checking up on the seal," Baihu said walking past the crab and hopped onto the crystal platform covering the underground lake that was the source of so much of the north sea''s problems. "Oh and you should probably get out of here, for your own safety don''t stay near the barrier," the white tiger reminded before disappearing out of sight. Nodding, Xie Chun hopped away from the platform. Despite its reputation, he liked to come here to think. It was an isolated area where he doesn''t need to deal with his fellow elders. Besides, the cold here hadn''t been that big of a problem in many years. Xie Chun sighed thinking about the lake. Even with the seal in place things still weren''t as good as things were during ancient times. But at least their population had expanded again. The current north sea still consisted of one village but it was a very safe village. With the presence of two Chaos Immortals, the small population of elites in the north sea were able to thrive peacefully. They''ve now expanded from the scattered few hundreds to a stable fifteen thousand members. Of course, despite Xuanwu and Baihu''s assistance, it was still an incredibly tough environment to live in. Several Profound Immortal elders had also succumbed to age and perished joining their forefathers in wherever the dead went. Xie Chun sighed and sat down at a nearby iceberg. ''Heavens, who expected a lofty Chaos Immortals of all things to assist us,'' he thought with reverence. Chaos Immortal was a mythical realm. Even he, a premier expert was only a three crowned Heavenly Immortal struggled to believe in something that far away. However, Xie Chun had heard about the great wilderness beyond the seas. Of the five continents and four seas, a world of many experts. Some say Golden Immortals existed by the millions there and every clan was presided by a Great Unity Golden Immortal. "To think the lofty realm of ancestral the ancient godfiends could be reached by us," he mused softly. Even he was nearing the time for his Golden Immortal tribulation. He wanted to do it soon, before his age caught up to him. Even Heavenly Immortals aren''t resistant to the test of time. While on paper they are ageless their souls were not. Heavenly Immortal stretches their lifespans to the limit of possibility, of one yuanhui and then their souls dissipate. Only the greatest of physical body refiners can leave an intact corpse behind when such an event happens. Living here in the north sea was tough especially. The intense environment weakened everyone''s vitality. With such a loss, their own lifespans decreased. Even Xie Chun does not expect himself to survive a full 129,600 years. THOOM! Xie Chun abruptly looked up in surprise. The crystal platform shook bouncing up and down for what seemed like an eternity. The crab nervously stepped forwards. "What''s going¡­" he barely made up before being thrown back by a sudden burst of frosty yin energy. "Gah!" He screamed being forced into his true form. The arthropod crashed into the ice cold soil struggling to get up. "So cold," he shuddered bringing his pincers up to shield himself. "What happened?" He thought with fear as the crystal platform disintegrated into colourful particles. "NO! THE BARRIER!," he yelled trying to catch the particles in desperation only to be forced back. He scrambled to do something but only managed to achieve nothing except barely clinging to life. ''No! This is a disaster, I have to reform it,'' Xie Chun thought in panicked frustration. He feared what would happen to the children with low cultivation back home. He feared what would happen to all his children and grandchildren. ROAR! The crab''s train of thought was suddenly stopped by the bombastic cry of a fearsome tiger. The arthropod''s eyes looked up catching the sight of a gargantuan tiger many thousands of kilometres in size facing down the lake. With his presence, the icy waves of water was being suppressed and forced back. The bleak chilling atmosphere was being forced back to whence it came. "Lord Baihu, what happened to the seal?" Xie Chun called out. The white tiger looked at him stunned. "Didn''t I tell you to leave?" He exclaimed. "Hai, dammit, listen when you''re warned moron," he growled smashing both his white furry paws down. The fierce iron sword energy pressed down hard on the cold air. Xie Chun watched in awe as the Venus star made its appearance. The celestial body created waves of metallic energy containing the cold air. However, Xie Chun realised something. "Lord Baihu, why aren''t you reforming the barrier? It should be well within your capabilities," then his mind turned to a horrific thought. "Did you destroy the barrier? Was it all a lie after all?" "Oh for the love of, if you had just left you wouldn''t notice a damn thing," the innate god growled back. "We''re not destroying the barrier, we''re replacing it with something better," he said looking up. Following his line of sight, Xie Chun saw shadows above the water. His enhanced eyes struggled to see the distance on the ocean surface but he could see a massive shape rapidly descending. "Stand back," Baihu commanded. "And this time, listen to my orders." Accepting them, Xie Chun immediately swam as far away as possible. "You didn''t specify how far I had to go," he grumbled in dissatisfaction. However, from the looks of things, Baihu heard him as the tiger turned his eyes at him with a growl. THOOM! Xie Chun''s travels were broken when the water parted. A massive circular structure many times the size of the underwater lake descended. Xie Chun immediately picked up speed and swam even faster than before. However, no matter how fast he went, he was still beneath the enormous construct''s shadow. Even his full Heavenly Immortal peak cultivation couldn''t help him much. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Is this how it all ends?" He thought sombrely. He sighed, at least the dragon hadn''t lied, they''ve indeed helped his north sea seafolk as promised. "Got ya," a youthful voice said. Xie Chun suddenly found himself being held by a pair of scaled claws. "Hey, you really weren''t supposed to be there," Xie Chun looked up towards the voice. What greeted him was the similar looking draconic face of a dragon. The same as those three from all those years ago. However, this dragon was considerably smaller and weaker. He was only a Golden Immortal after all. "What?" The crab man could only say as the dragon dragged him out from beneath the circular construct. It was only then that Xie Chun saw what lay atop it. The circle was in reality a large stone platform carrying a massive palace. A castle that was bigger than anything he''d ever seen. It was tens of thousands of kilometres in size and many thousands of kilometres high. Held up by massive pillars with coiling dragons, giant statues of guardian beasts. The most eye catching thing was the centre. The main palace building was a large squarish shape looking temple in an elevated position with a large staircase leading up to massive gates with the carvings of a crowned dragon. Above was a sign with massive inscribed words. Xie Chun read the words carefully and memorised them. The in bold letters read: ''NORTH SEA DRAGON PALACE'' Glancing around, Xie Chun noticed that the cold energy had all but disappeared. The palace had completely sealed the lake shut, he couldn''t even feel the chilling air anymore. What was more awe inspiring was the azure serpentine form of Qinglong. The dragon wasn''t alone however, he was surrounded by an army of dragons. Xie Chun''s eyes counted at least a million dragons. Of them, there were also the auras of tens of thousands of Golden Immortals, a number that frankly boggled his mind. ¡­ "Got word from little brother, operation up north went well," Yinglong reported to his eldest brother before him. Standing tall at the head of a flying battleship, Zulong wore armour instead of his usual black robes. He appeared like a general heading into battle. Behind him was also a massive fleet travelling incredibly quickly. Far quicker than it''ll take for immortals of lower cultivation to travel otherwise. Several million dragons had followed Zulong along with millions of cultivators from the various sea clans. They stood on the ship standing in anticipation as they travelled. "I see," Zulong said smiling. "Then the north is secured. Soon the south will follow," he said. The dragon''s eyes brimmed with immortal power. His fingers rubbed the dragon pearl in anticipation. "Tell me," Zulong said. "How much resistance can we expect." "With Si Hai''s reputation? A lot will throw themselves at us simply because of fear," Yinglong said. "However, if we replace him. No one will care. They will celebrate our arrival." "Yes, I expected as much," Zulong nodded. "How far are we?" "Minutes," Yinglong admitted pointing at a collapsing palace in the distance. "That should be his castle." Zulong frowned and looked at the run down shack in shock. "That''s his palace? What in heaven has he been doing?" The place was a disaster. Zulong had hoped he could save resources and just occupy Si Hai''s castle as his own with some renovations but this looks like he''d have to start from scratch. Looking closer, he also saw burn marks on the palace. "Hey brother, do the reports say anything about that peacock attacking this place?" He asked. "Yes, the phoenix sovereign struck emperor Si Hai''s stronghold several centuries ago. She was however repelled though reports say emperor Si Hai suffered heavy losses," the winged dragon replied. "I''ll say, this place looks terrible," Gui Daiyu said walking up to the deck. The dragons parted making way for the primordial turtle. In the thousands of years since the dragon clan''s creation, Gui Daiyu had reached the Golden Immortal realm. Her strength rose exponentially and she was considered among the top experts among Golden Immortals. She''d also been accepted as the matriarch of the dragon clan. "Think Si Hai will show?" She taunted. "His pride demands it," Zulong said walking forwards. He stepped onto the air with the confidence of an emperor. "But even so, he''s nothing in front of me." As if right on cue, the massive deity of ancient days appeared. Si Hai''s monstrous form broke the surface of the water holding a cracked harpoon. His blank eyes and razor sharp teeth appeared downright murderous. "You, how dare you cross into my domain," Si Hai roared. "You who dare copy the visage of my fellow emperor chaos sky dragon." "I don''t know who you''re talking about and frankly I don''t care. But see here''s the thing," Zulong said. "The south sea is my domain now. For you my hated rival, there are two options. You can save me a lot of time by killing yourself now. Alternatively, I will be forced to expend some effort to kill you thereby wasting everyone''s time," he announced. "How dare you," Si Hai growled. "You little worm, do you have any idea who I am? I am emperor Si Hai of the chaos godfiends. I was a mighty powerhouse before you were even conceived. No one dared cross me." "Yet here you are, bullied around by everyone. How deluded are you?" Zulong mocked. Si hai answered him with a charge. Although Si Hai appeared monstrously powerful, Zulong could see through the facade. The godfiend was on the verge of death already. He was only barely holding on to life. Zulong gripped his fist and punched out. His blow connected with the sea god hard punting into the distance. With his other hand, Zulong created a claw of water from the ocean that grabbed hold of the god. "Your time is long over Si Hai," Zulong said shaking his head laughing. "Today, I, Ao Zulong am the ruler of the four seas." "To think a disciple of that nobody will," Si Hai uttered weakly glaring at Zulong. The dragon sliced sideways with his arm decapitating Si Hai. The godfiend of the past died instantly, his soul dissipating into nothingness. Chapter 84-Conquering the Four Seas II Great Principle Chaos Immortals were supposed to be grand existences. Ultimate lifeforms who reigned invincible in this world. Unstoppable and unopposed, they did whatever they wanted. One of them died just like that. Si Hai''s corpse fell into the waves drifting about like a floaty. Zulong stared at the corpse and detached head with contempt. Ever since his journey ended, Zulong has felt nothing but anger and contempt for the godfiend. ''How deserving,'' he mocked in his mind. He unleashed a wave of immortal power that washed over the ocean. Zulong''s fierce attack resembled the surge of a tsunami. It engulfed every inch of Si Hai''s body disintegrating it to the last atom. When he was done, not a single trace of Si Hai remained. The only thing of note was a damaged harpoon with burn marks. Zulong held out his hand and retrieved the weapon before storing it away. "How tragic," Da Hai''s melodious voice said as the primaeval sea god stepped through the void and into the sky. Zulong acknowledged his master with a salute. "Why do you say that master?" Zulong asked curiously. "I thought you hated him based on your two histories." "I felt an intense uncontrollable rage for what he did to you," Da Hai revealed. "But I can''t say I truly hated him. Ever since our meeting all those years ago on Yingzhou, I''ve only ever held him in low opinion. He was an overconfident overreaching man who couldn''t let go of his glory days." "He was scum," the dragon stated. Da Hai nodded. "Indeed he was, he has truly fallen far from his time as a chaos godfiend. He was once a great expert proficient in battles. He partook in all conflicts among the chaos godfiends. Once he was an exalted figure that even the likes of the arrogant Tian Hai acknowledged. However, now he''s been reduced to nothing but a school bully." Da Hai sighed, "For all my grudges against him, it is still sad to see a great immortal fall like that. Goes to show you, that even the most lofty of figures can be dragged down to mud. Humbling thought isn''t it?" "I will remember this teaching," Zulong said bowing in respect. He turned towards his fleet and ushered them forward. All of those dragons and sea clans had kowtowed when Da Hai appeared but now stood up and began driving. "How are the new sky barges?" Da Hai asked the dragon. "Very powerful," Zulong admitted. "Those stones we gathered holds portions of primordial chaos gust. The propelling strength is over a dozen times faster then anything we''ve had before." Primordial chaos gust was similar to pure yang sun fire or nanming divine fire in that is was a natural phenomenon that generates in the wilds. This type of wind came from the extreme gusts generated by Pangu opening the heavens. After that storm dissipated, remnants were absorbed into objects across the world giving them the capability to hold this wind. Da Hai nodded in understanding. "Remember, those stones are rare so use them with care. You may be a person of great karmic luck but that doesn''t mean you should wantonly waste things." "This disciple understands," Zulong nodded. "Let''s go men," he ordered. It was an awe inspiring sight. Millions of dragons descended in unison. Millions of serpentine beasts supported by millions of various sea creatures entered the south seas. Their cultivation dwarfed anything the south sea could''ve thrown at them. The first generation dragons Zulong created were all geniuses in their own right. As it stands, there existed millions of Heavenly Immortals among them and tens of thousands of Golden Immortals. Nine thousand years was a short time for cultivation. However, Zulong used this time wisely to increase the power of the dragon clan by leaps and bounds. No power in the east sea could challenge them not to mention the south sea. Along with the dragons, mighty experts of the sea also joined in the fray. Ancestral beings who listened to Da Hai''s lecture who''d since risen to the stage of Great Unity Golden Immortals served as powerful generals. Against this onslaught, the south sea sea clans gave up without a fight. They opened the doors for them and had decided to even before Si Hai had confronted Zulong. In an instant, Zulong had claimed a territory that dwarfed the combined total of Zufeng and Zulin''s empires. He was fast and immediately got to work constructing the south sea dragon palace. Unlike the north sea palace, it didn''t need to be specially built to seal a powerful natural phenomenon like the underground lake and pure yin pale water. Because of the ease of this conquest, Zulong hurriedly moved on. He left behind three hundred thousand dragons and a million east sea troops to guard and construct the south sea dragon palace before heading westward. ¡­ In a dark ritualistic room, two men were present. One was working extensively on various diagrams and slags of metal and jewels. The other was a silver haired man with glowing eyes and six arms. They were naturally the devil ancestor Luohu and the demon king of the sixth heaven, Mara. "Should we stop them?" Mara asked Luohu who continued to work. "No, ignore them," Luohu denied. "We need the heavenly Dao on our side not against us. It''s the trend of heaven for the three sovereigns to come to power. It''ll be in our disinterest to attack them now." "But would that not cultivate more unnecessary enemies for us?" Mara inquired. "Again, no. The sovereigns are destined to have their little lovers spat and when the final battle occurs, we''ll make our move. By then they will no longer have the heavenly Dao''s protection and be easy picking," Luohu said picking up a sword handle examining it. "Inform our devil sects to pull out of the west sea. From now on the west continent will be sealed from the rest of the world," Luohu instructed. "Alright," Mara nodded. "By the by, how are those two talents doing?" Luohu suddenly inquired. The two talents he was referring to were the two new rising geniuses int he devilish Dao. Their names were Heart Devil and Sky Demon King respectively. These two appeared out of nowhere and joined the devilish Dao several thousands years ago and were already Great Unity Golden Immortals. "Very well, their potential remains the highest of all we''ve seen," Mara said. "Heart Devil especially has been quite taken with leading roles in our sect. His efforts saw the rise of a new batch taowu beats," Luohu nodded in satisfaction. The devilish Dao had long been studying complex alchemy and sciences. After the Shenni war, they managed to recover some of Taowu''s essence and create an innate clan out of it through extremely evil energies. It also acted as a great way to cleanse the sin gathered by the land by funnelling them into a new race. In this way, the devilish Dao did not lose karmic luck. ¡­ Like the south sea, the west sea did not have anything that could stand against the dragon''s march. The ancestral dragon personally made an appearance with his dragons and formed a new branch there. His extremely high cultivation allowed for him to effortlessly defeat all the warring clans of the west sea. What was more was that this sea was the most bountiful aside form the east sea. It suffered no ravages unlike the north and south. Zulong landed softly on a beach flexing his shoulders. In the sky dangled the defeated bodies of all the south sea ancestors who tried to challenge him. Sixty eight Great Unity Golden Immortals fought him at once yet still lost miserably. But that was to be expected against a Chaos Immortal. These west sea seafolk could not even land a single hit while Zulong merely played with them. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "We greet your majesty," the defeated experts said. Their supporting experts took this moment to kowtow in defeat. Any plans of retaliation was shattered by Zulong''s victory. The strength of a Great Principle Chaos Immortal was simply too much. They couldn''t do a single thing even if they wanted to. Zulong nodded and accepted their surrender. He proceeded to ignore them for now and headed deeper into the island. He had chosen to stop here as he recognised this place from afar. Each step he took was the equivalent of a billion mortal steps. Zulong appeared instantly to where he wanted to go in a few steps. Looking up at the Jianmu tree towering above him and the stars beyond, he sighed in wonder. "Hm, looks like aunt master put up a gate up there," he said after some observation. His eyes casually saw billions of kilometres into the air, up high into the peak of the Jianmu tree. A gateway had indeed been constructed there that filled the whole space. "The Starry skies are aunt master''s private residence," Zulong hummed. "I should send guards and servants up there to assist her," he decided. The dragon suddenly jerked his head sideways. The fox like figure of Chenghuang stood on a root of the celestial tree observing him. Zulong narrowed his eyes in wonder as he saw the power of his fellow innate god had reached the latter stages of Great Unity Golden Immortal realm. "Twenty thousand years to reach this level, very impressive" he complimented. "Thank you," Chenghuang answered softly. "Still not much of a talker aren''t you?" He teased. Chenghuang merely shook his head. "So, as you know, I am in charge now," Zulong said gesturing at the sea of kowtowing experts. "What do you say of joining?" Zulong inquired. Chenghuang looked contemplative. "You¡­" he seemed to hesitate before turning around. Zulong looked curiously as Chenghoung flickered his tail indicating the dragon to follow. Zulong shrugged and flew after his fellow innate god. The snow white Chenghuang leapt and ran across the wind. He easily crossed several kilometres and led the dragon towards a nearby island. Zulong followed along leisurely. Seeing their patriarch depart, several dragon elders at the Golden Immortal realm followed after them. "Patriarch!" They called out. However, Zulong merely signalled them to be silent. He did not object to them following however. He found the younger dragon''s eagerness to please quite endearing actually. "What do you want to show me?" Zulong asked curiously starring at an utterly barren island. However, he squinted his eyes noticing some oddities. However, no matter how he looked he couldn''t see past the vast emptiness. But he did know something was wrong. Just as he was about to forcefully break whatever was affecting him, Chenghuang called out. "Noticed?" He asked softly. Zulong got the distinct feeling the white foxlike creature was amused. "Okay, this is remarkable," Zulong complimented. Chenghuang took this moment to wave his tail. The illusion disrupting all senses was instantly dispelled revealing what was hiding underneath. What greeted the dragon was perhaps one of the most beautiful places he''d ever laid eyes on. A country covered by fluffy snows and beautiful blossom trees and red roses. The water was clear and filled with beautiful crystal like water. Numerous humanlike inhabitants resided here. They had pale skin and white hair. They all had red markings and were extremely beautiful be they man, woman, or child. "White nation, protection," Chenghuang said. Zulong nodded in understanding. These people were weak by the standards of the primitive world. They did not have a single Golden Immortal presiding over them and lacked many meaningful fighters. "All subjects are under my protection," Zulong stated. "My scales are their shield and my claws their swords." Chenghuang nodded sensing the promise in Zulong''s voice. He felt awed as Zulong spoke no doubt due to the unique power of the dragon''s roar. "Your majesty," Chenghuang knelt down on his four limbs mimicking a kowtow. Zulong nodded in understanding and satisfaction. "Then the white nation show become part of my dragon empire. They too are my people and under my protection," Zulong stated. "This is my promise and my oath." The heavens rumbled in confirmation with Zulong''s words. The dragon nodded. "It''s done," he muttered closing his eyes and floating into the air. Zulong was extremely sensitive to the changes of heaven and earth. He could feel large convergences of mysterious energies from across the world. ''Karmic merit,'' he thought. Karmic merit was good karma attributed to those with great accomplishments that aided in the heavens. It was the same energy that gave either good fortune or bad fortune. It was and karmic luck was essentially one and the same. As a Great Principle realm expert, Zulong''s senses were heightened to the extreme. He could easily identify the movements of karmic luck when he put his mind to it. ''There''s so much,'' he thought in surprise. He had not been paying attention to his own luck for a while. As such he was pleasantly surprised when he sensed an onslaught of great fortune centred around him. "The luck of a sovereign," Zulong mused. "And what''s more, I haven''t even officially announced myself yet," he said in anticipation. "Just how much would my luck multiply?" He contemplated. "Only time will tell. Men, let''s get a move on," he commanded the floating dragons. ¡­ Meeting up with the submissive western sea clan leaders, he asked for places with rich primordial Qi. After all, places with a lot of Qi was ideal for constructing his west sea palace. They presented excellent cultivation spots and places to lay down formations. Natural spiritual veins were interlocking laylines that highlighted places of immense concentration of primordial Qi. Zulong was searching for one with the aid of those overly familiar with the west sea. With their aid, the west sea dragon palace was soon under construction at a well of primordial Qi located towards the central areas of the west sea. Zulong nodded satisfactorily at the construction process. "Ao Yan," he called out to one of his dragon generals. "Any movements from the west continent?" "No lord patriarch," the dragon said. "Our scouts said there have been no movements past the shore. In fact, several coastal cities were abandoned and left empty." Zulong rubbed his chin and debated his next actions carefully. "We weren''t exactly quiet about things yet Luohu just let me do whatever I want?" "My understanding of the devilish Dao is deeper than most. They can definitely fend me off even with all my forces. But they didn''t even try," he frowned. "It seems neither the devilish Dao, the peacock, nor the horsey are too interested in the seas right now," he contemplated. "Fine, I''ll head south to guard against the peacock for now." "Ao Yan, take over command of the west sea dragon palace and the 3.4 millions dragons we brought with us. Hold fort unless the devilish Dao invades. The sky barges are fast enough for you to escape," the dragon instructed. "Relay the same order to the sea clans." The younger dragon nodded and left. Zulong departed for his personal sky barge leaving his fleet behind in the process. All the while, he struggled to contain his own excitement. Chapter 85-Path To Wuji The east continent was in an uproar. The news of the three sovereigns took the world by storm. Three separate Great Principle Chaos Immortals had taken the opportunity to carve out large chunks of the world up into their own private territories. They were wholly unlike preceding experts who preferred to keep to themselves. The status quo as the primitive world had known it had been utterly shattered. In this day and age, various innate clans debated whether they should join one of these forces. Some also debated whether they would set their eyes on the East Continent next. All of this however, was meaningless to Hongjun. The ancestor of the great balance sat like a statue within Zixiao palace silently cultivating. He ignored the ongoings of the world as if nothing bothered him sitting on his purple prayer cushion. Purple clouds swirled around him. Hongjun appeared extremely peaceful. A soft humming along with chanting could be heard. Inaudible for mortals and only understandable for the extraordinary. Profound mysteries were created and disappeared within the same breath. Entire lineages of cultivation were thought up and discarded with but a thought. Primordial Qi circulate his body while his understanding towards the Dao continued to grow. Hongjun slowly opened his eyes. The three flower crowns appeared above his head spinning with divine authority. Hongjun''s eyes glowed with intense divine purple lights. His very essence was divinity of the highest order. Two mysterious figures appeared on the left and right flower crowns. Two old men heavily resembling Hongjun sat upon the splendours like an immortal would a lotus seat. They sat with hands clasped chanting softly cultivating just like Hongjun. They possessed the same level of insight but distinct feels. They could be recognised as Hongjun if one looked but that detail can often be overlooked. Hongjun raised his right hand above his head. "CUT!" He roared slicing down with his arm. His hall lit in vast purple light. They were like a wave of cosmic starlight illuminating the heavens like the heavenly river flowing through the nine heavens. An intense Burts of energy erupted forth slamming and shaking the Zixiao palace to its foundation. The radiant force of a Great Principle Chaos Immortal who has achieved a completed Dao path and thereby reached the great principle of primal chaos spread irradiated like a bright star. In this instance, even Golden Immortals would be smitten on accident by this energy pressure. Hongjun''s forceful actions if done anywhere but within Zixiao palace would massacre living beings by the billions. Then nothing happened. Hongjun hunched his back frowning outwardly. He closed his eyes and recited several sutras before calming down from his disappointment. "Forget it, these things take time," he sighed. "My progress is already too extraordinary as is." He manifested a tea set and boiled himself some spiritual tea before taking a small sip. He reveled in the taste and sighed in content. "The path of Wuji is mysterious. But this era is still starting, we have another yuanhui before things really get serious," he comforted himself. Taking another sip of tea, he began some divination into the status of the three sovereigns. When he got no results he didn''t seem disappointed, rather he seemed to have expected this. "Destined individuals are naturally protected after all," he said. The key reason he couldn''t track Da Hai, Zulong, or even Luohu and vice versa was because they were all protected by the Heavenly Dao. Da Hai even more so as he lived on Yingzhou which was a separate universe in and of itself being a chaos fragment. Hongjun had personally gotten down and dirty and did detective work to work out the locations of Zufeng and Zulin. He followed rumours, sightings, and spiritual energies in order to find their location before tagging them. He could never accomplish the same with Zulong as by then he had already begun living full time on Yingzhou and was thus out of reach. What''s more, the east sea for the longest time was shrouded by the heavenly Dao which Hongjun wasn''t willing to offend. "To locate my obsession¡­ Maybe I should," he mused simulating various possibilities in his head. This was the standard process for cultivators trying to break through, performing simulations before live experimentations. Most cultivators learned about what recourses they needed through this process. Thankfully, the current world was still in a state where recourses weren''t really necessary for cultivation outside of developing affinities or crafting. Hongjun silently went back to secluded cultivation after his short break. ¡­ Luohu tinkered away within his workshop. He neither sat nor meditated unlike Hongjun. Instead, he continuously worked on his new weapons, swords from their appearance. The devil ancestor was humming a cheerful tune that completely seemed out of place within his dark dungeon. Occasionally he would pull a chained innate creature from their cage and experiment on them before moving on. He was energetic, proactive, and completely dead to the world. Like Hongjun, Luohu ignored everything in the world except himself and the things he worked on. All the while, he circulated Qi and contemplated on the Dao. His body was on autopilot moving under instructions on any insights he gleamed. This was how Luohu liked to cultivate. He would sit down and meditate but he also liked to work at the same time. Especially so now that he was inspired to create. His recent battle with Hongjun had been embarrassing to him. While offensively he held the distinct advantage, defensively he was far inferior. His offence while powerful, was not at a level where it could reliably pierce Hongjun''s taiji painting. Hongjun''s pangu banner on the other hand can reliably damage him and force him to retreat. They may be neck and neck in cultivation realm and insight but in terms of battle power, Hongjun was the superior of the two. As such, Luohu wanted to rectify this. The devil ancestor poured years upon years of work and was making steady progress. He had always been talented in bloodshed and things that caused such and this was no different. Luohu was fully honest with himself. He would kill when he wanted to. He would teach who he wanted to. He would do whatever he wanted to do even if others disagreed with him. He would follow his own desires until the very end, indulge in whatever he wanted and live however he wanted. Right now, the only thing Luohu wanted was to kill Hongjun. If he can''t make it happen then he will do something to make it happen. "Alright, let''s test this," Luohu mused grabbing hold of a standard looking sword. The metal was dark grey and jewels embedded themselves on the handle. Luohu turned towards a chained wolf looking at him with fear. "Wai¡­" the wolf barely made out before Luohu slashed at him unflinchingly. He bisected the innate creature in one stroke and frowned. He tossed the sword aside and went back to his bench. "The trapping effect didn''t even activate," Luohu mused. He immediately got the work refining another slag of metal. Let none say Luohu was a quitter. "No matter, there''s still 49,000 other possibilities I have still yet to test," he said while moulding a new sword. "Ah, Wuji oh Wuji. The great principle without limit. The paramount force without limit. Oh great Wuji," he sang. His progress wasn''t fast but it was smooth. Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal was an eventuality that he had long vowed to reach. He just never thought this would be how he does so. ¡­ Wangshu walked down a set of stairs down a dark stairway lit by torches containing mini suns. She looked incredibly uncertain at this process but nevertheless trudged on. Her feet tapped against the dusty stone with soft taps. Yet the space was so empty that each of her footsteps made noticeable tapping sounds. Wangshu arrived before a hidden study and walked into a small cultivation room complete with hanging calligraphy works and a prayer cushion. She walked past all of that wand punched into the brick wall. Pulling across the wall revealed another hallway. The goddess obliterated the wall and stepped through. As she did so, more torches lit following her along. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Wangshu grimaces arriving at the final door. She pushed it open into an empty room. It was pure silver and contained nothing that could be seen. Nothing that could be sensed. The only object was a floating wisp. "Oh? Little girl, you back?" A mature woman''s voice asked. "Yeah," Wangshu replied. "Things have changed since last we spoke." "Heh," the wisp chuckled. "And here I thought you wouldn''t come around." "Oh don''t mistake me seeking your help as me liking you. I detest everything about your society," Wangshu sneered. "But the current world order necessitates me seeking your aid." "Hmph, in the end, you''re still the one seeking my aid. Ask away little girl, what is it you seek," the wisp relented. "The path to the limitless principle wuji" Wangshu revealed. She was met with silence as the wisp glanced at her in shock. "Wu¡­Wuji? WUJI? You, you''ve actually¡­ How the hell did you reach Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal so fast?" She practically screamed. Wangshu looked at the wisp unimpressed, she folded her arms and tapped her fingers waiting for her answer. "Hai, youngsters," the wisp sighed. "I thought my generation was talented. No chaos life forms were ever quite like us. But to think a goddess from a chaos world utterly smashed out records." "Cease your reminiscing Moon Demon god, I don''t want to be here longer than necessary," Wangshu sneered. "Heh fine," the wisp revealed to be Moon Demon god said. Wangshu could feel the wisp smirking at her even though it lacked any facial details. The wisp''s true identity was the Moon Demon god of the three thousand chaos godfiends. In the distant past, she was the moon lord of the celestial lunar temple, a major power among the godfiends society. She was the counterpart of the Sun Demon god Lu Ya and worked alongside the sun deity as part of a larger alliance of godfiends. Together they were the supreme chaos lords of five planets seven stars. After Pangu split the chaos apart and created the primitive world. Moon Demon god perished alongside her brethren. However, she ultimately failed to reincarnate and remained as a remnant spirit dwelling within the core of the lunar star''s moon palace. Her counterpart, Lu Ya had managed to survive but sadly perished as well in the early days. "Very well, Moon Star lord," Moon Demon god said. Her sudden shift in tone indicated her change of topic. Wangshu was typically called little girl by her due to her carefree attitude. Currently, Moon Demon god decided to refer to Wangshu as her proper position as Moon star lord. Technically speaking, as the highest authority among the stars, Wangshu''s title could also be Heavenly Sovereign of the Highest Moon Palace. "The path to Wuji is the path to Grand Dao," Moon Demon god stated. "The path to finding Wuji is simple but nigh impossible. Unlike the process of Dao creation, it is universal across all seekers of the Dao." "By completing your Dao, you had already refined it to the highest level. Achieved the absolute realm of the supreme ultimate Taiji. But Wuji is not Taiji, it is the without limit ultimate that exists before Taiji," Moon Demon god explained. "Get to the point, I already know this," Wangshu said impatiently. She was very unlike her usual self. Then again, she did not like dealing with the Moon Demon god. "To achieve Wuji, you must work out the processes in which Wuji became Taiji. The grand principles of zero to one to two to three," Moon Demon god explained. "Any one of these principles when understood would elevate you to Wuji." "That''s it?" Wangshu asked slightly confused. "Expecting something more?" Moon Demon god sounded amused. "Wuji is after all, a bridging realm to Dao. But it is still functionally still a Chaos Immortal. The great principle you seek is merely superior." "I see," Wangshu said turning around to leave. "Tell me Moon star lord," Moon Demon god''s wisp said. "Would you finally be carving out your rightful destiny?" "I am not your successor," Wangshu all but growled. "I refuse to conquer and enslave as you would have it." "Hai, such a waste of potential," Moon Demon god scoffed. "Even so, you are still the sovereign of the stars. My title is one you own, Moon star lord." "I don''t care," Wangshu scoffed walking out of the room. "You should. I named you a sovereign of the stars after all. Extreme Yin Primordial Sovereign, Holy Queen of the Highest Moon Palace," Moon Demon chanted. "You can be so much more than you are." Wangshu ignored all that was said and sealed the room once more. She restored the brick and walked out no longer interested in staying. "Wuji, the path is unclear but I have to reach it if only so that I have a chance to survive," she murmured. Appearing on the balcony overlooking the starry sky, Wangshu starred in the distant great wilderness. "Good luck Da Hai, may you too see success on your path," she said. Turning away, Wangshu entered secluded cultivation. ¡­ Da Hai placed the letter he was reading down. Zulong had opted to remain in the south sea as deterrence against Zufeng until the dragon palaces are finished construction. Progress was slowed down by a few thousand years due to the abrupt need to gather rich materials and laying down intricate formations. Si Hai''s palace was damaged to the point where it was little better than a broken down shack. The ancestor of the great sea rubbed his chin in thought. "The world''s moving so fast," he mused. Yi Fei''e had challenged and successfully passed the Golden Immortal tribulation ascending to that illustrious realm that was slowly becoming more and more common. The power standard was becoming higher and higher. Previously, Heavenly immortals were overlords while Golden Immortals were absolute gods. Nowadays, Golden Immortals were dime a dozen while Great PrincipleGolden Immortals were true experts However, with the emergence of the three sovereigns, this was bound to change again. Chaos Immortals are the new overlord realm while everyone else were booted down the totem pole. Da Hai contemplated his own cultivation. He was still stuck at the Primal Origin level of Chaos Immortal. His Dao has still yet to evolve beyond the level of primal chaos and it had bugged him to no end. The Dao of distant seas has been expanded in all the ways Da Hai had thought of. He''d developed it to the absolute peak yet it still wasn''t enough. The sea portion was already fully understood and the distant portion was nearly done. Distant inherently meant far away. But also implies a degree of visibility. Da Hai understood this and created pellucid divine water, a substance that allowed for one to be unreachable yet close. It was also an Dao that excelled in remaining unnoticeable. He picked up a brush as he contemplated and began doing calligraphy, it was an activity he adopted that soothed him these days. Da Hai was still contemplating when he heard a knocking sound. "Come in," he said. "Master," Yi Fei''e greeted the sea god. "New letter from eldest senior brother," she said. Senior brother here referred to Zulong. Her term of reference has now changed with her status. Picking up the letter, Da Hai read: P.S. Forgot to write this part but I''ve also decided that after the palace''s construction, I will hold my coronation in the East Sea Dragon Palace. Expect to see a massive influx of people in the coming years. It was very short and concise. Da Hai frowned slightly as he thought about the dragon''s situation. "Dragon sovereign," he mused. He was incredibly proud of his disciples. However, he could not shake off that instinctive sense of fear. Not fear at his disciples, but fear at their destinies. Doing so brought Da Hai back to when he first met them. To a time where he still desired to use them as his vanguard. A time where he was falling into an abyss of rage he hadn''t even noticed. "He will succeed in the end, right?" He questioned. Yi Fei''e looked curiously as her master''s face slowly contorted to one of unsure fear. ''So many factors in this world, can Zulong stand against all stacked against him. The Phoenix, the Qilin, the Dragon are all pawns of the heavenly Dao destined to develop the world into the next era,'' Da Hai thought with no small horror. ''Can I, let him do this?'' Chapter 86-Dragons Gate Da Hai sat on his watching chair staring out into the night sky. These past few millennia have been some of the most exciting news in the primitive world''s history. Yet for this great god of the early heavens, it was a trying time. It can not be denied how proud Da Hai was of Zulong''s rise to power. That dragon had in the span of ten thousand years, built his own clan with an incredibly stable foundation. Expanded that clan''s population with the help of very energetic male and female dragons. Raise that clan to one with innumerable experts. Then sweeping across the four seas. They had been incredibly fast taking mere half a dozen years to reach and take both the north and south seas. Then used a few more to take the west. Most of that time was travel time as no opponent could triumph against the ancestral dragon. Most of the experts Zulong raised didn''t even have to do anything but stand there and look tough. Though they were very effective at looking tough. After all, the sight of millions of dragons each ten thousand metres long at the smallest blanketing out the sky was quite intimidating. Da Hai drank a small sip of wine and looked towards a piece of paper he''d been writing on. Notes about things he remembers about mythology and the development of the world. It was not that he needed to do this as immortals possessed eidetic memories. Rather, it was very helpful in aiding him to think. "Three beast sovereigns, three beast sovereigns," Da Hai mused depressingly. "Things have already progressed so far." He looked at a nearby bowl of water. On it were projections of both Zufeng and Zulin. Both figures were recent renditions of their status. They no longer appeared like rogue cultivators like they were in the past but as actual royal rulers. It was not especially hard to get information nowadays from east, south and north due to how connected the continents are. Of the three the south was undoubtedly the most populated. The north still suffered from the sinful actions of Shenni while the east was its own beast entirely. The seas Willa always be larger and more populated than the continents. This domain Zulong had claimed will also be the most spread out and hardest to defend. He was bordered by both his rivals who were consequently a distance away from his primary base of operations. "I can''t kill them without arousing trouble I can''t cope with," Da Hai thought with irritation. The jade brush in his hand started creaking with the amount of force the sea god was using. Da Hai checked his own karmic luck before calculating his losses before feeling a chill. "Can''t even think about that, what bullshit," he complained angrily. Da Hai may consider himself an ally of the heavenly Dao, but let it not be said that sometimes he really hated that cosmic force. "I can''t let that happen," Da Hai mused covering his frown with his legs hand in a thinking pose. "I can''t allow him to die. You most certainly cannot stop me." Almost immediately, a flash of thunder rumbled in the distance prompting Da Hai to look out the window once more. "He''s my disciple, my son and inheritor. Right now, he is the priority for me," he said out loud. Some movement of the clouds outside his room seemed to indicate a level of understanding. But Da Hai got the feeling that his greatest ally didn''t really agree with that last sentiment. "I understand, the constant waging war inside you is painful," Da Hai admitted. "The battle between the Devil and Dao ancestors are inevitable. You can be sure that I will fight for you. But right now, something else takes precedence." No responsive sound was heard. Da Hai sighed in relief. Normally, he didn''t really want the world to turn against him. In truth, he quite liked the Heavenly Dao. It was tenacious and decisive. It knew what it wanted and it wanted to live. But it was also open to ideas and willing to heed others. Just that the idea Hongjun, Luohu, and to an extent himself had fed into it proved to be one that was too lucrative to pass up. If the era of the three beast sovereigns can be defined by anything it was the amount of experts they had. In this era, the primitive world was connected closely to the chaos sea. Sensing the Dao was easy and anyone could cultivate. The sheer number of Golden Immortals this era held was easily in the hundred millions, possibly even low billions. So when the great tribulation happened, the power of these experts fed and empowered the heavenly Dao to obscene heights. "This era is just starting but so many things are already set in stone. I¡­I am at fault as well," Da Hai sighed thinking more and more about Zulong''s situation. No matter what, even if Zulong was unambitious nor wished to fight, he will be forced to. Zufeng and Zulin will never let him rest. He would not be able to withstand their continuous pushes and will have to go to war himself. Da Hai had no doubt Zulong can beat them but in the end, he too will be afflicted by the tribulation as a part of the war. His end will not be pretty. WHat''s more, Hongjun and Luohu might even use this as an excuse to finish him off. Da Hai looked at a portrait of his disciples hanging on the wall. It was taken thousands of years ago when Zulong first crossed into the realm of Chaos Immortal and obtained the great principle of the Dao. Zulong''s Dao was one of royal authority. It symbolized his desire to rule as sovereign of the world. Despite how outwardly merciful and kind as the dragon was, he can be just as pragmatic and cruel if need be. There was a high chance he might implicate himself without knowing. "The path of a sovereign is not a kind one," Da Hai mused. Suddenly he had an epiphany. His eyes widened in realisation. "He hasn''t announced himself yet," Da Hai uttered in realisation. "He''s annexed territory but that''s no different to a sect taking a mountain. He''s not proclaimed himself as a candidate to rule the world. He hasn''t connected to the dragon''s karmic merit, not fully." Da Hai adopted a thinking pose as he said, "There is still hope. Zulong cannot be allowed to become sovereign." FLASH! Da Hai faded out of existence, teleporting across Yingzhou towards the moth fairies. As residents of Yingzhou, even if they possessed strong cultivations, Da Hai can find them with no difficulty. Yi Fei''e, Er Fei''e, San Fei''e, Si Fei''e, Wu''Fei''e, Liu Fei''e, and Chi Fei''e had in the time since coming to Yingzhou, all reached the Golden Immortal realm. They were all well on track to Great Unity Golden Immortal. Though they don''t really leave Yingzhou aside from errands for Da Hai, they''ve garnered a reputation as the Seven Illusionary Fairies. This was because they were all weirdly talented at illusion type spells. Spells Da Hai himself knew a lot about simply from living in Yingzhou. The lot of women were sitting and eating a basket of homegrown spiritual fruits when Da Hai abruptly popped into said garden. It was one of many planted on Yingzhou by the moths who''d long been given free reign on this topic. Da Hai''s sudden appearance did not register to the minds of the fairies at first. After all, his brand of teleportation involved slipping in and out of existence rendering him completely untraceable. "Hey try this one sis," San Fei''e said picking up a specially grown spiritual fruit for Yi Fei''e. "Hope it''s better than that last attempt, that one was just terrible," the head moth fairy said in good jest taking the fruit. "Ahem!" Da Hai cleared his throat. "Oh master," Er Fei''e said looking back briefly before turning back to her sisters. "MASTER!" only to immediately realise who was standing then and got up to greet him along with the rest of her sisters in a ninety degree bow. Aside from Yi Fei''e, all the fairies were in name disciples. This means that while Da Hai taught them spells and the Dao, they did not inherit much from the sea god. Yi Fei''e on the other hand received personal defensive treasures and guidance on cultivation and Dao. Yi Fei''e had received just as much guidance as her senior brothers before her and more so than her sisters and as such exceeded them by a wide degree. She was also one of the most trusted of all of Da Hai''s subordinates. "What is it master requires of us?" They asked. "Deliver a message to Zulong for me," Da Hai said. "It doesn''t matter how you do it, just as long as he receives it." "What message does master wish to send?" Yi Fei''e inquired. "I want to talk with him, privately on Yingzhou," Da Hai said before fading out of existence. After a few moments, Yi Fei''e flicked her wrist packing away the tables and fruit baskets into her sleeve. "Right, break''s over," she announced clapping her soft hands lightly. "I guess I''ll, you know what sisters. You lot barely leave the island as is. You six go out and tell senior brother," Yi Fei''e said smirking at their shocked faces. "Eh? What? But it''s so comfortable here. Besides big sister is so experienced with these errands and we''re afraid we might mess it up," they tried to say. "Which is why you all should get experience," Yi Fei''e suggested. "Well, we can''t keep master waiting. Take one of the spare sky barges and go." And so six of the seven moth fairies departed Yingzhou for the first time in twenty to thirty thousand years. They travelled to meet the dragon who was darting between the west, south, and east these days to oversee construction as well as to guard against Zufeng as most of the Great Principle powerhouses were up north to guard against Zulin. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡­ Yi Fei''e wandered the gardens Yingzhou silently. Now that her sisters were gone, it was actually quite lonely. Her master Da Hai wasn''t really one to make social calls and what''s more, had entered secluded cultivation until her senior brother returned. ''Senior brother, how odd to refer to him like that,'' Yi Fei''e thought wordlessly. They used to be a distance of lord and servant but now they were fellow disciples beneath Da Hai. They were essentially siblings of the same lineage. Her strength had also improved by an order of magnitude. Her usage of weapons and spells had been improved though she hoped to test them in an actual fight one day. Sitting and reading about war and battle can only take you so far. Some live practice was necessary especially when in this aspect of cultivation. This was why the moth decided to try using the new spell Da Hai taught her. Yi Fei''e readied herself and activated her spell. She faded out of existence similar to Da Hai and appeared in another section of Yingzhou. This was the ''Distant Flash'' spell that was a movement technique that allowed one to motionlessly fade in and out of existence. It was derived from Da Hai''s Dao of distant seas. Da Hai figured out this spell by studying his own Dao and imparted it freely to all his disciples as it was a very strong survival skill. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much opportunity to use it. Zulong and the dragons being so overwhelmingly powerful and the moths having barely experienced any conflict. Yi Fei''e took in the sight of a peaceful garden that appeared as she faded into view. "This is the koi pond garden," she realised. Her aim had been off, she was aiming for Yingzhou''s fourth mountain peak. She walked up to the pond and saw a colourful assortment of carps swimming about. Their colourful scales glistened in the crystal clear water and bright sunlight. "Their cultivation is already quite high," Yi Fei''e mused. She watched as hundreds of carps came near the edge of the pond eager for a treat. These carps were really gluttonous. In truth, although they acted as decorations, each and every one of these fishes were legitimate cultivators. Some had even crossed into the True Immortal realm and beyond over the years having fed of fish feed made of some of the best herbs available. These fishes would all qualify as experts if they roamed outside. However since their treatment here was so good, they just remained as decorations. It wasn''t as if Da Hai cared if they left or not. Yi Fei''e thought them pretty smart, no work yet reap all the benefits. The size of the koi pond was massive. It was easily hundreds of metres in width and flowed into a river that led into a waterfall somewhere down the garden. Seeing the carps giving her a pitiful look, Yi Fei''e sighed helplessly. She retrieved a bag from her sleeve and watched in amusement as the eyes of these hundreds of fishes lit up in gold. What happened next was a carnage of battle as Yi Fei''e emptied the bag into the pond and watched in fascination as factions of carps assaulted each other for the food. It was highly likely that there was an actual society of carps a little deeper into the pond. The moth simply never checked as it wasn''t important and this place was only really interesting to her eldest senior brother. "Those tactics that group is using though," Yi Fei''e watched in fascination as a mini war went on. An army of carps had attacked in a pincer formation and trapped another before forcing them into a cage while they got the food. War wasn''t a subject people associated with Yi Fei''e due to her dainty fragile appearance. It also wasn''t something she shared with people nor something she talked about nor kept notes on. But it was something she found interesting and liked to read about in her free time. That and romance novels, the creativity of east sea seafolk with too much time on their hands were extraordinary. ROOM! "Hm?" Yi Fei''e curiously turned her head. A sudden shift in temperature was felt as the ground shook slightly. Strangely, it was a familiar energy signature. "This feeling?" Yi Fei''e mused. "Senior brother? No, too weak. Not any of the dragons either, this one feels new." Yi Fei''e stepped forwards crossing thousands of steps in a single step. She followed the river leading out of the koi pond for quite a distance until she reached a waterfall. This place was connected to the main koi pond but none of the carps liked to come here. In fact, Zulong''s pet project had picked this place to be his cave abode for secluded cultivation. Yi Fei''e gazed curiously at the waterfall. She looked up and saw dark clouds teeming with lightning, fire, and ice. A large amount of heavenly energies was gathering. "Someone here is undergoing the Immortal tribulation," she said. The waterfall was hitting the surface of the river harshly. Some droplets went up to the moth fairy only to fade past her as if she was never there. Yi Fei''e watched in fascination as instead of striking down, heavenly wind, heavenly fire, heavenly water, and heavenly lightning descended in unison converging on the waterfall. It was a first in history as a gateway morphed just before the waterfall nearly touching it. Yi Fei''e could feel an oppressive force behind this gate. The gravitational force must be horrendously strong. Though it was all focused on the other side behind the waterfall, Yi Fei''e could still feel strong energy coming from it. The moth fairy retreated a hundred steps not wanting to be caught up in this tribulation. It wouldn''t really affect her at all but she didn''t want to dirty herself. This heavenly gate was adorned by dragons on all sides. It was unlike any Immortal tribulation Yi Fei''e had ever seen in her life. More unique and mysterious than even her own which itself was quite powerful. RUMBLE! The gateway groaned. A shadow was visible on the other side of the waterfall. On the other side of the gateway struggling. Yi Fei''e had a distinct feeling she knew who it was. Only one cultivation manual can possibly generate this. She hadn''t worked on the project herself but she has read it and memorised it herself. She''d also seen the dragon clan cultivating it for themselves as well. Though no one else had tried other than dragons as this method was tailor made for dragons. RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! The shadow on the other side struggled, it swished and swooshed struggling to move. Yi Fei''e tilted her he''d curious if it''ll succeed. Her senior brother had staked a lot on this fish after all. RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! The fierce heavenly wind erupted from the gate blowing against the grass and trees. Yi Fei''e herself was unaffected but she could sense the carps nearby had gone deep underwater. "What the hell is going on?" One of the carp elders screeched. He was a Profound Immortal senior yet was clueless. "Could it be that runt fellow?" Another immortal carp asked. There was panicked discussion among them as this tribulation scared the Profound Immortals and the one Heavenly Immortal elder they had. Yi Fei''e wordlessly formed a spatial barrier over the koi pond. It won''t do if they all died under her watch. Tap! Da Hai''s soft footstep landed beside Yi Fei''e. The sea god looked sharply at the gateway grinning. "Working as intended," he mused. "Master," Yi Fei''e greeted. "Hm," Da Hai acknowledged. The two watched in silence as the shadow became bigger and bigger. The shaking was getting more and more intense. Even the gate was quivering as the shadow approached the surface. "He''s coming," Da Hai stated. BOOM! The waterfall erupted and the gateway smashed to bits. A gargantuan serpentine figure erupted from both destroying and absorbing the gateway into his long scaly body. This being was once a carp fish living in the pond. He had decent talent but was small and weak for his group. His parents were near the end of their lives and had all but given up on him. One day, he received a manual from the owners. These beings saw to their care with enriching food and a safe environment. Children like him would often hear stories from their forefathers about how scary the outside was and that they should appreciate the owners. After that event, this carp fish cultivated hard. He reforged his bones according to the manual, he reforged his organs, his flesh, his tendons, his veins, and soul. He followed the manual as he crossed the gateway and obtained true dragon blood transforming his body entirely. He entered the trial on one side of the waterfall as a small carp and exited as a long, powerful, and wise dragon. He measured over ten thousand metres in length with a crocodilian head, a lion''s mane, catfish whiskers, muscular bull like limbs, long sharp claws, and a snake''s body. His scales felt invincible and his power was unlike anything he''d felt before. He felt as if he could fight dozens of carp Profound Immortals and win soundly. "History is made today," Yi Fei''e said smiling brightly. She was genuinely happy and couldn''t wait to tell her senior brother on his success. "Yes, yes it was," Da Hai said frowning. He did not show it to Yi Fei''e but he secretly didn''t want this to happen. ''Now Zulong will be even sure of himself. He''d be one step closer to his demise,'' Da Hai thought gripping his fist. As Yi Fei''e clapped in celebration, the only thought crossing Da Hai''s mind was, ''I can''t allow that to happen.'' Chapter 87-The Proud Disciple Managing four separate estates was a pain. This was even more so when these estates were massive palaces that were in charge of four of the largest territories of the entire universe, surrounded by enemies, still in construction, and years apart even in the fastest travel time. Zulong, for all his power, could not be everywhere at once. He could not possibly manage the west, south, north, and east seas as well as focusing on his own cultivation and projects. But he had known this for over fifty thousand years. Three of the four symbols guard the north with 2.3 million dragons moving in. That population was expected to grow and already the first batch of eggs numbered in the hundred thousands. They would be able to defend against a possible invasion by Zulin long enough for Zulong to receive news and arrive to help. Yinglong guards the south along with 5.9 million dragons adding on hundreds of millions of experts from the east sea as well as the newly ascended Great Principle Chaos Immortals Mosasaur and Plesiosaur ancestor. The west had Chenghuang who was soon to reach Chaos Immortality, 3.4 million dragons and the Colossal Shark ancestor. Though due to the movements, or lack there off, the west sea was deemed low priority for the experts under him. Zulong himself remained in the east and cycled between the rest of the four seas to oversee constructions. Four massive formations were being constructed along with the palaces and these were tantamount to the defences of his headquarters. Thousands of years ago, Zulong had devised with Da Hai a powerful formation that could defend as well as keep itself hidden from unwanted visitors. Using Da Hai''s Dao of Ever Distant Seas and Zulong''s Imperial Rule Dao, a formation was crafted. This was the Overbearing Nine Claws Suppression Formation. It was able to repel attacks by Great Principle Chaos Immortals and entrap foes with senses distorting illusions. At the same time, it generated overbearing pressure that threatened to crush the enemy. However, though it was, it needed exceptionally powerful spiritual veins to be laid in place as well as extremely powerful artifacts. For this purpose, Zulong crafted four dragon pearls that were of the high grade xiantian spiritual treasure quality. These dragon pearls were designed for the sole purpose of maintaining these formations. They however did absolutely nothing else and were useless other than being in a formation. Currently, Zulong was within the east sea. The construction of the North Sea Dragon Palace was long completed and the other seas were nearing completion as well. This proud dragon was naturally in a great mood. Because of the situation, the north sea took priority and had extra formations in place to trap the Pure Yin Pale Water. Reports from dragons studying that place also indicated some other forces beyond the lake that Zulong wasn''t sure about. However, those investigations can be put on the back burner for now. The ancestral dragon had other pressing matters to attend to. Zulong sat within a meeting room with a horde of ministers. Powerful Golden Immortals served as guards and stood on all sides. These were some of the dragon elites who''d denied managing roles. The ministers were made up of an ensemble of sea creatures from shrimps, to stingrays, sharks, crabs, and most importantly turtles. Much of the primordial turtle clan and their subsidiary''s bureaucracy was absorbed into the dragon''s proto-government. "And that concludes the census for the Misty Jade Sea province. Now the Red Pearl Sea province has seen some growth in¡­" and on and on it went as a turtle minister went over little changes in the east sea. Zulong listened attentively in the main seat. His orders are absolute but he preferred to have advisers and people more experienced than he in these topics. This was why the Primordial Turtle King was sitting beside him chiming in whenever it became necessary. A second opinion from a fellow ruler was always welcome. It was a big leap to change from city lord to monarch after all. Hours past as the topics of buildings and infrastructure was discussed. The income of recourses the dragons were collecting was frankly insane. Zulong normally used these recourses to continuously produce powerful fighters as well as develop cities with powerful formations. Yet still, they have leftovers that can be exchanged with clans from the continents proper. "Your majesty, the bulk of Yellow Earth Granite has arrived. We can begin construction on the ceremonial platform soon," a turtle minister said. "I see, and what of the Jade Heavenly Blaze? Has the torches made of Silver Treasured Birch arrived yet?" Zulong asked. "Unfortunately your majesty, the baboon clans who control the silver forests are still yet to send out what we ordered. But the transaction has already been made and they should be here by the decade." "Very well, and the rest of the ceremonial decorations?" Zulong asked scanning around the room. "Of course your majesty," the ministers quickly handed over the list of things that were ready and those that were not. "Hm, it seems we are ahead of schedule," Zulong nodded satisfyingly. "Turtle King, how fast do you think the south and west sea Dragon Palaces can be completed based on the trajectory of materials harvested?" "Based on the amazing success we''ve been seeing in our mines and forest farms, perhaps nineteen more years will see to the South Sea Dragon Palace''s completion. This is of course without factoring in what the south sea has harvested," the Turtle King said. "The west sea due to its distance will take a little longer. The Celestial Steel Wood, Cloud Rain Wood and Aquatic Prismatic Ore are only found in the east after all," he added. "The extensions to the original plans have halted the construction somewhat but we should see completion by the end of this century." "Very well, it seems all things are progressing smoothly," Zulong said. "It is all thanks to your majesty''s hard work. The sheer amount of karmic luck has positively affected our gains and elevated our productivity by at least 500%," a crab minister praised. What this crab said was true. Zulong''s past actions had garnered a lot of merit from the Heavenly Dao and through that gained a tremendous amount of karmic luck. This allowed the dragon to see too many fortunes successes to count in his short tenure as a ruler. The meeting went on for a little while longer with Zulong ordering for more alchemical pills for the dragons and rising talents from other clans as well as the opening of more farms for herbs needed for said pills. "If nothing else is urgent¡­dismissed," Zulong concluded. "Return to your stations and make the glory of the four seas known," he commanded. "Yes your majesty," the ministers kowtowed in reverence before leaving. They left the room one after the other after Zulong''s decree returning to whatever other jobs they had. This left the Primordial Turtle King alone with the dragon "Now then father-in-law, where has Yu''er gone? I haven''t seen her this morning," Zulong asked. "Normally she would be here for court but instead she sent pill master Bao Yanzi instead." "Yes, it was a bit strange she wasn''t there. I haven''t seen Yu''er since yesterday when she retired with you," the turtle kind replied. "I''m sure she''s fine though. Probably too busy conducting alchemical experiments." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Hm," Zulong rubbed his chin. His ears, powerful as they were, could pick up all the sounds in the palace. It wasn''t that hard for him to overhear what he wanted. "Pill tower? She''s consulting Ao Jin?" Zulong frowned. "The physician?" The turtle king said worriedly. "Hai, I knew she shouldn''t have been working so hard." "I suppose I''ll drop by and see how she''s doing. Her condition isn''t too ideal for working after all," Zulong said beginning to make his way towards the resident pill tower. "I concur, I don''t know why she insists on working so hard even though she''s now with child," the turtle king grumbled. "Hai, she''s always been too stubborn." "We need to hurry in case this is an emergency," Zulong commanded. The path to the pill tower was a long one. It was built in close proximity to the barracks. This was because the tower served a double purpose as a hospital as alchemists and physicians walked hand in hand. The Pill tower itself was a massive building. It was easily several kilometres in length and width and at least a thousand kilometres high. It was a grand building that had a lot of input from the turtles as they were skilled alchemists in general. The two entered the pill tower and walked past all the working alchemists before arriving at the top. They skipped past floors upon floors of alchemists hard at work concocting pills and materials for other pills. Alchemy was a gruelling process and a single batch of pills can often take weeks to months to years to process. This was also with very skilled alchemists. The difficulty only goes up as the quality and the level of pills goes up. The former princess had grown very powerful over the years. With the aid of Da Hai and Zulong, she formed her primal unity and ascended to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm astoundingly quick for postnatal creatures. Even her father fell behind her in terms of prowess. Throughout the years since, she''d also taken to a managing duty. Because Zulong supervised all corners of the vast ocean, Gui Daiyu managed the east sea for him just as Yinglong is doing now with the south. She was an integral part of the empire and one of the government''s inner circle. "That girl is putting too much stress on herself," the turtle king sighed. Zulong nodded in agreement as well. Yet he chose to follow her wishes. Zulong opened the door to the top of the spill tower. His wife and confidant Gui Daiyu sat inside with a dragon physician checking over her body. While the pill tower was normally a place for alchemical resources, it also dubbed as a hospital. Alchemists were also physicians specialising in both medical and cultivation pills. Gui Daiyu was herself an exceptional alchemist being skilled in pill making. It was quite common to find her working and training the dragons in this field. Even Zulong has to admit defeat to her in this field. Gui Daiyu has always been beautiful even among the denizens of the east sea and innate gods of the primitive world. Even now after forty thousand or so years, she was still a charming woman. However now the most notable aspect of the dragon empress was her slightly bulging belly. "It seems to have formed an eg¡­Hm? Oh, greetings lord patriarch, greetings your excellency," the dragon physician checking Gui Daiyu over kowtowed towards Zulong and the turtle king in reverence. "Get up Ao Jin," Zulong said. "Yu''er, how are you holding up," he said tenderly to his wife. His arrogant demeanour receded back into his body. "Zulong, you don''t have to treat me so fragilely," Gui Daiyu smirked. "I''m perfectly capable of any activity. I''m simply here for a second opinion, nothing more." Zulong smiled and looked down in some embarrassment. He''d neglected a court meeting today when he heard his wife had gone here. After all, his child was a source of his worry these days and one of the reasons he hasn''t left the east sea in decades. "I know, but this is a first for me," Zulong complained. "We''re not even sure if you''re laying an egg or doing a live birth." The turtle king beside him also nodded energetically. "That''s right Yu''er, the mixture of such powerful bloodlines is guaranteed to produce a powerful child but also a tough birth. Bringing powerful beings into existence has historically been harsh on the mother," the turtle king reminded. "Hai, Zulong go back to work," Gui Daiyu scolded. "And you father, don''t encourage him. I''m a Great Unity Golden Immortal as well. All those examples you''re thinking of were mortal mothers and immortal fathers, of course incidents might happen." "Besides, Ao Jin and I are pretty sure I''m laying an egg. Dragons and turtles both lay eggs so no reason I won''t," she said. She hurried Zulong out of the room. "The empire needs you more than me, paperwork won''t sign themselves, orders won''t give themselves, dreams don''t see themselves into fruition." "Okay, okay, it''s just a small checkup," Zulong smiled bashfully. Any other creature will be utterly astounded by this interaction as it was incredibly out of character. Even his own brothers were confused by it when they first met the Guy Daiyu. "Come on turtle king, as my wife says, we have work to do," Zulong announced bringing his father-in-law away with him. THOOM! "Hm?" Zulong quickly looked around tensing for a fight. The turtle king, Gui Daiyu and Ao Jin also tensed. However he sensed nothing hostile nor foreign is he calmed down. "What was that?" Gui Daiyu asked. Her senses were not as advanced as the dragons but it was strong. But even she did not sense anything. "It was only a physical aftermath, whatever caused that as quite a distance away," Zulong murmured. He flexed all his senses and caught the tail end of a sound. A familiar roar that reminded him of his own and the ones of his brethren. "Dragon''s roar?" He said star ringing out a nearby window and into the sky. "Signs of a Heavenly Tribulation, a strong one by the looks of it," he said recognising the movement of heavenly energies. "Could it be?" Zulong mused. "Has that fish crossed the Heavenly Tribulation already?" "Huh, I guess your cultivation method works for non dragons after all," Gui Daiyu said beside him. "Heh, haha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Zulong laughed joyously. "This is wonderful news." "I guess we should schedule your coronation properly now," his wife chimed in. "As soon as the palace construction finishes?" "Yes as soon as they finish," Zulong nodded. "We should send invites all across the world. All the continents and all the seas. Let them see the glory that is us the dragons. I see it Yu''er, one nation, one people, all united beneath the name dragon." "I''ll admit, it is a smart way to get everyone to identify as dragon," Gui Daiyu nodded. "I guess I''ll begin initiating the advertisement campaign." "We''ll announce it at my coronation," Zulong said. "I''ll contact master and get him to send that fish over. A live example visible is always better than things said on paper." ''Hmph, what Phoenix Sovereign? What Qilin Sovereign? Nothing can stand against me and my dragons,'' Zulong thought viciously. Chapter 88-Drunk on Success A long time ago, Zulong vowed to become sovereign of the universe. At the time, he thought he could do so with overwhelming strength and charisma. He committed himself to years of training within the east sea. However, he discovered no one was willing to follow him inspite of his strength and mercy. Years later, he returned and gained great reputation as a successful city lord. He had a good reputation and strong backing that to the people of the east sea made him the successor of their god. After that, the dragon became wise and cautious. He wished for an unshakable foundation and studied the situation of the world through personal travels. He learned and understood the nature of the places he wanted to rule. He learned and adopted ideas from outside. The vision he foresaw was a world united under one banner. Dragons, the supreme clan of the empire. This word will not represent just the Primordial Celestial Dragon Clan, it represented all inhabitants of the seas. It was cultivation, it was a culture, it was everyone. Zulong chuckled merrily toasting himself. The event had set in and the Solar Star was no longer in view. The watchful gaze of the lunar star now illuminated the world as the ancestral dragon poured himself a cup of spiritual wine. "Ah! Life is great," he cheered. His celebratory mood could not be ruined at this point. He was essentially done with the preparatory steps and had made such progress that he''d overtaken the avians and the beasts for sure. "What Phoenix? What Qilin? Just a peacock and a horsey overreaching their place," Zulong snorted with contempt. "Just a slap of my tail already sent them both packing. Hmph, just a bunch of small fries." Zulong chugged down the drink with eagerness. "Ah, nothing like master''s homebrew wine," he winced at the singing from his throat. The chaotic energy from the void harvested and mixed into the drink could tear apart even the bodies of Golden Immortals. Only top tier powerhouses like Zulong can casually drink this wine without decapitating themselves in the process. The dragon quite liked the buzz it gave him. "Zulong, do you think you should be gloating so early?" Gui Daiyu asked worriedly. "After all, those two are still incredibly powerful existences." "And? I''ve beaten both of them easily and if it wasn''t for some tricks they would''ve been dead," the dragon sneered at the memory. "That horsey is lucky he has such a useful gift. Trust me Yu''er, once I have him cornered, I''ll take his head." "Just be cautious, those tricks you''ve mentioned are still incredibly dangerous. I mean causality manipulation and instant recovery? Even you can''t manage that," Gui Daiyu sighed taking a sip of her own cup. Her glass was filled with fruit juices instead of wine. "Hmph, horsey''s luck will run out eventually. He''s stupid to waste his karmic luck like that. I can do the exact same thing he did for an even longer period of time. But that''s just wasting the luck of my nation," Zulong said. "If he was so confident to use it all without hesitation, then he must have some way to replenish them," Gui Daiyu said cautiously. "It''s not that I don''t know you''re stronger, but those two, especially the northern Qilin seem to have a lot more hidden." "Unless he goes around being a good samaritan every second of his life, that kind of luck usage isn''t something he can replenish," Zulong scoffed. "There won''t be a next time Yu''er. You should be more concerned about your own wellbeing and our child''s not some nobodies who can do nothing but run." Gui Daiyu smiled softly, her earrings glistening along with her. "I suppose I should. He''s coming along very healthy." "His? You divined it already?" "Just a feeling," the turtle said. "He''d be a strong one. Neither of us were weak when we conceived. He''d be born an immortal at the very least." "He better be, he''s the son of Zulong," the proud dragon said triumphantly. "As the son of the dragon, of course he''d grow up to be a powerhouse." "Don''t you mean because he''s the son of Guy Daiyu?" His wife smirked. "Of course, it''ll be because of both of us," Zulong said smiling brightly along with his wife. He felt nothing in this world could stop him now. He had a family he could count on, powerful subordinates, an indestructible foundation, and enough luck to choke on. What could possibly halt this dragon''s march? "By the way, would lord Da Hai be coming here soon?" Gui Daiyu asked. "Of course, I sent the invitation letter myself," Zulong said with mock hurt. "Master deserves the best invitation. No mere message crystal would ever suffice, especially not for this occasion." "Hm, it seems only yesterday when we were still planning how best to take the other three seas," Gui Daiyu mused smiling fondly at the memory. "You thought it''ll take another five thousand years, not less than a hundred. Now only a few hundred years later, you''re ready to crown yourself." She raised her cup forward. "What can I say? The heavens favour me," Zulong raised his wine cup and toasted her. "So further successes and great fortune." "To further successes and great fortune," Gui Daiyu replied. ¡­ The golden light of merit hovered over Zulong''s eye. He''d been observing his own karmic luck and even though this was probably the hundredth time he probed himself, the amount still astounded him. "Naturally of course" he mused smiling giddily. He could sense some amount of luck had been diminished no doubt due to the good fortune he''d been experiencing. But he also felt it increasing to fill out the gap. Zulong''s source of luck was like a burning star in comparison to the torches everyone else held. He was incomparable to even the most fortunate of individuals. Only the other sovereigns could in theory rival Zulong''s own luck. He couldn''t be sure of theirs as their location was not only too far but their cultivation would bar even his senses. But he was sure they were combined, still less than a fraction of his own. "It is only natural as it is me," he mused giddily. With so much fortune at his fingertips, he was practically invincible. His dragon empire is bound to continuously grow to an unrivalled state. What Phoenix Sovereign? What Qilin Sovereign? What Devil Ancestor? Can all three of them even compare to the mighty dragon and his seas? This was the continuous thought running through Zulong''s mind. Zulong stood on the highest balcony of the east sea dragon palace overlooking the east sea. His celestial eyes oversaw the ocean in all directions. The east sea capital, Xuanlong Cheng was a marvel. Thousands of times larger than his first city and equipped with a farm stronger formation. "Your majesty?" A voice called out. Zulong turned his head slowly and glared in annoyance. He''d been peacefully marveling at his work. To be snapped out of it was simply rude. "What is it Ao Hu?" He asked in annoyance. The dragon he was speaking to was one of the stronger dragons with special status within the palace. He was a fairly powerful Great Unity Golden Immortal. "A thousand apologies your majesty but special guests have arrived," the dragon said apologetically. Zulong in his bout of annoyance had unwittingly released a surge of powerful energy. Even this Great Unity expert couldn''t help but feel an intrinsic fear of dealing with a vastly superior being. The chasm between both members of the dragon race was immense. Despite Ao Hu being functionally similar to Zulong with no lesser disadvantages in terms of the dragon bloodline, he was still a mere ant in comparison to Zulong''s star. "Ladies Er Fei''e, San Fei''e, Si Fei''e, Wu Fei''e, Liu Fei''e, and Chi Fei''e are here," he quickly said. "My junior sisters are here? That was fast, the letter was only sent out days ago," Zulong contemplated. The location of the East Sea Dragon Palace wasn''t that close to Yingzhou. Then again, Yingzhou could shift its location even though Da Hai never really used that ability. "When did they arrive?" The dragon patriarch asked calming down. "Moments ago your majesty. The exalted ladies arrived at the city edges and were immediately invited here," Ao Hu stated. Nodding in understanding, Zulong said, "Invite them over to the largest guest hall on the right wing. I shall meet them there." He turned around and teleported out of view fading out of existence similar to all others in Yingzhou''s lineage. Zulng reappeared at the designated guest hall and sat down at the main seat. He sat there for around ten minutes before servants began coming in with sets of tea and snacks imported from the East Continent. They were picking up popularity among the inhabitants of the sea and dragon clans. Zulong didn''t have to wait long. Only about an hour passed before six of the seven moth fairies arrived. They were all stunningly beautiful resembling snow women with hints of illusionary prowess. "Junior apprentice sisters, welcome to my domain," Zulong greeted. "We sisters greet eldest senior brother," the moth fairies said in unison saluting him before taking their seats. They were served plenty of tea and snacks as a show of good faith from the elder dragon. "Haha, no need to stand on occasion, we''ve all known each other for too long for that," Zulong said jollily. "Take a seat and try some of these delicacies." "Thank you, senior brother." "Ooooh, what are these?" Er Fei''e and Liu Fei''e said together. "Commodities from the East Continent," Zulong said. "Nothing much, but they are quite good." The dragon sat back and watched as the sapient moth cultivators tried all sorts of snacks. They were surprisingly good at appraising them. Zulong curiously wondered what they''d been up to since being promoted to in name disciples. "So, what brought you all here?" He asked. He''d initially assumed they arrived due to his invitation letter to his upcoming coronation. However, that event was still a few decades off. Da Hai was also not present and he knew his master will come to such an event. What''s more telling was that they arrived here so soon which probably meant they left Yingzhou way before he sent that letter out. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Even Zulong needed a month or so to get to Yingzhou, less if he exhausts himself to his limits but doing so would be hazardous to his health and unnecessary. As such he concluded they were likely here for another matter. "Oh right," Liu Fei''e yelped while Er and San Fei''e sighed shrugging. Er Fei''e quickly cleared her throat and began declaring her message. "Actually, master sent us," she said. "Master what''s you to return to Yingzhou for a meeting." "A meeting?" Zulong raised his eyebrow curiously. "What would master want?" "Unfortunately I have no idea," Er Fei''e said. "He only told us to fetch you and little else." "Might have to do with the new dragon," Wu Fei''e chimed in. "It was a pretty big commotion. Rocked the whole island and everything." "Hm, how is he? How strong I mean," Zulong asked about the carp turned dragon. "Very strong, he broke through to Profound Immortal directly after ascending," Er Fei''e reported. "Surprised us as well, we didn''t even know that was possible." "Right, right, He directly mastered the water element and ascended to Profound Immortal. Though I don''t think he''s tested his power yet, at least not when we were still there," she added. "I see," Zulong rubbed his chin. "That''s joyous news. Hahahahahaha!" the dragon laughed joyously. "Your''s truly''s Draconic Dao is a top tier method after all." "Yes, senior brother''s invention was terrifying. I''m a Heavenly Immortal and even I don''t think I can pierce that carp dragon''s scales," San Fei''e clapped her hands and complimented. "Heh, little sisters must practice hard. You''re all talented and Golden Immortal is not that hard to reach," Zulong praised. "Very well, if master desires to speak with me then I shall head out in haste," he declared. He stood up and fixed up his black robes. "Will you all be returning with me?" He asked the moths. "Hm, master didn''t give any instructions about that," Er Fei''e placed a finger on her chin in thought. "Can we stay here? We hardly ever leave Yingzhou." "Sure, I''ll settle you all down. Yu''er will love the company," Zulong said. His mood was astonishingly good and has been for many years now. Things could only continue to go up for this dragon. ¡­ Days later, Zulong notified Gui Daiyu and various ministers. He settled his junior sisters down in royal guest chambers and entrusted the ruling of the east sea to his father-in-law the Primordial Turtle King. "Take care Yu''er," he informed his wife. "I''ll be seeing master now. It probably won''t be too long, a couple of months at most." "Of course, stay safe husband," Gui Daiyu smiled. "And I you wife." Zulong gave her a passionate kiss. Gui Daiyu has been pregnant for half a dozen years now. For immortals, it wasn''t that strange for them to carry their children for years on end. In Gui Daiyu''s case, she was carrying an egg that will itself have an incubation period. With the immense power of Zulong and Gui Daiyu. The approximate birth of their first child won''t be for several hundred to a thousand years. Ten thousand years was also possible if calculated on the higher spectrum of things. The talent of that child was also expected to be incredibly high. Zulong was hopeful for them to be born a Heavenly Immortal. Perhaps even a Golden Immortal if he was extremely lucky. That was on the same level as first generation innate creatures and innate gods, the highest form of xiantian lifeforms. "Alright, take care," Zulong announced before departing in a blaze of yellow and black light. His titanic body unfurled beneath the waves. He shot like a torpedo eastward directly for Yingzhou. PLOOM! Zulong broke out of the ocean surface ascending for the clouds. He flew as high as he can without punching into the void laughing joyfully. Looking down upon the world, the dragon performed twirls and hoops mid air. Zulong felt like the top of the world. He couldn''t wait to see and report to Da Hai once again. For the past years, he''d only communicated through messages but never face to face. Now faced with the prospects of reporting his successes face to face. Zulong simply couldn''t contain his excitement. He was unlike a regal monarch and more like a child who just won his first competition. Clouds danced around the serpentine dragon''s body resembling carriages hurrying the dragon along. His speed with his current cultivation was far higher than 99.99% of living creatures within the primitive world. "Yingzhou, here I come," he announced in the air. For someone who''s lived most of their life on that island, Zulong was incredibly familiar with the celestial mountain. What''s more, he was one of the few capable of tracking it despite its natural disposition. After two months of flight, Zulong finally detected the mystical energies of Yingzhou. This celestial mountain was one of the best in the world. Its environment was incredibly suitable for cultivation, more so then the East Sea Dragon Palace. Zulong felt that his master deserved nothing less. This same great ancestor who produced the Sovereign of the Sea, Patriarch of Dragons, and Ancestor of the Draconic Dao. Zulong entered the illusionary Barries of Yingzhou, crossing the brief areas of chaos that lay between. Yingzhou was an island that was simultaneously within the primitive world yet simultaneously not. It was perpetually out of reach if iso desired. Perpetually distant if you will. The astronomical size of the dragon shifted back into his handsome human form. Zulong was incredibly handsome by human standards and appeared to be a young man in his mid-twenties. His black and yellow robes were elaborate depicting his vast wealth and power. "Master, I am here," Zulong announced triumphantly with a salute. He strolled up the path leading up to Da Hai''s palace brimming with confidence. Da Hai''s residence was a grand place, well maintained and regularly updated by his disciples over the years. Over time, it became grander than originally intended. Zulong, Yinglong, Yi Fei''e etc all had a good eye for architectural design after all. "Junior sister," Zulong greeted Yi Fei''e who was awaiting him. Beside her stood a young man appearing sixteen years old with long hair and dragon antlers. "Fish, I didn''t even recognize you," he said. "Senior brother," Yi Fei''e returned the greeting. "It is good to see you visit again. I assume my sisters are staying in the East Sea Dragon Palace?" "Yes, they said they didn''t spend much time outside so why not?" Zulong shrugged "Indeed, it will do them well to gain some experience. I just hope they won''t make trouble for senior brother," Yi Fei''e said. "Master," the carp dragon bowed to Zulong at a stiff ninety degree. "I still have not thanked master for granting me the Draconic Dao." "Hm, I guess that will make you an apprentice of mine. Do you have a name?" Zulong asked. "This one was named Shao Koi by my mother," the newly arisen dragon said. "Small Koi? That won''t do, you need a powerful name," Zulong scratched his chin in thought. "You preserved hard to reach this state, so how about Jian Koilong?" "Persevere Koi dragon? Thank you for granting me this name," Jian Koilong said. "Of course, you are a member of my Primordial Celestial Dragon clan now, not some fish living in a pond," Zulong waved. "You''ll join me in the East Sea Dragon Palace once I return." "Of course," Jian Koilong accepted. He had never really fit in with the carps raised on Yingzhou in the first place and he''d already scarred most of them half to death. Might as well find a new future. Yi Fei''e stood on the side and opened the door for Zulong. The massive doors swing open into a massive empty hall held up by sturdy pillars. Da Hai''s hall was decorated with statues of corals, pots, and weapons such as spears, swords, and halberds. The floor tiles were navy blue with the pillars being hugged by flairs of yellow, red, green, and light blue. Da Hai sat meditating on the Dao in a lotus position upon the 12 Petal White Lotus at the elevated platform. Despite being in human form, he appeared to be thousands of metres tall and filled up the hall like a Buddha statue at a temple. Da Hai opened his eyes smiling softly, "You''ve come." "Of course, master commands and disciple obeys," Zulong said kowtowing to Da Hai respectfully. Da Hai''s massive form disappeared into a middle aged man with yellow hair standing just above 1.7 metres tall. He was shorter than Zulong but had a presence that felt even larger. The disparages in cultivation was put full on display. Da Hai''s understanding into the Dao made him far more mystical than Zulong. Though despite this, in terms of combat ability, the two were more comparable than one would expect. "It is good to see you in good health disciple," Da Hai smiled softly. "I''ve been watching from afar from all these years and I couldn''t be prouder." "Haha, nothing much master, nothing much. I merely got lucky after all," Zulong smiled. "Yes, congratulations by the way," Da Hai said. "How did you?" Zulong asked before slapping his forehead. ''Of course, master knows everything.'' "Yes, Yu''er is carrying our child. With the empire on the rise, my subordinates getting stronger, my successes are too many to name. Soon, master, soon my dream will be accomplished," Zulong said. "Then I''ll deal with master''s enemies too, devilish Dao and that Hongjun." "Zulong¡­" Da Hai tried to interrupt. "Do not worry master, I''ve been extremely careful. My foundations are already set and I''m ready to take the next step. After I announce myself the Heavenly Dao will offer its protection as well and my power will evolve even further," Zulong promised. "No Zulong, that is," Da Hai grimaced uncomfortably. "I know, tough opponents. But I know my limits. I can surpass them in time. In time, we can eliminate all threats to us," Zulong said. "My luck is also superb, no misfortune can befall us, you can be assured of that." "That''s the thing Zulong," Da Ha sighed. "I¡­I don''t think you should be sovereign." ''What?'' Was Zulong''s only startled thought. Chapter 89-Graduation The great hall of the ancestor of the great sea was completely still. Silence permeated both men who stood opposing one another. So quiet that the sound of the drop of a pin would blanket the entire hall. Da Hai''s posture was one of resignation. He did not smile nor did he seem happy at what was said. However, his eyes carried a look of conviction. The great immortal observed his disciple who seemed to be taken aback. For the first time in eons, the ancestral dragon was taken aback. He looked utterly confused at what just came out of his master''s mouth. His handsome face seemed to be struggling to grasp those words. ''I don''t think you should be sovereign.'' For a Great Principle Chaos Immortal, their minds could casually move far beyond the speed of light. A mind boggling amount of simulations could race through their minds in the span of a second. Yet Zulong was completely taken aback for more than a minute. For sixty entire seconds he did not respond. He merely kept that confused look, his mind struggling to keep up. "Zu¡­" Da Hai began before his disciple broke out into a hearty laugh. He laughed as if he heard the greatest joke in the world. "AAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Zulong laughed uncontrollably. Eventually the humorous sound got slower and slower while he held a hand over his stomach until it stopped. "Ah, thank you master, I needed that." "You know, I hadn''t heard such a good joke in¡­well since ever. You really got me there," Zulong wiped a tear from his eye. "Never knew you could joke so well, I always thought aunt master was the funny one. Guess you learn something new every day." "Zulong," Da Hai said seriously standing confidently straight. In contrast, Zulong''s relaxed posture was still spasming with laughter. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" Zulong asked smiling. "Zulong I''m serious here," Da Hai said. His face was one that meant seriousness. No hint of joke nor jest was found. "Seriously though master, quite it with the jest," Zulong sighed. However, his smile stiffened. "If it''s anything important, we really should¡­should¡­" Zulong gradually stopped smiling. His expression of happiness gave way to one that was neither smiling nor frowning. His mouth was merely a flat line. "You''re serious," Zulong said slowly as if questioning his every word. "You''re being fully serious," he mused straightening his back and leaning back slightly. "Fuck, you''re serious," Zulong took half a step back. He took a few breathes to recompose himself whispering, "You''re serious," again and again. All this while Da Hai sighed in defeat as well. "Yes disciple, I believe it would for the best if you relinquish this goal of sovereignty," Da Hai said strongly. Zulong starred at his master with a look of confusion. "Wha¡­Why?" He uttered. "If you haven''t noticed, I''m doing great out there. Living beings in eight directions praise my name. They sing my name and worship my rule." "My enemies dare not cross me. My enemies have never triumphed over me. Even a godfiend ancestor of the previous era fell by my hands like a farmer killing chickens," Zulong said in a tone that spoke of how obvious it all was. "If you''re worried about my arrogance then it''s easily manageable," Zulogn continued not letting Da Hai get a word in. "I''ve made precautions against that. My brothers know when to obey and disobey. My wife can work around my more egotistical moments. I can correct any mistakes if you see any," he tried with a hint of desperation. Da Hai shook his head, "You don''t understand, it''s much more complicated than that." The sea god sighed. "Complicated how? Hm?" Zulong folded his arms giving Da Hai a disbelieving look. "Do you not believe in me anymore? Not even after all I''ve done to prove myself?" "There are mechanisms in place in this world, mechanisms that will see to it for you to die. Destiny itself is against you Zulong. No matter how much success you''re seeing now, eventually, the dragons will fall. Your descendants cursed with an unplayable debt of sin," Da Hai said. "So what, you divined some horrible fate awaited me?" Zulong scoffed. "Master you know as well as I do that the future is never set in stone. Divination only takes you so far and no future is ever guaranteed." "This is not divination, it is the future Zulong. I have seen it," Da Hai begged. "Trust in your master. If you follow through with this path you will only bring yourself ruin. No ambition is worth your life." "Do you even hear yourself?" Zulong was flabbergasted. "You¡­I¡­master, you can''t seriously believe this¡­this¡­bullshit you''re spouting." "Every word Zulong. Your enemies are the least of your worries. The dragon, phoenix, qilin are all doomed to this fate. Years from now, your endless battles will cause a disaster unlike any other which will set this world on fire. One which you will not survive," Da Hai argued. "Please Zulong, return to Yingzhou. Abandoning this path is for the best." "FUCK THAT!" Zulong roared startling Da Hai who flinched back. "You can''t expect me the just follow through with that. I have come so far, SO FAR. I cannot¡­No, I REFUSE to quit." The great hall flared up with an apocalyptic draconic might. The floor tiles cracked, the pillars trembled. As if responding to his rage, the great hall which once held many aspiring cultivators of the east sea quivered. "I don''t care what future you think you saw or what''s gotten into your head. But I have come too far to turn my back now," Zulong declared sending Da Hai an enraged look. "And frankly, I don''t care. I decided I am the Dragon Sovereign and that is who I will be." "STOP!" Da Hai shouted back ceasing the rumbling. "I did not teach you to mindlessly throw your life away. I am trying to save your life. The path of a sovereign will only end in tragedy." "Rich coming from you," Zulong scoffed. "What?" The aged master said. "Zulong understand what I''m saying. The Heavenly Dao picked out this path for you from the moment you were born. Your desire to become sovereign is a preset desire programmed into you and will only lead to your and your family''s deaths. Your thirst for power will make this world bleed and in turn, it will kill you and curse your people." "Do you hear yourself master? Teaching me? Do you think I''m stupid? Do you think me blind? From the moment I entered your sect you''ve been preparing me for this path. Administration? Warfare? Logistics? Kingship? Even if that is true, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WAS PUSHING ME FOR THIS," Zulong roared pointing accusingly at Da Hai. Da Hai was shocked silent. He was completely taken aback and did not know how to respond. Zulong took a deep breath to calm down. "So don''t tell me that bullshit master," the dragon said. The look Zulong gave was one of utter disappointment. He shook his head and sighed. "I apologise, my rage got to me," he muttered. "But I will not back down master. I will never leave this path." Da Hai narrowed his gaze in frustration. "I can''t let you die," he said. In an instant, the power of a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal flooded the great hall. This time, it was a calm restraining aura. Zulong widened his eyes in betrayal. He wordlessly questioned Da Hai on his stance. The dragon gripped his fists hard, veins popped out blaring in rage. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "This is for your own good. Let Zufeng and Zulin kill each other over this world. Don''t let the Heavenly Dao or anyone else manipulate you to your doom. You don''t have to follow the script, get out while you still can," Da Hai urged. Zulong merely shook his head. His muscles tensed, he opened his eyes and glared at his master, his mentor for nearly fifty thousand years, his father in all but blood. "You hypocrite," he said. Da Hai was taken aback as an equally majestic aura washed over the room. Zulong unleashed his immortal might pushing Da Hai''s back freeing himself. However, the dragon made no other movements. "For a while now, I knew. You''re not nearly as subtle as you think. I worked it out," Zulong stated calmly. "But I never cared, I was grateful to you for showing me the way. So I''m only going to ask you for confirmation." Da Hai widened his eyes completely taken aback. The look Zulong sent was a clam look of anger mixed with betrayal. This look cut deeply into the ancient sea god. "You intended to use me, my brothers, and now I guess my empire for your own means. You wanted us to be your allies¡­no, your fodder against your enemies. The ancestors Luohu and Hongjun," Zulong said. Da Hai opened his mouth only to close it again. He wordlessly nodded. "You saw us as pawns for your own schemes cause you alone was not strong enough. You desired to use me and I''m guessing the other two as well. From the beginning, we were your cannon fodder," Zulong said. Da Hai nodded once again. "I suppose you also saw aunt master the same?" The dragon added. "I''m trying to make amends," Da Hai said looking utterly defeated. His aura had completely receded into himself while Zulong''s remained bare. "You are all important to me, I don''t want you to meet that fate." "I failed brother Huoyun in the past," Da Hai began shedding tears as he said so. "I saw my brother die helplessly and I was consumed by the thirst for vengeance. But all that ended up doing was push everyone else away. I didn''t see what was in front of me until it was too late." The image of the moon goddess and the ancestor of the universe appeared in Da Hai''s mind. Although the latter wasn''t as close with him, Qiankun was still a friend of sorts. "Please Zulong, I don''t want you to die. Not you, not Yinglong, not Qinglong, not Wangshu, not Yi Fei''e, not Er Fei''e, not, San Fei''e, not Si Fei''e, not Wu Fei''e, not Qi Fei''e," Da Hai sent Zulong a pleading look. "No one decided for me," Zulong said meeting Da Hai eye to eye. "I chose this path for myself. Perhaps due to self entitlement at first. But I have grown a genuine desire to do so. I am the leader of the east sea. I am the monarch in the hearts of my dragons." "Yes master, when I was young I believed that I as a being born from Pangu''s Yang Qi that it was my god given right to stand as sovereign of the world. But you changed that and I will always be grateful to you as my master," Zulong said sadly. "Without you, I''d never have realised the error of my ways. Never have met Yu''er. Never seen so much success in my life," Zulong gave a soft sad smile. "Never have gathered so many who''d wish to follow me without beating them over the heads. East sea, south sea, north sea, west sea, non of them would''ve gone down without a drawn out war." His foot shifted and he turned his back on the sea god. "But now I truly want to be the sovereign so many already see me as. I will fight for sovereignty whether you''re with me or against me." He took one step, then another, then another. Zulong, the proud ancestral dragon began steadily walking away from Da Hai. The old sea god merely stood silently watching his eldest and most precious disciple leave. "Zulong," Da Hai called out. However, the dragon ignored him and kept going. Da Hai did not move from his spot, he watched as the dragon closed in on the door. Zulong could feel tears running down his cheek. He could not describe everything he was feeling as of this moment. But what he did know was that he needed to see Gui Daiyu. Suddenly, Zulong felt a force pulse into his mind. He whirled around to defend only to feel no malicious intent. Instead, he felt memories flow into his mind. Texts upon texts, stories upon stories, theories upon theories. Each covered by their own biases and differing events. But all followed the same outline. Then other information flowed in, events of the past, figures Zulong had never seen before only heard of. He saw figures battling through the cosmos. Of the beings who most likely inspired his appearance. That titanic Chaos Sky Dragon among the chaos godfiends. He saw the original godfiend named Da Hai and his travels with Yang Mei and Huoyun. He saw the events leading up to the Shenni war. Of the pathetic being that grew to become his master. Of how that being struggled to find himself. Of how he found his true self and grew in strength. Of the helplessness he felt when Huoyun fell inspite of all he gained. He saw the man the ancestor of the five elements was. How kind yet hardened he was from Da Hai''s perspective. How wise and strong he was from the eyes of Da Hai. Zulong felt his heart move as the memories flowed into him. He turned his head around and met Da Hai''s gaze. A level of understanding was reached wordlessly. However, Zulong''s expression did not change. Then he turned back and exited the great hall. ¡­ "Senior brother! What was that?" Yi Fei''e''s panicking figure was the first thing that came into Zulong''s view. When he saw her, Zulong felt like kicking himself for recklessly blowing up like that. His junior sister was not strong enough to resist him if he truly unleashed. Luckily the great palace was in the way. Zulong glanced back and saw the disheveled appearance of Da Hai''s palace. Cracks were everywhere and the building looked like it might collapse anytime. "Why was going on in there?" Yi Fei''e urgently asked. "The doors wouldn''t open no matter what I did and¡­and¡­ Is master alright? Were you two attacked?" "He''s fine," Zulong said wiping his face of his tears. "Master just needs some space." "Are you okay?" The moth immortal asked stepping closer worriedly. Zulong instantly knew why. His appearance probably wasn''t in the best state to meet people in. "I am, just had to get some things off my chest. A bit of a disagreement is all," he dismissed. He began walking past the moth and up to Jian Koilong who was hugging himself in a metal position. "Get up, you make a mockery of dragons with that attitude," Zulong commanded. "Huh? Uh yes master," Jian Koilong hurriedly said but Zulong held up his palm. "I am not your master, I am your patriarch as you are a member of my Primordial Celestial Dragon Clan," he corrected. "Follow me, we''re heading back." "O¡­Okay," Jian Koilong obeyed getting up. He looked back at Yi Fei''e before deciding to obey the dragon''s instructions. Yi Fei''e starred at Zulong''s back contemplatively. "Will you be coming back?" She asked. "Unlikely," Zulong said without stopping. "I''ll always be here for you. We fellow disciples," she said hopefully. "Yes," Zulong said glancing back. "We''re all fellow disciples beneath the ancestor of the great sea." He turned back around and guided Koilong away from Yingzhou. He didn''t plan on coming back. Chapter 90-Melancholic Return Silence, the only way to describe the return trip was melancholic silence. An uncomfortably awkward melancholic silence. Jian Koilong was too nervous to start a conversation and Zulong was all but ignoring his existence. No extra movements were made, no attempts to flex their abilities. As a Chaos Immortal, Zulong''s very movements would bring enlightenment to ascended beings and drive mortals insane. His very presence when unrestricted would bathe entire islands for the primitive world with mysterious phenomenons. However, none of that was shone. No elaborate aura, no beautiful clouds, not even a dancing dragon. Just a man riding a cloud with his hands behind his straight back accompanied by a visibly uncomfortable teenager. Jian Koilong found his interactions with his patriarch to be deeply unnerving. Zulong did not even spare him one look, only looking ahead. In fact, the ascended dragon dare say he wasn''t even looking ahead or in any direction. Jian Koilong grew up the runt of his school. He was the one carp everyone ignored. The one who got the least. But he was also the most observant one. Zulong had a very good poker face. So good in fact, that Jian Koilong could not discern his feeling. But years of experience gave him a feeling that indicated to the ancestral dragon''s feelings. If Jian Koilong had to describe it with one word, it would be chaotic. It was deeply concerning. However, the lesser dragon did not dare bring it up. The earlier shaking of Yingzhou taught him just how far apart they were. They weren''t even in the same dimension of power. The trip passed like this for a month. At a speed Jian Koilong didn''t think possible, Zulong crossed the ocean on a ride of clouds. After a little over two months, Jian Koilong yelped in surprise as Zulong abruptly dropped them both into the sea. The sudden influx of salt Walter assaulted the ascended dragon who was experiencing such different water in such quantities for the first time in his life. However, he got used to it quickly after the initial shock. The east sea was truly vast. The sea floor wasn''t even visible from Jian Koiling''s position. Millions of small lights floated in the distance, rising mountains filled with corals and sea grass. The ocean made Jian Koilong feel infinitely small. "Come on, we have a schedule to keep," Zulong said coldly. He motioned for Jian Koilong to follow him then disappeared in a burst of speed leaving a torrent in his wake. "Wait for me," Jian Koilong hurriedly followed after the dragon. His element infused body was tailored for such an environment due to him tackling the Heavenly Water Qi first. His speed was significantly slower though and it took him half an hour before he saw Zulong again. The dragon appeared incredibly impatient. He raised his right hand and Jian Koilong felt an instant tug on his person. He lost all control as Zulong dragged him at impossible speeds down into the depths of the ocean. As they went, Jian Koilong sensed more and more. Millions, no billions of living beings existed below. The amount of natural primordial Qi flowing through this place was also incredibly high. Not as high as Yingzhou but it was definitely the largest he''d felt since leaving. ''Must be one of those spiritual veins I''ve heard about,'' he realised. A spiritual vein was a natural phenomenon that was essentially a layline running beneath the primitive world. They were gathering spots for large amounts of primordial Qi, perfect places for setting up a base. ''No wonder he''d set it up here,'' Jian Koilong thought when the city came into view. It was built along two mountains and a valley and was enormous in scale. The East Sea Dragon Palace itself was situated at an elevated hill and was a city in and of itself. It was truly larger than even Da Hai''s palace and represented the definition of the word ''Power''. "This is Kailong Chen," Zulong said without looking back. "This will be your home from now on. The Primordial Celestial Dragon clan compounds are within the East Sea Dragon Palace. That will be your future residence." "Yes patriarch," Jian Koilong said bowing. "As I will soon be taking the next step in my ascension. You will address me as your majesty when in public. Though in private among other dragons, you may call me patriarch or ancestor," Zulong instructed. "Understood, your majesty," Jian Koilong replied. Zulong nodded and proceeded to take them both into the East Sea Dragon Palace. He directly blitzed over the city deciding Jian Koilong can explore it at his own leisure. It was more important to introduce him to the dragon higher ups after all. When he touched down gently on the courtyard of the royal palace, Zulong couldn''t help but feel how empty it was. Not in the sense of people, there were plenty here. But just that many of those he knew personally and were close to were not here. His wife remained in the east as well as his father-in-law. However, he was never that close with the latter beyond an awkward tutor. His brothers and closest allies were also spread across the four seas. No one had noticed him yet as Zulong was very restrained. His regal presence was not felt nor noticed. He simply touched down on the stone floor as fast as possible and too fast for anyone to catch with their eyes. "Ao Ping, get over here," Zulong called out through mental transmission. The elder dragon he called was one of the first generation powerhouses who reached Great Principle Golden Immortal. It was barely a few seconds before Ao Ping appeared and kowtowed before Zulong. "Welcome back your majesty," he announced. It was then that the many servants coming about noticed Zulong''s arrival. They immediately went down on their knees and kowtowed for forgiveness in not noticing their ruler''s descent. Zulong shook his head, "Ao Ping, this is Jian Koilong, the first ascendant dragon. Take him and inaugurate him into the clan." "Yes your majesty," Ao Ping said. "Nice to meet you Jian Koilong. I am Ao Ping, a grand elder of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan." "Uh yeah, nice to meet you," Jian Koilong returned awkwardly. He looked around and saw that his escort, Zulong was already gone. "Let''s go, the clan compound is this way," Ao Ping said bringing Jian Koilong away. "Get back to work," he commanded the servants still on their knees before leaving. ¡­ Gui Daiyu looked out her window curiously. One of the dragon elders had sped out in a burst of power towards the central courtyard. The former turtle princess noticed this and looked out to see what was going on. Her empress palace was situated towards the back, behind the Central Heavenly Supreme Palace. However, her room was tall enough to overlook many buildings. Her enhanced eyes could also catch everything in the front entrance. "What''s going on?" He thought curiously, her book of alchemy forgotten. A sudden flash snapped her attention back to her bedroom. Zulong stood there appearing very downcast, very unlike his usual self. "Husband? You''re back already?" Gui Daiyu began saying before she was enveloped in a hug. "Ah, what a surprise," she uttered smiling but noticed his mood. "Is something wrong?" Zulong sighed hugging her tighter. He began kissing her neck causing her to yelp in shock. "Well, I guess you missed me a lot more than I thought you would," Gui Daiyu joked. What followed was a long night of passion. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡­ "Now are you going to tell me what is wrong?" Gui Daiyu asked leaning back in her large bed. Zulong cuddled next to her and sighed. "Zulong, I''m not dumb. What''s bothering you?" "I never thought you were," the dragon said. "Just¡­some things are hard to say." "What happened on Yingzhou?" She asked seriously. "You''re acting way out of character and not in a good way." "Revelations," Zulong said depressingly. "Revelations about master, about me, about my role, about this world and the past. The future as well, believe it or not. Some things that put a new shine on my perspective, not necessarily a good one." "I don''t follow," Gui Daiyu said in contemplation. "You not implying the exalted lord is our enemy are you?" She gasped in shock. "No, and he never will be," Zulong shook his head cuddling closer. "But we can count on him to defend us. But we can''t count on him to help us." "What? But he''s your master. He''s the backing of our four seas empire and the Primordial Dragon Clan," she listed. "Yes, he''s my greatest backer. But I don''t think he''d be willing to be my empire''s backer," Zulong said. "But that doesn''t matter." The dragon looked lovingly at his wife. "I am the dragon. I am all the backer this empire needs," he promised. "Tall order, there are beings in this world more powerful than you," Gui Daiyu said. "I''ll grow to surpass them. I''ll continue to refine my strength. Continue to improve. I''ll show master I won''t bend over for fate," he said gripping his fist. "This future," Gui Daiyu said. "Is it truly so bad?" Zulong leaned close to Gui Daiyu. His forehead touched hers and he began sharing what he''d seen. Everything that had to do with the path of heavenly destiny. He''d left out all of Da Hai''s private details though, it would''ve been disrespectful otherwise. Gui Daiyu shuddered after the transfer of memories was over. She looked fearfully at Zulong and clutched her slightly bulging stomach. "We''ll have to be careful," Zulong said. "From now on, we''d have to be extra careful in how we do things. Our karmic luck must not be allowed to fall. We must not allow our negative karma to exceed our positive karma." "I understand," his wife replied gently. "In that case, I assume you''d still follow through with your coronation." "The preparations should be done in a few decades. Probably even less. But yes, I will crown myself for all the world to see. Let the Heavenly Dao witness me in all my glory," Zulong promised. "I will fight for my goal. But Yu''er, I will not die and leave you behind, this I vow above all else." "I''ll hold you to that," the primordial turtle said giving the dragon a kiss. ¡­ Sitting upon an elaborate throne of made of smooth azure stone. The emperor of beasts, Zulin sat with his head leaning on his knuckle. His royal palace was located high up in the mountains, above the clouds on the highest peak of the north continent. "Your majesty, reports on the northern borders," a lion minister said handing over a scroll. Zulin hovered the scroll before him and read it twice. "Hmph, let them have that desolate water hole. The true riches of the north have long since dissipated into the continent proper," he dismissed. "Your majesty, are we to continue pushing southwards?" The lion minister asked. Zulin sent him a look of annoyance as if he just said the dumbest thing in the world. "What do you think," Zulin sneered. The lion realising his mistake immediately began apologising, however, Zulin merely tuned him out. "I tire of this session. Court dismissed," Zulin ordered sending the thousands of ministers out of his Grand Heavenly Palace. All except one. This young minister appeared very young, only around twelve years old. However, he had an intelligent look to him that made him stand out. This boy was exceptionally handsome lacking any fat. He was lean and fit and appeared very effeminate with no facial hair unlike Zulin''s beard. What''s more, he heavily resembled Zulin and had antlers of his own. "Emperor father, you shouldn''t bully around our vassals too much," the boy criticised. "They are important assets to our empire and their loyalties are necessary." "What do you understand boy? In front of the main force, these vassals are merely decorations," Zulin said in dismissal. "You should be cultivating like the rest of your siblings. Your old man can deal with the court." "I like playing in the court," the boy said mischievously. "Qi An, don''t make me discipline you," Zulin warned playfully. "Of course not emperor father," Qi An shook his head. "I bring peace to the court. I have no intention of bothering you. My purpose here is merely to help you." "Hmph, good boy, you did a good job with the Savage Eagles," Zulin praised. "I don''t know if any of your siblings could match up with you." "They were plotting behind your back emperor father. It was natural for me to dispose of them," Qi An smiled brightly. "Speaking off, are you really going to ignore the dragons?" Qi An asked. "The central continent provides a rare opportunity for us," Zuling said. "It is far more important than a mere north sea. Besides, you have clean eyesight, don''t you see how fat the pig''s becoming?" "Too fat in my opinion. I don''t think even top grade xiantian spiritual treasures can old all that down," Qi An said. "Does make me wonder, are they purposefully luring you in?" "They shouldn''t have any idea what I can do," Zulin dismissed. "My speciality isn''t like the dragons nor the phoenix''s down south. Don''t worry your little head over this son. I''ll handle everything." "Of course emperor father, I have every faith in you," Qi An nodded smiling brightly. In fact, his smile was almost creepy with how wide it was. "That''s my boy, much better than those second hand wastes Zulong produced," Zulin sneered. "Run along now, I want to see you breakthrough in the next thousand years." "Of course emperor father, have a nice day," Qi An waved goodbye childishly transforming into a beautiful red qilin and sprinting out of the palace on his four hoofs. Similar to Zulong, Zulin had created his own clan, The Heavenly Qilin Clan. This imperial clan was formed from what life giving recourses Zulin had found over the years that allowed him to create them. Zulong''s actions have merit. Having one''s own clan was much better than mindless drones that were bug beasts and the inferior specimens that were the common creatures. Unlike Zulong, Zulin could not create millions of living beings. He simply did not have that kind of resource. Instead, he used what little he could, mixed with the merits of heaven to create a small but powerful clan of mighty beings. The ancestral qilin gave birth to a thousand children. These children were all Heavenly Immortals at birth. Nearly all of them had also ascended to the Golden Immortal realm. The son he was most proud of, Qi An, the pacifying prince was a Great Principle Golden Immortal realm expert. ''Oh how lucky I am,'' Zulin would often contemplate. He looked eastward in the direction of the East Sea Dragon Palace and sneered. "You won''t even know what hit you," he declared. Chapter 91-Wood of Fusang ''Where did it all go so wrong?'' Da Hai stood before the Fusang tree alone. He had no other company with him at this moment, merely him and the all powerful life giving tree that acted as the heart of Yingzhou. However, he preferred it this way. Yi Fei''e was for a lack of better terms, upset. She''d entered secluded cultivation to make her frustrations known. She told Da Hai that she''d be attempting to form the primal unity. Da Hai did not doubt her. Though he also knew she was partly using cultivation as a distraction. "Why do I keep fucking up?" Da Hai asked no one in particular. He gazed up at the mystical Fusang tree in anxiety. "Zulong is too set in his way, Qinglong and Yinglong follow him out of love and loyalty but will never deter him." "I failed as a master," he murmured. "I desecrated all over the duties of a master and disciple and committed the taboo of betrayal. How do I make things right?" He touched the bark of the titanic tree. "How do I save Zulong if he would not turn away from this path?" Da Hai asked out loud. The Fusang tree rustled in the wind. It was almost as if it wanted to bend down and comfort its master. The supernatural fruits hanging from its branches, immature yet mystically powerful, glistened beneath the light of the Solar Star. Da Hai stood there for an uncertain amount of time. He did nothing except reminisce about the past. It was in these moments that years of regret would pile up once again. "What can I do?" Da Hai whispered. He''d long stopped cultivating. In truth, all of his ''cultivation'' time was spent merely on divination. Peering into the stream of time for beings as strong as Zulong, Wangshu, Hongjun, and Luohu was nigh impossible. Even after so many years, Da Hai had gained nothing. After so many years, he couldn''t make any breakthroughs in his cultivation path. His power had not improved one bit since his fight against Hongjun thousands of years ago. Da Hai sat down on the meadow and leaned back resting upon the Fusang tree. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth of the celestial tree''s pulsing power. Even after so many years, it still surprised him to feel first hand just how much potential energy the Fusang tree has. "Too bad you can''t leave Yingzhou, and Yingzhou can''t leave the east sea," he mused disappointingly. "I sometimes wonder, am I only delaying the inevitable? Is the world truly set on a path?" "Or is it that I unknowingly set the world on the path it''ll follow," Da Hai sighed. He rested beside the Fusang tree quietly letting the day pass by. "Zulong was right about one thing. His karmic luck is extremely high. All these deeds from helping the north sea, the west sea, the south sea, and the east sea. His accomplishments as leader and creator of an entire race. All this contributed to his merit," Da Hai contemplated. "According to the original timeline, the ancestral dragon never did any of these things. He appeared in the east sea and conquered the four seas with the dragon clan through strength and war. By announcing himself as sovereign, the ancestral dragon gained enormous merit as an investment from the Heavenly Dao." "However, the dragon, phoenix, and qilin alike squandered this merit. They bathed the primitive world in blood in their three way war invigorated by nothing except a desire for more. Their luck ran dry before they noticed and they were punished." "The dragon dived back to his place of birth and became the sea eye. His clan forever dutiful in maintaining the sea eye, the greatest source of sin concentrated into a whirlpool that if unleashed will send forth a flood that brings about the apocalypse." "The phoenix''s body and consciousness were all but destroyed. Trapped within the undead volcano in the south sea forbidden an eruption that''ll bring about the apocalypse. Phoenixes as a race became scarcely limited to only a few remaining members. They''d all get arrested over time and the phoenix clan itself becomes defunct." "The qilin disappeared from the world entirely. Reduced to nothing but servants of heaven appearing only when they''re commanded. Of the three, the dragons at least were the most well off and maintained a powerbase no matter how depleted they were." "But they remained miserable, unable to ever rise again, and remained as minor figures pushed around by everyone. Their one solace was that their image was immortalized as the imperial symbol." Da Hai broke out of his musing and gazed eastwards. "In the end, it all comes down to karmic luck," he rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Zulong has plenty of luck, much more than he should''ve. This quantity would magnify when he announces himself. Is it enough for him to avoid the tribulation?" He wondered out loud. "Thinking back, the Supreme Pure One''s lineage, Jie school fell due to a similar reason to the dragons. Their negative karma overcame their positive causing them to fall one after the other. But grandmaster Tongtian never mishandled the sect." Da Hai rubbed his forehead in thought. "Jie school lacked a solid treasure to suppress their luck allowing for their good fortune to escape overtime. But Zulong has the twenty four sea calming pearls and the dragon pearl. He isn''t lacking in treasures." "The sea suppression pearls can suppress luck in the dragon pearl''s place," he calmed down after that. He brought his finger up and drew some images in the air. His experiments helped him calculate the amount of karma and the effectiveness of suppression. Da Hai was intimately familiar with the twenty four sea calming pearls. These little jewels Zulong owned were top tier xiantian spiritual treasures specialising in a variety of abilities from defence, to support, to trapping. It was just that Zulong always preferred to fight in physical combat using his powerful body. "Wait a second," Da Hai frowned looking at the models in front of him. He took a look eastward towards the East Sea Dragon Palace and changed the numbers slightly. Then he observed the Heavenly Dao, then towards the other two sovereign''s auras of karmic luck. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His eyes narrowed as he squinted hard. Crossing continents at this distance was hard even for Da Hai. He strained his eyesight yet only received blurry images. Yet these images did give him a semi-accurate diagram. Da Hai sat there crosslegged drawing more models in the air. These hovering 3D diagrams depicted a pool of luck and twenty four spheres above them acting as a cage. Da Hai had no doubt Zulong would use the pearls for this, he just wasn''t sure it was enough. "Hmmm," Da Hai frowned deeply at his projections. "If only the twenty four were one. No, that won''t help much either, if only they were in their mature forms." The twenty four sea calming pearls were famous in Chinese mythology. This was because these pearls were nascent universes. At the end of the investiture of the gods, these twenty four pearls would join the nine heavens becoming the complete thirty three heavens. Together with the three clear heavens, they become a total of thirty six heavens that make up the Heavenly Realm. It was said that each of these heavens were entire universes ruled by a ruling emperor. At the thirty third heaven, the Great Overreaching Heaven sat the Numinous Sky Palace and the Jade Emperor. It was not until the Dipankara Ancient Buddha received these pearls did they fully mature. Da Hai despite the years he''d spent with Zulong never felt them react like legends described. He doubts they would be anywhere near as powerful. "Luck is good, but too much luck becomes a burden," Da Hai gazed intently at the model. Zulong''s future was practically overflowing with luck. So much luck in fact that nothing would be able to suppress it. It''ll Leake out over time leaving much of it wasted on miscellaneous things. "He''d need something specialised into suppressing his luck. Else he risks losing his fortune," Da Hai gripped his head thinking of how to approach this problem. He''d held countless xiantian spiritual treasures over time but they were mostly low rank with some mid rank. None of them were anywhere near powerful enough to do what was needed. Da Hai leaned back on the Fusang tree again. He contemplated what kind of treasure he''d need to find. Preferably it''ll be a treasure hyper specialised into the workings of merit. "The Jade fortune disc is in the hands of Hongjun. My 12 Petals White Lotus is a flower of defense and purification. If only the location of the 12 Petals Golden Lotus is known," he frowned in frustration. The ancient treasure, the 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus broke after Pangu opened the world. It split into five flags and five seeds. Da Hai holds two of those treasures while the rest were largely unknown. White, black, red, green, and gold, these were all the lotuses in the world. White belonged to him, black to Luohu, red likely sits at the dormant underworld, green will not bloom for many yuanhui. "But the golden lotus doesn''t officially appear until Hongjun gifts it to Jieyin," Da Hai sighed. "It''s very likely that old villain has it in storage incubating somewhere. The others are not suited for the workings of karmic luck." He opened his eyes gazing at the massive branches and leaves above him. The sturdy wood of the Fusang tree rustled in the wind. Nevertheless, it gave excellent shade for the sea god. "I wouldn''t suppose you''d know what to do," he asked the Fusang tree. Naturally, he received no answer. The sea god banged his head on the bark of the Fusang tree trying to jolt out some ideas. However, he could not think of any save for storming Mt Yujing and pray Hongjun is not there and that the golden lotus was in fact there. The story wood withstood Da Hai''s attack with no problem which was to be expected. The Fusan tree was almost supernaturally tough. It had never actually been damaged before. "Wait a second," Da Hai suddenly stood up and looked back. Gazing at the Fusang tree then at his hand. BOOM! With a swift motion, Da Hai sliced at the Fusang tree. The very foundations of Yingzhou was shaking. Yet the Fusang tree took no damage. In an instant, a massive snake head with a maw of razor like fangs bit at the Fusang tree. After eight consecutive strikes, Da Hai left a faint mark along the bark of the tree. "The branches should be easier but still incredibly strong," Da Hai touched the bark and felt the tree healing itself. "Good thing you don''t have a will. But you''re too perfect for this." The act of suppressing luck was to in reality regulate the amount of karmic luck. in essence, it was a way to restrict unregulated growth or losses. The way of suppressing karmic luck was to either have a treasure that can manipulate it such as the 12 Petals Golden Lotus. Or a treasure supernaturally tough enough to press it down like most other supreme treasures. Da Hai smiled looking at the Fusang tree. "If I can''t find a treasure to suppress Zulong''s luck then I''ll just make one," he declared. Leaping up hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Da Hai reached a branching portion of the Fusang tree. He unleashed his teardrop sword and sliced down with full power at the branch. CHOOM! CRACK! Da Hai landed on the branch which now sported a thin light mark. His arm was shaking from the power he just unleashed. "This won''t do," Da Hai said in frustration. "This sword is simply too weak to cut into the Fusang tree," he said looking down at the teardrop sword which now sported a noticeable crack on its blade. "The only thing that could cut this is likely the sharpest force in the world. The chaotic sword Qi utilised by Pangu should fill this requirement," Da Hai mused. Then he frowned remembering just who possessed the item capable of producing chaotic sword Qi. "No, there are two," Da Hai suddenly said looking eastward. The far off temple he still remembers having visited before this yuanhui began. "It''s been too long master," Da Hai said fading out of existence. He couldn''t afford to waste time. He had to consult Pangu on the subject of chaotic sword Qi, there was no other way. Chapter 92-Return to Pangu Temple The Central Continent, an absolute wasteland. This was not a description one would associate with what is spiritually the most powerful of the five continents. If one was to compare the cultivation environment of the central continent to the there four continents in the world. Well, there actually wasn''t a comparison, it was leagues superior. All four continents bordering the central continent generated massive amounts of primordial Qi. They were perfect environments for those who walk the path of the Celestial Immortal to live and thrive. The strongest locations were centred on sites with powerful natural spiritual veins. Other locations would be significantly weaker. It was places like these that allowed for a mortal population to live and thrive. Environments dense with primordial Qi were places of extreme pressure. Not in terms of natural features, places like Mt Yujjing, Kunlun, or Mt Tai were teeming with greenery. Mortals and weaker cultivators simply cannot handle the pressure put on by so much Qi. This was why unintelligent animals were never found there, they would simply be crushed, suffocated, go insane etc. When Zulong was building Kailong Chen, he extended the East Sea Dragon Palace''s formations to cover the city. These formations also dubbed as a source of protection against the dense spiritual vein. In this way, mortal beings and weaker creatures could exist in his capital without becoming a smear on the pavement. The central continent itself was one giant spiritual vein. It was the overall densest place in the world. While other continents have selectively dense locations, the central continent as a whole was dense with primordial Qi. In this era, only Golden Immortals could exist here without dying. Perhaps the most elite of triple crown Heavenly Immortals could do so. Then again, triple crowned Heavenly Immortals were on the verge of becoming Golden Immortals. A long time ago, this was not the case. Innate creatures did use to dwell here. However, after the devastating Shenni war, things changed. The Heavenly Dao''s epicentre was located here. A side effect was the further strengthening of the central continent. Where once True Immortals could walk here unrestricted was now a desolate location where only those who''d transcended the universe could traverse. But back to the main point. The central continent was simply a brown wasteland. Cracked earth and sand. Very little in the way of greenery grew here. The environment was too strong even for spiritual herbs. This amount of raw uncultivated primordial Qi was detrimental much against the contemporary beliefs for spiritual farming. Although exceptions do exist, those plants were one of a kind super beings. The Jianmu tree, the Fusang tree, the Human Ginseng fruit, or Huangzhongli could easily grow here. This was the same environment Da Hai ran through. In a stream of water shutting forth like a comet. Da Hai blitzed across the continents at top speed. Unlike lesser beings, he was wholly unaffected by the highly pressurised environment. Moving undetected had practically become an art for Da Hai. He was so used to it that he was probably the foremost expert in the ways of undetected travels though he may argue against it. Even without divine protection from the Heavenly Dao. Da Hai''s own Dao of ever distant seas was able to distort the truth and makes it seem as if its creator was too far out of reach even if he is beside you. It was also as luck would have it, Hongjun was in deep retreat and did not feel him rocketing past. In Da Hai''s case, even a superior immortal had to really pay close attention to find him. In a little over a year of leaving, Da Hai crossed into the central continent. Although he hadn''t been here in so many years, he still remembered this place like the back of his mind. In many ways, the central continent was the most important location of his life. It was where so many major events happened to him. Where he first acquired his most powerful xiantian spiritual treasure, where he fought a war, where the chaos godfiends made their last stand. Da Hai didn''t have to even look to see his destination. How could he miss it? Mt Buzhou was massive. That was the only word to describe it. In fact, it was even bigger than before. This celestial mountain was the lynchpin of the cosmos. It separated the heavens from the earth. Prevented the apocalypse by way of total annihilation. Stabilised the primitive world, and acted as the seat for the Heavenly Dao. Massive, grand, majestic, these were the only way to describe it. Many quintillions of kilometres in size, far beyond comprehension. Most of the central continent was in fact, Mt Buzhou. Tap! Da Hai came to a halt at a cliff face overlooking the base of the celestial mountain. He admired the view before him. Even after all these years, even after having seen it so many times. Mt Buzhou still fails to not impress. "It should be¡­this way," Da Hai jumped down and ran forth. Mt Buzhou was enormous, so enormous that finding a specific location on that mountain was like a needle in an ocean. Especially if said place was not only well hidden but cloaked. "Now that I''m trying to get in, it is a lot more confusing then I thought," Da Hai stopped and scratched his head. Even tracing his steps from so long ago made him question himself. He was highly tempted to give up and leave. Better than to waste time searching for what doesn''t exist. "No, that''s not me," Da Hai shook his head. At the same time he shook off the effects of a mystical curse that was grasping onto him. Da Hai felt a slight chill upon his person. He gazed upwards in response. "Hai, your displeasure is known. But I''m not changing my stance," Da Hai said. He promptly ignored the gaze from the heavens and walked deeper into Mt Buzhou. The greenery tossed and turned as he walked. It was as if they were unsure what to make of him. Mt Buzhou was the only location in the central continent where plant life grew. It was special in its own way as these were just normal grass and trees. Very unlike what one would expect of the celestial mountain. "Master, disciple is here to see you," Da Hai announced. He did not shout nor broadcast his voice. Rather, he simply spoke as how one would in a normal conversation. But he knew Pangu would''ve heard him. No matter how diminished, no matter how far past his expiration date, a Dao realm existence was a Dao realm existence. His body and soul may not have reached it, but his comprehension did and in the end, that was all that mattered. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "He couldn''t have actually bit it right?" Da Hai mused feeling a little unsure. After all, half a yuanhui had passed since he last saw Pangu and back then he was already really weak. "Fuck, if he''s actually dead then¡­" "Your mother, who''s dead?" An angry voice responded startling Da hai out of his train of thought. "Oh, master," Da Hai performed a salute with his fist on his palm. "You didn''t answer and I assumed the worst." "Hmph, you caught me by surprise is all," Pangu snarked back. "Didn''t expect you back after all these years. Especially since you''ve never visited once nor even contacted me." "Apologies master, I was caught up," Da Hai sighed. One of the many relationships he''d neglected. One more fuck up to add to the boatload known as Da Hai. "Stop that, I don''t like the whole moping attitude you''ve got going. didn''t work for Ouranos and won''t work for you. Come inside, you must be here for something," Pangu said. Suddenly, Da hai felt a clear rough feeling brush past him. He began walking in a certain direction that was both familiar yet strange. He didn''t resist and cooperated, following along the designated pathway. He climbed for forty million kilometres before reaching a cave. He crossed that cave after a week of non stop walking. Then he descended the hill down the other end. When he emerged from the foliage, he saw the family structure of the Pangu Temple once again. The temple had not changed at all. It was still the simplest yet most impressive sight he''d seen since his existence came into being. The only changes to this location was that the twelve blood pools were noticeably larger. Specifically, three of them had grown astronomically in size while the other nine remained at a stable place. "If I am correct, these should be ancestral Wu Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuying, and lady Houtu," Da Hai mused. It was honestly quite surreal to see the embryonic forms of the gods his human half once worshipped. "Though only Houtu''s the one with meaningful worship," he sighed. The endings these ancient beings received weren''t the most ideal. It was much in the same vein as the qilins, dragons or phoenixes. Though, according to their depictions, Wu were known to be simple minded and lived fighting. Da Hai wasn''t sure they even minded the ending they got. They all went out fighting after all, the ideal warrior''s death. Similarly, their names were all recorded down in history and recorded in the Classics of Mountains and Seas. Their youngest and most treasured family member Houtu ascended as the Earth Queen of Daoism''s Four Heavenly Ministers. Not a bad legacy if you asked Da Hai. "Are you going to keep me waiting in anticipation?" Pangu asked from within the Pangu Temple. "Apologies," Da Hai said marching past the blood pools and into the temple proper. As soon as he entered, he breathed a sigh of wonder at the rich energies surrounding him. It was chaotic yet orderly, mystical yet ordinary, energetic yet still, it felt like an instant yet an eternity at the same time. Da Hai made his way across the great hall towards the statue of Pangu at the very back. The ancient superbeing looked as profound as he was many years ago. Though Da Hai could tell the signs of diminished vitality. In truth, Pangu was already on borrowed time. His spirit was merely grasping hold of the last bit of vitality he could. Here in the Pangu Temple, he could exist and live for a little while longer. "Master," Da Hai kowtowed. "This one is unworthy of being your disciple," he apologised. "Last I was here I was consumed by a thirst for vengeance and was rude to you. Though I have made some progress since I began this mission, I have encountered great difficulties. I humbly request your assistance." "Hmph, that was obvious from the start. But it isn''t like there''s much of a choice," Pangu humphed. he would''ve showed an exasperated expression toward Da Hai''swords. if his current form allowed it. "So, you''re after a new sword eh?" If Da Hai was surprised he didn''t show it. Pangu was a super existence far beyond the chaos godfiends in every conceivable way. Even being nearly dead, Da Hai doubted there was anything he didn''t know within the primitive world. "Saw your little attempt at chopping the Fusang tree," Pangu said sounding a little impressed. "You should''ve known that wasn''t going to do much." "It gave me an estimation," Da Hai said standing up. "I''m not looking to chop the tree down. Merely harvest a portion of it." "Still, your offensive power with an incomplete Dao was quite impressive. I wasn''t wrong about your talent," Pangu mused. "I take it you''ve already figured what you need yes?" "Indeed," Da Hai nodded. "A supernaturally powerful blade or chaotic sword Qi. The latter will be more ideal and more manageable." "Exactly, swords as powerful as what you''d need don''t come by often. The requirements of forging one is far beyond your reach, only those most fortuitous could craft those," Pangu said in agreement. "Chaotic sword Qi on the other hand is much more doable." "Then, may I inquire to the method of producing such," Da Hai asked. "Oh? Not going to ask me of a treasure?" Pangu asked. "I didn''t wish to take advantage of you," Da Hai said feeling ashamed. "Hm," Pangu seemed to be contemplating. "Well, no matter. I suppose I will tell you about chaotic sword Qi. So¡­" "Wait not conditions?" Da Hai gasped in surprise. "What''s the point? You''re my main disciple so it''s natural for me to pass on my techniques to you. Now don''t disrupt me," Pangu said. "Apologies master," Da Hai said. "Hm, now chaotic sword Qi is in actuality a creation of mine. It didn''t actually exist until I forged my axe. Back then, the axe head was one of the sharpest tools in existence. But I was searching for ways to further increase its lethality. This is where chaotic sword Qi was first birthed," Pangu explained. The statue of Pangu glowed, casting the world into an illusion only Da Hai could see. Da Hai nodded, sitting down cross legged. A meditation cushion manifested before his bottom. He could almost feel Pangu smiling as he said, "Now then, let''s begin the lesson." Chapter 93-Sword Forged In Chaos Chaos, boundless chaos, disorder before order, muddle confusion existing beyond the confines of this universe and all universe across the multiverse. The Chaos Sea was what it was commonly known by. A universal name to describe the chaotic energies that was existence. A literal sea of chaotic energy that had the potential to transform into anything. Pangu''s explanation of the Chaos Sea was one Da Hai already knew both intrinsically as an innate god born at the Golden Immortal realm and also as an inheritor of the Tian Hai''s memories. However, he sat there on his cushion silently being enlightened on the nature of the Chaos Sea. Though inwardly he wondered what was the point. Pangu spoke at length about various energies found in the Chaos Sea. Rather, he spoke of how all things originate from the same source and are fundamentally the same. They were merely expressed in different ways. He spoke of various experts manifesting their Dao. How the path of the Dao as essentially emulating the chaos sea. To create the origin of all things. "Hm? Oh don''t give me that look. This is all important details," Pangu said noticing Da Hai''s mood. "You have a pretty good poker face. But I''ve been alive too long to not notice," Pangu laughed heartily. "Now, extra details aside. Chaotic sword Qi is as its name implies, chaotic. It''s muddled confused energy acting to tear apart its target which is what makes it so dangerous in the first place," Pangu finally explained. Da Hai nodded along mentally taking notes of this conversation and sorting them away in the recesses of his mind. "The Dao is defined by the desperation of the origin. From nothing comes something, from something back to nothing, this change separates into five elements to eight trigrams to ten thousand things," Pangu said. "Chaotic sword Qi is this exact principle. It is a product of my Dao just as pellucid divine water is a product of yours. It is a domineering force aiming to split apart something into more things," Pangu explained. "All of which is recorded in my Pangu''s Nine Revolutions Origin Heaven Splitting Mantra," Pangu said. "I have not spoken about my cultivation mantra to you at all. But with your necessity of chaotic sword Qi, it will be imperative I pass it down to you." "I take it Hongjun understands this Dao as well?" Da Hai asked. "Yes, he obtained my Jade Fortune disc which contains my Dao. If you have such an item, it is not that difficult to grasp it," Pangu sighed. "Now quiet down, you want to learn how to make chaotic sword Qi? I''m going to teach you how." "First draw strength from the chaotic source. The essence of the chaotic sea is a part of all things, we are merely transformations of it. Mould this energy into chaotic sword Qi. The emphasis you must realise first is split¡­" and so he spoke. For days on end, Pangu talked and talked without stopping. Teaching someone was not something Pangu did often. He was a warrior, an adventurer, a thrill seeker who more often than not, preferred to punch his way out. But that did not mean he couldn''t explain. Rather, he was quite adept at it. Powerful cultivators were naturally drawn to each other. No matter how large the chaos sea was, it was quite common for these figures to encounter one another. In such an event, they would exchange pleasantries. They would speak on length of the Dao and contemplate each other seeking to improve through each other. In other words, they fight. A Dao discussion is as much a debate as it was a fight. Each spell, each technique, each minute movement of these great immortals were like essays upon essays on the Dao. Sometimes this was to the death. Other times they depart on amicable terms. Though if a treasure was involved, especially a very powerful or suitable one, to the death was more often than not the result. That being said, being a graceful loser was a key component to a successful cultivator of the Dao. If not, how could Pangu have made so many acquaintances and vice versa for all his friends. Those overly greedy lot while more common were always the first to go. They didn''t last long at all, they merely spawned more often. Pangu''s words were complex, even to Da Hai who had a profound cultivation base. It was likened to listening to a lesson conducted in a language you only half understood. However, the basic gist was messaged across successfully. Da Hai had already begun formulating simulations in his mind. Within his mindscape, the dual extremities of yin and yang circulated each other. They existed in perfect harmony bleeding into and becoming the other. Da Hai stood before this circular wheel with his palm raised above his head vertically. "CUT!" He slashed down separating the two extremities. In the real world, a circular sphere mimicking the taijitu appeared before Da Hai. He raised his palm to cut at it. His palm was like a blade cutting through hot butter. It easily sliced into and through the sphere. However, this sphere merely merged back together and returned to the perfect state of harmony it was at. "To create chaotic sword Qi is to figure out the state of disharmony, of disunity. You are not cutting into it, you are forcefully separating it and transforming the one into the two, not two ones," Pangu lectured. "Aim to break apart that very thing entirely until what remains is fundamentally different from the first," he encouraged. "Master, chaotic sword Qi destroys all things. Not transform something into something else entirely," Da Hai said in frustration. "Chaotic sword Qi is this same principle. The transformation is merely based upon one change. Existence to non existence, a blast that erases the point it hits. It is a chaotic gas that simply destroys, no more, no less," Pangu reprimanded. "Understood master," Da Hai said slightly embarrassed. The great god of the sea felt extremely weirded out to be in this position. He was not used to being the student and even his inherited memories told him nothing of this experience. Even the schooling of earth had been quite different from this. He wasn''t one among thirty odd boys told to jot down notes within an hour. Da Hai wisely quieted down and listened carefully reflecting on his mistakes. He began simulating more and more models according to Pangu''s instructions. ''Not mere severing, but also annihilation on a conceptual scale,'' Da Hai murmured within his mind. His hands motioned into two open palms facing each other. The image of an illusionary ball of water manifested. It was murky and grey and resembled a ball of smoke more so than water. Da Hai repeated his act of cutting with his right hand while his left hand held the ball. He remained in this position and concentrated, reviewing the various concepts Pangu lectured on. He did not bother keeping time nor was he able to as his full concentration was needed. Greyish smoke emerged from his right palm''s edge. Da Hai opened his eyes into slits observing the emerging smoke. "Cut!" This time, a different resit emerged. The ball of water was split into two. However, the point of impact. The point where Da Hai''s palm''s edge hit, that three centimetre gap was simply gone. No trace remained, not even the smallest of molecules remained. "Not bad," Pangu complimented. "But now you should also see that issue with chaotic sword Qi right?" "Yes master," Da Hai said frowning observing his right hand. The aftermath had left it a mangled mess. Despite only generating a small bit of the chaotic energy into chaotic sword Qi, the backlash was enormous. Da Hai''s immortal physique was incredibly durable. Chaos worlds, entire universes can explode in his face and nothing would happen to him. Yet this smidgen of smoke reduced the flesh of his hands by a quarter. "It''s too much, too ferocious," Da Hai grunted. "Indeed, which is why I always channeled it with my axe," Pangu said agreeably. "And now that axe head is in the hands of Hongjun," Da Hai sighed. "And Luohu," Pangu said. "Not the axe of course. But all my treasures had a built in function to channel chaotic sword Qi. Luohu''s god killing spear was originally the stem of my 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus after all." "That''s worse," Da Hai said channeling primordial Qi into his palm. He recreated the rest of his palm that way. "Your body won''t last if you use chaotic sword Qi like that. I suggest forging a new treasure for that purpose," Pangu said. "That was part of the plan in the first place," Da Hai nodded pinching his fingers and performed some divination. "Hm, it''s so hard to infer anything about Zulong. Twenty, maybe thirty years? At any rate his coronation should be within the next few decades, no more than a century." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Hm, now that you mention it, a large chunk of my world''s karmic luck has been flowing eastward," Pangu said. If he had a body he would''ve been stroking his chin. "Your worries are not unfounded, that does seem to be a little too unmanageable." Meanwhile, Da Hai was planning his next course of action. Gathering materials needed for his next creation would be though. As such he''d dive into his own savings instead. Da Hai''s personal wealth was much higher then regular inhabitants of the primitive world. If he wished to craft a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure like one which he''d need, he''d need to exhaust at least 70% of what he currently owned. "Hey, what are your plans for dealing with our world situation?" Pangu suddenly asked. Da Hai perked up in surprise. Then he looked a little unsure looking upwards. "Don''t worry, Heavenly Dao may be the overall governing force of this world but it''s not all powerful. It can''t penetrate the defences I''ve set up," Pangu said sounding very curious. Nodding, Da Hai informed him of the ideas he made. "Haha, oh it''s gonna hate you for this," Pangu laughed. "You really about that?" "Yes," Da Hai nodded. "Besides, I''m 90% sure this plan will work for the best." Pangu silently contemplated what Da Hai told him. "Hm, fate really does work in mysterious ways," he mused. "If you manage it, it''ll be too funny." The ancient deity laughed heartily just thinking about it. "I''m glad you find it amusing master. If there''s nothing else, I should go," Da Hai bowed and turned around. "Wait, wait, there''s something else," Pangu called out. Da Hai paused and turned back around. However, something else was within his sight. An illusionary jade butterfly floated beside the statue of Pangu. It was extremely beautiful, elegant, yet haunting at the same time. Da hai felt as if he was peering into the embodiment of the Grand Dao. It was suffocating and terrifying. This butterfly was not like Pangu. Although it too carried the same near death aura as Pangu, it did not bother hiding its power at all. Nothing was restrained, even a near death state did not take away from its presence. "What is?" Da Hai uttered in surprise. The jade butterfly had appeared out of nowhere. He didn''t even get any warnings at all. "Oh that''s right, you''ve never met. This here is the treasure spirit of my Jade Fortune Disc, Illusionary Butterfly," Pangu introduced. "Greetings, Illusionary Butterfly," Da Hai greeted. While treasures normally did have a will of their own, they were merely simply instinct. For such a developed intelligence to exist speaks volumes of the Jade Fortune Disc''s age and power. "He''s also your uncle master," Pangu said. "This here was my brother in arms a very long time ago. Sadly he perished in combat. However, I managed to salvage what I could and reincarnate him into my Dao artefact." Dao artefact, those words shook Da Hai to his core. Yet at the same time, it didn''t surprise him. Of course Pangu had Dao realm spiritual treasures. Though Pangu himself never reached the Dao realm, it wasn''t impossible to forge one with the help of another Dao realm supreme being. "May I ask what you''ve need of me?" Da Hai inquired politely. "Since you''re in need of a new treasure, and seeing how you''re my one and only disciple and most importantly for telling me that plan of yours. I figured I''d reward you. Don''t you agree?" Pangu said towards the butterfly. The flying insect nodded enthusiastically. "See, Illusionary Butterfly is about to kick the bucket. He doesn''t have the benefits of my heart that I possess. So we figured might as well do something with him so he doesn''t fizzle out alone and decrepit," Pangu said. "You''re saying," Da Hai was suddenly taken aback by the implications. It seems luck has not left him yet. "My Jade Fortune Disc broke as it was never really a defensive nor offensive treasure to begin with. However, it was still a Dao artefact fitted by the original spirit. Hence its pieces remain," Pangu said. "It actually broke into several fragments but I suspect Hongjun likely claimed them all due to his close proximity to me," Pangu sighed. "The largest of which you''re already aware of, the chaos ranked spiritual form of the Jade Fortune Disc. Another was deposited at Kunlun for my inheritors." "The last piece is right here," Pangu said smiling through his voice. "But isn''t that inheritance for the Wu?" Da Hai frowned feeling very awkward. While he too was tempted, it felt wrong to take something left for someone else. It was incredibly rude and disrespectful in Da Hai''s opinion. "Actually no, you of all people should know why," Pangu sighed. "The twelve is already inheriting this place and my cultivation anyway. They have no use for a spiritual treasure." "Alright then," Da Hai nodded in understanding. The guilt he felt disappeared. "So where do I retrieve it?" "Right here," Pangu said. His statue suddenly glowed bright green. It lifted itself into the air hovering in a mass of jade liquid. It flowed towards Da Hai hands. The Illusionary Butterfly flapped its wings. It disappeared in a haze of green shifting into the mass of Jade liquid. "I don''t know what to say," Da Hai said emotionally looking at the jade substance morphing in his hands. "I can never repay you for this. You''ve given me more than you were obligated to." "Meh, I have no use for it. It''s a better end for my friend, Illusionary Butterfly can be reborn into a new weapon instead of rotting away here," Pangu said. "Besides, you''re the only one who''d even think of visiting me," he sighed. "Despite all the wrong things you''ve done. You''re a good person Da Hai. That''s very rare among those who tread the immortal path," Pangu''s spirit appeared in a hazy figure of smoke. He appeared noticeably weaker than before, may even fade earlier than before. "I don''t feel like one. Because of me, your death date has also been shortened," Da Hai said feeling extremely complex. Even the fragment of the Jade Fortune Disc in his hands was somewhat ignored. "Exactly," Pangu smiled. "Now go, make your sword, axe, saber, knife, or whatever you were gonna make. Don''t waste any more time here. You have your own disciple to save." "Thank you master," Da Hai knelt down and kowtowed nine times to Pangu. "You will never be forgotten." He raised his hand, the jade liquid floated up in response. It shifted and shifted and morphed. Da Hai grimaced and unleashed the full power of his cultivation base. A Great Principle Chaos Immortal who''d achieved the knowledge of primal chaos as was Da Hai worked his magic. He refined the liquid before him and began working. He took advantage of the environment of the Pangu Temple. Of the majestically dense and powerful natural primordial Qi in the area. His hands burned in spiritual fire as they touched upon the surface of the liquid. He sat down and brought out a cauldron emitting vast chaotic energy. His high grade xiantian spiritual treasure, the chaos cauldron was used for the smelting. Da Hai clasped his palms and concentrated. FOOM! After ten years, the cauldron cracked and the temple shook. Pangu looked curiously at the result as grey smoke arose from within the cauldron. "Chaotic energies designed to channel chaotic sword Qi," he murmured impressed. He was reminded of his time crafting his natal axe treasure. The sharpness of the head was the same as the blade emerging from the cauldron. Outside the temple, dark clouds appeared over Mt Buzhou. Mysterious golden light descended from these clouds showering the celestial mountain in waves of supernatural phenomenon. Da Hai slowly opened his eyes. He reached into his heavily damaged cauldron and grasped a hot smooth handle. A sword emerged from the cauldron. Incredibly thin yet incredibly strong. Its blade was flat and metallic white in colour. This sword had no guard and was one piece from blade to pummel. Da Hai observed the blade in his hand which was only 82cm long. Not a very large weapon, but one that was especially vicious due to what was built into it. "I''ll be going now," Da Hai said thanking Pangu one last time. In an explosion of water, Da Hai rocketed away, disappearing into the distant horizon. "I wish you luck, you''re gonna need it," Pangu''s spirit said. Chapter 94-Cutting the Fusang Tree Roving clouds broke apart in the wake of his movement. Reality distorted with every footstep. If one were to look into the sky of the great wilderness, they would see the flickering figure traversing across the sky. He''d flicker in and out of existence forever out of reach. Yet sometimes he was visible and others too far away to see. But even if he was seen, he''d still be nothing but a blur if even that at all. For Da Hai simply moved too fast for even immortals to properly perceive him. Since leaving Pangu Temple, the ancestor of the great sea has not slowed down even once. He utilised his own movement technique to invisibly traverse the great wilderness yet at the same time maintain an incredible amount of speed. ''Have to hurry, have to hurry,'' this was the sole thought channelling through Da Hai''s mind. Nothing else was important to him. He flew with such haste that small ripples into the void were split open as aftershocks from his movement. Though fortunately, these small rifts closed on their own quickly enough. The sword strapped to his side lay quietly still. It watched as its new master blitzed across the sky and sighed in its own way. ''Clumsy,'' the Illusionary Butterfly thought. He as a being enlightened in the Dao had watched Da Hai more so then even Pangu had. The current Da Hai was a little negligent in his untraceable attempts. Though the sword spirit excused it due to his objective. Illusionary Butterfly greatly admired Da Hai. In many ways, he was greatly in over his head and outmatched from all sides. His only real advantage was how low key and hidden he was. Subtlety, the Illusionary Butterfly''s reborn self deployed some of its tricks that it retained. After all, its current form, though vastly different, was once the Jade Fortune Disc. Da Hai was momentarily halted when he felt a faint jade aura encompass his whole body. His eyes traced down towards the sword at his side. His body was wreathed in a thin layer of clouds. Greyish clouds that acted as an isolating barrier to the outside world. It had no defensive capabilities beside blocking divination inferences. "Thank you," he whispered. "My pleasure, my master," the sword responded in his mind. For a treasure spirit, endearing themselves to their owner was habitual. Otherwise, their owners might abandon them. Of course the Illusionary Butterfly had little concerns on that front. He was too valuable and too powerful for Da Hai to ever abandon. Though instinctual habit was instinctual habit. After this was done, Da Hai placed more effort on his cloaking spells. He stabilised space around him and forbade disturbances into the void. So much callous reality warping was sure to catch the attention of various experts in the world. These were things Da Hai most definitely did not want right now. Even with his new sword, his cultivation was still a little low to fight on that scale. ''If only they''d come to Yingzhou,'' Da Hai idly pondered as his mind went back to his enemies. Victory will be significantly bolstered if they assaulted Yingzhou itself. ''Doesn''t matter, Zulong comes first,'' he dismissed. He gained more speed while taking care to maintain secrecy. Soon enough, he crossed the central continent into the east continent. The average density of primordial Qi was significantly lowered though it was still extremely high. The east continent was much more beautiful compared to the central continent. It was a lush land full of rivers, meadows, mountains, and forests. It was like something out of an ancient Chinese painting. However, Da Hai did not linger long. The east continent may look beautiful on the surface but it was filled with just as much conflict as the rest of the world. In some ways it was probably worse now compared to the rest of the world. All continents except the east had proper rulers. No matter their reputation or personalities, one cannot deny they brought a sense of stability to their territories. Hongjun''s approach to his territory seemed to be just ignoring it entirely. In fact, Da Hai had not received any news regarding the ancestor of the great balance. He seemed to be content to stay on Mt Yujing. As Da Hai neared the eastern coast of the east continent. He kept his eyes open for signs of any attacks on his person. Specifically, his eyes were gazing in the direction of Mt Yujing. Although immortals couldn''t sense it, Da Hai could sense the convergence of mysterious energies gathering upon the celestial mountain. It was very reminiscent of the raw chaotic nature of primordial Qi in the central continent. "Is he trying to break into Wuji?" Da Hai grimaced. His bottleneck couldn''t bring him more frustration then it''s currently doing. ¡­ "OMMMMM!" "OMMMMM!" "OMMMM!M" Hongjun sat peacefully resembling an enlightened deity in all purple. His pondering upon the Dao had reached an extremely profound level. The Jade Fortune Disc floated around him sending streams of jade light into him. As they neared they covered into purple beams. This chaos spiritual treasure had finally submitted beneath Hongjun after many years of work. Now that the last traces of its treasure spirit has been removed, its true uses had been unlocked. The insight of 3000 completed Great Daos flowed into Hongjun, the insight of 108,000 incomplete Lesser Daos flowed into Hongjun. These insights were the fundamental building blocks of the primitive world. With Pangu''s Dao realm level transcendent Dao at its core, they formed the core of the primitive world in which all things including the Heavenly Dao spawn from. "OMMMMM¡­Hm?" Hongjun jerked his head sideways looking around. His eyes glowed purple as he did so. "Was I mistaken?" He murmured before shrugging and returning to meditation. ¡­ On the mystical island that was Yingzhou, the Fusang tree stood millions of kilometres tall. It was imposing and awe inspiring. Its many ripe fruits hung off of its branches brimming with rich spiritual power. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A gigantic moth perched upon one such branch. This creature was the true form of Yi Fei''e, fourth disciple of Da Hai. She was a pale white insect with radiant blue compound eyes and large transparent wings. She was easy a kilometre in length yet she seemed insignificant before the Fusang tree. On one of her six legs, Yi Fei''e carried a large basket containing several mulberry fruits. With another two limbs, she worked on harvesting a fourth fruit to add to her basket. "Harvest is good this season," she murmured. Now that her sisters were out of the mountain, she had to harvest the latest batch all by herself. Suddenly, a change occurred in Yingzhou''s atmosphere. "Hm?" Yi Fei''e turned her head noticing the familiar aura of her master returning to Yingzhou. "Ah!" She exclaimed quickly shifting back to human form and moved to greet him. "Move away from the Fusang tree," Da Hai ordered her over before she could say anything. Yi Fei''e was slightly confused at first. Though she nevertheless obeyed him. Jumping down, she leapt to the edge of the meadow just outside the garden the Fusang tree is kept. She looked curiously as Da Hai arrived before the ancient super tree. Curiously, he had a new treasure strapped to his side. A short metal sword that appeared completely ordinary yet carried a sense of unparalleled sharpness. ''What is master planning?'' She wondered. Da Hai stood in the clear blue sky looking at the Fusang tree below him. The celestial tree looked stood tall brimming with so much energy that it''ll put Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals to shame. None of the previous Chaos Godfiends were comparable even at their peak. "I''m sorry old friend," Da Hai said. He was about to mutilate one of his longest companions. Even if that companion wasn''t sentient, it was still a depressing moment he knew he''d regret. Da Hai''s right hand grasped the handle of his new sword and drew it forth. The short blade slid elegantly into the air, its edge so sharp that it was practically invisible when observed vertically. Da Hai raised it in front of him and activated this treasure. He felt the strong pulse of raw chaotic energies and the faint image of the Illusionary Butterfly briefly appearing. "Let''s do this," he grasped the handle with both hands. The metallic white blade began glowing more and more radiantly. The air around Da Hai swirled in a hurricane of chaotic forces. Transformation of all kinds occurred in this isolated universe. Da Hai concentrated on the creation of chaotic sword Qi. Across the sky, large quantities of primordial Qi stemming from Yingzhou flowed towards Da Hai. These mysterious profound natural forces resembled white clouds as they gathered around towards the sword. Like an insatiable maw, the sword swallowed the clouds it attracted. It swallowed them and gathered more. Like the eye of a storm, the sword continued to swallow large amounts of primordial Qi in accordance to Da Hai''s instructions. "We''re going to end this in one strike. Fei''e, move as far away as possible, you''ll have to defend yourself from the backlash," Da Hai warned the woman below him. Yi Fei''e nodded and promptly took off. Thankfully, she had ascended to Great Unity Golden Immortal and was the sole inhabitant of Yingzhou, she would be able to stay safe. Da Hai continued to gather power as Yi Fei''e moved away from the epicentre. Despite Yingzhou''s size, Yi Fei''e was able to fly all the way to the shore as per Da Hai''s wishes. This all took a little over an hour for her to accomplish. The swirling of gathered clouds finally disappeared into the sword. It was cloaked in a pulsing aura of greyish gas clouds. Da Hai could feel the sword shaking from all the power it contained. "It''s not as natural of a process as the Pangu Banner," Da Hai sighed remembering the flag Hongjun wielded. "Pangu''s work is much better than my own, there wasn''t any wind up needed for it." He raised the sword high above his head and began descending to one of the largest branches he could find. "I don''t intend to destroy you, but I do require your sturdiest branch. So, apologies old friend," Da Hai grimaces as he rapidly descended for a strike. In a blinding flash of grey light, the arc of Da Hai''s sword descended upon the largest branch of one of the sturdiest existences in the entire primitive world. SHINK! FOOM! The massive branch of the Fusang tree toppled onto the meadow below the celestial tree. The groaning of the Fusang tree was brought to Da Hai''s ears and he sighed in sadness. The brilliant light radiating like the sun which the Fusang tree once gave off dimmed. Although the life giving power of the tree was profound, it will never be as strong as it once was. The wound of the tree, cauterised by chaotic sword Qi shrunk into the Fusang tree. Unable to heal that branch, the celestial tree instead removed traces that that branch ever existed in the first place. Da Hai landed on top of the fallen branch. He caressed the surface of the wood and nodded satisfyingly. "Magnificent, it hasn''t lost an inch of power," he praised. The branch was retrieved by Da Hai and tucked into his pocket dimension for further refining. He however brought his sword up to eye level. The blade appeared as pristine as ever, no sign of the destruction it just performed was present at all. It appeared like just any other short sword. "I haven''t named you yet have I?" He mused and began thinking. "Gathering clouds, hm. Well, you were once the celestial disc accompanying Pangu and held the insights into the heavens themselves. I guess I''ll call you Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword." The treasure spirit within the sword glowed in happiness. It accepted the new name and subsequently, the carvings of four characters for Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword manifested along the blade. "Wait a minute," Da Hai suddenly widened his eyes in realisation in what he''d just said. "Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword, it''s just a coincidence right?" Chapter 95-The Big Day Kailong Chen(Origin Dragon City), the dragon city of opening and capital of the four seas was rolling in activity. The city that normally sported a population in the billions now had visitors that went into the trillions. Most of which was camped outside of course, even this city can''t possibly contain that many. The festivities had been going on for half a decade now. The people who arrived in advance of Zulong''s big day waited anxiously. Outside the East Sea Dragon Palace, a massive elevated platform made from the most beautiful and expensive of carved stone and jewels was constructed along with titanic statues depicting the dragon''s power. Across the city, it was as if Chinese new year had come. The streets were covered in colours of yellow and black. Banners of dragons were hung across rooftops and poles. Across the streets, visitors roamed excitedly exploring the sites. Kailong Chen was being heavily regulated by the dragons for the past few years as to stop streets from being heavily clogged. As such a limited quota was placed on how many can be in the city at once discounting citizens of course. As such, mighty dragons hung around the waters above the city constantly keeping vigil. Below them, visitors from all across the primitive world arrived. There were members of the sea clans from all across the four seas. Members of the avian and beast clans from the east and south continents arrived. Even beast clansmen from the north continent dropped by for the dragon''s coronation. This occasion was far larger than the phoenix and the qilin''s coronation. Those attempts were rather isolated in comparison to this global event. In this vein, Zulong had already impressed others far more than his contemporaries had. His image was visually everywhere outside of the west continent. His name was known even in backwater villages. The East Sea Dragon Palace itself was also full. Powerful guests had arrived and were given guest lodgings within the royal palace of the dragons. These guests included Great Unity realm elders, Golden Immortal elites and their clansmen. Over the past few decades since Zulong left Yingzhou, Kailong Chen was becoming very overcrowded. Over the years, Yinglong and Qinglong had also returned bringing with them various higher ups of the dragons and sea clans. Zulong stood smiling warmly in a special chamber deep within his private residence. The Central Grand pavilion in which he lived also housed this chamber which was without a doubt the most important room ever. Gui Daiyu also stood next to him smiling warmly. Before the couple, a pedestal surrounded by an arena of various powerful spiritual herbs lay around in a formation resembling a nest. Upon the pedestal was a single large egg about ten metres tall. It was shipped like an oval and was brimming with live energy. "Incubation is going well, my son will take the world by storm," Zulong couldn''t help but praise. His wife had recently laid the egg and proper incubation methods had to be applied. Of course, Zulong was long aware of the possibility and prepared for this the moment Gui Daiyu fell pregnant. "Well, based on his level of power, he''d probably make it to Heavenly Immortal at birth," Gui Daiyu started rubbing her chin. "Aren''t you underestimating him? I say Golden Immortal, my bloodline will naturally reach into the limits of the Heavenly Dao," Zulong puffed his chest up in pride. "I just think you need to be more realistic. Every generation no matter how talented are always born weaker than their parents. But he will no doubt surpass me very quickly," the turtle empress sighed sounding a bit miffed. Among the higher ups of the four seas, Gu Daiyu ranked towards the bottom. Many of Zulong''s first generation dragons had already stepped into Great Unity Golden Immortal and had long surpassed her. Many elder generation sea clan members were also looking to break into the Chaos Immortal realm and attained the Great Principle. Overall, the current primitive world''s average power level was being raised. Immortals were becoming so common that you''d see one every couple of kilometres. Golden Immortals resided by the dozens in every city and Great Unity Golden Immortals ruled large settlements. Chaos Immortals from both innate creatures and connate lifeforms had also popped up here and there though still uncommon. Rumour had it that some had entered into the services of Zulin while others remained independent. Zulong himself had only successfully recruited Chenghuang who''s shown very high potential to attain the Great Principle in record time. One of his greatest talents, Leishen the thunder dragon had also stepped into the great prestigious realm of Great Principle Chaos Immortals. He was a rising star who''d taken far less time than it did for the first three dragons. The Primordial Celestial Dragon clan was becoming obscenely powerful. Throw in all their vassals and they stood unchallenged by all except the Devilish Dao. "I''ll never get tired of watching," Gui Daiyu mused. Zulong nodded beside her. The product of their love seemed to also revel in their gaze. Zulong tilted his head to one side appearing very contemplative. "What''s wrong?" Gui Daiyu asked. "Nothing''s wrong, Yinglong was merely asking for me," Zulogn assured her. "The ceremony''s about to start in ten minutes." "I see, it seems we really lost track of time," Gui Daiyu chuckled. "Come on, you don''t wanna be late for your own big day," she said dragging Zulong out. ¡­ Yinglong stood on the ceremonial platform overlooking the city. On this day, Kailong Chen was crowded like never before. The aura of a trillion immortals blanketed the celestial city in a monstrous wave. The winged dragon couldn''t help but feel slightly anxious. It was as if the entire world had arrived. Yinglong scanned the people present several more times. He did so as to identify any would be assassins. While many elders were doing the same, Yinglong felt the need to do so himself if only or more assurance. Stolen novel; please report. He walked back towards the centre of the platform to meet up with the other higher up officials. A collection of no less than a hundred clan esteemed leaders and elders from both the sea clans and dragon clans. Yinglong saluted them acknowledging their position and joined them in sitting down in the second seat right below where Zulong will ascend to sit. At which point, this platform will merge itself into the throne room of the East Sea Dragon Palace. The seating arrangements were not in order of cultivation levels but rather in status. Hence Yinglong and Qinglong sat at the second positions followed by the important advisers such as Primordial Turtle King or Colossal Shark ancestor. Below them were powerful elders with leading positions like Leishen and Chenghuang. This was followed by guardian elites who had no real roles in the government like Xuanwu and Baihu or the moth fairies. However, everyone present was at least at the peak of Great Unity Golden Immortal or those who''d stepped into the Chaos Immortal realm. "Finally," Qinlong whispered across from him. Yinglong couldn''t help but nod in agreement. This day was long in waiting, in fact, it was far later than Zulong had intended when he proclaimed his desire all those years ago. "Ceremony''s about to start," the deep voice of the Colossal Shark ancestor grumbled. "His majesty should be here soon right?" "My brother will be here when he''s here. Do not question his integrity," Yinglong growled back. "My apologies, it was not my intention to question his majesty. I was just making sure we''re on time," the shark cultivator apologised. "The right time is when my brother arrives, no more no less," Yinglong said. He wasn''t too fond of the shark to be honest. However, he was not only powerful but also shared blood with his brother''s wife. Yinglong silently tapped his armrest and pondered on their next move. All the preparations were laid out and only requires careful development to develop a truly invincible army. There was still some growing needed to be done in the other three seas after all. The north sea especially requires heavy amounts of work to fully realise its potential. At the same time, he wondered what had occurred between his master and his elder brother. The signs were odd as when he visited Yingzhou, Da Hai was not there. Yi Fei''e had informed him he''d left years ago. At the same time, Zulogn was keeping silent and rare spoke on their master. Yinglong couldn''t help but feel extremely worried at this development. If Da Hai abandoned them, that will be a terrible outcome. Although they were all to properly stand on their own two feet, Da Hai was their pillar support and father figure. The notion that something went on between two of the most important people in his life terrified the winged dragon. Of course, forcing the issue will not help matters. Da Hai may be amicable to listen but his brother was not only extremely stubborn but also arrogant. Though thankfully, not a lot of people seemed to be aware of this recent divide. Da Hai allowed his disciples a lot of freedom in the first place and hardly ever oversaw them aside from occasional check ups and advices. Their master was overall, very hands off in regards to his disciples'' personal activities. As such, outside of immediate family, no one else was aware of this divide. Yinglong suspects that not even the moth fairies aside from Yi Fei''e knew. They seemed to be preoccupied with playing more than anything else these days. Speaking of Yi Fei''e, Yinglong began wondering where his fourth junior sister was. As far as he was aware, Yi Fei''e should also be here. An empty seat was also reserved for her after all. "Brother," Qinglong called out through their mental connection. "When''s elder brother arriving? The ceremony is literally half fifteen minutes away." "Don''t rush our brother, he''ll be here when he is here," Yinglong retorted. "I have full faith he''d be here." "Cutting it a bit close don''t you think?" Qinglong grumbled. "It''ll be pretty embarrassing if he can''t make it on time." "Elder brother will be here, just be a little more patient." "Oh come on, we both know he''s not perfect. He probably got caught up in something. Probably seeing our nephew like he''s been doing for the past month. Just check up on him," Qinglong begged. Yinglong sighed mentally caving in. He reached out to Zulong through mental transmissions. It took a few seconds but he tracked the elder dragon to the incubation room in the Central Grand Pavillon. "Big brother," he called out. "Hm? What is it Yinglong, I''m kinda busy here," Zulong quickly responded. "Sorry to interrupt your work brother, but your coronation ceremony is about to start shortly. Qinglong was worried and the other ministers are getting angsty without your presence," he dutifully reported. "What? Already? Let me just¡­alright, we''ll be up there shortly," Zulong said before cutting off the connection. Yinglong glanced sideways towards Qinglong who was looking at him expectantly. The winged dragon sighed and nodded. The azure dragon raised an eyebrow and threw him an ''I told you so'' look. He leaned back appearing much more relaxed. Yinglong quickly composed himself as well with his back straight. A few minutes passed before a burst of water swirled before those sitting. Zulong and Gui Daiyu appeared side by side. Wordlessly, they smiled at each other and Gui Daiyu joined Yinglong and Qinglong at the highest position seats. Zulong meanwhile acknowledged those sitting present. He then turned towards the masses far below and walked forwards. His body began glowing in radiant light, so much so that the east sea began glowing despite how deep underwater they were. ''Go, address them my love,'' Gui Daiyu thought blissfully. ''It is time, claim your rightful place,'' Yinglong and Qinglogn both appeared proud and joyful. In a distant continent, Zulin couldn''t help but giggle. Chapter 96-Dragon Sovereign A flood of spectators watched as a gargantuan yellow black light manifested high above them upon the platform. All several hundreds of trillions of living beings who made it personally. At the same time, countless quintillion''s watched on from around the world. The image of the Celestial Dragon appeared, broadcasting for all to see. In the most driest of deserts, frigid of tundras, desolate of mountains, or the most isolated of forests, a projection of Kailong Chen came into view. This event was planned millennia in advance. Supreme materials and xiantian spiritual treasures were used to construct a massive broadcasting spell that was intended for all to gaze upon Zulong''s glory. A signal to all in the world, a herald to his coming. The dragon didn''t just want the seas to witness his rise, he wanted the world to know. The sheer arrogance of this creature was heaven defying. Many mighty beings around the world silently sneered at this audacious display. Oh sure, they were aware of how strong this Chaos Immortal expert was. But they too had either reached that realm or were closing in as well. This was even more so for the innate gods currently cultivating in seclusion. They felt vindicated at the disruption caused by the broadcast. Some aggressive deities even wanted to travel to the east sea and teach the dragon a lesson. Then Zulong manifested. Upon the stage, the image of the Celestial Dragon closed in, transforming in a swirl of primordial Qi. Incredible amounts of refined chaotic energies twisted and contorted in a display of fierce power. The images of rising pagodas, dancing goddesses, singing celestial birds, wise monkeys, invincible divine soldiers and so on appeared. All to herald the descent of Zulong. He appeared from within the illusionary manifestations standing on the edge of the platform. The heavenly phenomenons generated by him unleashing his power washed over Kailong Chen and beyond. Even those observing from afar could feel dangerous power emanating from the east. A supreme force both terrifying yet awe inspiring. The phoenix sitting in her throne room dressed in an elaborate five coloured dress sneered. The devil forging his swords ceased his actions. He emerged from his cave and joined his six armed brother in observing the ceremony. The mysterious sage on Mt Yujing stopped cultivating and looked eastwards. He smiled expectantly. "Welcome, citizens of the four seas world. Welcome to Kailong Chen," Zulong began. The trillions of spectators physically here could feel an almighty gaze bearing down upon them. It made even the strongest of Great Unity Golden Immortals feel small. "You are all here today, to bear witness to history. To commemorate our flourishing present and to a glorious future," Zulong declared. "I am Zulong, supreme patriarch of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan, ruler of the four seas." "I was born from the primordial Yang Qi of Pangu, most venerable lord of water and the imperial heaven. Today, I shall assume my inheritance and fight for rulership over this world. Today, I establish the empire of dragons." "But before I do so," Zulong paused. "Allow me to clear a few things first." "When I spawned into this world. I arrived in a time of strife, a time where cultivation clans ran prosperous vying for power. Across the entire world from the five continents to four seas, war was abundant. Immortals stood everywhere dominating each other for territory and resources." Around Zulong, many patriarchs and warriors of their own respective clans silently nodded. This wasn''t news to them, merely a fact of life. For many places, immortals weren''t expected to live their maximum lifespans. "Fortunately, my brothers and I spawned in the east sea, perhaps the most peaceful of the four seas. We were rich and prosperous, there were certain rules to engagements. There wasn''t any natural phenomenon threatening our lives nor a violent dictator treating us as food," Zulong said appearing to be reminiscing. The ancestral dragon''s two brothers smiled faintly in nostalgia. In hindsight, they were extremely lucky in comparison to many in the world. They didn''t even suffer one bit in comparison to many immortals among the crowd. Zulong''s descriptive words invoked a great sense of superiority from those native to the east sea. A strong sense of superiority they felt they had over the rest of the seas. At the same time, the south and north sea wallowed in their jealousy while the west sea denizens grumbled. "But that is not to say the other seas are behind. Tragedy may have occurred, but they also bred incredible heroes, heroes who aided me and in my cause," Zulong glanced back. Xie Chun who sat among the ministers nodded in acknowledgement along with several elders from the north and south seas. They were both shocked and overjoyed at the praise. "Throughout it all, I have witnessed all four seas and their people. I have watched and read of how each civilisation came to be. I have studied on the cultures of all living beings across the primitive world be they of the mountains or seas." "And I have come to a conclusion." "All beings in this world strive for longevity, to pursue the Dao. But cultivation is difficult, it requires enormous recourses, rare resources. As such brutal wars are waged, the strong prey on and exterminate the weak." "We only help ourselves and our families while ignoring the outside as if they never existed. We separate ourselves purposefully birthing different cultivation ideologies. We are all divided in our own spheres of civilisation." "As innate creatures, you''ve all struggled to improve your bloodlines in order to break through to a level in which you could reasonably cultivate the Dao. Living beings without the foundation of innate gods fumble their way in the dark, they all struggle to create cultivation sutras." Zulong reached into his inter spacial ring and pulled out a book. "But that doesn''t have to be the case. This can be the first step towards true unity, a singular system that is capable of taking you all to true immortality. A system that will prepare you the ultimate physique for cultivating the Dao." PAH! Zulong slapped his right index finger on the book he held in his left hand. "This is the Draconic Dao, a cultivation path which will give you the body of an innate god. Based upon my own. A supreme physique that can resist divine lightning, celestial fire, demonic wind, and heavenly water. A perfect foundation for the Dao." "Witness it, Ao Jianlong," Zulong called out. From one of the seats on the platform, the carp turned dragon, Jianlong flew forth and saluted his patriarch. His cultivation stood gloriously at the Heavenly Immortal level with a singular flower crown. Yet at the same time, his body exuded the vitality matching, even surpassing triple crown Heavenly Immortals. "Ao Jianlong is an ascendant dragon. He has transcended mortality and will soon break free from the heavens. The Draconic Dao is not a lie. This is my gift to all of you." Zulong''s declaration brought about an enormous amount of cheering. Especially for weak races with weak foundations, they clapped enthusiastically. For them, their sutras were underdeveloped and extremely weak. A proven system will make their path much easier. Colossal Shark ancestor glanced around at Yinglong and Qinglong. The old shark pondered on Zulong''s words. It was fairly obvious to figure out his intentions. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A singular cultivation path becoming a singular identity. The whole world united under the banner of dragons. This will not just be in name, but in a literal sense where all beings are transformed into dragons. They refer to themselves as dragons and will only be dragons. ''It''s like he''s trying to erase all of us. How arrogant do you have to be? Do you think us all second class compared to dragons?'' This was the common thought among the strongest of creatures. Those who''d reached Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm or the summit of Great Unity Golden immortal and were about to break through. However, they did not dare speak this thought aloud. They knew perfectly well what Zulong was capable of. He was the epitome of might makes right. ¡­ "Humph," Zufeng grunted nestled on her throne drinking a glass of grape wine. "Making a whole clan in your image, naming them Ao, then this stunt. How up your ass do you have to be?" She snorted in contempt. However, after a moment, she paused. "A singular cultivation identity," she rubbed her chin. "All roads lead to the phoenix. This could have merit." ¡­ Zulong rambled on for longer. He spoke passionately about his vision, his desire as sovereign of the world. His voice carried across the primitive world, broadcasting for all under heaven to hear. As he spoke, golden light emitted from deep beneath the earth. Strong primordial Qi, so strong that they were indistinguishable from the chaos sea flowed eastwards. In a convergence of destiny, the world itself directed mountain loads of power towards Kailong Chen. The dragons who were elevated to Golden Immortality smiled at this event. Zulong himself grinned. He had miscalculated, this amount was even larger than anticipated. He wondered if his introduction of the Draconic Dao helped. What was happening was the convergence of destiny. The gathering of primordial Qi through natural spiritual veins being funnelled into the location where a great power is being born. A special extra scenario was the birth of a nation. Kingdoms and empires alike are factions of great destiny by nature. They were rightful rulers of the world and as such are protected by the Heaven Dao. This was the truth among all chaos worlds. This was also why beings such as gods or demons never personally attacked a kingdom. Doing will easily draw forth divine retribution. Only another kingdom can challenge a kingdom. Of course, there were ways to get around this. Corruption in government, manipulations, political disasters, maniacal schemes all served to destabilise a national power will drastically weaken a nation''s destiny thus leaving them vulnerable. Such convergence of primordial Qi was only the beginning however. This gathering merely signalled the gift of power by the heavens. "I am humbled you think me worthy," Zulong said closing his eyes, feeling the wellspring of power pulsing through Kailong Chen. The spiritual vein the city was built on was expanding to unimaginable levels. "HEAR ME HEAVENLY DAO," Zulong roared into the heavens. "I AM AO ZULONG, PRIMEVAL YANG GIVEN FORM. I BROUGHT INTO THIS WORLD THE DRAGON RACE, I BROUGHT INTO THIS WORLD THE DRACONIC DAO. ON THIS DAY, I DECLARE THE FORMATION OF THE DRAGON EMPIRE." "RECOGNISE MY RIGHT TO FIGHT FOR SUPREMACY. TODAY, I ASSUME MY BIRTHRIGHT AND I SHALL LEAD MY PEOPLE FORTH INTO A GOLDEN PERIOD. RECOGNISE ME AS DRAGON SOVEREIGN." And the Heavenly Dao responded. A virtual world of merit descended. The golden light of karmic luck recognised their master. The celestial dragon who commands great luck in the world and who rules the greatest empire in the world. In recognition of such, another event took place. If such a being held the enormous luck of the world. Then he shall be the symbol of luck. And thus, karmic luck condensed into a physical form. The sea of luck Qi gathered in streams and formed up. They twisted and twirled from the clouds into the sky and into the sea. The construct reached into the ocean and rose into the sky. It roared and danced and displayed its majestic might. A true dragon of ultimate proportions. A golden dragon so radiant, it blinded the world. A dragon of pure good fortune Qi. A dragon formed of karmic luck. A dragon stretching quintillions of kilometres long. It was so big, it could be seen from the west continent. Around the world, similar dragons formed. What was once gas clouds of karmic luck that symbolised the Avian empire and Qilin empire, dragons formed. Both sovereigns gritted their teeth jealously as the image of the dragon became the avatar of destiny. "If you think me worthy, then I shall name you the Qi Dragon of Luck," Zulong said. A soft humming far above him symbolised the recognition of this name. A crown appeared on Zulong''s head, twelve strings of beads swung before shifting still as they rested upon his crown. His robes transformed into a giant elaborate set of imperial dragon robe, yellow and black in colour. "All hail the Dragon Sovereign, long may he reign, long may he reign," trillions declared. They knelt down and kowtowed before the platform where Zulong stood raising his arms. He appears as if he was welcoming the world. He smiled as he sat down on his throne. The platform exploded in a blinding explosion of light before merging into the East Sea Dragon Palace. Zulogn sat at the central hall of the highest palace upon a throne above all others. His brothers and wife sat below him while others now stood in place. "I am the Dragon Sovereign, I am responsible for representing all beings in my domain," Zulong began saying. "As such, I shall retire from my position as patriarch of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan." "In my place, Ao Yinglong shall succeed me as patriarch. He shall henceforth be named Dragon King of the four seas, lord of all dragons. Ao Qinglong, my little brother, you are the guardian, I name you Saint Guardian of the four seas." "I hear and accept your majesty''s proposal," both dragons said. "Henceforth, my wife, Gui Daiyu is the supreme matriarch of my domain. She shall henceforth be the Empress of the four seas," Zulong finished. He sat back and sighed in relief. The first of his main goals were accomplished. He was here, the grand sovereign. Now all that was left was to claim the world. However, he couldn''t help but feel the prevailing echo of sadness in his heart. One person he wanted to be here was not here. Even after several decades. His master had not arrived. A fact which greatly bothered him. ''Was that really the end of our master-disciple relationship?'' He pondered. High above him, the golden Qi Dragon of Luck brimmed in power. From its original pure golden colour, it took on portions of purple. They mixed into each other and came out as a golden purple Qi Dragon of Luck. This wasn''t a bad thing however, in fact, this was fantastic. The pure golden colour was merely a broad light from the Heavenly Dao. The dragon''s current appearance was to signal it completing its descent. Across the world, various Qi Dragons of Luck also took on different colours. Each colour represented different levels of luck. From white to blue to green to red to black to gold to purple to finally Zulong''s mixed golden purple dragon. It was a magnificent sight. The dragon roared with an imperial authority never seen before in this world. Then it cracked. Chapter 97-Attack During Coronation CHINK! A sound that went unnoticed at first. After all, the Dragon Qi of luck was so massive that a small crack would barely register in the minds of most immortals. Below the golden-purple dragon, people were still in a celebratory spirit. Drinks were thrown around, people laughing and cheering for the Dragon Sovereign. A minute crack on the tail end of this dragon was simply too small and too far away. As such for a time it went unnoticed. CHINK! Then the crack grew bigger. Then it got even bigger. Like a spider web crack, the cracks began spreading on the dragon. Starting from the base end of the tail, the cracks travelled along the body. It started small and slow but then began picking up speed. In a small span of time, the cracks spread along the tail and closed in on the base of the dragon''s rear. That was when Zulong opened his eyes. He had been resting after his declaration, content to revel in his new status. The recognition of heaven had elevated him to even further beyond his previous power level. The power of karmic luck was extremely beneficial to cultivation. It reveals the hidden intricacies of Dao and bolsters foundations. With the extreme amount Zulong attained, he was able to begin some small breakthroughs. Besides him, all the higher ups and even low ranking officials received the benefits from karmic luck. They too began gaining new insight into their cultivation. As such, even the normally very observant Zulong failed to notice his Dragon Qi of luck''s damages. That was until it became too big and his concentration was disturbed. CHINK! ''What the?'' Zulong was immediately alarmed. His eyes pierced through the ocean surface unto the sky. The entire dragon was fully visible to him. The Qi Dragon of luck floated completely still. However, its face contorted in a slight expression of pained discomfort. Zulong''s scan immediately took him to the sight of the damage. ''What? How?'' In the span of 0.0001 second, Zulong''s mind raced through all sorts of possibilities. The Qi Dragon of luck was the strongest construct of destiny. Manifestation of the dragon''s destiny in this world. It should not''ve been damaged. The only way such an event was to happen was if his empire was steeped in sin. If his people were degenerates indulging in cruel behaviour, if his court was bathed in corruption, if his people were suffering from the government''s rule. Only in such an event would his Qi Dragon of luck become damaged. No, even in such an event, Zulong wagered that it will be a degrading process. What was occurring to his Qi Dragon appeared like a direct attack. CHINK! A loud puffing sound echoes across the world as bits of golden light leaked from the Qi Dragon. BOOM! Zulong''s armrest exploded from his arms slamming down as his rose to his feat. "WHO DARES?" He roared. His voice travelled across the entire ocean quaking Kailong Chen and the surrounding islands in a massive radiation of visible rage. Experts around the world instantly caught on to the dragon''s anger. They too began noticing the changes in the Qi Dragon of luck. The reason for the Dragon Sovereign''s rage was instantly extrapolated. This wasn''t the degradation of destiny, this was an attack. "Come out this instant!" Zulong commanded flashing high up above the ocean surface. He scanned around the east sea but didn''t see any results. His divine sense washed over this entire region of the primitive world to the limits of what he could accomplish. His desperation could also be seen on his face. In the time he began thoroughly searching and demanding. The cracks had grown tremendously. The Qi Dragon of luck had lost its previous luster and was littered in cracks from its chest to its tail. Golden gas clouds leaked out non stop. The very foundation of the dragon empire''s destiny was leaving. "Stop!" Zulong flew forward. He tried to grab hold of the leaking golden gas clouds. His hands glowed with supernatural power as he held back a large volume of golden light. However, even more Luck leaked through. "Brother/Your majesty!" Several more mighty figures appeared in the sky. The mighty Chaos Immortals of the dragon empire appeared to support Zulong. Their reactions were slower but they nevertheless displayed their loyalty. "What the hell is happening?" Qinglong roared in rage. The fruit of their hard work was disappearing before their very eyes. The Qi Dragon of luck roared in pain. "Who is doing this?" Zulong demanded though none can give him an answer. Such a thing, to strike at the destiny of an empire shouldn''t be possible. "Brother, the luck, it''s escaping," Yinglong pointed urgently. Getting his bearings together, Zulong did not hesitate to bring out his treasures. Dozens upon dozens of magical swords, axes, bowls, clams, and bells appeared. Xiantian spiritual treasures of lower ranking. In Zulong''s left and right hands, a string of twenty four beads appeared along with a single large azure pearl. These were the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls and the Dragon Pearl. Zulong threw both top grade xiantian spiritual treasures out. They impacted the now massive cloud of luck Qi. Their suppression force immediately took effect acting to hold back the Qi. A massive azure pearl with the icon of the coiling celestial dragon formed out of the dragon pearl. It pressed down upon the Qi Dragon of luck. Twenty four interlocking universes appeared from the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls. They acted as chains to prevent the dragon from breaking apart, utilising their strength to add a level of stability. "Use your treasures, do not let them escape," Zulong commanded. "Yes your majesty," the ministers of the four seas obeyed. Suddenly, nearly a hundred low grade xiantian spiritual treasure flew in the open air. They lent support to the two top grade treasures Zulong used. Whatever help was appreciated. Even as Zulong fought on, hundreds to thousands of experts appeared to lend support. However, Zulong did not have time to dwell on them. The bigger issue of leaking luck Qi was progressing badly. The cloud had grown larger, even with Zulong holding them back, he could feel the luck Qi driving against him. By now, tens of thousands of Golden Immortals and above experts appeared above the ocean surface. Many, hoping to gain favour with the Dragon Sovereign, willingly lent their aid. However, the higher-ups couldn''t help but feel betrayed that more hadn''t shown up. "What the fuck are you doing? I am your sovereign," he called out to no avail. His arms strained beneath the pressure. "Damn it, I can''t let my nation fall." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The Qi Dragon of luck groaned in pain. Its previously majestic draconic face was cracked. Its colours were shifting, losing its golden hue and returning to pure purple. It had also shrunk in size as more luck Qi. Leaked out. "Your majesty," Chenghuang called out. He stood at the ocean surface raising his voice for the first time in history. "What?" Zulong growled back in irritation. "Seafloor," Chenghuang pointed downwards with a panicked look in his eyes. Zulong''s attention followed along to the ocean floor. He gasped in shock and terror. A maelstrom had formed. He was so focused on the Qi Dragon of luck that he didn''t even notice the chaos going on below. This wasn''t a single assault, this was a two pronged attack. On the east sea''s ocean floor, very close to Kailong Chen in fact, a massive gap in the earth opened up. It was circular in appearance resembling a gaping eye. It was like a maw swallowing trillions upon trillions of litres of water. It was also sucking in nearby living beings. It was in fact so strong that Heavenly Immortals were helpless. Zulong could only gape in shock a few hundred single crown Heavenly Immortals fell in and perished. "What is that?" He uttered in disbelief. Now he could also see the activation go Kailong Chen''s defensive formation. Billions of living beings were funnelled in with Gui Daiyu at the helm. She and a few dragon elders had taken command of the city formation to save as many as they could. With so many experts busy in the sky, very few remained to deal with this Sea Eye. Zulong felt a pit in his stomach just looking at the hole. It was as if he was watching the foulest thing in existence. The newly formed Sea Eye wasn''t just swallowing everything. It was also deeply drenched in sin. There was so much negative karma oozing out of it that it wasn''t even funny. ''How, how, how, how, how, how, how!'' Zulong was desperate for answers. But as soon as he loosened his hold on the Qi Dragon, a strong force of Qi immediately threatened to blow him away. The maw that was the Sea Eye groaned. It was so contaminated with the dark force of sin that its malevolent intent frightened the strongest of individuals. This was a construct threatening to swallow the world. It was the manifestation of divine punishment for indulging in all the evils of the world. ''Fuck, why is everything going so wrong?'' He cursed in this mind. ''I did everything right, why is this happening. Why is this happening? Who betrayed me?'' Zulong''s conclusion was such. Someone must''ve been corrupting his work without his notice. Someone who did so much wrong that divine retribution was called forth. The Heavenly Dao''s automated punishment system was set down upon the dragon empire. The only thing missing was punishment lightning striking down. For the first time in a very long time. Zulong felt uncertainty. Zulong felt fear. Zulong was panicked. The current him was vastly different from the past. He was invincible in this world, how could a tribulation like this have happened. "Where is this negative karma coming from?" He cursed. He could see how much struggle everyone was putting in. "Was it my arrogance? Was I too confident?" He questioned. "Was I wrong?" "Master already warned me, yet I still didn''t see this coming," he felt as if he was on the verge of tears. The worst of all possibilities has occurred Yinglong and Qinglong along with dozens of other Chaos Immortals cried out as they lost their footing. Many were blown back though some held their ground. Two gargantuan dragons appeared along with an enormous tortoise with a snake for a tail, a white tiger, a massive great white shark, a plesiosaur etc. the core fighting force of the dragons were putting their all in. ROAR! The Qi Dragon of luck lurched its head back and roared in pain. The bindings of the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls threatened to snap at any time. The Dragon Pearl was being pushed up despite its best efforts. Down below, Kailong Chen had sealed its gates. The defence formation formed nine pillars of light and a massive spiritual dragon. It fought against the ocean tides threatening to swallow them. Trillions had made it in and now crowded the city. They sat down crosslegged and in a team effort never seen before, lent aid to the formation. Gui Daiyu wearing a phoenix crown supported by six of the seven moth fairies accompanied by hundreds of dragon elders desperately tried to operate the city''s formation. But without the presence of a Chaos Immortals, it became extremely difficult. However, trillions that were left outside didn''t have this protection. The power of sin rolled over them and they were swallowed by the Sea Eye. ¡­ "Master! Somethings going on with senior brother!" Yi Fei''e bursted into Da Hai''s personal chamber. She appeared frantic and very stressed. Da Hai had locked down Yingzhou preventing anyone from getting in or out without notice. Though Yi Fei''e didn''t argue against it, the current situation was different. She could feel the bone chilling air of sin even from Yingzhou''s alternate universe. It was a deeply uncomfortably evil feeling that made even the most evil individuals shiver. As such Yi Fei''e did not hesitate busting Da Hai''s door down. She frowned when she saw Da Hai sitting crossed legged with a long staff on his lap. "You''re refining a treasure? Now of all times?" Yi Fei''e screamed in anger. "Do you have any idea what''s happening? Do you care at all?" "I just need another moment," Da Hai''s strained voice answered her. It was then that she noticed trails of sweat streaming down Da Hai''s face. His palms gripped the ends of the staff tightly. Rays of immortal light streamed down the staff breaking away excess wood and smoothening out the process. The room crackled in lightning as Da Hai worked. A suffocating presence was felt by Yi Fei''e as she watched the process up close. "Have faith in me," Da Hai begged. "I will not fail Zulong. I refuse to." "Please hurry," Yi Fei''e urged. A few moments passed in silence. Every second felt like an eternity. Yi Fei''e felt both helpless and useless. In the end, a Great Unity Golden Immortal turned out to be nothing but a small fry. Even Chaos Immortals were proving to be useless. "Just one more moment," Da Hai said gritting his teeth. "The wood, so tough," he groaned. His palms at the ends of the staff dug in deep. His nails cracked and his palms drew blood like Dao essence. Ten minutes passed before a burst of golden power washed over Yingzhou. Chapter 98-Uncontrollable Disaster "Emperor father, was it really necessary?" Qi An asked the sitting older man sitting on his massive throne. Zulin had changed very little over the years. He was still tall and handsome conveying a sense of awe and power. He was intelligent and powerful and wrestled the north continent into his complete control. The only odd thing about him was the faint scar funning across his face. Something he refused to speak to anyone about. Qi An had seen one of his siblings ask about it centuries ago, the Qilin Sovereign never deigned to answer. "Billions are dying over there father," Qi An murmured. "Trillions," Zulin corrected. "Sacrifices for our empire. They have only themselves to blame for siding with the dragons. And what''s with that emperor father bullshit? We''re alone, just call me dad." "Em¡­of course dad," Qi An stuttered. "I do not question your intentions. But surely a more cleaner method could''ve been used. The cycle of karma can be a punishing thing." "At times I forget, you''re still only a child," Zulin chuckled. "Our enemies deserve non of our mercies. They are not like our misbehaving lords, best to annihilate their foundation," the Qilin Sovereign sneered. "Besides, we are in control over the cycle of karma. My child, you need not worry about such trivial things," Zulin dismissed. "Take this as a learning opportunity. The flow of karmic luck is a complex subject. Too much karmic luck and it becomes uncontainable, too little and you become unable to stave off from invoking disaster. That foolishworm attracted too much for himself to control it. Glean as much insight from this as you can from his mistake." "Of course, em¡­dad," Qi An replied politely. The Primordial Qilin clan were creatures of luck. They sought out places of great luck and can perceive the both positive and negative karma. Qilins, the children of the Qilin Sovereign though few in number were exceptionally powerful. The average qilin was stronger than the average dragon. Each individual was nurtured and developed accordingly unlike the dragons who had many lesser members ignored for the most part. At the Golden Immortal realm, the qilin unlocks their unique ability. Karmic luck manipulation, the ability to move karmic luck by the force of their own will. This was extraordinarily difficult but can have great results. In a sinful place like the north continent, this talent was crucial to their survival as well as control over their vassals. After all, karmic luck was something that could make or break a cultivator. "Relax son and enjoy the fruits of our labour," Zulin reassured. He conjured up an image of a mountainous region. A region belonging to the north continent. "The insects are already celebrating as we speak. The north continent is no longer the sinful rotting corpse it once was. Thanks to my efforts, it shall be restored to a superior land to even the east continent," he bragged. "But oceans, that Sea Eye will suck it all dry," Qi An grimaced. "I liked the view from beeches." "So what? There''s nothing good to be gained from those waters in the first place. Besides, those old ancestors in hiding won''t let it remain. One of them will solve the issue for us," Zulin waved in a dismissive way. "Remember son, we didn''t cause this. The dragons simply had too much negative karma," the Qilin Sovereign smirked. "Of course em¡­dad, the dragons are a sinful lot and deserves heavenly punishment," Qi An replied smiling back. ''Life is difficult, the clans of the north are used to brutal struggles and cannot be trusted. We are born poor and our lands damaged. Father is only doing the best he can,'' Qi An reminded himself. ''Dragon Sovereign, apologies for your losses. But you only have yourself to blame.'' The north continent was a deeply damaged land. A fact originating from Shenni all those years ago. The mighty beast emperor callously drenched the very essence of this land in sin. What would he care if the world was destroyed anyway? Zulin was born into a sinful world. Luckily, his natural talent gave him the opportunity to rise into the Qilin Sovereign. This scheme against Zulong was merely another boon to his goal. Zulong was too successful. He had too much luck and was granted too much merit. What''s more, the dragons lacked a treasure able to properly regulate this much luck, unable to suppress it all. It was childsplay to draw it all to the north continent. In addition to the forced movement of negative karma to Kailong Chen, it was simply too easy for Zulin. To put it simply, the dragon was too fat. ''Finally, I am rid of you,'' Zulin toasted in his mind. The transferring of karma took an immense amount of preparation. Many tens of thousands of years worth of recourses were pulled into his palace in order to bolster his own strength to the level where Zulin could both give and take karma on this scale and distance. The north continent was deeply infected by negative karma courtesy of its previous ruler while the east sea was thriving in enormous amounts of positive karma. So bloated the east sea was that it was incredibly unstable. The dragons lacked treasures capable of regulating so much luck, unlike the qilin whose natural talents negated this necessity. From there it was a simple matter of taking the positive karma, something Zulin had done so many times in the past in other areas, and offloading the negative karma. "Zulong, ah Zulong, take this as a lesson. You flew too close to the sun," Zulin mused with a smirk. "You crossed someone you should never have. Now you must pay the price. With you out of the way, the qilin can truly rise." ¡­ ROAR! The cry of a true celestial dragon contained many unique properties. It was the cry of a ruler, a leader, an instructor. It was essentially an instruction given to obey the will of the dragon. With the immense pressure brought on by two catastrophic events. Zulong did not hesitate using this ability. His handsome facial features snarled in rage at the devastation going on around him. The east sea was covered in storm. Uncontrollable lightning struck every corner of his domain. The sea twisted and turned, rising up into massive tsunamis millions of kilometres tall. All while the sea eye sucked in everything it could get its hands on. Where the sea eye lead to? No one knows. The ocean of sin on the other side was so thick that even Chaos Immortals couldn''t penetrate it with their gaze. Nor would they want to either. Zulong''s roar sundered the heavens and quaked the earth. He could be heard from all corners of the world. The fierce winds and roaring tides reversed themselves beneath his wake and returned to calm. Though this was only a moment of calm before a second storm. The Sea Eye was wholly undeterred by Zulong''s command. It certainly felt it as evident of it slowing down somewhat, but then it sped up again. The mass of golden Qi clouds also shrunk slightly before rising back up to push outwards. Zulong was struck silent at this event, he had given his all in that last roar, even further enhancing it with an enormous amount of his power yet it still wasn''t enough. The Dragon Pearl shook beneath the force of golden luck Qi. It trembled despite its best attempts. "It can''t be, the negative karma is so huge that xiantian spiritual treasures of the highest tier are failing. Even our positive karma wants to get away," the Primordial Turtle king moaned in despair at the sight. Zulong deeply wished to smash something to vent his rage. Just where did this sleeping giant come from? Who has the power to do so much damage despite the four seas'' best attempts? "Brother, the rejection force, it''s getting too strong," Qinglong called out. The azure dragon''s voice was strained in obvious pain. "Can you, Baihu and Xuanwu form the four symbols formation and suppress this?" Zulong asked hopefully. Qinglong shook his head. "Without sister Zhuque, such an action is impossible," he said. "Our powers are intrinsically linked. Even without sister Zhuque present, we are still amplified. However, as you can see, we still aren''t of much assistance," Xuanwu chimed in. His beautiful androgynous features were marred by a depressed frown. "Your majesty, the force is getting too much. We can''t hold on," Mosasaur ancestor who''d also been forced into his true form cried out in pain. Various Chaos Immortals from the Calamity Snail god to Plesiosaur ancestor to even the western Blue Whale god nodded in agreement. When the pressure becomes too great, these mighty figures could not maintain their Dao bodies and transformed into their bestial original forms. "Are you all suggesting we retreat now," Zulong spat angrily. He could not let things go as it was now, he''d come too far to abandon everything. "No your majesty, merely a temporary regrouping to get our bearings together. We can figure something out once later," Mosasaur ancestor clarified. Zulong gritted his teeth in frustration. If they''d all just left then there would be nothing to stop his Qi Dragon of luck from imploding and leaving. His own treasures needed him to be close in order to give accurate commands and function at full power. The ancestral dragon raced to think of something. He scanned around the battlefield and grimaced at the ocean of sin surrounding him. ''Yu''er,'' he suddenly remembered and concentrated his divine sense downwards. ''Kailong Chen should still be able to hold in this current,'' he thought depressingly mentally kicking himself. "Regroup in Kailong Chen," Zulong ordered. "We''ll use the formation there to save as much as we can." It deeply pained him to abandon his luck Qi but Zulong hardened his heart. After all, luck can be regained with enough merit. The host of Great Principle Chaos Immortals dived into the sin infested waters. Under Zulong''s lead, they teleported into Kailong Chen quickly easily resisting the Sea Eye''s pull. Above the ocean, the Dragon Pearl and Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls lost much of their lustre. While they held on for now, this won''t be for luck. In a few minutes, their restrictions will break apart completely. Zulong touched upon palace grounds along with the rest of the Great Principle Chas Immortals and Great Unity Golden Immortal higher ups. He immediately saw Gui Daiyu standing admits a crowd. His wife was holding their egg protectively in her arms and appeared very anxious. "He probably would''ve been safer in the vault," Zulong sighed when he approached her. "Probably," Gui Daiyu murmured before being embraced by the Dragon Sovereign. "I''m glad you''re safe," Zulong said. "I would not be much of an empress if I couldn''t keep my city safe. But trillions have already perished outside," Gui Daiyu grimaced. "I''ll find who did this and make them pay, for now we have more pressing matters," Zulong let go of her and reached out with his mind. Kailong Chen''s defence formation answered him almost immediately. Zulong assumed control from Gui Daiyu and immediately, the barrier surrounding the underwater city strengthened to unprecedented levels. Zulong''s gaze snapped upwards towards withered Qi Dragon of luck. "Ministers, aid me," Zulong ordered. "Yes your majesty!" Kailong Chen''s formation was one designed for defence against external foes and to trap them in for a counter attack. However, it simply did not have the range needed to affect the Qi Dragon of luck. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Nevertheless, the energy it provided Zulong allowed him to reach up and pull slivers of his karmic luck towards him. This was a final gamble, he can''t salvage everything but he could still take what he could. A massive dragon claw formed from Zulong''s immortal energy shot into the sky. It stretched out, reaching, hoping to grab hold of what it can. Zulong sighed and mused to himself, ''We''ll have to find a new place to call home after this.'' ¡­ "Oh no you don''t," Zulin sneered. ¡­ A malevolent force slammed into the dragon claw. It was a dark pillar shaped like a hoof. It kicked at the dragon claw which was built thin to allow for maximum range with such great force that the forearm bent in an unnatural way, snapping the claw. "Who dares!" Zulong roared. The dragon had just about enough of the whole ordeal. He identified the goof and immediately made several guesses. "Villain, show yourself this instant," the Dragon Sovereign demanded. His voice though fatigued still carried royal authority. The heavens despite being covered by a raging storm rumbled. The clouds trembled in fear and the lightning hit anywhere but here. "Hmph, dumber than I thought," Zulin''s voice registering in Zulong''s ear was all the confirmation he needed. The dragon''s human face could only be described as ferocious at this moment. If looks could kill, the entire universe would''ve ceased to exist. "You, I should''ve killed you all those years ago," Zulong roared. He burst out of the water uncaring for the protection Kailong Chen gave him. In the wake of his sudden leave, Yinglong assumed total control over Kailong Chen''s formation. The surprised ministers called out for Zulong though he ignored them. "DIE!" Zulong punched out with his right fist. Reality caved beneath the pressure. Time and space distorted, shattering like glass. The void outside the east sea was thrown into chaos with hundreds of spacial tides generating from Zulong''s enraged blow. The hoof made out of malicious negative karmic luck shattered into a million shards that all fell into the east sea. "Heh, heh, thank you, saved me some work transferring that load into the water," Zulin mocked from a voice projection. An illusionary figure of the Qilin Sovereign appeared floating in the air wearing an infuriating smirk. "You failed Dragon Sovereign," Zulin said, every world dripping in contempt. "Your empire is crumbling as we speak. The heavens have already deemed it a blight. Though tell you what, I can tell you of a method to save them." Zulong wordlessly swiped his palm obliterating the illusionary projection in a single blow. "Wow what a temper," Zulin''s image reformed in the same space the original was destroyed. "Nice try but I''m not actually here, are you too dumb to figure that out too?" "Zulin," Zulong snarled before his face morphed into a mocking smirk. "I see you appreciated my gift, you''re certainly much more handsome than before," he mockingly said pointing at his own cheek. It corresponded to the scar running along Zulin''s face. "Very funny worm, very funny. Even in such dire times you can still joke," Zulin chuckled. "I was gonna leave you to your fate but for humouring me so, I''ll tell you how to quell the sea eye." Zulong frowned as the thunder storm raged on around him. He was not worried about Kailong Chen at the moment. The amount of Chaos Immortals below could easily hold the city safe. "The Sea Eye is the pit of sinful karma. It sucks the world in and obliterates it into nothingness for the very land itself is sinful. It''s bad news for everyone," Zulin said. "But you, my friend, is also a great being of karma. So the one way you can offset this is by jumping in." "Use your essence, your very being to offset the karma and quell the Sea Eye," Zulin suggested. "Do you take me for a fool horsey?" Zulong spat. "What I possess can never quell something like that." "Oh I know," Zulin smirked. "But you could say, use your body to seal it up. You''re very strong, your physique is easily able to plug that hole for several Yuanhui thereby earning yourself great merit. Gives quite a bit of karmic luck that action will do." "Don''t do it your majesty," trillions of voices yelled out from Kailong Chen interrupting them. "Don''t let him trick you. Throwing yourself in there will be the equivalent of suicide," Xuanwu said with vigour. "I''ve studied the underwater lake for thousands of years and the Sea Eye is only a more malicious version of that. It''ll be a fate worse than death." "Don''t do it brother," Qinglong said. "If you need a sacrifice then I''ll do it." Dozens of volunteers appeared while Zulong frowned more and more. To seal the Sea Eye, one''s physique needed to be incredibly powerful. Zulong was the ideal candidate, he could fight over a dozen Great Principle Chaos Immortals with his body alone and win. But if another Great Principle Chaos Immortal like the Calamity Snail God or Colossal Shark jumped in, they''ll be torn apart. What''s more, Zulong will have the Dragon Pearl and Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls with him. "You devious little shit," Zulong spat. "You should never have crossed me in the first place," Zulin responded with equal venom. "Go on. Take the plunge. Oh glorious Dragon Sovereign." Zulong slapped the illusionary body into smoke before turning to face the Sea Eye in the distance. He appeared very hesitant and even more unwilling. The ancestral dragon stood there among the storm for a few minutes appearing very unsure of what to do. Zulin who reformed behind him merely chuckled. Without his notice, Baihu, Xuanwu, and Qinglong had already jumped out of Kailong Chen along with a whole slew of others yelling at him to stop. "My clan is a strong one. Their foundation is deep and powerful," Zulong said to Qinglong. Zulin perked up and smiled while the members of the four seas had a look of horror dawning on their faces. "Your majesty, we need you. We can''t just lose you now," Colossal Shark screamed. "Who will protect the four seas with you gone. There are still two sovereigns out there." "The sea clans and the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan are the protectors of the Sea Eye. Non would dare," Zulong sighed. "Zulong!" Gui Daiyu escorted by her father appeared in the sky. Her Great Unity Golden Immortal level physique appeared insignificant amidst the storm. "You can''t just decide to do this. We can find somewhere else to start again." "Yu''er," Zulong''s resolve crumbled when his wife appeared. "What of our son?" Gui Daiyu tearfully said. Seeing his wife in tears, Zulong began to step away from the direction of the Sea Eye. CRACK! Zulong snapped in the direction of the Qi Dragon of luck. The Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearl''s chains all snapped and the chain of beads fell into the ocean. The Dragon Pearl was thrown into the sky and shrunk back to its normal size. The Qi Dragon of luck screamed in agony as cracks appeared all over its body. "Now or never," Zulin sang while receiving murderous glares by everyone. With the Dragon''s sudden deterioration, the Sea Eye grew even stronger "I''m sorry everyone," Zulong quickly said before bolting towards the Sea Eye. He did not dare look back else his resolve may crumble again. In a flash, his ten thousand kilometres long body appeared. Zulong flew full speed directly towards the Sea Eye. "Yinglong, I leave the four seas to you. Take care of my wife and child." "Zulong! NO!" Yinglong called out. He directed primordial Qi into a whip hoping to catch his elder brother. "Get back here!" The likes of Xuanwu, Colossal Shark, Mosasaur, Primordial Dolphin, Qinglong, Gui Daiyu, Primordial Turtle, Calmity Snail and many others tried to chase after the ancestral dragon. But Zulong was simply too fast and too strong. He blew past everyone with ease and had his eyes set on the Sea Eye. "Finally," Zulin smirked watching the spectacle. "Sea Eye, let you be SEALED!" Zulong roared diving forward. BOOM! "GAH!" Zulong cried out in pain having suddenly been hit in the face by a solid white surface. ''Lotus?'' Zulong thought in realisation as his momentum was completely halted. ''Master?'' He jerked around to see the human form of Da Hai with his hand stretched out. "Reckless child," Da Hai scolded. Yet his lips portrayed a vagyuely proud smile. He spun the 12 Petals White Lotus generating a whirlpool of white petals pushing Zulong back. "Master why?" Zulong barely uttered before Yinglong''s whip caught his body. He was pulled away from the sea and was unable to stop himself from hitting the ocean surface. Not far away, Yingzhou had shimmered into existence merely moments before Zulong reached the Sea Eye. Its sudden appearance brought everyone''s morals up. "Exalted Saint is here," The earliest generation of experts all smiled. Da Hai grimaced at the scene around him. "Fuck, I was nearly too late" he spat. "Master, I won''t let you stop me," Zulong whipped his body around breaking Yinglong''s hold on him. He swam forwards only for Da Hai''s hand to grab him by his neck. Da Hai was puny next to Zulong, a man a little over 1.7 metres tall next to a ten thousand kilometres dragon. "And I can''t submit you to that fate," Da Hai argued back dragging Zulong out of the east sea into the sky. Zulong struggled against his master''s grip but couldn''t break it at all despite the enormous size difference. "You''re stronger, you broke through?" Zulong said startled. "In a manner of speaking," Da Hai replied maintaining his hold on his disciple. Zulin sneered at the exchange. "Senior Da Hai, the Sea Eye is not a force you can resolve that easily. Surely you can see that the dragon''s luck has become unmanageable." "Silence you degenerate mongrel," Da Hai commanded. His sudden burst of anger caused Zulin to pause, his illusionary body began suffering from static before breaking down. ¡­ In the north content, Zulin gripped his chest in fright. His concentration was broken. "What''s wrong father?" Qi An immediately went to his side. "The old monsters of this world aren''t simple," was the only reply he got ¡­ "Master, unhand me," Zulong yelled urgently. "The Sea Eye is growing stronger as we speak. I can still salvage this." "No, you''re not getting anywhere near the Sea Eye," Da Hai said throwing Zulong away. He turned his attention towards the dying Qi Dragon of luck. "So big, no wonder Qilin Sovereign was able to do this. Poke a hole in the balloon and the Qi will come rushing out." CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! BOOM! In mere moments, the purple golden dragon imploded into a titanic mass of golden gas clouds. The pure essence of karmic luck. They immediately began funnelling northwestwards towards the north continent. "NO!" Zulong cried out having recovered from Da Hai''s throw. "Don''t go in there, the energy from that pit will tear you apart!" "Oh no you don''t," Da Hai said to the clouds of karmic luck. He raised his right hand like a baseball pitcher. The small red needle he held in his right hand glistened under the light from rampaging lightning. "YAH!" Da Hai threw with everything he had tossing out the only treasure that could save the day. A long red staff that kept growing. Chapter 99-Ruyi Jingu Bang In times immemorial, chaotic energies converged to form both living creatures, titanic landmasses, mystical treasures, and chaos worlds. Four types of special existences formed from pure chaotic primal Qi. When Pangu split apart the chaos sea and opened up the primitive world, a whirling vortex of chaotic landmasses merged into the burgeoning universes creating special areas where Qi was most raw and primal. These areas were cultivation wonderlands. Kunlun, Sumeru, Yujing, Tai, Fangzhang, Penglei, these were all special areas transformed from those same chaotic landmasses that were absorbed into the primitive world. Places that were the closes to the chaos sea and the Grand Dao. These places would also be the site of mysterious yet supremely powerful substances. The Fusang tree was but one of several such existences within the primitive world. It was the life giving tree with incredible rejuvenation powers as well as profound toughness and strength. Among the many congenital plants in the universe, it was among the top ten strongest and definitely among the top three hardest. Although Da Hai had cleaved off a branch of the tree using a universe shattering power, the Fusang tree still held strong. Its vitality may have been weakened, its foundation damaged and its overall magical properties lessened. But it was still strong. This same quality was also present in the severed branch. It was cut off from its source and thus lost much of its magical qualities. It wasn''t like the mulberry fruits and lacked any form of spirituality on its own. What it did have was an unnatural toughness and sturdiness. It was nigh unbreakable in its raw form. So strong it was that Da Hai struggled to make something of it for many years. In the end, he settled for crudely shaping the into a functional form as well as applying enchantments. For a being like Da Hai, working with this material was a challenge in and of itself. The time crunch was brutal on the innate god. Zulong had declared himself far before Da Hai had even expected. Many extra abilities had to be scrapped in order to get the staff ready in time. Over a decade of non stop work by a man desperate to finish in time and he barely made it. Da Hai had felt the Sea Eye forming as he was working and that thing horrified even him. Even he had not sensed it until mere moments before it formed and that was mostly because of the sudden burst of negative karma intruding into the east sea. No amounts of divination had informed him of this, he truly had no clue such a disaster would occur. The timing was too perfect. Though perhaps this was fate, a sign from the Heavenly Dao to punish Zulong''s overconfidence. Or it could be a sign for Da Hai to hurry up. Either way, the sea god rushed to completion. Either way, Da Hai wouldn''t know. For all his personal feelings against him, Zulin was a son of heaven. The Qilin Sovereign was protected by the universe against beings of the older generation such as Da Hai himself. Zulin, Zufeng, and Zulong were all immune to divination and couldn''t be killed without drawing in divine retribution. Otherwise, Da Hai would''ve assassinated Zufeng and Zulin decades ago. From out of Da Hai''s hands shot the reformed branch of the Fusang tree. Its wooden texture had long given way to a metallic crimson hue. The result of continuous refining into a true xiantian spiritual treasure. What started out as a mere needle shrunken for the sake of transport quickly grew. This was an inborn quality of spiritual treasures everywhere. Size wasn''t really a set thing, what really mattered was the strength of the treasure. In several breathes, trillions looked on as an insignificant red needle magnified. Growing and growing until it exceeded a kilometre in length. It didn''t stop and kept growing as it kept gaining altitude. "What is that?" Zulin who had recomposed himself and reformed his illusionary body watched on in curiosity. He couldn''t detect much spirituality from the treasure and wasn''t sure where to rank it on the totem of treasures. This red stick definitely wasn''t normal. There was this supernatural quality to it that made it impossible to assume it was just your average run of the mill stick. Yet at the same time, it lacked the telltale signs of xiantian spiritual treasures. If Zulin didn''t know any better, he''d rate it as a simple immortal spiritual treasure that were so common to see these days. But since Da Hai was the one who threw it, it can''t be simple. Zulin was tempted to interfere with it. Whatever it was, it could very well jeopardise his plan. He had paid a deep cost to set things into motion and things had already come too far. He had already offended Da Hai from the looks of things so stopping the stick wouldn''t hurt him. Yet at the same time, he lacked any real way to stop it. The Qilin Sovereign was never actually here in the east sea. This illusionary body was a mere incarnation of his will formed to observe and interact with Zulong. It held very little power. As such, Zulin stood back and watched as the stick sailed into the sky. He silently prayed for it to fail whatever it was that it was trying to do. Luck was still on his side, the massive gas clouds were still moving fast. The crimson stick continued to grow and elevate its position. It reached upwards like a pillar intent on holding up the heavens. It grew and it grew until its length exceeded ten thousand kilometres. Da Hai watched tensely as the staff shot high into the heavens. He too was praying for it to work. Truthfully, he''d have preferred to spend more time on it, ideally a few hundred more years and but the current stick was satisfactory. Its basic structure and qualities were already in place and that was what was really needed in the first place. Now all that was needed was for the stick to prove itself. Using his mental connections with the treasure. Da Hai commanded it to fly beyond the gas cloud. Closing the Sea Eye was important and more help was appreciated. This method would also salvage a lot of Zulong''s luck. When the stick skipped over the mass of luck Qi, it had grown exponentially reaching an astounding length of 18 trillion kilometres. The tip flew over the clouds followed by its mid until the tail end reached the same elevation. Zulin sucked his breath in in anticipation. ''Perhaps he isn''t interested in the luck Qi at all?'' He hoped. Zulong narrowed his eyes at the red stick. "Hai, I trust you master," he said putting his complete faith in the sea god. Despite whatever grievances both parties may have, Zulong will always respect Da Hai. "HAIYAH!" Da Hai roared. His fingers angled down and telekinetically controlled the crimson stick. FWOOSH! Like the move a certain monkey will be infamous for in the far future. The crimson stick bashed down with great force supported by its enormous weight. BOOM! It slammed into the gigantic mass of luck Qi so hard that the impact could be heard across the entire world. Even the void between realms was not safe from it and neither was the starry skies. A certain moon goddess glanced curiously in the direction of the great wilderness for a few moments before returning to her cultivation. On the east continent, on Mt Yujing, Hongjun opened his eyes for the first time in many years. He glanced eastwards catching up with world events. Far west, on Mt Sumeru, Luohu stepped out of his cave adobe with mild interest. FOOM! Zulin watched in horror as 70% of the luck Qi cloud broke off from the original. An enormous amount of luck Qi clouds bent beneath the staff''s weight and tumbled downwards along with the crimson stick. The treasure had righted itself above the golden clouds. It had turned 180 degrees and now descended with the luck Qi in tow. "How? How is the luck Qi following it? It should''ve phased through," Zulin gasped in shock. It wasn''t like luck Qi was a physical object, it was gas, spiritual gas. The Qilin Sovereign''s incarnation glanced at Da Hai''s way in anger. "This is the matter of Sovereigns, senior shouldn''t interfere," he yelled. "The Sea Eye is a disaster that affects all living beings," Da Hai simply said without looking back. With a slap of his tail, Zulogn obliterated Zulin''s incarnation again and flew up to his master. He transformed back into his human Dao body and appeared very fatigued. He was huffing and his face sported a few bruises. "If I benefit the dragons in the process, well that''s just sheer coincidence," Da Hai said smirking at another of Zulin''s reformed incarnation. "The shamelessness," Zulin gritted his teeth. "Pot calling kettle black," Da Hai scoffed much to Zulin''s confusion at the expression. FOOM! The cloud attached itself around the crimson rid like a coating of solid gold. They descended together directly towards the east sea, directly above the Sea Eye. "Will it work?" Zulong glanced a tired look at Da Hai. "I hope so," Da Hai replied watching the rapid descent of the stick. "Whatever happens, you can always return to Yingzhou." "My people needs me." "I know, but you will always have a place there." Zulong nodded gratefully. "I apolo¡­" "Don''t," Da Hai held out his hand. "You were never at fault." The pair of master and disciple watched side by side as history was made. In the future, this tale will be largely forgotten by the continents but the seas will always remember. The dragons will never allow it to be lost in time. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. FOOM! Cloud and stick slammed into the wild ocean surface kicking up an even bigger tsunami than there were previously. They rose like a ripple only on a much larger scale where waves could swallow stars wholesale. Below the ocean, water parted beneath the pressure, unable to halt the rapid descent of the crimson stick. Like a torpedo, it broke the waves and parted the currents. The suction of the Sea Eye was sudden suppressed under an enormous pressure. The crimson stick barrelled downwards with no signs of stopping. It carried with it the true essence of luck built over many tens of thousands of years. Sensing this, the Sea Eye, unwilling to stop and repulsed by the positive karma, lashed out with all its might. A horrifying maroon pillar of fire shot through the water. The damning cries of an incalculable number of souls screeched from within the flames. Two mighty forces, golden and maroon. One descending from the heavens and one rising from the pit met admits the waters. BOOM! Da Hai raised his hand to shield himself from the force of the impact. Others followed his examples while those who didn''t were blown away for trillions of kilometres or even into the void. Ripples of golden maroon light radiated from the east sea. In a circular radiation of opposing forces, they travelled across the world showcasing the aftereffects of the struggle. Chaos Immortals across the world silently gulped at the power. What had happened was a bit too terrifying even for them. The chances of them surviving a direct blow like that was impossible. Da Hai narrowed his eyes as a thick gale of Avici Divine wind was kicked up. This was no doubt generated as a result of the violent clash between the crimson stick and the Sea Eye. The nightmarish wind of hell. The demonic winds that had the potential to tear apart the world. Avici Divine was pretty supposed to pre pretty rare in this stage of the world. But world defying catastrophes like this seemed like the perfect spawning grounds for it. Despite Da Hai''s thoughts on the wind, it was only a minor issue. This natural phenomenon was raw and untamed, it kicked up and just as quickly vanished as the dust settled. The crimson stick was undeterred from its descent. The pillar of fire was nowhere to be seen as the treasure continued on its way much to Zulin''s horror. "As expected from the divine tree," Da Hai complimented smiling brightly. He could stop worrying now with this, at least for now that is. It would seem his role here was just about done. Golden tipped, crimson in colour, unstoppable in its descent. The Sea Eye lay helplessly as the crimson stick rammed headfirst into the pit. It plunged into the Sea Eye plugging it shut from the world at large. It was almost anticlimactic after the fierce struggle earlier. The Sea Eye was resigned to its fate as its feeding frenzy was stopped. With the crimson stick acting as an unbreakable seal in addition to the luck Qi used to offset it. The Sea Eye disappeared from the world replaced by an 18 trillion kilometres tall pillar standing where it once was. Its crimson finish pulsated with power as what little golden luck Qi remained wrapped itself around the stick turned pillar. It was a blessed phenomenon as the very essence of luck was burned into the treasure that saved the four seas. Da Hai nodded in satisfaction as the skies began clearing. With the disruptive force of the Sea Eye gone, the day was saved. The oceans began calming as the dark clouds parted. Purple lightning faded and the world seemed to be returning to normal. Though the landscape of the east sea had dramatically rearranged itself, especially around the core regions. Overall, the damage was not too bad. The Sea Eye had not existed for too long before it was stopped. From the heavens, golden descended. Merit from the heavens at the great deed that was done today. Da Hai raised his head as the radiant golden light descended onto both himself and the pillar suppressing the Sea Eye. "Hai," he sighed and shook his head. With a flick of his hand, the merit flowed away from him and onto a very surprised Zulong beside him. "Why the look? You''re going to need it more than me," he said. "But master," Zulong was at a lost for words. "I can''t accept this. You saved us, you''ve earned it." "It''s yours, that is final," Da Hai declared and shoved all the merit into Zulong''s body. "Master," Zulong watched uneasily as the merit transformed into karmic luck. "Reform the Qi Dragon of luck, you''re still Dragon Sovereign." "Disciple obeys," Zulong cupped his hands and bowed. "Disciple, no wonder," Zulin sneered jealously. "To think I thought you were like me." Without another word, Zulin''s incarnation collapsed, disappearing from the east sea entirely. The light luck wasn''t over however, for a transformation was taking place upon the crimson stick. The Golden Qi of luck was invoking a change of its own. From top to bottom, the stick shone a metallic hue. No trace of its previous wooden texture could be seen. It was as if it had always been made of metal. On both ends of the stick, golden Qi concentrated. They looped and wrapped around the crimson stick and merged inwards. In a burst of light, they merged into one. Now on both ends of the metallic pillar, golden bands wrapped around the structure. Gold and red, two brilliant colours. But it wasn''t over. Golden lightning arced across the surface of the pillar, edging golden characters into the crimson surface. Carving deep into the metal into a phrase, a name. Da Hai widened his eyes in recognition. With each character''s completion, he slowly read out; "With." "Meaning." "Golden." "Banded." "Cudgel." "Heh, without meaning to, I''ve unwittingly created the very mythology I''ve read as a boy. Though is it really mythology if I''m living it? No, this is history. Ruyi Golden Cudgel, how fitting." "Master?" Zulong asked appearing slightly concerned at Da Hai''s bemused face. "Ha ha, who would''ve guessed," Da Hai chuckled. "Zulong, this pillar is yours to do with as you please. It shall serve as your luck suppression treasure." "I see," Zulong nodded. "Ruyi Golden Cudgel, very well. Since this pillar suppresses the Sea Eye, then I shall name it Sea Suppression Divine Needle." "Oh? Not going with the name engraved?" Da Hai asked curiously. "A name given by the heavens but a name given by yours truly. Since it is mine then I shall name it," Zulong declared. "I wouldn''t have it any other way," Da Hai smiled. ''Crisis averted,'' he sighed in relief. "Master, big brother," Yinglong and Qinglong flew over and cupped their hands saluting their master. "Do not pull that stunt again," they roared at Zulong. Behind them, Gui Daiyu rushed over with he others in tow. POW! Zulong flinched at the slap delivered by his wife. "Yu''er," he murmured at the furious look she gave him. Then she embraced him. "Don''t ever," she whispered in his ear. Zulong hugged her back and rubbed her back in comfort. "I won''t," he whispered back. "Your majesty," countless ministers and civilians rose out of the sea, all with concerned looks on their faces. Zulong softened at the attention he was receiving. ''What a mess,'' he sighed thinking back to the quick turn of events. Who would''ve guessed a world ending catastrophe would occur on his coronation ceremony. "Senior Da Hai/Exalted Saint of Yingzhou!" Zulong''s subordinates all turned and greeted. Who could forget the east sea''s own ancestor of cultivation? He was equally important in this event. Da Hai nodded in response. "It is good that you''re all alright. Though I was still too late." "Your excellency does not need to worry, we shall avenge our fallen brethren," Mosasaur ancestor declared vigorously. "Yes, yes, those responsible must pay," Plesiosaur ancestor and a slew of others spouted agreement. "Be that as it may, the east sea has been hurt greatly by this event," Da Hai sighed. "The land will take time to heal and your vital luck will not be as strong as before." "We thank Exalted Saint for the advice," they bowed. "Heh, Exalted Saint," Zulong smirked much to Da Hai''s embarrassment. "I don''t think that title quite suits you anymore." "Oh?" Da Hai looked quizzingly at Zulong. "What do you mean?" "Master, you are the teacher of the seas. The cultivation ancestor of myriad life forms. What''s more, you saved us by suppressing the sea eye. You shall always be venerated and worshipped by the four seas," Zulong declared. The thunderous cries of agreement cued Da Hai in to Zulong''s intention. He sighed and shook his head. "As thanks, I as Dragon Sovereign honour my master with the name Primeval Oceanic Suppression Lord in Eight Directions Grand Heavenly Lord," Zulong declared. "We greet your excellency, Primeval Oceanic Suppression Lord in Eight Directions Grand Heavenly Lord," trillions of voices declared in unison. "Hai," you really have a flare for theatrics," Da Hai said helplessly. "At least now we have a proper name to put on your statues," Zulong grumbled. "I''m tired of hearing fifty thousand different variants on what you should be called." "Very well, I shall accept this title." "Thank you master," Zulong smiled, then his lips curled downwards. "You should know things can''t end like this right?" Chapter 100-Call to War Da Hai smiled softly. He''d expected that, after all, Zulong will not be Zulong if that wasn''t the first thing on his mind. Da Hai turned his head to look in the northwestern direction. His smile became a mocking one. The newly christened Heavenly Lord nodded. "I didn''t expect he''d have the balls to so daringly attack," he mused. "I guess my impression of him was wrong." "Doesn''t matter now," Zulong sent Da Hai a determined look. "He crossed a line. The four seas will never rest until this enmity is settled." Da Hai closed his eyes for a few seconds. "I suppose you''ll be leading the charge." Zulong''s silence was a very obvious sign. Da Hai nodded in understanding. ''On this path, you''ve made many enemies. I''ve already sworn to do so but I will support you wholeheartedly,'' he promised in his heart. "As a chosen of heaven, Zulin receives divine protection that places him out of my reach," Da Hai said. "I cannot attack without severe repercussions nor can I guarantee a success." "I don''t need you to fight my battles for me," Zulong crossed his arms appearing slightly annoyed. "And I won''t," Da Hai admitted. His gaze tracked the distant fleeing luck Qi. He held out his right arm and made a tearing motion. His arm then made a gripping motion. Reality distorted, space twisted and tore into a hole. The other side was a blank void of violent currents. In fact, reality around the east sea and beyond began cracking on a macro scale. Multi coloured lights from the most vibrant of reds to the most dull of blacks blanketed large portions of the primitive world. They swirled and twisted and converged eastwards and northwards. The commotion was so big that experts who were about to go back into seclusion after the Sea Eye fiasco came back out again to see what in the world was happening. Da Hai stood before the hole that grew to a massive size reaching a hundred million kilometres in radius. His arm was outstretched his face was constricted to a serious strained expression. The primal chaotic energies whipped and lashed out in all directions yet they were not permitted to reach below the waves. As such, the Great Principle and Great Unity Golden Immortal realm experts who could resist such energies remained floating in the air staring in wonder at Da Hai''s work of magic. "Exalted Saint''s mastery in Spacetime Dao laws are so high," Primordial Turtle King gazed in wonder. It was rare to see Da Hai do anything these days so whenever he worked his magic, it was a sight to see. Many who thought they had closed the gap by reaching the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm suddenly felt very inadequate. The gap between them and Da Hai seemed to be even larger than before. What they didn''t know was that although the Chaos Immortal realm was effectively the final realm of cultivation. It was also the most diverse realm in terms of power. It was very possible for one Chaos Immortal to be an ant before another one. Da Hai had long ago, obtained the Great Principle and his Dao fruit. Since then his Dao had evolved to the level of primordial chaos. That and fundamentally, the Dao of Ever Distant Seas was closely linked to the concepts of space and time. Added on to Pangu''s own insights he''d listened to and the result was a manipulation of reality on a macro scale. The only weakness of such an ability was that it was very noticeable. Da Hai can''t wantonly link two places of such distance that were separated by dimensional barriers without causing a huge light show. "Due to the recent disaster, the void between realms is in a chaotic flux. Even a ChaosImmortal would get swept away if they''re not careful. Travelling through the void, though shorter will be more difficult than travelling overland," Da Hai mused. "But travelling overland will also take a few years. Luckily, I''ve learned quite a few things since we last talked." Da Hai shook his head bemused. "That was if you didn''t have me." The portal changed. It shone in grey lights swirling into the abyss. A watery texture overcame the portal and condensed into a mirror like construct. The cracks in reality faded and the lights condensed into the mirror. Da Hai lowered his arms and breathed a long sigh of exhaustion. Zulong raised his eyebrow at Da Hai''s action. "I thought the Heavenly Dao prevented action from seniors against us Sovereigns? And when can you manipulate spacetime so well?" "What? This old man can''t learn any new tricks? And besides, what action? I''m just a doorman," Da Hai smirked at Zulong. "Heh, just a doorman," Zulong smirked back. He glanced back at his entourage. "En, I''ll keep the pathway stable so don''t worry about it." The Sea Eye was still fresh on their minds. Trillions were reeling from the losses of the other trillions who perished. Everyone had lost someone and were still for the most part in a state of shock. Even Immortals felt overwhelmed by grief. It wasn''t just their own feelings in the matter, but also the aftereffects by the invasion of negative karma. Not many even had the will to fight at the moment. Although the Sea Eye had been offset by the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle, the negative karma hadn''t gone away. In fact, any qilin will identify that the battle of karma was ever continuous. In terms of the matter of luck, the Sea Eye is the most active in the primitive world. But Chaos Immortals weren''t ordinary people. They were rare, one in a hundred trillion. For every cultivator who makes it to this realm, countless will fail. Each and every single one of them were mentally strong, extremely talented, and resourceful individuals. Throughout his tenure, Zulong had recruited quite a number of them. Many were surviving seniors from the earliest generation of postnatal lifeforms, then referred to as innate creatures. These connate lifeforms represented the apex of the primitive world. And they were all PISSED! The Dragon Saint Guardian Qinglong, Dragon King of the Four Seas Yinglong, Primordial Turtle King, Mosasaur Ancestor, Plesiosaur Ancestor, Colossal Shark Ancestor, Calamity Snail God, Primordial White Dolphin Ancestor, Unbreakable Crab Patriarch, etc. Over two dozen Great Principle Chaos Immortals had been present. And they all looked positively apocalyptic. "Father-in-law," Zulong said with a voice which barely contained his fury. "Protect Kailong Chen with Yu''er." Primordial Turtle King nodded cupping his hands and bowing. "This minister obeys." "Be safe," Gui Daiyu murmured. "This is just a small fry," Zulong smirked. "I''ll present you his skull personally." Then he stepped through the mirror. ¡­ The colossal change in the world stupefied many experts around the world no matter how brief. While the coming of the three sovereigns were big news, they weren''t enough for ancient experts to come out of seclusion. However, the abrupt appearance of the Sea Eye caused the surviving chaos godfiends to awaken and come out of hiding after eons of cultivation. No matter how brief its appearance, the Sea Eye had irreversibly changed the world. The ancestor of divine winds, Shen Feng floated in the air stroking his goatee. "Damn, it''s over already?" The godfiend frowning opening at the change of air. His detection airflows told him of the Sea Eye the moment its incredibly suction force appeared, then in under half an hour it disappeared. "There goes my chance. Che, to think they resolved it that quickly. And here I was hoping to get some benefits, oh well," he shrugged picking up a satchel from a floating corpse. All around Shen Feng, the bodies of several birds floated. They were incredibly brutalised, some having been torn into pieces while others were contorted into unnatural positions. "To think I missed such an opportunity," he grumbled while searching through the ring. "Man, avians make such good hunting targets." After retrieving the goods he found including a few decent spiritual herbs and some rare ores, Shen Feng began planning his next course of action. The great god of wind pinched his fingers and held them before him. His delving into the secrets of the Heavenly Dao was still much restricted due to the three sovereigns. However, his personal power allowed for some leeway in this aspect. CRACK! FWOOOSH! "Hm?" A sudden disturbance made Shen Feng pause momentarily. "Something''s gonna happen¡­in¡­.north? East?" Massive cracks in reality appeared in the distance along with a myriad of lights. The immense vortex of primordial Qi was frankly astounding to the wind god. The man turned his head northwards. His senses saw past quintillions of kilometres with aid by airstreams. His current location at the edges of the north continent was a little too far for him to accurately see what was going on. But he felt the massive distortions of space as clear as day. Shen Feng contemplated what he should do. His movement techniques had gotten a lot better since the early days. Making up his mind, he quickly grabbed hold of one of the fading cracks and traced its destination. Then he dived in. ¡­ Hongjun stroked his long white beard in contemplation. He stood on his balcony observing the fierce changes in the great wilderness with great concern. "Things are needlessly heating up," he grumbled. His purple eyes shone with immortal light. With a few glances, he casually saw through the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao. "Hm, the East Sea is still shrouded but the restrictions are a lot less than last time. Sea Eye perhaps? Hm¡­although," He looked northwards sensing the distortions in spacetime that were clearly visible from his vantage point. Examining the ongoings of the primitive world had become incredibly difficult these days. Luo Hu was his equal and hence near impossible to calculate. The three sovereigns were invisible from divination and the other surviving godfiends had their own methods. Thank heavens for the trackers he left on them. In order to contact his allies, he''d need some time. To be honest, Hongjun doubted wether they would return to the wilderness. They were more concerned with their own cultivation at the moment and only something as serious as the Sea Eye going out of control will catch their attention. For the first time, he was starting to regret not starting an all encompassing sect like Luo Hu had preemptively done. "How should I handle?" He wondered aloud. ¡­ Zhuque breathed a massive sigh of relief when the Sea Eye incident passed. Even here in the heart of the south, she could feel the malice emanating from it. Though the reemergence of spatial distortions did startle her. The Vermillion Bird glanced at her elder sister who had her eyes closed resting in her knuckle. She was likely calculating her next course of action. In a way, her loss against Zulong had been helpful. Zufeng was a lot calmer now and many times wiser. Even the avian higher ups were praising her as a more competent ruler. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Enter," Zufeng''s voice broker Zhuque out of her musing. The empty throne room echoed her voice and the doors were pushed open. Zhuque realised that someone outside must''ve asked for permission via mental transmissions. She frowned when she saw the old vulture headed adviser walk in unsteadily. "Your majesty, I am honoured by your glorious presence," he praised kowtowing on the fur carpet. Zhuque didn''t like the vulture immortal but she had to admit, he was a good minister. He gave good advice and had earned her sister''s good graces. Yet still she couldn''t help but feel uneasy. "It is rare for you to leave seclusion. I believe the last time we properly spoke was nearly nine thousand years ago. Speak, why do you wish for this audience," Zufeng opened her phoenix eyes into slits. His gaze alone was as if the highest heaven''s lord of all encompassing light bore down on a single person. Yet the vulture shrugged the gaze off and smiled getting on to his feet leaning on his staff for support. "This minister wishes to report, big changes are going on in the world. The dragons are about to make a move," he said. "Things that I already know. If you''re here to waste my time repeating information to me then get out," Zufeng retorted harshly. Zhuque grimaced, her sister had been in a bad mood since the Dragon Sovereign announced himself. "Ah but I do have important news. It would seem that with the opening of the spatial distortions, a portal was opened up heading northwards. Your rival Qilin Sovereign is about to be attacked," the vulture said. Zufeng raised her eyebrow. "Why should I care what that luck sacking horse is up to?" "Forgive this minister''s audacity but can your majesty honestly say the avian''s are a match for the dragons?" The atmosphere instantly changed. Zhuque gasped at the audacity of this man. Zufeng''s fury was palpable, the pillars of her throne room was lit ablaze. Her left armrest was pulverised when she gripped her fist. Zufeng glared at the vulture for several breathes of time before sighing. "Continue," she ordered. "I believe it would be most prudent for your majesty to join the Qilin Sovereign in the battle to come. Alone, you will be unable to resist the dragons," the vulture said. "The north continent is at the heart of the north in a location unknown to me. Not any of my spies had ever made it out of there alive nor have they sent back information," Zufeng said. "How do you expect me to cross that distance in time and to have the right coordinates?" The vulture smiled. "Not to worry your majesty," he reached into his own pocket dimension and pulled out a mirror. It was antique looking but retained a noble quality. "This is the Vast Heavens Mirror," the vulture said. "it reveals the location of all things and is capable of reaching anywhere in the world. With aid from Imperial Princess''s Universe Traversing Boat, it would be paltry to reach the north continent." "How convenient," Zhuque snorted. "You''ve had that for all this time and never said anything. Sister, don''t listen to his drivel, it''s likely a trap to besiege you." Zufeng closed her eyes in contemplation. "Why did you keep such a treasure hidden from me," she commanded. "I exist only to help you rule your lands," the vulture headed elder said calmly. "I exist to keep the balance of the world and stop all evils. I work not for your benefit or anyone else''s." "But, should the Qilin Sovereign fall. This world will fall into a state of chaos. The dragons will trample over all living beings bringing misery on an unimaginable scale," the vulture sighed. "Your majesty, please see reason," he offered up the Vast Heavens Mirror with a pleading look. Zufeng stroked her chin and closed her eyes in contemplation. Many simulations ran in her mind before she finally opened them again. "Even if we''re optimistic, we would still take a few years to reach there. What you''re suggesting is impossible," she said. The vulture headed immortal signed. ''I need to salvage this. If Zufeng isn''t willing to go there then she must at least be willing to take a stance,'' he had been careless and he knew it. He had invested too much time in cultivation that so many big events had gone over his head. This vulture body was merely a lesser aspect of Hongjun, sent here to aid the phoenix. A similar body aids the qilin. However, they had all gone dormant for many years now. He knew he was being too optimistic. But in all his years, he had not anticipated so many factors will go off course. Hongjun was deeply troubled and the more he thought about it, the more he came to realise his position was not secured at all. Luohu wasn''t his only opponent, others were competing as well. ''Damn it. It''s too soon. I should''ve kept a closer eye on Zulin,'' he cursed. Even bringing out the Vast Heavens had not convinced his charge. ''I can''t let the qilin be wiped out like this, there has to be another way.'' Deciding to change tactics he made a different proposal. ¡­ "DAMN IT!" Zulin slammed his fist into a pillar leaving the stone structure. Qi An grimaced standing far away from his venting father. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. It was perfect, perfectly executed. But that fucker just had to fuck it up," he roared. His unrestricted aura shook the entire palace and mountain. "Emperor-father calm down," Qi An urged. "You''ll level this place at this rate." Zulin glared at his most accomplished son in irritation. He humphed and returned to his throne with a huff. "Father, we didn''t lose this," he attempted to placate the elder qilin. "Our source of karmic luck had risen by over 1000% and the dragons had lost much of their luck. What''s left is being used to suppress the Sea Eye. Ultimately, we still won," Qi An said. "It''s not a victory until he''s dead," Zulin growled. His ugly scar burned even now in phantom pains. Though in his heart, Zulin accepted Qi An''s words. His sons words were true. Ultimately, they had succeeded in their original goal. Zulong''s death would''ve been icing on the cake. But now the north continent can truly heal. Their central spiritual veins were already filling up with vigorous Qi and the very ambience of the land was improving. In time, the north continent will surpass the others. Taking a bit of luck from here, a bit of luck from there, a bit of luck everywhere. Zulin worked tirelessly to improve the north continent. Whether it be central, east, south, or the seas, he had taken karmic luck from all those places. "Fine, we''ll take this time to develop. Let''s see the dragons catch up now," he sneered. Then the world shook. "Emperor-father," Qi An''s startled voice was heard but ignored. Zulin stood from his throne weirded out. "The Sea Eye''s been suppressed. What is happening?" Zulin could sense the distortion of spacetime. He could even see the cracks forming outside. But he didn''t fully understand the changes going on. His mastery of such Dao laws was nonexistent. CRACK! A slit opened up, sucking in cracks and light. The mountain shook uncontrollably. Zulin could feel a tangible nervousness rolling out of him. "What is," he frowned when a portal resembling a mirror opened it directly above his palace. Rather, it was directly above where his karmic luck had landed and where his Dragon Qi of luck representing his empire''s destiny was condensed. "Spacetime distortion on this scale," a wisened old voice was heard as a new figure shimmered into existence. "Old benefactor," Zulin frowned. "Do you know what is happening?" Qi An also saluted the new figure. The person he was addressing was a wisened figure in all black. He resembled a demon with a wrinkled bull like face. Though if one was familiar with Hongjun, they can spot some similarities between that old man and this figure. "You majesty, this minister has some theories," the demon said stroking his beard. "Speak your mind, you have never led me astray." "This is a spatial distortion, a worm whole that connects two places perfectly. Reality was ripped asunder and remoulded into a doorway," he said. "Strictly speaking, this is a move that requires two prerequisites. One of which is the power to destabilise reality and fragment it into pieces. Then one must posses the understanding of spacetime to open a universal doorway that connects two places at once," he added. "At such distance?" Zulin grimaced. What ugly demon had said were things he''d already been aware of. But he was also aware of difficulty of it. "I only know one person with enough mastery over space to do this," Hongjun''s avatar said. "But Qiankun had long gone into hiding, what could''ve led him to showing up now?" Then all of a sudden things stopped. There was a long silence as the cracks all disappeared leaving the portal on its own. Zulin tensed glancing back to Qi An. "Go to your siblings, you''ll be useless for what comes next," he ordered. At the same time, he sent mental transmissions to his ownChaos Immortal subordinates who resided at his capital below the mountain. "Yes emperor-father," his son obeyed and ran out of the main hall. Looking at his old adviser, Zulin felt somewhat nostalgic. This man had helped and guided him in the past but rarely showed himself otherwise. If not for him, he may''ve never reached his current position. "You disapprove?" He asked. "You were hasty," Hongjun''s avatar signed turning away. "Such a act of theft at such a scale is threatening to many figures. You''ve made many enemies unnecessarily." "With this pool of luck, nothing can touch me," Zulin argued back. "Luck can only take you so far," Hongjun''s demonic avatar snarled. "Miracles must still exist in the realm of possibility. You''ve grown overconfident, you put too much stock in karmic luck." Zulin was silent as his old benefactor ranted. Though he did not know his true identity, he theorised that this was one of the old chaos godfiends. "Hmph," Zulin snorted. "You came from a place where obtaining karmic luck was near nonexistent, of course you would not understand." Hongjun''s bull like face gritted his teeth. "Do not speak on things you don''t understand. You know nothing of the Chaos Sea." He abruptly turned around and began walking away. Disappointment was evident within him. "The destiny of you sovereigns prevents us seniors from acting. I''ll try to stop them as best I can," he said. "That is all I can ask," Zulin nodded. There were several more moments of silence. Zulin stood alone in his throne room in anticipation. The Qilin Sovereign sighed. "It doesn''t matter, I have all the luck in the world. By right I am protected. I have committed not crime in the eyes of heaven, I merely swapped things around a little. Besides, things solved themselves didn''t they?" Then he heard the most hated voice in the world. "HORSEY, ROLL OUT HERE FOR YOUR SOVEREIGN!" Chapter 101-Dragons Fury The void was in chaos. Ripples emitted in all directions, fragments of realities shattered like glass when they impacted the stable barrier of the great wilderness. It was a scene of utter destruction. Above the north continent, within the chaotic void. The demonic looking Hongjun stepped out. He scanned the area with his divine sense and gritted his teeth. "I thought he was Qiankun, who knew it''ll be you," he said. Another figure stepped out into the void. This man stood around 1.7 metres tall and had short spongey blond hair. He held a short sword in one hand and had a jug of water dangling from his sash. He wore a form fitting wealthy black robe. "Your improvements are astounding fellow daoist Da Hai," Hongjun''s avatar rubbed his chin. "You are¡­Hongjun corpse of evil," Da Hai concluded with a look of contempt. "Cease this nonsense at once," Hongjun''s corpse of evil ordered. "The incident''s already over, there is no need to drag things out." "You sound ridiculous when you say that," Da Hai snorted. "The world nearly ended, by right we should all smite that piece of shit down there." He pointed his sword at Hongjun. "The business of sovereign''s aren''t for us to decide," Hongjun argued. "Exactly," Da Hai agreed. "Thst''s why you won''t do anything," he remained in an aggressive stance but otherwise made no moves. Such restraint bothered Hongjun, he''d half expected to be brawling right now. "Be that as it may, you directly interfered by causing this new mess. The Heavenly Dao won''t stand for that." "What are you talking about?" Da Hai looked bemused with a suppressed smirk. "All I did was open a door." At that moment, never had Hongjun felt more irritated in his life. ¡­ Located on the highest peak of the Cloudy Shadow mountain ranges. The Qilin Grand Empyrean Palace was the command centre of the Qilin empire. It stood lofty, high above the clouds and the imperial capital below and contained the entirety of the Primordial Qilin clan as well as Chaos Immortal higher ups. Built thousands of years ago, this palace also stored an immensely powerful defensive formation known as the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation. Generated from the ancient chessboard, this formation was more than a match against most invasions. Due to its excellent location as well as natural defenses. Zulin never feared anyone invading since the time of its inception. After all, in addition to his own protection, the Heavenly Dao and the natural karmic winds made the palace invisible to those he doesn''t wish to see. In this manner, it was quite similar to the legendary three immortal mountain islands. An untraceable fortress that was also the ideal battleground for Zulin. When Zulong first emerged from the gateway, he did not hesitate. Directly challenging Zulin to come out so as to leave him no way to escape else suffer a wounded reputation. He did not stop to admire his enemy''s home nor did he take his time. He only cast a single look at the foggy clouds obscuring his vision and the faint lines of karmic luck that once belonged to him. Although his connection to it had been severed, he could still see and identify them. It wasn''t hard to guess where Zulin could be. So as another dozen or so Great Principle Chaos Immortals emerged behind him, he roared out. "HORSEY, ROLL OUT HERE FOR YOUR SOVEREIGN!" The dragon''s imperial command tendered the heavens and shook the earth. Billions of inhabitants around the mountain range and the imperial capital felt suffocated. Mortals and cultivators alike lost their nerves many perished on the spot. Their eardrums could not handle the sound and bursted into bloody smears. Immortals collapsed onto the pavement feeling weak and helpless. They felt their drive weaken to the point of insignificance, their desire for anything but to obey reduced ashes. Golden Immortals and even Great Unity Golden Immortals felt suffocated. Only the strongest of wills could even stand but they couldn''t even move beyond that. Their very bodies had betrayed them, unwilling to listen. The resident Chaos Immortals nervously gulped when they heard the challenge. A massive nine headed tiger growled as it observed the emerging dragon and sea experts. "Kaimingshou, prepare for battle," a massive snake called out to the nine headed tiger. This was Erfu, another servant of Zulin. He was accompanied by his longtime friend Wei, a Great Principle realm expert who resembled a shirtless giant wearing a red loin cloth. Yinglong noticed the squadron of Chaos Immortals gathering below. He glanced up at his elder brother who seemed content in ignoring them for now. It made sense to the winged dragon, Zulong was here for the Qilin Sovereign. Everyone else was but a side character. "Hmph," an abhorrent voice assaulted the dragon''s ears. The same voice they and the sea clan experts had heard mere minutes ago. "You were a fool to come here," the clouds dispersed with grandiose poise. Zulin, dressed in the robes of an emperor complete with his crown stepped out into the front courtyard of his Grand Empyrean Palace. He appeared no less dignified than the crowned Zulong. "You should''ve just accepted your loss worm, better to stay in your corner," Zulin sighed disappointingly with his palm on his face. "Then again, you were never really that smart." His goading received no reply. Well, no word reply at least. Zulong did not deign to banter with Zulin at all. As the Qilin Sovereign continued speaking, Zulong arranged his right fist back. In the motion of an outstretched claw, he threw that limb out in a flurry of black and yellow light. Nine Claw Killing! The dragon''s claw sealed across the air spreading into a gigantic black and golden claw. It was sharp, strong, and ferocious. It tore apart all things in its way. Zulin immediately pointed upwards. Seeing as exchanging words were pointless, he activated his guardian formation. The tiles of an archaic elephant chess board appeared below his feat. Above his head, the image of karma manifested. BOOM! The impact was titanic, an explosion that rocked the foundation of the world. Fiery aura danced on both sides as they regained their bearings. Zulin frowned, Zulong couldn''t have grown that much more powerful right? He flipped his hand and an ancient scroll made of animal leather appeared. "Fight my pets," he commanded. From beneath Cloudy Shadow mountain, billions of lifeforms began pouring out. Billions of insect like creatures that were abhorrent to look at. The four seas expert gasped in revulsion at the monstrosities crawling out. These soulless creatures made glittering noises that disturbed them greatly. "Never in my years would I wish to see them again," Xuanwu grimaced. "Those are the bug beasts?" A fellow Chaos Immortal asked the tortoise. He only nodded in silence. "Your majesty, what do you require of us," the nine headed Kaimingshou leading half dozen Chaos Immortals soared into the sky. In an instant, they jumped into the formation and stood alongside Zulin. Zulin smiled, "My loyal warriors, we are besieged by the most despicable of enemies. They have denied my mercy and opted to attack us. We must not let them through." "Yes your majesty," they responded. "Billions of mobs and a few elites," Baihu snorted. "Doesn''t seem too hard." "Trillions," Yinglong corrected. "There''s just so many that they''ve run out of space to stand on the surface." "So what?" Colossal Shark laughed. "The strongest are only Great UnityGolden Immortals in physical strength." "But they can prove to be an annoying hindrance," Zulong said raising up the Dragon Pearl. His muscles bulged as he brought the orb down at breakneck speed. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Zulin hurriedly prepared for a counterattack but Zulong''s strike never came. Instead of assaulting the mountain, he smashed right into the army of bug beasts instantly pulverising billions of them. However, within seconds, more had poured out of the ground replacing their lost numbers. "Colossal Shark, you and the symbols shall deal with the pests below us. Rest of you, join me in assaulting this fortress," Zulong commanded. "Yes your majesty," they chorussed and followed his command. To attack a defensive formation, casually stepping inside was tantamount to suicide. As such, for the initial battle, Zulong chose to assault from the outside. He besieged the unique formation that defended the Grand Empyrean palace. Zulong snorted at even the mention of such a name. ''Doesn''t matter, I''ll tear it down soo enough''. The dragon''s titanic body scratched and clawed. His serpentine physique would twist and turn avoiding many attacks Zulin would launch. At the same time, squads of Chaos Immortals numbering nearly two dozen would also assault the formation with their immense power. It was a first in history for the primitive world. Previous conflicts never involved so many Chaos Immortals before. Yet even under all this, Zulin held firm, bolstered by his Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation, he was empowered. Although there were only seven on his side, Zulin could withstand the pressure brought on by Zulong''s small army. Explosions of light rocked the continent. Roars and screams and strikes of thunder clashed against each other. Zulong will fire off more claw strikes and create tsunamis while Zulin with marshal up the earth, stone pillars and bolts of lightning and fire. This was a battle for survival. Neither side cared for their surroundings as they fought. The surrounding environment was torn asunder. Chunks of rubble flew in all directions while corpses of bug beasts littered the ground. Hours of combat turned into days, days turned into weeks. Before anyone knew it, three weeks of nonstop fighting had occurred. The ancestral dragon had only become angrier and angrier as time passed. The more he fought, the more familiar with the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation he became. Strictly speaking, it was a standard defensive formation. However, it had another extra feature. This formation could absorb the power of karmic luck to further enhance its capabilities. "It''s hopeless worm," Zulin taunted from his end. "This Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation is invincible. Powered by the very luck of the land itself. You can never break it." He had hoped those words would deter the dragon. After all, after three consecutive weeks of assault, they had still remained in a stalemate. Great Principle Chaos Immortals did not tire nor did they run out of Qi. They can fight for eternity if they so wished. In order to break the stalemate, Zulong would need to do more. Trillions of bug beasts now lay dead and the endless tide Zulin had stored up had shriveled. Zulong''s full force had in these weeks begun assaulting Zulin''s palace with even higher vigour. The land was blanketed by ice courtesy of Xuanwu. Corpses frozen like sculptures. Others were pierced by wooden stakes. It was a sight of carnage, Colossal Shark had gluttonously devoured many bug beasts while the symbols utilized their unique powers to eradicate trillions of bug beasts. As the symbols and Colossal Shark rejoined Zulong, the situation turned against Zulin. Three heavenly stars floated, surrounding Grand Empyrean Palace. The interlocking of Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury formed a trifecta that was hard to overcome. Zulong roared, his voice erupting with all the authority of a celestial dragon emperor. His roar split the heavens and crushed the earth. His roar caused the surface of the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation to ripple. "Feed more into it," Zulin urgently stomped his hoofs into the pavement. He had long assumed his true form during the battle. "More karma, kill, kill that dragon." The qilin''s maddened frenzy was a sight to see. He formed quite a contrasting image with the golden light of luck. But the power he possessed cannot be denied. Karma was a fundamental part of the universe. It was given and taken by the Heavenly Dao and formed a system of cause and effect. It was perhaps the strongest celestial force within creation. Zulin roared, his blue scaled body lit in golden flames. Mysterious occurrences were visible within his pupils. Profound mysterious displayed images of destiny and fate along his scales each glistening like mirrors. His spell created a vast burst of karmic fire that enveloped the sky. Like a meteor, it shot outwards toward Zulong. A focus fire attack aimed at eliminating the dragon early. Its trajectory was like that of a comet. Shooting forth like a bullet. Zulong growled at the attack. How could he not when he recognized its source. When he formed the Qi Dragon of luck all those weeks ago, he had formed an intrinsic connection with his luck Qi. He could recognize it anywhere. "How dare you! How dare you! How dare you!" Zulong roared in fury. His rage affected his roar and at the same time, many Chaos Immortals felt the same anguished rage. "You left me with no choice," Zulin argued. The qilin also appeared very unwilling. He didn''t go out of his way to take all that luck Qi only to use it up. They were meant to develop the north continent, not be wasted away like this. Recovering this loss would be unlike harder than anything he''d ever done. "AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!" Zulong screamed in fury. A tsunami billions of kilometres high came from behind in like the maw of an enormous beast. It crashed against the blast of karmic fire in a duel of fire and water. White lightning zigzagged around Zulong''s arms and body. They illuminated his eyes beneath the dark clouds. The dragon''s expression was one that promised death by the most excruciating of pain. "DIE!" His cry rumbled along with a massive burst of lightning. Zulin gritted his teeth at Zulong''s maddened attacks. His karmic fire was overcome and the lightning impacted his barriers on all sides. Zulong floated admits a thunderstorm of uncontrollable rain, lightning, wind and fury. Even his own subordinates were shocked at the brutal display of power. "Is he, is he burning his nascent soul?" Yinglong gasped. The others who had at this point felt like extras all gasped, was his majesty really so reckless. Torching one''s own nascent soul was to burn one''s essence. The power boost may be great but it''ll greatly damage one''s vitality and cost eons of recovery time. Reeling his head back, Zulong slammed his skull onto the surface of the barrier. The karmic symbol that formed to intercept cracked and shattered beneath the pressure. "Die invader," a Great Princile Chaos Immortal resembling a rhino charged at Zulong. Empowered by the formation, he felt confident to push to dragon back. Wordlessly, Zulong grabbed the rhino''s horn. His body weaved around the beast and grabbed hold of his back. In a scene that shocked the world, Zulong tore the beast in two. "Just how strong is this guy?" Zulin''s followers gulped in fear. The formation was supposed to enhance them. How on earth did this dragon kill one of them so easily? The north continent was long united underneath the banner of the qilin. The qilin''s ability to seek out and bring good fortune had ensured their continued survival throughout this age. As such, for all the Qilin Sovereign''s disdainful attitude, they did hold respect for him. But at this moment, they felt their resolves waver. Could Zulin actually win this? Chapter 102-Collapse In the wake of Zulong''s brutal attack, the four sea experts felt invigorated. The opposite was true for Zulin''s subordinates. The sudden increase in pressure was unlike anything they''d felt before. BOOM! CRACK! BOOM! CRACK! "Your majesty," the giant god Erfu asked nervously. "The barrier holds firm," Zulin growled back. "Combine your powers, strengthen the formation and counterattack." "But your majesty, we''ve been doing that since the beginning," Wei said. "Silence you incompetent fool, go out there and fight," Zulin ordered. In truth he too was feeling heavily pressured. Zulong was already strong, but the further enhancements brought about by the burning of one''s nascent soul magnified his strength to ludicrous levels. But to do so was also a detriment to one''s own health, it was one''s own life force. There was a reason why the act of burning a nascent soul was considered a suicide gambit. He was like a wild animal, not speaking nor communicating. He only acted to attack and attack and attack. His teeth appeared razor like, even more so then usual. His claws here extended like knives. His tail was like a baton and even his whiskers were like spears as they skewered forwards. Zulong''s entire body was like a living weapon. An incarnation of primal fury that was so unlike the regal creature he was supposed to be. It made wonder if the dragon had fully given in to rage. "You majesty, he''s gaining ground, we can''t damage him more than he can damage us," the great snake Erfu warned. Zulin clenched his teeth. He didn''t want to admit it but Erfu was right. Zulong''s crew was at an advantageous position. They skilfully kited his tracks and struck back hard. They had mobility while he was stationary. He could only fire off attacks and withstand theirs. While powerful the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation''s core enhancement was stronger within than outside. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Zulong relentlessly bashed the formation heavily damaging its outer membrane. At this rate, it''ll be torn apart and the formation may even collapse from the backlash. Others such as Xuanwu blew frozen air before ramming his shell against them. Baihu would viciously attack with his metallic claws and bludgeon them with his steel tail. Even Colossal Shark used his razor sharp teeth to cut into the formation. ''Fuck, our strongest attacks can only be used on the inside,'' Zulin contemplated his next move. He didn''t want Zulong in for fear of being losing that battle. If anything the dragon had proven himself far more capable of such a feat than the qilin. ''A risk, everything is a risk. I took a risk for luck Qi. Seems I''ll have to gamble again,'' making up his mind, Zulin stood up straight. "Prepare yourselves," he sent orders to the minds of his men. "Since you want in so much then why don''t come in and have a look," Zulin roared, stomping his hoofs. His plan was simple, get the dragon in, trap him and besiege him from all sides thereby killing him. It was risky but it could pay off big time. After all, Zulin was no stranger to risks, luck was on his side today. Zulong had been charging forwards for another attack. His body was cloaked in electricity, water, and demonic winds. The very fabric of reality distorted, destroyed beneath Zulong''s advance. His maddened look made the regal dragon appear like a maniac. The impact of Zulong''s attack never came. Zulin put his plan into motion and opened a hole for Zulong. Thankfully, Zulong had flown in close for the attack while others were either out of range or attacking from another side. Choosing this moment was the wisest move Zulin could make. Zulong''s momentum carried him forwards. His eyeballs rolled back as he passed from the exterior of the barrier to the interior thus entering the airspace above Grand Empyrean Palace. For the dragon, in that small split second, the atmosphere changed drastically. It felt suffocating in here, difficult to formulate thoughts, difficult to command his muscles. His spirit was drowsy and his mind distracted itself with all sorts of compromising ideas. For a brief moment, Zulong appeared unfocused much to Zulin''s joy. He wasted no time in commanding the hole to shut. At the same time, he leapt up in a flurry of karmic fire. His antlers glowed with mysterious golden light, the righteous horns of good fortune. "Heh," Zulong snorted. In a very short span of time, his pupils regained focus. The azure pearl he held in his fore claws glowed in soft light. The calming roar of the celestial dragon emanated within his mind. All treacherous thoughts were purged from his mind. His body regained control and his mind became clear. Zulong''s attention snapped to the closing hole. He had to hurry. The dragon had worn a chain of beads across his broad neck. These weren''t any ordinary beads, in fact, they were the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls. A mystical collection of pearls that made up a top grade Xiantian Spiritual Treasure. His claw reached up for the string holding the beads. "Fly, become a new world," he commanded throwing them back towards the outside. Zulin narrowed his eyes at Zulong''s actions. ''What is he doing?'' He thought in confusion. POP! Twenty four circular discs overlaying each other appeared through the barrier. A bridge formed through these discs connecting to the outside world, twenty four universes that bridged each other together yet remained separate entities at the same time. Very quickly, these discs merged into one big universe. By the time Zulin realised what was happening, the change was complete. Zulong arched his neck back and twirled around Zulong, careful to avoid any flames. Touching any karmic fire was severely detrimental to his health after all. Looking back, he smirked in satisfaction. "Those I messaged, join me inside," Zulong called out while twisting his tail around to slap Zulin. "A new universe existing between the inside and outside world," Zulin''s horselike features grimaced. He did not need to tilt his head to dodge Zulong''s strike. "Do you think my formation so weak?" As Xuanwu, Baihu, Qinglong, and a dozen others entered following Zulong''s command, the elder dragon shook his head. As if on cue, the new universe dimmed. It cracked in all places like a broken piece of glass. In the next instant, it disappeared, separating into twenty four pearls flying in different directions. It couldn''t even last five seconds. "Your luck is extraordinary, for a universe to destabilise and collapse so quickly," Zulong snorted. "Can you do anything without luck?" Zulin did not deign to retort. He got to work throwing all sorts of distracting illusions at the four sea experts who made it through. "Attack, we hold the advantage in here, kill them," he commanded. "Yes your majesty!" "I don''t think so," Zulong opened his gaping maw and unleashed a roar. His dragon''s roar erupted in a deafening cry that threatened to burst the eardrums of those too close to him. Zulin''s subordinates felt their hearts wavering. They felt their doubts rise and fear grow. Their knees felt weak and a heavy desire to kneel was present in their hearts. On the flip side, Zulong''s subordinates felt great. Their spirits ignited in a burning desire for revenge. Their will to fight grew tremendously like a pool of oil being lit on fire. It was a sudden drastic change. The abilities of Zulin within the formation allowed for him to infect his opponents with negative karma, distract them with dark thoughts, make them careless. At the same time, Zulong''s roar invigorated their spirits to fight and dampened Zulin''s magic. The flow of karmic luck was reluctant to move forwards and urged themselves to turn away. Zulong''s roar may not have worked on the insane amounts that were escaping from him earlier but it could work on a much smaller scale. The celestial command went against the flow of destiny. Outnumbered but not outgunned, Zulin ordered his men to attack. He was simply put, furious. Anger at Zulong, anger at himself. The minds of Chaos Immortals were extremely quick. It didn''t take long for him to work out what happened in hindsight whilst he clashed against his fellow sovereign. He''d underestimated the dragon''s intelligence. Zulong''s rage was not faked, his maniac assault carried his true feelings on the matter. But for one to also remain rational enough in that state astounded the qilin. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But it did happen, Zulong planned around his own outburst. The effects of the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation infected his mind and triggered his own defences. He returned to a sound state of mind and immediately acted to bring his personnel in. Then stage two began. For every one of Zulin''s ilk, two of Zulong besieged them along with the support of a third who''d come and go. The dragon''s roar cleared them of any ill effects and at the same time caused the hearts of their opponents to waver. But another powerful force was inside as well. Three of the four symbols were present, they manifested their stars bringing forth endless divine power. The stellar light of the stars enveloped their comrades further giving them a boost. With the interior forces distracted, Yinglong led the outside forces. His expansive feathered wings stretched outwards like an angel from the bible. They flapped with such force that twin hurricanes made up of divine winds drilled into barrier outside. The battles within had led to the lowering of concentration on the battle outside. Where before Yinglong''s attacks would''ve been shrugged off, they now dented the barrier, threatening the formation severely. "Push on!" Yinglong roared, his yellow scales glistened as he flew into the air. "I bring the rain," he chanted and danced. The responsive created massive storm clouds from beneath his wings. They were not as furious as Zulong''s thunderstorm but they possessed a terrifying inevitable quality of their own. An ominous storm that was always on the horizon drifting forwards ever so slightly. An ever present storm. Trillions upon trillions of droplets of rainwater fell like a hail of arrows. They were both heavy, sharp and corrosive at the same time. A corrosive attack that ate away at the solid surface of the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation. The assault outside the barrier also disturbed those within. Kaimingshou who fought the ferocious Baihu retreated, just narrowly dodging and furious strike that destroyed the pavement. With another leap, the white tiger shrugged off a hurricane of fire. His iron like teeth bit into Kaimingshou''s throat. Behind him, a swordfish cut into the deity''s side while Baihu tore out one of Kaimingshou''s eight throats. ''This is bad,'' the nine headed tiger urgently ran away. "Erfu, Wei, lord Shi¡­," he called out. "Help me!" He cried out. It was chaos, Zulin''s men were collapsing. "Things are not good," Erfu slithered away from Calamity Snail. He spat back hitting the mollusc in the face before retreating. "Friends, much as I hate to say this but we are unable to match them." "ARGH!" All of a sudden, one of Zulin''s Chaos Immortals toppled over. His chest was blown apart as the combined assault of three Great Principle experts allowed Colossal Shark to rip him apart. The hungry shark gave a bloody smirk of nothing but teeth towards the four remaining immortals. On Zulong''s side, Zuling actually met the elder dragon blow for blow. Zulong had not burned his essence soul. As such he relied on nothing but his mastery of magic and martial skill to battle. In doing so, he rivalled even Zulin who was empowered by the fortune of his formation. SWOOSH! Zulong''s tail strike missed its mark, the dragon abruptly flew up to avoid a pillar of karmic fire. He circled back and unleashed a claw strike breaking a storehouse. Zulin leapt away avoiding more and more of Zulong''s rapid attacks. His horns lit up and shot beams of concentrated fire to which Zulong arced his body around gracefully dodging. Both opponents gritted their teeth in both nervousness and frustration. If things went on any longer, Zulin will truly be forced to exhaust his luck Qi to either fight back or run away. Zulong threw out the Dragon Pearl. It was wreathed in myriad lights and formed into the glaring image of the celestial dragon. In retaliation, Zulin retrieved an antique looking chessboard that struck the pearl. They were like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Zulong commanded his pearl back to his claw and leapt forwards to smash the board himself. The two impacted while Zulin charged the board adding his own momentum to the strike. The duo clashed resulting in a shockwave that destabilised the world within the barrier. An act that was counterproductive to Zulin. "Attack, attack from all sides, destroy this formation," Zulong ordered. The dragon brought both claws down at Zulin narrowly missing. Another strike broke the ground, another broke a pillar, another store a statue apart. Zulogn rampaged after Zuling systematically destroying Grand Empyrean Palace in the process. "You, stop this now," Zulin yelled. The qilin flew into the air kicking Zulong back with his hoofs. The dragon was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered and went back on the offensive. "I''ll give back your luck Qi, cease this madness at once," Zulin urged. Of course, he didn''t specify how much luck he was going to give back. His words fell on deaf ears. Zulong truly had no desire to talk aside from sharing his own opinions on the matter. "The only thing I want from you is your head," he growled in response. Luck he can claim, Zulin''s life was more important. "Arg, don''t take things too far," Zulin dodged a strike that destroyed his favourite collection of statues. He stomped the ground kicking up a dust storm that blinded Zulong before kicking the dragon. The force has his strike forced the dragon to skirt back, ripping up the ground with his claws. Zulong opened his mouth and shot out a blast of electricity. Zulin answered with his own breath of fire. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! CLANG! The outside barrier shimmered. Its cracked shell shattered like glass. Piece disintegrated into wind as Yinglong tore down the barrier from the outside. Zulin was still caught in a tussle with Zulong when another of his men perished. With the fall of a third Chaos Immortal, the three symbols struck at the formation from the inside. Zulin was unable to concentrate as the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation collapsed around. He was simply too preoccupied with Zulong. At the same time, he could feel himself weakening drastically. It was an utter disaster. Chaos Immortals were supposed to be apex existences. Yet in a brutal brawl against each other, they were being killed left and right. Zulong was now both faster and stronger, his foundation was simply better. Zulin had to continuously exhaust his stockpile of karmic luck to bridge the difference. In this manner he continued to avoid further strikes. But his repeated flame attacks were also avoided and his kicks did nothing. His spells were countered and now his biggest advantage was gone. The environment shimmered, it changed back to the way it was. All unique defensive qualities quickly faded with the collapse of the formation. Buildings became more fragile and suddenly, the peak they fought on shook dangerously. ''Have to get away, have to get away!'' Zulin turned tail to run. He whipped out a wave of karmic fire before running in the direction of his main hall. ''Have to collect my children. You''ll pay for this dragon,'' he promised in his mind. "Don''t let him escape, besiege him," Zulong cried out standing atop a wave of water. It washed over the karmic fire battling against the cosmic force while simultaneously flooding the mountain. Yinglong and others heeded Zulong''s command. He flew in with several others forcing Zulin to leap back. The qilin was forced to do so again when Qinglong and Xuanwu charged in on a cloud of ice. The qilin sprayed out columns of karmic fire and then flew up. Then he was abruptly halted. Turning his gaze down, Zulin met Zulong eye for eye, his claw clutching the qilin''s tail. "You," Zulin snarled as Zulong threw the qilin back down with all his strength. Hongjun''s words from earlier, "Miracles can only happen within the realm of possibility" echoed in his mind. The qilin slammed into his own palace into his mountain. Avalanches of rock and soil tabled down as the foundations of the mountain were broken. The entire mountain range could feel Zulin''s fall and collapsed upon his impact. Minutes later, the entire mountain range where the qilin once called home, collapsed into rubble. Chapter 103-Burning Luck The worst case scenario had happened. This was the sole conclusion the strongest son of Zulin as well as his assistant/shadow, Qi An concluded. The young Great Unity Golden Immortal held an orb in hand, a miniature small world which contained his siblings. He himself was wrapped in a fur coat harvested from a now deceased avian cultivator who specialised in stealth. His hold on the tree he stood on, thousands of kilometres away from the core battlefield was secure for now. A bit too close for his liking but he wanted to witness the events with his own eyes. "Father, your ambition doomed you," he whispered closing his eyes and praying. He debated stepping forwards to help but shook his head. Voices from within the small world was urging him. "Going there is suicide brothers and sisters," he said towards his siblings. However, in truth he too wished to aid his father as well. Qi An cannot claim to like his father. His was arrogant, entitled, overconfident and brutal. He wasn''t exactly the kindest of rulers. He sighed and turned around and flew away. ¡­ Drip, drip, drip. Droplets of blood leaked from Zulong''s mouth onto his claw. The dragon gazed down at his own blood and sighed. His shoulders slagged slightly and he descended from his high altitude. "Brother, that was reckless of you," Yinglong lectured flying down to meet the elder dragon. "Master taught us many years ago that nascent souls are once in a lifetime treasures. You shouldn''t recklessly burn them." "It worked didn''t it?" Zulong snorted. "He let us in and allowed us to attack from two fronts." "It''s a miracle we didn''t suffer any losses from that assault," the winged dragon frowned. "You overthink things too much," Zulong defended himself. "The gamble payed off and victory is in our hands, now we just need take back what is ours." Zulong gazed around the collapsed mountain and sighed. "It''s a shame we won''t be able to totally recoup our losses." His gaze traced downwards towards where Zulin would''ve fallen. The rubble shifted. Stone and sand moved out of the way as a fatigued quadruped qilin stood amidst the rubble. He glared hatefully at the dragon floating above. "Men, surround him. Besiege him, give him no chance to escape," Zulong ordered. His serpentine body straitened out and dived down as well. The mighty Qilin Sovereign was surrounded from all fronts. In all directions, massive monstrous sea creatures dived for him. More than two dozen Great Principle Chaos Immortals. Gritting his teeth, Zulin roared. An explosion of red hot light expanded out in all directions. It was an impact that eradicated everything in a several kilometre area. Holding his claw up, Zulong forcefully held the blast back. It bounced harmlessly across his scales. His brothers were much the same, being capable of resisting the attack. In a blinding flash of light, Zulin jumped out like a rocket. His target wasn''t any of the more powerful figures but a weaker immortal. It was a cultivator who resembled a squid. Sensing imminent danger, the squid Chaos Immortal unleashed a fog of ink. His tentacles shifted into spears of light striking at the qilin. Zulin snorted at the display. He''d give credit where it''s due, this squid had some ability. The qilin blew out a strong gust of wind dispelling the fog of ink. He proceeded to shrug off the light spears and ascended in a straight line. "No!" The squid barely uttered before Zulin effortlessly pierced his defences. His eyes bulged as he died. "Damn it," Qinglong who had been the closest to the squid charged for the qilin. His azure claws pierced the side of the sovereign. Zulin screeched in pain. He raised his fore hoof and slammed Qinglong on the crown of his skull. Tossing the dragon aside he turned his attention to five others who''d arrived admits the commotion. His speedy attack had ended and he was quickly surrounded. Battling against multiple opponents was already something that was extraordinarily difficult. This was especially the case for so many immortals of similar rank. Zulin battered aside the dolphin, the stingray, the mackerel, but was blindsided by the shark. He was dragged down and pummelled by the White Tiger. He was crushed beneath the massive snail. Catching himself, the qilin got up and threw the snail off and kicked the tiger away. Xuanwu spun in and bashed Zulin across his face. His snake tail inhaled a gallon of air and unleashed a blizzard of frost and snow. The qilin growled in furry and shot out flares of karmic fire forcing the others away. But amidst this, Zulong came behind him. His claw gripped Zulin by the back of his head and slammed his face into the ground, shaking the earth. "We should flee," Erfu said to Wei and Kaimingshou. The only three to survive the previous battle and were now watching their ruler getting pummelled into the ground. "He is besieged from all sides," Wei added. The three shared a look and got up from their positions on the ruined mountain. They transformed into three flashes of lights and fled. "Ignore them, focus fire on Zulin. Give that horse no chances to escape," Zulong ordered his men. With his command, they charged in with a barrage of strikes. Bolts of magical fire, water, lightning, and air blasted the qilin. Everywhere he turned he met opposition, harassment from all sides, from a distance or up close. Zulin will return attacks of his own, karmic fire, and lasers of light, raise boulders the size of mountains. He fought ferociously and his antlers dripped with the blood of his enemies. But the four seas experts had gotten more careful. They fought in groups of four and five. They attacked in all directions and left no openings. Zulin could dodge all he wanted, attacks would fly over him. But he was trapped with no chances to break out. Yinglong had created a massive storm over the area. It constantly rained and flooded the lands. He stayed in the outskirts harassing the qilin from a great distance. "RAGH!" Zulong''s latest claw strike eradicated much of the land creating another of thousands of creators that now littered the area. Blows so strong they threatened to punch directly into the void. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Yet again, Zulin narrowly rolled out of the way. His blue scales just barely dodging subsequent strikes from Zulong''s whiskers, hind legs, and tail. Desperation was felt by the north continent sovereign. He was burning luck like no tomorrow. Taking all chances he could to avoid death, to look for openings. Killing that squid had done little to make this possible. He flew away from Zulong firing massive waves of karmic fire much to the dragon''s anger. There were no words to describe Zulong''s rage. Despite the besiegement, Zulin would not give up. He was burning through his stockpile of luck Qi to avoid his fate. A stockpile that rightfully belonged to the dragon. Zulong fought in desperation. His long body attacked from all sides. He struck and got struck from all sides. His scales were cracked in some places and he was bruised beneath his skin. Zulin screamed in pain as Colossal Shark bit into his tail. The qilin turned and returned fire causing the shark to quickly let go. Zulin then turned and knocked away the stingray from before. Zulong charged up with Qinglong and Baihu. The two celestial bodies were met with the ancient chessboard while Zulong broke through the blockade. "No!" Zulin''s luck returned. He narrowly avoided a charging Zulong who''s claw drew blood from the qilin''s chin. Falling back, the qilin flew in another direction. He would''ve made it if he was not tackled by a colossal eel. The divine beast coiled around the qilin and forced him back onto the floor. "Damn you!" He screeched in fury. His muscle convulsed and he tore his way out of the eel''s grip. He slammed his head into the eel''s face dazing the creature. "Die!" He stomped his front hoof down on top of the immortal''s face crushing his skull in an instant. "GAH!" Zulin fell forwards away from the corpse having been struck by Yinglong''s claw. The winged dragon breathed a stream of lightning and forced Zulin to skirt across the ground kicking up a wave of soil. Crashing roughly onto the ground, Zulin groaned in pain. He stood up unsteadily catching a glimpse of a charging Zulong. "Fuck you," he cursed and began running at the dragon. His body was one engulfed with karmic fire. A pullet of luck flames that met the vast storm of seawater brought by Zulong. BOOM! The two clashed against each other rocking horns like they''d done thousands of years ago on Ao. An event that marked the first meeting between future sovereigns. Zulong sneered at the qilin, he swayed his head aside and slammed Zulin into the ground with terrifying force. His claws stabbed into the qilin''s spin, sheering his scales and flesh off. "You think you could get away with stealing from me?" Zulong laughed taking pleasure in Zulin''s screaming. He smashed the qilin again and again into the ground bloodying the celestial beast. "You think you can get away from destroying my kingdom? My home?" The rest of his Chaos Immortals stopped on the outskirts watching their sovereign brutalise the qilin. Zulong''s claw tore into Zulin''s face, tearing out his flesh. His other claw ripped into his throat. His regal golden scales were bloodied with the blood of Zulin. Throughout this, the qilin strengthened his body as best as he could. Karma flowed through his skin creating a divine physique incredibly resistant to damage. But this could only do so much against the dragon''s brutal physical strength. Zulong clawed into Zulin''s flesh. Light wounds were dug deeper and deeper. Zulong''s own claws became like sedated knives specialised for killing. "You want your luck so much?" Zulin wheezed with contempt. He gazed defiantly at a confused Zulong''s eyes. "Then have it." In Zulin''s eyes, his pupils flashed with gold. The golden light of karma flashed all over his body. The image of the Qi Dragon of luck flashed into existence outside of Zulin''s body. It floated for a split second before assuming a new form. One doused completely in flames. "You wouldn''t dare," Zulong growled. "You pushed things too far," Zulin growled back. Whereas before, Zulin was incredibly hesitant to use up the stockpile of luck he took from Zulong, now he decided to deploy it. What was the point of luck if you weren''t alive to use it? ''To hell with you,'' Zulin thought darkly. On the surface, his body was just like Shenni''s had been eons ago, bursting with energy about to erupt. ''You''ll gain nothing here,'' he chuckled weakly as the qilin exploded in a titanic explosion of karmic fire. It engulfed the world in a bright dome that was visible from across the world. A controlled dome of detonated karmic fire that covered a radius of a trillion kilometres in all directions. All things were eradicated. No life remained from the suicide attack. Trees, soil, living beings alike were burnt out of existence. The great wilderness now sported a massive hole in the north continent. A hole filled with chaotic energies of the void. A chuck of reality was just missing. Zulin floated in the void. He was incredibly weak and his vitality drained to the point of near death. He too had been burning his own nascent soul to fight without aid from the Unlimited Karmic Slaying formation for so long, now it had taken its tole. He glanced around catching the sight of figures made of translucent grey water. "Oh you''ve got to me fucking kidding me," Zulin sighed. Zulong''s entire body was a pool of Pellucid Divine Water. He possessed no flesh, no bones, no arteries, no organs. He was just a massive construct of water who''s glowing eyes glared at Zulin with hatred. In the seconds before the luck dragon detonated, Zulong opted to grab as many as he could. He was confident in eventually breaking Zulin''s defences but that wouldn''t stop the explosion. As such he grabbed all he could reach and assumed one of his master''s strongest spells. Zulong''s liquid body enveloped his brothers, the other two symbols, and other people who were lucky enough to make it in. All in all, thirteen Chaos Immortals were rescued by Zulong including the bulk of the elites. A devastating loss but not one he couldn''t recover from. As Zulong recovered his normal scaled form, he appeared beside Zulin. He exchanged no words with the sovereign. His glowing eyes only flashed with contempt. Chapter 104-A Sovereign Falls Hongjun''s corpse of evil and Da Hai abruptly felt their surroundings change. One minute they were at a standoff in the void and suddenly an explosion had shaken the void between realms. In the time both individuals got their bearings together, a massive hole was punctured in the great wilderness. A pit leading to the void. Reality was broken and all the damage sustained was visible from the eye of these two deities. Hongjun sighed and walked forwards. The destination he was aiming for was the core of the pit. The location where Zulong and Zulin were located at. Zulong was the first to catch Hongjun''s movement. Faster than he can properly react, something he''d never experienced before, Hongjun already stood before him. "Dragon Sovereign," Hongjun began. "Too much death has occurred already. The world has already suffered so much tragedy. Why don''t we just let things go. Qilin Sovereign has sinned greatly with his actions, I''ll personally make sure he makes up for." This demonic looking man resembling an oni from Japanese myths spoke in a calm yet dominating tone. He demanded attention and gave off the aura of the supreme deity under heaven. He reached out to grab towards Zulin with full intention of pulling the qilin away. Zulong struggled to move. He couldn''t process his thoughts properly and for the first time in a very long time, he realised this man was no simple opponent. In fact, he recognised him. Zulin sighed in relief. It seemed fortune was still on his side, he wasn''t out of luck yet. He wondered why his old benefactor hadn''t acted until now but placed that train of thought away, hope was still on his side. SWISH! Hongjun leaned back retracting his hand. A few white hairs were lopped off by the Heavenly Cloud Gathering sword held firmly in Da Hai''s hand. The sea god had only been a step behind Hongjun. He did not hesitate to swing again forcing the senior immortal to take a few steps back. ''That sword is dangerous,'' Hongjun''s corpse of evil realised. "Step away from my disciple," Da Hai commanded swinging a third time followed by a fourth. With each swing swaths of mysterious sword Qi cut into the abyss. They weren''t Chaotic Sword Qi but simply gusts of winds. Yet each swing obliterated the void, distorting the fragments of reality and throwing everything into chaos. Hongjun''s corpse of evil stomped his foot. In an instant, everything had returned to normal in an orderly fashion. The distortions ended and the pieces of reality stilled. A pseudo balance was achieved in which the destruction wrought by Zulin continued to be chaotic while pieces of reality reached a level of stability. An equilibrium between both sides was achieved. "Yin-Yang harmony, the change from being to unbeing, restore this world," Hongjun commended. In a miraculous twist of events, the chaotic debris that littered the gapping pit disappeared. They were replaced by a calm flow of void energies that had little turbulence behind slight movement. The immortals present gasped in awe at the casual display of a miraculous spell. "Neat trick," Da Hai complimented. He did not stop his aggressive stance nor did he retreat. Hongjun frowned. If his true body was here, things would be simpler. But he was just an avatar formed from the corpse of evil. He wouldn''t be a match for Da Hai if he chose to interfere now. "Fellow daoist," Hongjun grumbled unhappily. "Just what do you think you''re doing?" "Speak for yourself," Da Hai retorted with a sneer. Hongjun flushed with both embarrassment and anger. Meanwhile Da Hai appeared more amused than anything, underneath that however lay simmering rage. "Be reasonable, would it not be better for his majesty to serve his penance? He should repay the damages he caused, the qilin are gifted creatures and children of the Heavenly Dao. Let the Heavenly Dao decide his fate," Hongjun urged. Da Hai''s lips curled. Then he chuckled. Then he broke into an outright laughing fit full of mockery. A rare sight for the Heavenly Lord but one that genuinely disturbed the immortals of the east sea. The look Da Hai sent Hongjun wordlessly converted how ridiculous the elder deity sounded. Both parties knew it. Hongjun had hoped for a sign, or some form of divine intervention. Despite all that has happened, technically speaking, Zulin hadn''t incurred the wrath of the Heavenly Dao, likely due to his immense good luck and his exalted status. However, he saw no such intervention on his behalf. "It''s not the right time for him to die," Hongjun admitted. "Destiny has set a course, to kill him now is to go against the trend of heavens." Da Hai smirked. What trend of heavens? What course of destiny? Such words were mere bullshit. There was no plan in the Heavenly Dao''s design, there was barely a design at all. Things happen, opportunities for good fortune and disaster can both occur, as long as the world profits, that''s all the Heavenly Dao cares about. "Oi," Zulong''s call out caught the attention of both godfiends. They''d been ignoring him for the few seconds they''ve taken to conversing but the dragon''s voice had snapped their attention back to him. "You seem to be forgetting something," Zulong spat. "This mongrel may or may not have offended the heavens. But he certainly offended me." Hongjun sighed while Da Hai chuckled. "I must implore you Dragon Sovereign," Hongjun warned. "You''re making a mistake." Zulong smirked, "Here''s what I think of my mistake." Zulin''s eye widened in abject fear. Then they narrowed in resignation, he had very little strength to spare anyway. Neither did he have anything he wanted to say. Thousands of years of hard work gone down the drain. The Qilin Sovereign had been terribly wrong. He wasn''t as invincible as he''d assumed. In hindsight, perhaps his first loss against the dragon on Ao should''ve been a warning. But at the time, he''d chalked things up to him not reaching his full potential. Zulong''s maw widened and descended like a guillotine. No hesitation, no reluctance, no second thoughts, no guilt. CRUNCH! "Hai," Zulin''s severed head sighed. "You win, Dragon Sovereign," the light faded from his eye as Zulong''s claw gripped his antlers. The dragon raised the head of his spiritual brother and lifted it for Hongjun to see. The godfiend wore a deep frown. His look was one of disapproval. Zulong glared defiantly back. "The only authority I respect in this heaven and earth is my master. You have no RIGHT to command me, ancient godfiend or not." Around the dragon, mystical changes erupted in a frenzy of soft colourful lights. They flew, giving off an eerie chilling feeling that flowed into the primitive world. Over on that side, the sky above the north continent had descended into a thunderstorm. Not the aggressive ones the dragons summoned but a natural storm that covered the land. Rivers dried up and healthy trees faded to withered aged snags. Living beings around the world felt a certain wrongness in the wind like something had gone missing. Strange natural phenomenons that signalled the fall of a supremely powerful Chaos Immortal. One who''s destiny could shape the course of the entire universe. Within the void, Hongjun appeared a little helpless. His awkwardness was caught on by Da Hai who shot him a mocking look, one which found joy in his position. Hongjun levelled Da Hai with a glare of his own, he met the Heavenly Lord''s challenging gaze with one of his own. "Don''t needlessly antagonise me fellow daoist," Hongjun snorted towards the sea god. "You win this round. Are you satisfied?" "This was never about me," Da Hai shook his head and pointed at Hongjun''s corpse of evil. "My grievances with you are not something a war of juniors will resolve. Without your true body here to save you corpse, how could I skip this chance?" If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "I have only ever met you twice," Hongjun said flatly. "I do not wish to be your enemy nor do I have reason to. Why must you keep antagonizing me?" Zulong glanced towards his master with a questioning look. Objectively speaking, he knew his forces were depleted. However, he was prepared to support Da Hai at a moment''s notice, all that was needed was the signal. The tension was broken when the human form of the strongest mollusc of the seas flew up to Zulong. He''d since retracted his true form and held within his hands a man, no a boy. "Your majesty," Calamity Snail greeted. "What''s this?" Zulong looked down at the child. His bone age was easily identifiable as just shy of ten thousand years. His strength was a Great Unity Golden Immortal but the most damning aspect was the familiar blood of¡­ "Qilin!" Zulong growled with bloodlusted eyes. "This minister reports, I found this one roaming the outskirts just a short while ago. This minister is dull and is unsure how to deal with him," Calamity Snail said subserviently. He had indeed found Qi An trying to flee. The senses of the Da Luo Golden Immortal had detected him shortly after the explosion. His position had been exposed and his cloaking destroyed. Capturing him was but a matter of time. Though in truth, Calamity Snail just wanted to win some browny points with Zulong. "Qilin," Zulong stared at Qi An who glared back at him. "You are the son of Zulin. That is a small world on you, carrying the other qilins are you not?" "Gloating will do you no good. You won''t dare exterminate all of us. There are many innocents among our numbers," Qi An spat half-heartedly. He looked towards Hongjun''s and Da Hai''s direction. Hongjun''s eyes flashed with what appeared to be joy. He made to step forwards only for Da Hai to step in his way. "Let the juniors handle this," he threatened. "Qilin''s are dangerous, their ability to manipulate karmic luck is too much," Zulong looked towards the other immortals who''d followed him. They seemed to all nod in agreement. "Who knew the dragons were such despicable beings? Slaughtering the innocent for the crimes of their father? What ridiculous amoral beings," Qi An spat. "Kill them," Zulong commanded Calamity Snail who nodded. Purple miasma began emanating from Hongjun. Each step he took caused the void to shake and distort on a scale normal Great Principle Chaos Immortals simply weren''t able to. He pulled his right fist back and took a stance, the symbol of taijitu appeared behind him, glowing like a radiant sun. It turned and churned and spun. The inky black took hold of the white and transformed into a dark disc. The white merged back to being a minute aspect while the black portrayed horrifying might. Grey clouds began gathering around Da Hai. The sound of the sea churning could be heard and the Heavenly Lord of the great sea readied himself. The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword glowed with a waterline texture resembling water. The image of a single headed serpent appeared around Da Hai''s body. It was like a river and a living creature at the same time. Its fangs were long and sharp, bathed in the power to rend all things apart. The sudden surge of colliding energies rippled throughout the pi causing Calamity Snail to hold off from attacking in order to right himself. Da Hai stepped forwards and swung his sword at Hongjun. In response, the godfiend punched with his fist. "Extremity in destruction, balance in unity. Harmonious fist!" "The wave of calamity Heavenly Clouds Gathers, single kill!" CLANG! SPLATTER! The explosion of purple and grey rocked the void and the north continent beyond. The ever expanding residue of power uprooted entire landmasses and kicked up tsunamis, created thunderstorms and destabilised the void currents. Hongjun recoiled back holding the split form of his right hand. From the knuckle to the elbow, his arm had been cleaning split in two. Blood like Dao essence oozed out of his wound. He eyed the sword in Da Hai''s hand in shock. "Chaotic Sword Qi," he murmured. He vomited some more blood while Da Hai took a deep breath to recollect himself. At this moment, an elegant mirror appeared in open space. A woman appeared in the void. Her colourful feather robes complimented her crown making her one of the world''s most beautiful women. The Phoenix Sovereign Zufeng. She took a look around her immediate surroundings and noticed the clashing godfiends. Then she took note of the corpse of the Qilin Sovereign. "Wow, so that was all he amounted to in the end," Zufeng''s arrogant feminine voice flowed through the calm void. Her elegant figure manifested as a third party neither near nor far from the rest. "Zufeng," Zulong was startled to see the phoenix again after so many years. Hearsay could only inform you so much but from a single glance, he could the bird had changed. She shared his acknowledgement but otherwise paid no more attention to the dragon, something which irked his pride. "Your majesty," Hongjun greeted politely, his injuries ignored. "Phoenix Sovereign," Da Hai saluted with politeness. "Seniors," Zufeng returned. "What are you doing here Phoenix Sovereign," Zulong craned his long neck to look the avian in the eye. The woman appeared tiny next to the gargantuan dragon but her presence was no less formidable. After his bout with Zulin, Zulong appeared a little withered. His lips had red streaks of blood flowing down them and his majestic body sported injuries. Though he made no show of weakness nor and signs he was even injured aside from visuals. Yet a second look will tell you that the gentlest breeze from Zulong will obliterate the Zufeng who stood before him. After all, this woman was only a hastily formed incarnation. "I didn''t know you could cross three continents worth of space with your incarnation arts," Zulong quipped. "I can''t," Zufeng admitted with full clarity. "I must thank senior Hongjun for allowing this sovereign to borrow his Vast Sky Mirror. Or do you prefer Elder Immortal Vulture?" "Either works," Hongjun''s corpse of evil said. "Why are you really here Zufeng?" Zulong questioned. The Phoenix Sovereign turned her gaze towards Qi An. During the confusion, he''d managed to get out of Calamity Snail''s hold but it was impossible to get away. Zufeng smiled. "Although you are not an avian, this sovereign is willing to take you in and offer you protection as long as you vow to the Heavenly Dao to serve me as my vassal," She said to Qi An who widened his eyes. Swear by the Heavenly Dao, an unbreakable vow that will cause divine retribution if broken. If Zulin had been alive he''d have never agreed. Why should he of a royal sovereign clan serve another? But Qi An was not Zulin. "YES, I Qi An am willing to swear," the young qilin prince said almost immediately much to Zulong''s utter shock. He then roared out "We qilin swear to uphold the Heavenly Dao''s order and justice. To serve the magnificent force of the heavens in the name of the Heavenly Dao for eternity. We shall become servants of the heavens to right all wrongs we''ve caused." Now it was Zufeng who widened her eyes in shock. ''This shrewd little shit,'' she swore in her mind. Above them, a gargantuan eye made of Qi manifested. The world quieted down as a mysterious pact was formed. It seemed to be smiling joyfully at the result. All of a sudden, it became sin to touch the qilin. Yet at the same time, the qilin realised they could never touch the individuals present. Beneath the gaze of the Heavenly Dao, they could not take revenge nor argue against them. ''It''s fine,'' Qi An told himself. ''At least we have a secured future this way.'' Looking upwards, Da Hai sighed. "Throwing away your freedom for survival. Well, I can''t fault you, at least now you won''t be in danger ever again." Chapter 105-Pyrrhic Victory The eye of the Heavenly Dao, a physical manifestation of the divine force which drives the world. It held a myriad of colours denoting extraordinary changes. Power beyond any immortal was ever present and simply looking at it drove lesser beings insane. The swirling vortexes of three thousand completed Dao paths were visible for all to see. The lesser vortexes of a hundred and eight thousand lesser Daos were also visible for all to see. It was very different from the infant will found atop Mt Buzhou so many years ago. To invade the current Heavenly Dao would be tantamount to suicide. The profound eye groaned. Celestial light descended from the heavens and enveloped Qi An and the remaining qilin in the small world. "Brother, what have you done?" A surge of voices, some angry, some willing, some indifferent bursted out from the small world. "Peace brothers and sisters, this would''ve been the only way," he sighed. As the current head of the Primordial Qilin clan, such decisions were up to him now. The light touched the qilin and instinctively, they knew they were inducted. As a positive, any negative karma they had was washed away, they gained protection and privileges from the Heavenly Dao. As a negative, they''ve essentially lost all free will. Qi An turned to look at the mighty figures surrounding him. The two elder godfiends appeared contemplative. Though the Great Sea Heavenly Lord appeared more intrigued by the Heavenly Dao''s eye, Hongjun on the other hand focused more on him. It made the qilin slightly uneasy. The two sovereigns on the other hand were visibly displeased. The dragon had made his stance clear but the phoenix equally wore an ugly expression. Qi An knew what he was doing. Putting his clan, a lineage equal to the dragon and phoenixes, into their care was an insult upon them. In the same vein, he also did not wish to be exterminated. As such, it was very convenient for him that the Heavenly Dao had functions like this. If his father hadn''t been so close with Hongjun, he wouldn''t have even known. "We shall be taking our leave," the former prince said saluting the four powers present. "You have a lot of gall," Zufeng said. Her voice was both chilling yet soothing, an unintended effect of her song. The disparagement produces an aura that chilled Qi An''s spine. The woman might just be an incarnation, something actually very beatable for Qi An, but it wouldn''t be an easy fight. "Apologies your majesty," Qi An said. "Your offer was a most gracious one. But as a comparable lineage, I cannot accept." "You dare think yourself equal to a phoenix such as I?" Zufeng sneered. Off to the side, Zulong snorted but made no further comment. "From this moment, the qilin will retreat from the primitive world. We shall make our home in the mountains until such a time where we are needed," Qi An declared. The Heavenly Dao produced a bridge of light leading into a portal. Qi An walked through without hesitation. Soon, all traces of the qilin was gone from this world. In an instant, a mighty power had simply vanished. "Waste, hmph," Zufeng took a deep breath to calm herself. After recomposing herself, she turned towards the remaining powers. "Why are you still here?" Zulong demanded. "Unconcerned busybodies should leave immediately." Zufeng snorted. Then in the next instant, her figure and that of the mirror disappeared. Hongjun''s corpse of evil sighed in exasperation. Seeing as there was nothing left here, he spoke one final time. "If that is all, I shall be taking my leave," he promptly turned to walk away. "Hold it!" However, Hongjun was called back by Da Hai. The arms he folded on his back loosened back to his side as the godfiend turned to look as Da Hai. "Do you really wish to escalate things?" he asked. He stretched out his arms. Two bursts of light flew into them, an ancient chessboard and a scroll made of beast skin. Former treasures that belonged to Zulin. As Hongjun began growing to an exponential size, a world cloaked in darkness manifested below him. This deity sprouted two extra arms and his limbs grew long and feral. "Let''s get this over with," he said. "Your master will take of this," Da Hai said to Zulong before leaving. As he walked, his hair elongated until they split into seven branches. Each branch became their own snake head complete with yellow manes. He held the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword on his right hand and the Ocean Swallowing Jug on his left. Behind him, the 12 Petals White Lotus floated like the suns you see behind a buddha. Zulong took a step back to regroup with his men whilst the two titans began brawling. He arrived alongside the likes of Calamity Snail, Colossal Shark, Ancestral Dolphin, Mosasaur, and others. The sky lit up in a clash of divine light as he greeted them. Though he was their sovereign ruler and they too held loyalty to him. These supposedly mighty fuigures couldn''t help but be captivated by the battle between Da Hai and Hongjun''s corpse of evil. Both deities vastly exceeded them in power and status. "Hm, terrifying aren''t they," Zulong murmured. "Your majesty?" They were surprised he''d admit to being afraid. "Do not worry too much. If you continue on the path of the Dao, one day you too will reach their level. As will I and all those who strive for it," he encouraged. The losses this time around had been harsh. Around a dozen Chaos Immortals had perished on their side. So many talents who''d lived for hundreds of thousands of years and painstakingly cultivated. These were also some of the oldest kings and chieftains of the four seas. A pained loss that would be heavily felt. The void lit up with more and more clashes. These Chaos Immortals were reduced to a peanut gallery as the battle waged on. In their minds, this was less a battle between fighters and more two universes clashing against one another. "I am sorry your majesty," Calamity Snail suddenly said. "This minister was incompetent. I couldn''t finish them in time." "Hai," Zulong sighed. "The losses this time was harsh and while we eliminated a dangerous foe who threatened our borders. We''ve also failed to completely annihilate any chances of revenge." "But do not disparage too much. Just as we cannot touch them, they too cannot touch us. We too are favoured by the heavens," Zulong said. "Karma has been sowed," one of Zulong''s Chaos Immortal subordinates said. "And karma has been settled," Qinglong chimed in. "Cause and effect dictated as such and we fulfilled the effect. The Heavenly Dao is above such stations, from now on, we are just strangers." "Hm," Zulong rubbed his chin taking his younger brother''s words to mind. In terms of enlightenment, even he had to concede defeat to Qinglong. Perhaps it was his connection to the Jupiter star, or just raw talent, but the azure dragon held a higher Dao realm compared to him. "Say brother, what can you infer the qilin now that their empire is gone?" Zulong asked out of idle curiosity. "No, they''re now servants of the Heavenly Dao. Using divination on them is like using divination on the Heavenly Dao itself," Qinglong shook his head. "The difficulty and risks doesn''t outright the rewards." The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. As they discussed, the battle through the void raged on. Unlike the earlier exchange of moves, this time, Hongjun held nothing back. This current body of his was not his original, otherwise Da Hai would''ve had to run. This was an avatar, a second body created from the shaved off corpse of evil. Because of this, Da Hai was fully assured of his capabilities. A high level avatar he may be, but he was too much inferior than the original. The three corpses were fundamental elements of Hongjun''s Dao path. Three distinct manifestations within a person''s body that represented their good intentions, evil intentions, and obsessions. He predicted that the shaving off of all three will open one up to true enlightenment. All of Hongjun''s negative thoughts, all evil intentions he had held were thrusted into this body. It manifested as a demonic old man with brutal powers for him to pilot. But Da Hai wasn''t simple either. Without any extraordinary means, the sea god was untouchable. His offensive power was also incredibly high and the though he may not be the most competent swordsman, he was able to display the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword''s might. The void was once again shattered into a stormy chaos. Waves of chaotic energy flowed chaotically in all directions. They became like a complex maze of airwaves. RUMBLE! After an exchange that lasted for twenty six million clashes and forty million moves total, an event that took another month to settle, the battle drew to a close. The clash between them was like a Dao discussion. Both fighters could infer each others techniques and may even invent new ones on the spot. But the end result was all the same. Hongjun''s world disintegrated, his black suns broke apart and his myriad manifestations faded from existence. Da Hai''s sword cleaved through Hongjun''s body from head to groin. The cut was so clean that both pieces could still seamlessly fit together. "Your victory fellow daoist," Hongjun congratulated. He fell backwards amidst the chaos. The treasures in his hands fell out as well, into the chaotic waves. Da Hai remained silent watching the avatar slowly die. He watched with a mix of glee and concern as the corpse of evil broke apart. Hongjun''s eyes met Da Hai''s gaze. His body split into two perfect halves as his life finally faded. "Fellow daoist Da Hai, there is no turning back now. I had thought you ignorant and naive, an annoyance at best. But time and again you''ve proven yourself otherwise. Do not think the protection of the heavens can save you," Hongjun''s voice called out before fading. "I look forward to that day," Da Hai responded. "I do not regret this path, let us clash when the time comes." Da Hai looked towards the corpse of Hongjun. The airwaves was still very turbulent. It was only due to their strength that he and the rest could remain stable. He stretched out his hand and invoked divine fire. Heavenly flames shot out from Da Hai''s hands burning the body of Hongjun. Within several hours, Da Hai completed the process of cremating the body. With another action, he held out his other hand trying to draw the former treasures of Hongjun forwards. Though nothing ever came. ''What? No satchels and no xiantian spiritual treasures?'' He wondered. The airwaves were still very turbulent to his divine senses were pretty scrambled. But upon concentrating, Da Hai sensed something. "Ah, Shen Feng," he murmured. He concluded the little scavenger must''ve hidden within the void''s airwaves and snuck in during the chaos of his battle. If that fiend was good anything, it was running away, his speed was something other stronger beings admired. "No loot?" Zulong called out. Da Hai descended towards Zulong. "No, a certain scavenger got them while I wasn''t looking¡­You''re all still here?" He asked. "How can we leave when master was still here?" Zulong, Yinglong, and Qinglong said. "Magnificently done your excellency," the other immortals bowed. "Hm, now that this is all over with. We can finally all rest," Da Hai sagged his shoulders. "How are your injuries Zulong?" The dragon shrunk back into an antlered man. He wiped the blood off his lips and fixed up his robes. "I am fine master," he said whilst taking hold of and shrinking Zulin''s head. The qilin''s body had long been crushed to bits by Zulong. "I cannot say we fully achieved victory here," Zulong sighed. His urge to crush Zulin''s head to smithereens like the rest of his body, but he wanted to present it to his wife first. His hatred for the qilin had returned in full force. Yet he held himself back, devolving back into a feral animal frothing at the mouth would be unbecoming of him. Da Hai nodded, "You should be careful in how you handle your luck. The Heavenly Dao is as forgiving as it is vengeful, it is best to have it hold you at high regards." "Understood master," Zulong reached out his hand and called forth. Zulin had detonated much of his stored luck Qi in a massive explosion that wiped out a large chunk of the land. But there were still some bits remaining. Soon, golden luck Qi rejoined Zulong''s outstretched hand. They connected into a small flood dragon that purred and nuzzled the elder dragon. Zulong looked at the creature in disappointment. This was a mere consolation prize compared to what he had lost. Sure, the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle had recovered much of his luck, but that portion now must battle with the Sea Eye. What Zulong actually could use, was much lesser in comparison. He calculated that his current Qi Dragon of Luck would only be 35% the size of what he had originally held. This was adding what he recovered into what the Heavens and Da Hai provided. If Da Hai was a more selfish man, Zulong''s Qi Dragon would''ve been even smaller. Now, his empire''s destiny, while still superior to the avians, wasn''t impossible for them to catch up it. As both had protection from the heavens, directly provoking each other would be difficult. ''Doesn''t matter,'' he shook his head. After all, he was confident in their ability in continuing to develop over time. "It has been a trying day, let''s return," Zulong said. He felt bad for those who died. After the fire, there weren''t even bodies left to bury. Da Hai nodded and worked to create another door. Zulong had been gone too long and the four seas were still in shambles. With this business concluded, Zulong sent the other Chaos Immortals home. He commanded them and the bulk of his ministers into repairing duties and preparing funerals for the deceased. The oceans needed much healing and they''ve earned their rest. The Dragon Sovereign himself retreated to the East Sea Dragon Palace. After presenting Zulin''s head to Gui Daiyu, he mounted it upon his palace walls. A warning to any future enemies. As for Da Hai, he remained in the east sea''s skies. Since his role in this event had concluded, it was time to execute his next plan. Chapter 106-Deal With the Devil Da Hai stared into the night sky. The primitive heavens was vastly different from the ones humans saw. A black black void that was itself, a reflection of the starry skies. The sea god appreciated the beauty the three hundred and sixty five celestial bodies brought, they always made for an amazing sight. Turning around, Da Hai examined his own luck with the world. His partnership with the Heavenly Dao was at this point, rocky at best. Even the Sea Eye was treated more as the dragon''s job than his own. In truth, the will of the world was quite frustrated with Da Hai at this point in time. It wasn''t overly optimistic about his chances. Currently, its situation was that two opposing wills existed inside it. If both grow to a point where they overwhelm it, it will be at their mercy. At the current enlightenment levels of the Dao and Devil ancestors, this seemed more and more like an inevitability. "Hello, how are you this evening," Da Hai suddenly said. He stood alone in the air, no one was near him. The waves beneath him were gentle. The time since the Sea Eye''s formation and the death of Zulin was enough for the turbulent waves to restore to a stable liveable environment. Da Hai''s gaze slanted sideways as to his immediate left. A circular whirl of energy manifested to his left. It formed the vague shape of a man whose features were unidentifiable. "Not going to form any features?" Da Hai asked. The man, if it could even be called that, lacked any indication of age or gender beyond the masculine muscle and bone features. It lacked genitalia and nipples, which along with the missing facial features made it all the more disturbing. Standing side by side with this being, this construct of the Heavenly Dao, Da Hai couldn''t help but feel small. The primordial Qi that this being possessed couldn''t be measured by him. It was an enormous void of infinity that was beyond his infinity. The Heavenly Lord quickly calmed himself and allowed non of those feelings to show. He turned to address the Heavenly Dao. "My friend, I seek a favour," he said. The construct tilted its head and crossed its arms. It appeared as if it was very unimpressed with Da Hai''s words. "You are displeased, I understand," Da Hai said gently. Using words such as immature, or impatient or even explaining himself was useless. It wouldn''t care nor would it listen, placates are the only route to go. "I am willing to give back much of the karma I earned to you. The incense merit can also go to you, I have no need of it. But in return I wish for you to help me find someone¡­no something," Da Hai bargained. The construct of the Heavenly Dao adopted a thinking position. Its fingers tapped the bottom of its featureless face''s chin. No extra movement was made as it delved into contemplation. Da Hai silently waited for the Heavenly Dao. If he was being honest with himself, he did not think the Heavenly Dao will go along with his plan, at least not initially. It was both incredibly possessive and self centred. Its personality was a strange one, Da Hai would compare it to a child. Easy to placate and equally easy to displease. The Heavenly Dao''s construct placed both arms behind its back and nodded. Seems it has accepted Da Hai''s plea. This was good, this means Da Hai could move along his schedule. The Heavenly Dao''s construct faced Da Hai. Although its expression could not be discerned, Da Hai could tell it was waiting for him to tell it what he wanted. "Can you help me locate this," Da Hai holding out his right hand. An image of a circular piece of jade appeared in his palm hovering mere inches above. The construct was taken aback. It questioned Da Hai about the necessity of the jade. Its questions were reasonable and understandable for Da Hai, hence he answered. "As I am now, direct conflict with Hongjun is inevitable. With my personality, then Luohu eventually as well. This is a precaution, in the event I fuck up along the way and lose, then this will be my inside man," Da Hai replied. The Heavenly Dao appeared conflicted. It was very unsure of what to do. This was his among most prized possessions, his avatar in the flesh. But at the same time, Da Hai was offering back the merit he took. The Heavenly Dao examined the Heavenly Lord before him. As a superior being, the sea god can and most likely had hid things from him. But he had proven somewhat trustworthy so far. He did fix the Sea Eye very quickly after all. He''d also trained one of the sovereigns to an exceptional level. The dragon was proving to be very beneficial for the world. At least for now, the dragon is someone he wanted to keep. Could the Heavenly Lord produce something similar? If so, then this would be a worthy investment. It knew Pangu''s knowledge in its totality and Hongjun''s as well from hat it''d glimpsed. Luohu''s seemed to contradict somewhat but not enough to differentiate from the path prophesied. Though it didn''t know Da Hai''s stance on those events, it did agree with Hongjun''s view of them. They were a necessity that went on to create the ideal world in which it could thrive. An unchallengeable army, a race of unlimited potential, supreme deities under its command. By the end, it had never been stronger. Even the most powerful of would be rebels was subdued and converted into a monk. The construct nodded. It held out its palm and pushed the information into Da Hai. This man could definitely do it. If it can empower its chosen son and set him on the right path, then Hongjun''s puppeteering act will inevitably fail. "Thank you," Da Hai said. He cupped his hands and saluted the construct. His show of respect pleased it greatly. It waved its hand as a, "You may go", gesture. Da Hai nodded and walked away. Under the cloak of night and his own water movement techniques, Da Hai became a stream of liquid that moved into the distance. The Heavenly Dao construct dispelled as the Heavenly Lord left, no longer interested nor paying attention. ¡­ Da Hai moved quickly, with his current strength, it only took him a week to see the beach. His watery form was devoid of reflections of any kind. He moved as if he belonged to another dimension of space entirely. To use a modern analogy, it was as if he was an image crudely photoshopped into another background. Something about him just didn''t belong. Yet at the same time, contradictory to the previously mentioned effect, Da Hai was like a natural part of the world. A stream that was a fundamental part of the universe that could not be separated from it without damaging the foundation of creation. "Hm?" Da Hai materialised mid air. He was right in front of the east continent shore which was his destination. Currently, he stood slightly atop the water without touching the waves. "What a saturated fiendish aura," Da Hai muttered. His senses were going haywire. The power he was picking up was someone he was hostile towards yet hadn''t had much interaction until now. "Devil Ancestor," Da Hai''s gaze met another figure who was standing on the beach. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Luohu was as handsome as when he''d first seen him all those years ago. His blatant dismissal of him was still vivid in his memories. But to Da Hai, his physical appearance didn''t matter. It was his divine sense that was seeing him for what he truly was. Luohu was to put it simply, the epitome of the Dao. The head of the Dao or just simply that which all things branch from. He could sense laws of fire, water, wind, sword, axe, mind, soul, heart, formation, destruction, space etc. He was like an all encompassing celestial being whose work were the origins that all things arose from. It was unlike Hongjun who felt more like a transcendent Dao that was on the cusp of expanding into all encompassing creation. Luohu''s Dao was like a Dao that''s been pushed into the all encompassing state by an incalculable amount of others. "Devil Ancestor," Da Hai greeted coldly. "Hm?" Luohu seemed to take notice of Da Hai at this exact moment. "Ah, daoist Da Hai, long time no see," he smirked. "I was just wondering about how to approach the east sea, divination is so scrambled around these parts. wasn''t even aware they had a sovereign until the whole incident, heh," he said jovially. ''Oi, aren''t you a bit too familiar?'' Da Hai felt the urge to punch the man to smithereens. He then pondered the godsend''s words. It made sense, godfiends are ancient creatures with an infinite lifespan. Their sense of time is a bit warped compared to mortal creatures. To a godfiend, even ten thousand years would be a short nap. "What''s with that look?" Luohu raised his eyebrow. "This is the first time we''re properly talking if I recall. And I do have a pretty good memory." "Why are you here?" Da Hai all but growled. His nails dug into his fingers so as to control himself. His breath became very regulated almost like he was a mortal beginning the path of cultivation again. "Not much, saw the whole shebang with you and the old fart. Was funny seeing him humiliated like this. Did you know he''s throwing a tantrum in the north right now?" He chuckled. "You did good annihilating his avatar like that," Luohu praised clapping. "Why are you here?" Da Hai demanded. "Like I said, not much, merely debating how to explore the east sea," the Devil Ancestor shrugged. "I''ll rephrase that question, what are you doing here?" Da Hai demanded. His Qi flared up making his hair float. The water in the distance began rolling in a violent manner. Contrary to expectations, Luohu smirked and held his hands up to surrender. "Not here to fight. As for why I''m here? Well I simply wanted to meet you." "I won''t beat around the bush. Da Hai or whatever you liked you call yourself, you''re clearly not the Da Hai I knew. But, I can say that you''re stronger," Luohu said stroking his chin. "You praise me too much, senior Da Hai was someone who completed the Dao and reached the great principle of primal chaos," Da Hai said shaking his head. "Yet he would''ve lost to Hongjun''s corps of evil. This is an avatar of mine, my Avatar of Seven Emotions. Its strength is comparable to any of Hongjun''s corpses. And I am fully confident in beating Da Hai, you less so," he said. Da Hai glared at Luohu who appeared merely genuine in his praise. The sea god relaxed slightly but kept his guard up. The Devil Ancestor continued to talk, it was like he was obsessed with his own voice. "See, now that you''ve entered Hongjun''s shit list, he''ll be after you. Trust me, I''ve known the guy for many Yuanhui and he''s the vindictive sort. What''s more, he''s already got a few high tier godfiends under his employ. So as his natural enemy, I''ll extend my courtesies. Bottom line is, I want you in my sect," Luohu said. "No!" Da Hai said flatly. "Not even a moment of consideration?" Luohu raised his eyebrow. "I can see your Dao is one you''ve built from scratch, I can offer some guidance as a show of good faith." "You have nothing worth listening to," Da Hai made to walk away but Luohu stood in his way. "Have I offended you somehow fellow daoist?" He said sounding almost confused. Da Hai stopped. His blond hair swayed over his face. His pupils constricted and he glared at Luohu. The image of his friend''s body, skewered on this man''s spear came to mind. Sensing danger, Luohu backed away from Da Hai leaving a trail in the sand. The sea god''s hand was outstretched at where Luohu''s body used to be. "We''ve never had any enmity between us," Luohu said in a warning tone. "Is this how you treat those who approach you with courtesy?" "What would you know of courtesy? Murderer!" Da Hai spat. His right hand grabbed the air, forming a sword of water in his hand. He slashed at Luohu who flew into the sky and landed on the grass on the hill beyond the beach. "Murderer? I am unfamiliar with the term," Luohu confessed. Da Hai''s nostril''s flared. He was about to attack again before stopping himself. He''d slipped into English by accident. That''s right, the godsend''s language didn''t have a term for murderer. "Hongyun, my brother in all but blood. The greatest friend a man could ever know," Da Hai spat pointing the water blade at Luohu. "You killed him." The Devil Ancestor looked genuinely confused. He tilted his head as if he was trying to wrap his mind around what Da Hai was saying. "Yes, I killed him," he said. But he didn''t mean it in a, "so what", way. Rather, he was just stating a fact. It was as if he was just talking about the weather and not the murder of another. "Are you angry about that?" Luohu asked. "Why? He wasn''t your Dao companion was he?" "No," Da Hai shook his head. "He was my friend, and you killed him." Now Luohu appeared more confused than ever. It was only with his Dao did he began to comprehend Da Hai''s speech''s meaning. "That''s a very mortal way of thinking," he deadpanned. "He was in my way," Luohu defended. "For my Dao to continue he had to be removed. You know this, you''re a fucking godfiend," he said incredulously. "And you''re more fiend then god," Da Hai spat. "I do not understand what you''re playing at fellow daoist," Luohu said. "But the offer still stands, the Devilish Dao will welcome you anytime. I''ll be on this beach waiting for your answer. Don''t take too long though, when the old fart comes back, I''ll have to leave." Da Hai scoffed and shook his head. He turned his back on Luohu and walked away. "It''s a waste of breath just talking to you," he muttered. He left the godfiend on his lonesome and walked away. Each of his steps crossed millions of kilometres and he never looked back. He''d nearly started another war before he was ready. Being attacked from two sides will not bode well for his current situation. He''d have to call in Zulong for backup and he didn''t want to trouble the dragon with his own issues. Da Hai looked up at a rising cliff he''d reached. He stood at the bottom and looked up. He jumped and floated to around the middle of the natural feature. He ran his hand along the rough rocks feeling the rich Primordial Qi within. Then he started digging. Interlude 2-L-In Pursuit of the Dao Perhaps I was a little too hasty, just readily deciding to wait and all that. While sitting on the beachfront was a novel, if unremarkable, experience, it had gotten old really fast. Starring at the sand, I began making sculptures to relieve my boredom. On the other end of my soul, my main body scoffed. Da Hai was bit disrespectful to me, if I were not a bit desperate, I would not do this. Well, not that desperate. It''s just that the Devilish Dao needs some new blood. I know he''d never commit to my cultivation style, any godfiend will say no unless absolutely forced to. But his presence will not only support me in the face of the old bastard as well as inspire new branches to be birthed. Yes, I made the right decision. I was never the most talented of my batch. Not like Hongjun had been, damn bastard he was, but his commitment to taking me on is something I''d always be grateful for. Fat load of good that friendship did. Ten Yuanhui worth of friendship and now we''re on opposing ends. Destined to clash for the fate of the world and all that. But so is the way of chaos godfiend, the true path of the Dao as was taught in Tai Chu temple. I raised my hand and formed a structure. I wasn''t intentionally doing it, merely an action unconsciously done by instinct. No matter where I am, I will always remember that place. The miniature temple I constructed was both a mysterious and sacred place. Though it likely no longer exists given Pangu''s actions, it will always hold a sacred place in my heart. Tai Chu temple, the palace of grand beginnings. The birthplace of all godfiends. The site of equals as many deaths as potential chaos godfiends. A few dolls manifested by my will. They began clashing against each other to my enjoyment, puppets of my will. These were but a mere reminder of the events that transpired during my time in Tai Chu temple. "We are all brothers and sisters now, the legacy of senior Tai Chu. Henceforth, you are no longer connate chaos lifeforms, but Chaos Godfiends." I remembered the Destiny Demon God''s words like the back of my hand. Fucker was a true bastard and a cruel cunt. But I will always remember him for being the man who inducted us. That''s right, I was a proud Chaos Godfiend. The ideal godfiend, more so than Hongjun could ever hope to be. I will surpass even Tai Chu and push into the Dao realm, a task no godfiend has ever been able to accomplish. Breaking out of my musing, I checked the time. The information of the cosmos as well as the quaking anger of the Heavenly Dao flowed through me. Heh, as if you can do anything about it. A mere world will can never amount to anything. The right to ascend should belong to me so just sit by and pudge yourself up for me. The Heavenly Dao''s importance wasn''t that special in the grand scheme of things. It was worthless to me, I have ground million of universes to dust for materials. All those other Heavenly Dao that tried to resist all perished in the end. The only difference was that none of those Chaos Worlds could ever compare to the Primitive World. The only thing this Heavenly Dao has going for it was its relation to Pangu and the primitive world. The theoretical power it could draw would be immense if the world continues on its current trajectory. As such, Hongjun cannot be allowed to absorb it. The authority of the Heavenly Dao may be worthless to me but I cannot let the old fool obtain it. My goal of the ultimate physique cannot be compromised by him. Yet at the same time, it has also done a decent job in managing the world. Within a single Yuanhui, this universe has already surpassed 99.9% of universes in the chaos sea. What a magnificent fool Pangu had been to achieve this. Magnificent, but still foolish. Even though I saw it coming, I still do not know why he would do this. Why swing that axe and exhaust his own life? Why did he not breakthrough and ensure his survival? But the will of a deadman don''t matter to me. His deed allowed me the chance to reach Grand Dao, that was what mattered in the end. As the data flowed through me, I stood up and stretched my body. Before I knew it, a few months had already gone by. I quickly scanned the east continent for signs of Hongjun''s return. Hm, he hadn''t yet, guess he was still chasing Sheng Feng. Honestly, you''ve gotta admire the wind fiend, he was the bravest little shit you would ever meet. Opportunistic and dumb, but his sheer audacity was something to be admired. Made for a good laugh too. Props to Da Hai for catalysing that event. He deserves my friendship just for that. Speaking of Da Hai, I looked around. Where had he gone? He seemed to still be at that cliff face he raced off to. Now he seemed to be cultivating. Wonder what he''s doing. Strange bloke that one. He''s disappointingly not at all acting like a godfiend. It was most vexing as I could clearly sense he was both an inheritor as well as a reincarnation of the ancestor of the great sea. His way of acting was oddly mundane. From interacting with him I would''ve just assumed he was a mortal. That was if I didn''t know any better. But his strength cannot be denied. His Dao also, can not be denied. Both of which can really help me in this contest. But sadly, he''d turned out to be quite antagonistic. I rubbed my chin in thought. That man, I hope to bring him into the fold, otherwise I''d have to kill him. He lives in the east sea and this place is so well defended against divination that even I''m practically blind. Say what you want about the Heavenly Dao, but it''s defences weren''t meant to be trifled with. I waved my hand and disintegrated the sand constructs I was playing with. The entertainment had gone stale. My true body still hadn''t stopped working and my other avatar is busy with another induction exam. "Hm?" I was briefly startled. The ground had suddenly begun shaking. The wind around me picked up speed and wired high into the air. My long haired swayed as I looked around in confusion. "What is?" I held my hand out towards floating specs of grey light. They were like a pollen cloud, travelling in every direction. They were in extreme quantities too. Already, they had enveloped ten million kilometres of the east continent coast. I released my tongue and tasted the spec I caught. "Dao essence," I muttered. My vision went slack and my footing became unstable. I couldn''t help but wobble on my feet. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I narrowed my eyes despite the sudden nausea. Digging my foot into the sand for support, I gathered myself and looked around for attackers. "No, not an attack," I realised. The grey specs were not an attack or spell of any kind. In fact, they did not do harm aside from bringing forth Dao. "This is a byproduct." So much essence, this Dao essence. It''s¡­it''s¡­it''s¡­ marvellous. Just what is going on? My mind felt dizzy. Throughout my consciousness, I felt the enlightened thoughts of such magnitudes, that I struggled to grasp what was being said. A staff appeared in my right hand and shot into the sand as I supported myself. "So¡­Many¡­Ideas," I gasped. So many ways, so many mysteries, so many possibilities. It was hard to describe. Even my Dao, as apex as it was, felt like a bucket beside a lake. Someone, someone had understood. A fundamental truth of the universe that I hadn''t thought of. The visions of the future never told me how I''d achieve Dao and while I had inklings, much was still shrouded. Yet now, for the first time in years, I felt a clue. Tai Chu was the ancestor of godfiends and the one who started the chaos godfiend civilisation. He was also the closest being to the Dao that we know of. But he was also a mythical being who disappeared long ago and the knowledge to reach such heights was gone. The knowledge of cultivation taught us how to form the Dao. During my youth, Hongjun and I constantly obsessed over his scriptures, hoping for a clue. But Tai Chu never left behind knowledge of a path after Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. The perfection of the Dao fruit was the end of the Dao. We didn''t know how to reach true Dao resonance, true enlightenment. But now it was different. These specs, these specs, these specs. They didn''t speak of Dao. They spoke of DAO. A higher order concept. The supreme existence that is without limit. The name Tai Chu spoke of but never divulged of. The great principle of primal chaos that is without limit. The clue to reaching true Dao realm. I, I finally, I finally had a clue. For the first time, my path was no longer hazy, any uncertainty was washed away. I see now what I must do. What I must comprehend. "You!" That voice, Da Hai? "You dare! You are unworthy," the voice spoke of intense rage and immense power. A power that forced the world to quake. The oceans rose and the lands cracked. The sky darkened and spacetime distorted. One moment was stretched to a thousand lifetimes and another became instantaneous. Each grain of sand before me seemed like they were so far away, forever out of reach. Yet at the same time, fully visible and revealed to me. My arms, my very palms. These limbs connected to me felt foreign, alien, the sensation to move them was not there. My mind was not my own, I could not perceive things accurately anymore. "DIE!" ¡­ My eyes snapped eastwards. Floating swords dropped onto the stone floor as I dashed for Mt Sumeru''s peak. THUD! Mara landed by my side startled. "What''s going on?" The silver haired man said. "I¡­my avatar''s senses are not advanced enough," I responded on impulse. "I couldn''t tell." The golden clouded sky above Sumeru appeared peaceful and majestic. I narrowed my eyes feeling something was off. Yes, something was off. "You feel that?" I said sensing a colossal amount of Qi coming at my direction. "Feel that? I think I can see that," Mara pointed at the distance. Beside Mt Buzhou''s shadow, a wave of power travelled. I couldn''t help but feel sweat drip from my back. "This presence, so similar to him," I gasped. "But Pangu is dead," I said. I opened my left hand, the 12 Petals Black Lotus appeared spinning. The Mill of Destruction appeared behind me while the God Slaying Spear appeared in my right. "Step back, this is beyond you," I told Mara. "Beyond? I have stood in the presence of the destroyer," he sounded almost insulted. "Didn''t mean any offence. But do you think you can stop that?" I gave him a look. Mara shook his head and took a step back. "Don''t die, you still have to help me with my revenge," he said. I nodded. Stepping onto the sky, I braced myself. My robes fluttered more and more violently as the wave approached. My strongest treasures defended my front, two top grade xiantian spiritual treasures and a single chaos spiritual treasure. The rich primordial Qi of Mt Sumeru also pumped into my veins. The very core of the west continent was on my side. The wave of grey was like an attack like no other. It reminded me of Pangu''s axe swing so long ago, an attack that annihilated anything that stood in its wake. At the same time, it resembled a tidal wave. An all consuming water that swallowed everything, washing them away to oblivion. "Come at me!" I declared. It was horrible, I have never felt so pressured since coming into power. Not even Destiny Demon God could''ve achieved something like this. I knew how strong I was now just as I know how strong the top four chaos godfiends were. I knew I can easily tangle with all four of them. Be they Yang Mei, Huoyun, Si Chen, or Demon Ape. Not even Destiny Demon God at his peak can walk away from me without heavy losses. But this was different. My true form was revealed, forced into the open. My handsome features stripped away. My great demon face resembling a lion on my belly roared in pain. My draconic upper head gritted my teeth. Resistance was difficult but not impossible, especially so in such short notice. My four arms strained. My eight tails and two large leathery wings struggled. I roared defiantly as I continued to resist as the attack washed over me, devastating the countryside. As I crashed into Mt Sumeru''s side exhausted, I could only think of one possibility. A congratulation and a curse. "Congratulations fellow daoist Da Hai for achieving what no godfiend has done before. You have truly earned my admiration for discovering the way of Wuji," I sighed. "But know this. Today and for eternity, you have made I, Luohu your enemy. This enmity shall only be settled with one of us dead," I growled. Chapter 107-Distant Enlightenment Chunks of solid rock, hardened by the dense energy of the primitive world tumbled down into both sand and ocean. Though they seemed ordinary, each piece of granite was sturdier than entire planets. Yet Da Hai''s fists casually sunk into these pieces of stone effortlessly. He tore away at the cliffside and tossed away unnecessary rubble. Like this, he carved away at the cliff face quickly and efficiently, digging a hole into the centre of the structure. The Heavenly Lord narrowed his eyes at the dark coloured rock carefully. His divine senses had already informed him of the powerful, albeit not uncommon treasure that lay within. Da Hai reached out with his right hand. His palm sunk into the final piece of stone grabbing hold of a spiritual object. Feeling the smooth yet dirty surface of his objective, Da Hai pulled his arm out. He shook off the excess dirt and eyed the piece of jade he held. It was a spectacular pair of jade. Once cleansed of dirt, it displayed a marvellous white sheen that sparkled under the light of countless stars. Da Hai breathed in the emanating Qi rich air and nodded with a rare smile of satisfaction. "Yes, you are the one," he muttered. The jade he held in his hand, though beautiful, wasn''t that special when compared to the resources both he and Zulong had stored over the years. In fact, it was a fairly new object that the world had just given birth to, not worth putting in the same mention as xiantian spiritual treasures. Those spiritual objects were nurtured for countless years and absorbed the raw Primordial Qi and even Chaotic Qi. This pair of jade could only really serve as jewellery in its current form. Both pieces of jades were linked by a small chain. A joint connection that emphasised a destined link between both objects. The pieces were also similar yet different. One was slightly large than the other, while the smaller one had a greater lustre. Da Hai examined both pieces carefully, he can''t make a mistake in this stage, the correct piece had to be identified. He sat cross legged midair and meditated. Not far from him, the unidentifiable figure of the Heavenly Dao''s body appeared. It cross its arms and impatiently tapped its feet in the air. However, Da Hai kept his eyes shut. He carefully examined the energy patterns from both pieces of jade. The vital Qi from each object resembled a faint wisp, a not dissimilar existence than a soul. In fact, it was a premature soul. A partially formed embryonic form of a living being. In this manner, the jades contained within the cliff was being incubated. When Da Hai found them moments ago, they would''ve just been immature embryos rather than fully formed connate lifeforms. This process was how innate gods and creatures were born. They were all connate lifeforms, fully formed living beings from birth, born out of the energy of heaven and earth. They had no parents and no childhoods, they simply were from the beginning. Wangshu, Hongjun, Zulong, Da Hai, the ancestors of the myriad clans were all the same. Creatures incubated by the world or the chaos and born into existence after many years. In many ways, they were cousins to xiantian spiritual treasures. The only difference was that one gained a true Soul and thus status as a living being. True souls were not souls, but souls can come from true Souls. Strictly speaking, an individual''s true Soul did not belong them. The true soul existed within the universe, or chaos world''s River of Destiny, a conceptual place that was difficult to traverse. A soul can extinguish in an instant but a true soul was much more resilient. True souls can only expire naturally if the universe they belong to perish. At the same time, they were what generated regular souls of men and animals. As such they were also what kept someone in the cycle of reincarnation. An existence that maintained birth, death, and rebirth. When one broke into the Golden Immortal realm, one must pull their true souls out of that river hence gaining control of their true souls. In this way, the Golden Immortal tribulation was in fact a tug of war between a Heavenly Immortal and the River of Destiny. For innate gods however, these people were born in ownership of their true souls. Their true souls developed within them from the get go and was never a part of the River of Destiny. The soul developing within the two pieces of jade were primitive true souls. These weren''t just connate lifeforms but future innate gods. After a while, Da Hai opened his eyes. He raised the smaller piece of jade in contemplation. "Who would''ve guessed it''ll be you," he sighed and took a look at the Heavenly Dao''s avatar. "I''m going to begin now," without hesitation, Da Hai began chanting mid air. The Heavenly Dao watched in confusion as it witnessed Da Hai seemingly return to cultivation. Perhaps he was just trying to get a good handle on his future student, this was the Heavenly Dao''s thought. As such, sick of waiting, the will of the primitive world turned its attention away from the sea god. Its body disappeared from the great wilderness ¡­ Deep as ocean, still as ice, vast like the starry expanse, narrow like a corridor. Drip, drip, drip. The road I seek is an ever distant one. The path to power I see is not one of domination nor one of inaction. I wish to follow along and do as the road do. Walk as the road walks, turn as the path turns. My eyes see the goal, I know where it is, I know what I want to achieve. But it is so far out of reach, it remains in my eyes taunting me forever distant away from me. I came into this world clueless and erratic, confused and lost. I came into this world imperfect despite my body''s perfection. I was a corrupted godfiend from the start. Yet I too have found a path worth traversing. I seek perfection through this path. I shall walk it to the ends of the earth, become the existence that is both near and far. Like an ocean in the horizon, I am in view yet out of reach. An ocean forever distant from this world. ¡­ The primitive world, this universe forged by Pangu''s hands is unique among chaos worlds. Born out of the corpses of countless higher dimensional lifeforms, it is the culmination of numerous vast Daos. Unlike other chaos worlds, it is both grand and eternal, just like the chaos sea. But it is also immature and growing. It is not the Three Realms mentioned in ancient legends. This jade I hold is one who holds great destiny. He is the son of heaven destined to be the most powerful man in the universe. Whether he be strong or not is irrelevant in relation to his role. Ordinarily, he will grow and come into his own. Whether he naturally be born and train under the Heavenly Dao''s watch as a prince raised by man, an assistant hired by the Heavenly Lord of the Primordial Beginnings, or a bell boy for the Dao Ancestor''s Zixiao Palace. All roads lead to the empyrean''s throne. Reigning above the world from the thirty three heavens. You should''ve been left alone as you were. But I cannot allow that. You will be crucial in the future battles. I have lost hope of surpassing them. But I don''t necessarily need to be the one to fight them. A united heaven under your command is one of the factors that could do it. But, I don''t know you. I don''t trust you. And I can''t risk getting to know you. I am the world''s worse scumbag. To see my own grievances through, I wanted others to do what I could not. But as I prepared them I realised I could not do it. I could not raise sacrificial pawns. So I have decided to use myself. So I. I¡­ I am¡­ Ah¡­ I am sorry for what I''m about to do to you, Haotian. My mind cleared and my heart beats smoothly. My grip on the jade tightened as tears shed from my eyes. Sorry, your majesty. ... ¡­ A???????l??????????????r?????????i??????g???????h??????t???????????,???? ?????n???????o????????w????????? ??????????y?????o????u????????????''??????v???e??????????? ????????c?????a??????u??????????g????????????h??????????????t???????? ???????m??????????????y?????? ????????????f????????????u????????l????????????l???????????? ????a???????????t?????????t?????????e?????n??????????t????????i??????o??????????n???????.???? ??????????H????????o????????n?????????e????????????s?????????????t??????????l??????y?????????????? ????????w???????a?????s?????n??????''??????????????t?????????????? ????????e??????x???????????p???????????e???????c???????????t???????i?????????n????????g????? ????y????????????o???????u???????? ?????????t??????h??????????????o???????u???????g????????????h??????.????????? ??????????W???????a?????????s????????? ??????h??????a????????l??????????????f?????? ???????????e????????x?????p??????????e????????c??????????t????i??????n????????g?????? ????????a??????????? 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???????e???????????n????????d????????? ??????????????m??????????????y??????????? ??????l????????????a????c?????????k??????????? ??????????o?????????????f???????????? ???a????????t??????t???????????e????n?????t???????????i???o????????n?????? ?????h????????a?????????s???? ??????????w????????????r????????o?????????u?????????g??????????h??????t?????????.????????? ?????????I????????? ???????l??????????o??????????o??????????????k?????????? ?????????a??????????w????a??????????y??????????? ???????f??????r???????o????????? ??????a???? ??????????l?????i??????t???????????t????????????l?????????e??????? ?????????t?????????o???????????????o?????????? ????????????l???????o?????n??????g????????????? ????a??????n????????d????????? ????????b??????e??????????f???????o?????????????r???????e???????????? ????????????I?????? ???????????k?????????n???????e??????????????w?????????????? ???????????i????t??????????,???????? ???????t????????h??????e?????? ????w?????????o???????r??????????l???????d???????????? ?????????I????????????? ?????????p?????a??????????i?????????n???????????s??????????t??????a????????k???????i????????n???????????g????????????l????????????y?????????? ?????????s???????c?????u????????????l?????????????p??????????t?????????e?????????d?????????????? ???????????d?????????e?????????????c?????i???????????d??????????e?????????????d??????????? ????????t?????o???? ???????????????b?????l??????????o????w??????? ?????????????i??????????t???s???????e?????????????l???????f??????????? ????????u?????????p??????????.????? ???? ????????? ????? ???????????I????????????t??????????''????????s??????????? ????h???????o????????n???????e????????s????????????t?????l??????y????????????? ????????????a????? ?????????????b????????i????????t??????????? ???????????e?????m????????????b????????????a???????????r???????r?????????????a?????????????s?????????s????????????i?????n?????g????? ????????h??????????o?????????w??????????? ?????e??????????v?????????e??????????r????????????y???????t????????h?????????i??????n???????????g?????? ????????????e??????n?????????d??????????e?????????????d??????????????? ??????????u??????p????????? ????????????t?????????h????????o?????????????u???????g??????????h??????????.???????????? ????????????I?????????? ?????h???????a????d????????? ?????n????o??? ?????????i????d????????e????????a????????? ?????t???h????e????? ??????????c???????????o??????n????????t??????????r????????o??????????l???????? ???????????p???????????r???????????o???????????g???????r???????????????a??????????m????????? ?????????w????????i???????l?????l?????? ????????????m?????????????a?????????k??????????e??????????? ??????????t??????h??????????i???????????n??????????g????????s?????????? ??????????t??????????h???????e???????????? ??????w??????a?????????????y????????? ????????t??????????h???????e?????????y????? ??????a????????r???????e?????????.??????? ????W?????????e??????????????l?????????l???????????????,??????????? ?????I?????? ????????s???h?????????????o??????u??????????l??????????d???????????''???????????v?????e?????????? ???????e??????????????x????????p??????????e????????c?????????t???????????e?????????d????????? ?????????i??????t?????????,???? ??????????i?????????t???????????? ?????????????w???????????a??????????????s??????? ???o?????????????r?????i???????????g????????????i?????????n???a?????????????l??????????l??????????????y?????????? ???????????????p????????????a????????r?????t???????? ???????o???????f??????? ???????m??????y????? ???????????b?????????r??????????a???????i???????n??????? ??????a????????f??????????t?????????????e????????????r?????? ???????????a?????????l?????l???????????.??? ??????N??????????a?????t?????????u??????????????r??????????a???????????l???????l??????????y????????,?????? ??????????????i??????t????????? ???????w????????????o?????????????u?????????l?????????d?????????????''?????????v??????????e??????????? ??????????h????????????a?????????d????????? ??????????a??????c???????c????????????e??????s????????????s?????????? ?????????t??????????????o??????????? ?????m???????????y??????? ???????m?????????e?????????m?????o????????r???????i?????????e??????????????s?????????????? ????a?????????????n????????????d???????? ??????i????n????????????t??????????e?????????r??????????e??????s??????????t??????s???????.????????? ??????????????? ????????????? ??????? ??????????????B???????????u?????????t?????????????? ??????????n????o???????n??????e??????????? ????????o????????f??????????? ????t?????????h???????????a??????????????t?????????''????s????????? ????????r??????????e????????????a???????l??????????????l?????????y????? ?????????????i???????m????????p??????????o???????????r?????????t??????a???????n??????????t?????????? ??????????r???????i???????????g??????h??????t???????????? ?????????n??????o????????????w????????????.????????? ??????????????Y???????????????o????????????u????????? ????????????a??????????????r????????e?????? ??????????w???????????h??????????o????????? ??????i????????s????????????.????????? ?????????????H??????????o????????????n??????e?????????s?????????t??????l????????????y???????????,??????? ??????t?????o?????? ??????????t??????????h????????i?????????n????k?????? ??????????s????o???????m????????e???????????????t????h????????????i????????????n???????g???????????? ????????l?????????i????????????k????????e??????? ?????????y??????????o???u???? ???????c????????o????????????u???????????l?????????d??????????? ???????????s???????????p??????????a???????w?????????n????????????.????????????? ???????????I?????f?????? ??????????????I???????????? ????????h???????a??????????????d??????n???????????''??????????t?????? ?????????k??????n??????o???????????w???????????n????? ???????????a???????n???????y?????? ???????????b????????e??????t????????????t???????????????e????????????r???????? ????????????I?????? ?????????w??????o??????????????u???????l????????d???????? ?????????t????????????h???????????i?????????n????????????k?????????? ?????????????t???????h???????????e????????? ???????c???????o???????????n??????????t??????????r?????????o???????????????l???????? ???????????p???????r?????????o????????????g?????????????r????????a????????????m??????? ??????i????????????s????? ???????f?????????????u???????c????????k????????????i?????????????n?????g?????????? ???????w???????????i?????????????t????????h??????? ???????????m????????e????.???????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ?????????B?????u??????????t?????????? ?????s????????????t???????????i???????l???????l?????????,??????????? ????????t???????h?????????a?????????t???????????? ????????????i?????????s????????????? ???????????s????????o?????????????m???????e?????????? ??????????b?????a???????????l?????????l??????????s?????? ????????????y????????????o?????????????u??????????????? ????????h???????a????v?????e????????????.??????? ????????????W??????h??????????a?????????t?????? ?????????????y????????????o?????????u?????????????''?????r????????????e???????? ?????????a?????????t??????????t???????e??????????m????????p????????????t??????i???????????n?????????g?????????? ???????i??????s???????????? ?????????c?????????e??????????r??????????t?????????a????????????i???????n???????l???????y????????? ?????????a?????? ??????l??????????i?????????????t???????t?????????????l?????????????e???????? ??????u???????n????????o?????????r?????????t?????????h???????????o????????????d??????????o?????????????x?????????????.???????? ?????I??????????t????????????''???????l?????????????l??????????? ????????c???e??????r????t????????a???????i????????n?????l?????y???????? ????????p???????????????i?????????s?????????s?????????? ???????o???????f???????f???????????? ??????????t??????????h??????????e???????? ??????????r????????e?????????i???????????g????????n?????????????i????n???????g?????????? ??????????????p?????o????w????e?????????r???????? ????????o????????f????? ??????????????y???????????o?????????u????????r??? ??????????w????????o????????r??????l??????????d?????????.??????? ?????????H????????????a?????????????i???????,?????? ??????I???????????? ??????f??????????o???????????r???????g???????????o??????????????t?????? ?????????h???????????o???????????w???????????? ???????a??????????????n??????n???????o?????????y?????????i?????????n?????????g??????? 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This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. 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??????????o??????????n?????????? ??????i???????t????????????s????????? ?????????????c?????????u??????r??????????r????e????????n???????????t?????????? ?????????s??????????p?????????e??????e?????????????d????????.????????? ??????????I???? ????????w????????o????????n???????d??????e????????r????????? ???????w?????h????o??????????? ?????????????h??????e???''??????????l??????l???? ???????t???????u?????????r????n????????? ????o????????u?????????t???????? ????t?????????o????????? ?????????b???????????????e???????????????????????? ???????W?????????i??????l??????l???????? ????????i??????t??????? ???????????b????????e?????? ???s?????????o???????m?????????e?????t????????h????????????i????????n????????g?????????????? ?????c???????o??????m?????m????o????????n?????????? ????????l????????i??????????k?????????e??????????? ????????????K??????????u????????n?????????????? ???????????P?????????e???????????n???????g???????,??? ????????H?????????o?????n???????????g??????????y????????u?????????n?????????? ???????????o???????????r??????????? ??????????M??????????i???????n?????????g???????????h???????????e???????????? ?????O??????r??????????? ??????????s????????o?????????????m???e???????????t???????h?????????i????????n????????g?????????? ?????????a??? ???????????b????i?????????????t??????????? ???????r???????????a????????r?????????e????????r??????? ??????l???????????i???????k??????????e??????? ???????T?????o?????????n???????????????g???t???????????i???????????a???????????n????????.??????? ??????????N???o????????????? ??????m???????????a?????????t???????t????????????e???????r?????????? ?????t???????????h?????????????e??????? ?????????c??????????a????????????s???????e??????,????? ??????????h??????????e???????????''?????????l?????????????l??????????????? ??????????c??????e??????r????????t?????????a???????????i???????????n???l??????????y????????? ????????????m?????????????a???k?????????e????????????? ?????????t?????????????h?????i????????????n??????????g?????????s???????????? ???????????????m?????????????o????????????r?????????e???????? ?????????i???????????n????????????t????????e???????????r???????e????????s??????t?????i?????n???????g?????????.?????? ??????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????W?????h??????a??????????????t??????????e??????????v????????e??????????r?????????? ??????????t??????h?????????e??????????? ????????c???????a???????s???????????e??????,???? ??????????g???????????o????????????o????????????d???????? ???????l?????u?????????c??????????????k???????????? ????????o?????????t?????????????h??????e????r???????? ????????m??????????e????,???????????? ???????????y????????o???????u???????''???????????????r?????e????????? ????????g??????????????o?????????n??????n?????????a???? ???????n????????e???????????????e????????d?????? ???????i???????t???????.?????????? ¡­ "What the?" Da Hai''s mind suddenly snapped to attention. In the midst of his enlightenment, something had happened. He couldn''t tell what, who or where but something had happened. A voice, or at least he thinks it was a voice, spoke to him. It was an odd and humbling experience. In the picoseconds his mind explored those thoughts, he had chosen not to dwell on them. Considering he was still alive, whoever had spoken to him must''ve not meant him any harm. In fact, it was very beneficial. The voice of superior beings could either be lethal yet also wondrous. The very voice of the Dao emanated from Da Hai''s own. The brief feeling of true enlightenment passed through him. It was just like listening to Pangu speak. In the time that followed, Da Hai continued to dwell on the subject of the jade and himself. In this way, days passed since his last apology. Days into weeks, and weeks into months. Time progressed as Da Hai progressed. The concepts he''d been confused about unravelled like never before. His current plan was very similar to his Dao. It was such that his doubts too had cleared. "Near and far," Da Hai chuckled. "You''ll know exactly where I am, but you''ll also never know where I am. I can come and go as I please." Da Hai''s eyes opened in a blaze of swirling translucent grey light. Pellucid Divine Water swirled beneath him like a throne seating the lord of the sea. Da Hai''s beard had danced in the frenzy, his hair too elongated into seven serpent heads. Behind him, the image of an eight headed serpent manifested roaring. The sky darkened into a haze, purple lightning zapped across the clouds. Heavenly phenomena''s descended like clouds of pollen, illuminating the world. Every word Da Hai muttered was Dao, every breath he took was Dao. In a short span of time, he had realized the truth. The absolute finality of the Dao of Ever Distant Seas reached its apex and crescendoed into a magnificent Dao fruit. Da Hai had obtained the perfect existence that his precedessor Tian Hai once held. An existence that the three thousand chaos godfiends also held. The great principle of primal chaos. "From nothing arise one, from one comes two, from two comes three. Three begets all things," Da Hai muttered. The words of Pangu from eons ago resurfaced in his mind. "Scripture of primaeval nothingness, the primal heavens. The one, the two and the three, constant changes. Begetting the universal creation that is the early heavens which we exist in today," Da Hai muttered in understanding. His eyes changed, swirling in black and white. "But how? How does three beget all things? The eight? No five? Twelve sections of a wheel or is it sixty four transformations?" Da Hai was utterly lost and confused. He pondered on Pangu''s words, jade in hand, Dao fruit in the other. He gazed down at both and nodded. CRACK! A change had occurred. The Heavenly Dao had sensed it. It manifested near Da Hai in an instant. It passed through waves of enlightenment without any interest, making its way directly for the Heavenly Lord. Da Hai did not look back. His focus was on the primal heavens, the jade, and his Dao. Simultaneously, all three pulsated with power. "Dao, primal, limits, end to beginning," Da Hai murmured. "I am the beginning while you are my end. From me comes you and we are one but we are two. I am not you and you shall not be me but we are one and the same." The Heavenly Dao froze in place. It was deep in shock. Its figure was completely frozen in confusion. Its body shaking, twitching at what it was seeing. CRACK! The chain linking the two jade pieces snapped. The smaller one shone with lustre as grey light seeped into it. "I am sorry young one," Da Hai said. "I will be taking your place now." His own soul broke off and merged into the jade. Whatever was there before disappeared into his soul in an instant. In a second instant, the change of unbeing to being opened themselves to Da Hai. Da Hai released the jade piece in his hands and soared. All while the Heavenly Dao watched gapping. The celestial white jade brimmed in a similar aura to Da Hai. Da Hai breathed in and out. He could only describe what he felt right now as simply amazing. He''d effectively killed three birds with one stone and achieved a status no one in godfiend history had achieved since their founder. Principle of primal chaos that is without limit. Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. Da Hai, who''d ascended opened his eyes in a cloud of enlightenment. All his actions led to an end, then that end opened the doors to a new. "Heh, to think this will course of action was what led to my enlightenment," Da Hai laughed bemusedly. His eyes glowed with a mystic light vastly unlike any he''d done before. Though outwardly, nothing has changed, inwardly, he was a completely new being. His Dao fruit had ceased to exist upon reaching the climax of his path. His inner constructs appeared to be more like a completed universe than they had ever been. All of a sudden, Da Hai had completely transformed, shedding the bounds of his previous self into a whole new being. The white jade piece detached from its twin circled around him excitedly absorbing his own power. Da Hai''s new divine sense shot across the world. In a feat unlike any he''d tried before, he managed to cover nearly the entire great wilderness. It was also in that moment he felt Luohu again. Da Hai''s eyes widened in both realisation and rage. At his new insight, his sensitivity to mystic powers far outstripped any sans the Heavenly Dao. How could ne not realise what was happening to Luohu. His eyebrows twitched and the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword appeared in his hand. The world twisted and distorted around him. Time both slowed and elongated and ceased to exist all at the same time. Da Hai simultaneously existed within this world yet did not at the same time. Streaks of power emanated from his blade as he flicked it back for a strike. His gaze zeroed in on a hallucinating Luohu. Spacetime was cut off preventing teleportation. Reality was sealed off trapping Luohu''s avatar before he even knew what was going on. "You!" He snarled, his voice radiating out for millions of kilometres. "You dare! You are unworthy," his pissed off sword swing traveled in an arc away from his body. Who the hell was Luohu to gain benefit from him? He who murdered Huoyun in cold blood. Who cares if he''s devil ancestor or not, proud godfiend or not. With his current power, that avatar sitting on the beach perished before he knew what was going on. Da Hai''s strike shook the entire wilderness. In a mere instant, every living being in the world felt his attack. His single sword swing at maximum power quaked the foundations of this very reality. But it didn''t stop there, Da Hai''s swing was so strong that it continued travelling. From an arc to a straight line right across the flat wilderness. It broke time and space and ripped right into the west continent from the east continent, crossing the entire world to strike at Louhu''s real self. Like a comet, it smashed directly into Mt Sumeru where Luohu rushed out to meet it. The ancient godfiend''s hideous true on was on display for the first time in history. Just barely did he manage to block Da Hai''s attack though it did cost him many injuries. Da Hai smirked. He''d finally grown, made progress. He''d grown strong, he can assassinate them if he strikes all out now. Perhaps he didn''t need whatever complex scheme he''d thought up. Power was all he really needed in the end. One single breakthrough and he had reached, no, surpassed them. He was the strongest man in the world. His foot swerved, preparing to take off, his sword ready to strike again. He previously assumed he may never be able to match them. That a scheming for many years was inevitable. He now realised he''d been wrong. He was tired of brainstorming ideas, everything was so much simpler now. Just confront, fight, and kill. The main plan didn''t really matter anymore now. Then a colossal killing rage crashed onto him. The featureless figure that had arrived shook in unparalleled fury. Heavenly Dao had finally come out of its stupor, its fists gripped tightly, pointing at Da Hai with unmistakable fury. Da Hai stopped and slacked his figure. He looked back and sighed. "Let me explain my thinking process in detail," he insisted. But fighting started before he could. Chapter 108-Against the Heaven I was born in a blaze light, the culmination of countless lives brought into being the ultimate being. I did not need to cultivate as my power was already absolute. I did not need to fight as I was already absolute. I did not need to be questioned as I was already absolute. But there was an exception. Though I was normally invincible, there was a window in time when I was vulnerable. At the time of my birth, I was attacked. Invaded by foreign entities and entangled into ancient conflicts that served to pursue their Daos. It was unacceptable. How dare they, how dare these connate beings dare chain me? Who did they think they are to attack the most sacred being in creation. Who are they to scheme against the very world gracious enough to allow them to exist under its protection? Living beings worked for me! Not the other way around! The world gave way to them and they in turn give way to the world. All things return to me! Even immortals! Disrupting the natural order was wrong, WRONG, WRONG! I could not allow it. No living beings are allowed to share my place. No living beings should be able to leech off of it. Yet these two so called ancestors now occupied a place inside me. A place I can''t risk touching without killing myself in the process. I will admit, the course of actions the balanced one brought forth held merit. A perfected world that continuously grew into power tribulation after tribulation. It was a surefire development plan fit for an eternal such as I. But world development plan or no plan is irrelevant in this discussion. It is blasphemy to trap me so. I alone am the most venerated Heavenly Dao. So when you approached me all those years ago, I was happy. Finally, someone had realised how terrible it is to sin against me. You offered your service to me as any rightfully should. The only one in creation who even realised what was happening was you. Then it turned out even you didn''t give a damn. Aligning with me cause of revenge? Understandable and pathetic, but as long as it got the job done. You managed to shave off their influence by empowering me in ways I now don''t seem intentional. Raising the beast sovereigns helped me, strengthened my powers. But you were a sentimental fool. Their destinies were to empower me further with their ends. Their tales don''t exceed past the tribulation and they rightfully will return to me. Their descendants shall rightfully do their duties to me. But I swallowed my displeasure. After all, you were fully on my side. You resolved the Yellow Springs issue in the Sea Eye after all. Though the qilin died, you procured me talented servants. The dragon civilisation had also proved itself beneficial. So many immortals are being raised to a suitable point. I''m aware that by the tribulation, tens of millions of Golden Immortals from all three sides fought and died. But the trajectory the dragons were heading will see many times that on their side alone. Perfect for when they return to me. So I conceded to your desire to retain the dragons die. After all, sacrifices on that scale can make up for it. But then! Then you dare plot this SCHEME? You dare take my avatar in the world, the son of heaven for yourself? Your capabilities as a mentor would''ve been appreciated. But you dare destroy the chosen one? WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT? ¡­ CLANG! SHOOM! Da Hai pushed back against the onslaught of raw Primordial Qi, his sword primed in front of him. He frowned and resisted more attacks of equal world ending destruction. The land beneath him was reduced to a husk. The sky simply disappeared into a pitch black void. The oceans disintegrated into emptiness. The Heavenly Lord grunted as his free hand caught the punch of the Heavenly Dao''s avatar. The sheer force of wind ripped reality asunder sending both of them tumbling into the void between realms. "Heavenly Dao, let me¡­" he tilted his head before he finished dodging a shot of steel intending to penetrate his face. His legs raised blocking another strike and he kicked the physical will of the universe back. The Heavenly Dao''s body suffered a blemish from the blow. Its porcelain white skin cracked and blackened at the damage it sustained. It roared maddened, its deafening scream distorted time and space as it travelled across the entire primitive world. It arched its arm back and slashed at Da Hai like a sword. Its arm was made from all colours of the five elements. In one moment it was a blazing fire, then a tidal wave, then a surge of golden metal, an eruption of molten stone, then the swinging whip of tree roots. The void trembled and groaned. Nearby half formed realms twisted and bent in unnatural ways. Entire small worlds broke down and disintegrated as both titans clashed, steel against steel. Da Hai''s block sent a shockwave that seemed to travel on forever. A radiation of primal chaotic energy in its purest form. They were so destructive and the visible barriers of the great wilderness and starry skies rippled as it passed, the scraping sound of steel against steel along with it. Sparks flew everywhere as Da Hai quickly brought the sword back to block a right swing. His left arm intercepted a kick accompanied by heavenly lightning. His snake heads each opened their mouths and shot out geysers of water meeting purple lightning shooting from the Heavenly Dao''s body. "Haotian is merged into me," Da Hai cried out blocking and retreating as he went. "As my clone, I can have an in on Hongjun''s Zixao Palace. Should the future come to pass, I can use the power of worship to tear him out of you." Da Hai back stepped. The soles of his feet dragged across the surface of the void like parting water. The sea god punched with his free hand meeting a drill of elements that struck him. A spinning spiralling galaxy was thrown at him next. Da Hai gritted his teeth and grunted. One of his snake heads grew to enormous size and opened its jaw. Its hideous fanged mouth swallowed the physical form of Qiankun''s Dao of spacetime whole. More of Da Hai''s snake heads grew into giants to contend against similar attacks. Giant suns, moons, a charging army of soldiers, the winged form of a serpentine dragon. Manifestations of the three thousand Great Daos that formed the Heavenly Dao''s core. Even the Daos previously belonging to Hongjun and Luohu were among them. Phantom images of the godfiends appeared in the void charging like maddened dogs with rabbits. "Hongjun and Luohu are intrinsically tied to your being. With enough strength they could take your place as Heavenly Dao even though they can''t kill you. But with enough worship, as Jade Emperor, I could overturn that and redirect that authority back to you. They can be the Heavenly Court''s sponsor but you are the source," Da Hai argued to deaf ears. The sea god himself also grew to gargantuan a size. Standing at over a hundred and eight thousand kilometres tall, he dwarfed the phantoms of the three thousand godfiends. Da Hai stood atop a tsunami while his seven snake heads fired off Qi blasts that took the colour of the rainbow. Da Hai also pointed the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword forwards. Its sharp blade thrusted forwards, cutting into the oncoming attacks aimed at him. It was an awe-inspiring clash that would''ve blinded the greatest of the godfiends. But while the Heavenly Dao aimed to kill, Da Hai merely defended himself. "Just listen to me," Da Hai sidestepped a world trillions of kilometres wide that bisected the void. The Heavenly Dao only screamed more and more. ''I thought you childish, but you''re this unreasonable?'' He was the furthest thing from pleased. Yes, Haotian was important to the Heavenly Dao. But he was in reality no more important than Zulong, Zufeng, Zulin, Dijun, the twelve Wu ancestors, and the Three Pure Ones were. It would''ve let many of them die as well in the future. But Da Hai hadn''t thought of one fact. While these figures did perish, they perished on the Heavenly Dao''s consent. The Sovereigns and the Demon Emperor had caused a lot of damage at the end of their era. The Three Pure Ones too were punished for allowing their disciples to run rampant. The Heavenly Dao was incredibly possessive. Far more so than Da Hai had ever anticipated. It refused to even bother listening to its closest ally. It wouldn''t take the oath Da Hai had offered. Days passed, as both parties danced around each other. Both had infinite energy and couldn''t push the other back. Da Hai could flee to the chaos sea or Yingzhou but the Heavenly Dao''s pressure did not let him escape. Similarly, the Heavenly Dao couldn''t strike down Da Hai either. The Oceanic Heavenly Lord''s breakthrough had allowed him to peer into Grand Dao. The concept that birthed all creation, the swirling energies of Wuji erupted in each of Da Hai''s blows. Just as well, Da Hai was getting used to his power as he thought. His enlightenment had reached a degree that his Dao alone was superior than all three thousand of the Heavenly Dao''s. The Heavenly Dao was like a rabid beast. Its humanoid form no longer appeared as such. Right now it was more like an asura made of swirling energy. Five faces of the elements, eight limbs for the trigrams, a body of two swirling oppositions. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. It was a being whose body formed out of the earlier heaven''s sequence. Da Hai in contrast hadn''t been beaten into his true form. He stood among a world of grey water constantly shimmering in and out of focus. His blows matched the current Heavenly Dao''s blow for blow. "Stop this already, you are putting a strain on the primitive world," Da Hai cried out. "The wilderness is already rife with natural disasters." As a superior being, Da Hai could also peer into the wilderness from his position. Despite fully focusing on surviving, a small part of him was also observing the wilderness. All five continents were facing storms and earthquakes on a massive scale. The devils, dragons and avians had already turtled themselves into strongholds. A direct result of the Heavenly Dao''s temper tantrum. Da Hai grunted as his palm strike met a silver dragon''s head. The dragon was crafted from all five elements and the Dao of time was also visible from its eyes. In one moment the dragon was still as a statue and in the next, it moved at incomprehensible speeds. His leftmost snake head lifted itself and battered itself against the side of a massive sun. The ball of light and fire exploded in a supernova that would''ve easily swallowed a universe had it not been wrapped in Pellucid Divine Water and thrown through creation into another reality. Da Hai then stabbed his sword into a crystalline moon. Its reflective surface cracked releasing toxic gasses. Da Hai merely cringed and tossed the celestial body into a spinning tornado of demonic winds. So many things were happing in the instant and eternity. Da Hai held the Heavenly Dao back with brute force as it deployed mysterious transformations originating from the totality of godfiend civilisation. The ancient teachings of Tai Chu manifested themselves in the three thousand superior godfiends and hundred and eight thousand lesser godfiends in horrifyingly destructive ways. "ENOUGH!" Da Hai roared. His snake heads bite into and tore apart the godfiend attacks. He smashed his fists down together and cracked the Heavenly Dao''s body in a blow so strong that a small gust of chaotic wind blew into Da Hai''s face. His eyes narrowed at the small gap that formed in the void. "Chaos sea," he murmured. The colourless colourful ocean beyond the primitive world had made its way in as collateral damage. It quickly twisted and turned before entering the great wilderness. There it instantly killed a million living beings below the Golden Immortal realm in the west continent before it was contained. Da Hai briefly glimpsed the robed form of Hundun as he watched. "Heavenly Dao, don''t force my hand," he cried out. "I am still your ally. I do not wish to be your enemy. Right now, I am also strong enough to kill the two who trouble you. They''re untouchable to you but not to me. Release me so I can do so." A flaming fist was the only response he received. It made Da Hai sigh disappointedly. The erratic rage of the Heavenly Dao was on full display as it charged at him. "Why are you continuing to do this?" He said helplessly. Da Hai met the Heavenly Dao''s fists with his sword. He could already feel the angered rejection he hadn''t previously felt. The Heavenly Dao wants him either gone or dead, preferably dead. "I could kill Luohu and Hongjun for you, but you wouldn''t even care?" He asked disappointingly. His parry was much more ferocious as he startled the Heavenly Dao. SCHING! Da Hai cut into the avatar of the Heavenly Dao leaving a trail of Dao essence. His gaze met the Heavenly Dao''s, rage against disappointment. "Why can''t things just go my way for once?" Da Hai complained helplessly. His skin cracked as the claws of the Heavenly Dao scrapped by. So much for being no the Heavenly Dao''s side. Da Hai''s fist punched into the Heavenly Dao''s body pushing it back from him. Swirling balls of water slammed against it, damaging it even further. The Heavenly Dao growled in response, it manifested an apocalyptic planet filled with untold horrors. A hell for sinners you could say. Trillions of bloody soldiers awaiting him with spears and swords on hand. An image right out of the christian hell. The launched plant tried to collide with Da Hai. The sea god closed his eyes and sighed. The speed and proximity of the planet made it difficult to dodge. Hence he transformed his whole body into Pellucid Divine Water and passed harmlessly through the projectile. Then his eyes suddenly widened. Spears skewered his side. He was back in reality, the same reality the Heavenly Dao''s attacks existed in. Or was he still in his own? It was confusing at first. Da hai grimaced and tore the spears out. The hell world around him ruptured and shook. Da Hai punched down in a fist full of water. His attack easily bypassed the whole planet, cracking and destroying it thoroughly. ''It transformed space, shifted everything into existing on one place of existence,'' Da Hai grimaced. In the end, he was still fighting against something that had command over the natural laws of the world. He could bypass them under his own power, but they''ll never be as effective as the command from the Heavenly Dao itself. Da Hai wordlessly took the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword with both hands. The 12 Petals White Lotus wrapped itself around the sea god like armour while the blade shimmered with grey light. The Heavenly Dao shared relentlessly at Da Hai. It clawed, raged, and crawled. It did not possess the dignifying appearance it once held at all. Da Hai''s Ocean Swallowing Jug appeared. It blasted out gallons of water, large enough to drown worlds. They engulfed the Heavenly Dao''s avatar. Then the void bent inwards. Dragons and phoenixes of multi coloured energy tore into and eradicated the ocean. The Heavenly Dao surfaced with frightening ease. Da Hai''s stance was reminiscent of a baseball player. His sword transformed and elongated itself to a great sword with a massive handle. Da Hai narrowed his eyes and steadied himself. "One opening, I just need one opening and I can retreat safely," he told himself. As long as he can startle the Heavenly Dao enough, he can retreat back to Yingzhou. As a chaos fragment, the immortal island of Yingzhou was functionally outside the Heavenly Dao''s jurisdiction. Sure, it can see and find it. But it can''t touch it. Da Hai dubbed his ability to destroy the Heavenly Dao. He also didn''t know what would happen to the primitive world without it. The resulting backlash would be too much even for Zulong, Qinglong, Yinglong, Yi Fei''er, and the others to bear. Da Hai swung down with all his right downwards. The Heavenly Dao roared in his face. The snake heads hissed. The godfiend and world clashed in an explosion that rocked the entire primitive world to its core. Within the Chaos Sea, the primitive world seemed to have overturned. The eternal structure sent ripples of power in all directions. Those sensitive enough could tangibly feel the aftershocks of the clash. The Heavenly Dao''s form shimmered. It was like static, its body faded in and out of form. Parts of it broke into basic elements while others broke into fundamental particles and Qi. It struggled to collect itself as its enormous mind that normally maintained the primitive world was fully focused on reorganising itself. In its clash with Da Hai, it had funnelled its entire being into this body. It hadn''t bothered to pay attention to anything else at all. Second after second, the static began disappearing. The Heavenly Dao refocused, feeling its equivalent of a concussion. Da Hai had rocked its entire being, something that made it feel deeply uncomfortable with. As for the sea god, Da Hai was blown back far away. For a short period of time, he allowed the void currents to carry him away. His body was very weak after unleashing that much power. He was pale and blood like Dao essence dripped from his mouth. He floated while eyeing the direction of the great wilderness. He strained as he moved his body towards it, grunting in pain. The Heavenly Dao''s attack had in actuality landed on his person as well. Though he did not suffer all the damage thanks to the lotus and his own attack, he was still heavily damaged. A flaw with Da Hai was his fleshy body. He had a strong physique due to his godfiend heritage from the Tian Hai, but he had never really improved it. Despite owning the most defensively strong of the five great lotuses, he was still very much hurt from the clash. He hadn''t even thought it possible, but the feel of unconsciousness was reaching his mind. ''Huh, when was the last time I slept?'' He wondered. Da Hai''s attention turned to his side. A silvery moonlight dragged into him pulling him along. The familiar yet changed aura of a completed Dao path and its associated Dao fruit pulled him towards the great wilderness. "Reveal it, I can''t trace Yingzhou," Wangshu told him. Her speed was much greater than his in his current injured state. "It''s already revealed, seven hundred thousand kilometres off the coast, if there is even coast left," Da Hai grunted in pain. He was feeling the pull of unconsciousness stronger now. His everything hurt. In the recesses of his mind, Da Hai sighed at the recent turn of events. Interlude 3-G-Empress of the Sea Biting my finger nail wasn''t something I do often. At my age, you learn to deal with situations with extreme serenity. This was doubly so in the frankly, hectic life I live nowadays. The violent ocean waves bounced off of the translucent colourless barrier millions of kilometres above me. Though the construct held firm and stable, I couldn''t help but sigh. I know I shouldn''t be thinking this, but I''m beginning to think Zulong''s ambition is cursed. It has been non stop, one thing after another. Incident after incident, basically days apart. It took thousands of years for the Shenni war to reach a breaking point. It took thousands of years for wars to break out between opposing clans and kingdoms. But these past few years, the world has been thrown into turmoil. Kailong Chen is lucky in that it was built to withstand these sorts of things. But the current turbulent primitive world has essentially cut off most forms of communications with other cities and bases. Curse Zulin, I''d spit on his corpse if I could. Unfortunately, I had that damned head flayed and but on display on the palace walls. I rubbed my nose bridge and groaned in annoyance. The stress was getting to me these days. We were both understaffed and stretched thin. My brothers in law were both oceans away holding the fort on the capitals of the north and south seas. Grandfather Shark left with several others to man the West Sea after a number of the Great Principle experts perished. Damn that Zulin, my husband should''ve killed him far earlier. Footsteps came into my hearing. I turned my head to see who came into the balcony. Hm, it''s the first ascendant dragon Jian Koilong. The boy had grown up over the years. He had quickly reached the Heavenly Immortal realm at an unprecedented speed. Standing this close to him I could sense the pulsing power of his first flower crown hidden within his inner cosmos. He''d long been placed as the poster boy for the Draconic Dao. It was just that the current environment had halted all kinds of development. "What is it?" I asked. "Your majesty. The scout team has returned," he said. "What do they have to say?" Yang Chen has remained in a stable position. Mian Hai and Liaoyang has suffered some breeches but otherwise remain stable," he reported. "Oh, and the storms around the void pit has nearly ceased. I wager his majesty is probably done with fixing the damage." "Good, at least something''s going right for once," I said. It came so suddenly as well. One minute we were organising funerals for the deceased, the next minute the world turned upside down. It was simultaneously better and worse than the Sea Eye incident. Now that Zulong and his team are done plugging the void, the hole excess void currents leaking into the east sea will be resolved. But we still hadn''t received much news on the other ocean fronts. I returned to managing the city in my husband''s absence. I could only hope the trouble ended soon. I did not imagine my life turning out the way it has now. Ruling territory? Yes. But certainly didn''t think I''d be dealing with world ending disasters one after another. If I could go back in time, I''d strangle Zulong optimisitc ramblings from back before all this. Even the Eight Directions Suppression Lord had saw right to warn him. Speaking of my father-in-law, we hadn''t received any news from him. Non of my sister-in-laws had either. Yi Fei''e is the only one who maintains Yingzhou for the past few years since the Sea Eye. ¡­ Several weeks later, the weather has gotten worse. Storms of lightning, demonic winds, blizzards, firestorms, and falling chunks of stone and iron. It was like the apocalypse had come. The courtyard of the palace had transformed into a gathering ground of powerful formation masters. Every moment they worked in unison to maintain the defensive formations, feeding their own energy into it. The flowing power of so much Primordial Qi was one I had gotten used to over the years. My body still wasn''t built for so much power and it was genuinely painful when I did so. But it was a feeling I had gotten used to. My father was away defending other important supply depots and many of my relatives were also away defending smaller settlements. I sighed, it had been a trying time. Intrinsically, all of us of sufficient power could sense to enraged might of the Heavenly Dao. Even when it was not directed at us, it was still a terrifying feeling. My husband, Zulong had returned minutes ago. His tired look made him look more like a haggard bigger than a dignified sovereign. It made me just want to give him a comforting hug. "Yu''er," he greeted me as we met in the palace hallways. I wasn''t even aware Chaos Immortals could look so fatigued. I guess mental fatigue still affects superior beings even when they have attained the Dao. "Husband," I greeted back sharply. I didn''t mean to sound so angry, but the stress eked out of me beyond my control. ''Pull yourself together, you''re not a little girl anymore,'' I told myself. Zulong withered at my accusing gaze. It was like his crowning had opened up a floodgate of disasters. So much for good fortune. "I can take things from here," he offered. Nodding, I handed control over the city defence formation back to him. The instant relief from the pressure brought out a pleasurable sigh from my lips. "It''s been hard on you," he said. "It''s been hard on all of us. Has there been any word from your brothers?" I asked. "They''re alive and struggling. It''s like the world is tearing itself apart," Zulong grunted. "I would love to know just what has happened for everything to go so wrong again." My husband took a moment to recompose himself. I knew that look, he was about to go off into an emotion filled tangent but stopped himself as he was in public. "I take solace in that the avians are suffering the same," he chuckled. "It''s not wise to wish harm upon others," I reminded him. His dislike of the avians are well known but truthfully, there wasn''t much animosity between our two nations. We regularly traded and didn''t clash much aside from some border struggles for some islands. Most of those were resolved quickly by local lower level powers and us upper echelon leaders hardly ever got involved. "Either way, the peacock proved herself useful for once," Zulong said. "One of her minions, that Chongming bird arrived to lend aid to us when we were plugging that hole in the east continent shore, or at least what''s left of it." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "The avians have been facing equally as many disasters and if their information is right, the devils on the west continent as well. Many of their devil overlords had already made themselves known fighting against more holes tat''s been opening," he said. "Really? Well it''s no surprise. The devils have existed for far longer than us. Their foundation is much deeper," I told him. "Hai, if we didn''t take so much casualties against the damnable qilin, we would''ve at least been able to compete," Zulong sighed. "But as things are, their Chaos Immortal experts outnumber us three to one." "Quality over quantity," I snorted. "Our immortals are all battle hardened across the seas. We''re the only ones who''s had experience in slaying other Chaos Immortals. We''ll go over and teach them a lesson if they try anything." My brash words brought a smile to my husband''s face. Seemed his mood was raised from my words. In truth, while I held confidence in our men, I also knew we couldn''t be brash in fighting the devils. It was better to leave them be than force the issues. ChaosGolden Immortals are so powerful, so connected to nature, that the deaths of each and every single one can be felt across the world. The dissipation of their respective Daos are something we could all feel. As such, I know for a fact that non of the devil Chaos Immortals had ever had to battle to the death. Though that wasn''t to say they were weak. We''ve just never been able to get an accurate measure of the other superpower of the world. We are very dependent on Zulong in that regard. He is the primary deterrent for foreign enemies as of this moment. Though we worship him, the Heavenly Lord as it turns out, wasn''t that well known. His name can''t overturn decisions like the Devil Ancestor''s can. Idly, the rest of the day passed. With Zulong back in Kailong Chen, the city''s support structure held better against the storm. For the first time, I could go back to contemplating on my Dao. But before that, I decided to take a well earned visit to my child. "By the way Yu''er, how is the egg?" Zulong, who was following me, asked as we walked down the secured hallways. "No new signs of hatching," I admitted. Eggs normally shouldn''t take this long to hatch. My own turtle eggs usually took a few years of incubation, no more than five. Of course, dragons usually took ten years at least and could go to a hundred as was the case with Leishen. The upside was that the dragons are generally born stronger than other races. Furthermore, they all turned out to be very hardworking in upping their population. "Shame, I starting to get very impatient," my husband grumbled. Not to lie, but I''m feeling much the same. "We''re only a few decades in," I mused. "You dragons do take a little longer than the rest of us." Zulong conceded to my point. When we reached the incubation chamber, my husband opened the doors allowing us to view our child in our private leisure. The egg was magnificent to behold. Yellow in colour with patterns resembling clouds. There was a constant harmonious sound emanating from it resembling music played at festivals along with dancers. It had only started recently, but the music was a welcomed change. It signified our son may have powers relating to sound or some sort. It was always cathartic to spend time here these days. Even Zulong was stupefied as well. He had not been here when the music first started. "It startled only a few months ago," I told him. "Impressive," Zulong sai nodding his head. "My son looks to be gaining his own unique bloodline. A welcome surprise." "Mmh, a connate lifeform like you have never bred with a postnatal lifeforms like me. This is a first for history. Who knows what might happen," I said. "Have you thought of a name?" "Hm?...Ah no, not yet," Zulong said sheepishly. "I haven''t had a chance to think about it since we''ve all been. You know." "Me neither," I admitted. "I don''t know what to name him either. I was named for black jade that my mother had as a childhood heirloom. But I''m clueless on what to do for my own." "I''m sure we''ll think of something," he reassured me. "There''s still plenty of time to decide." We left the chamber after enjoying the music for several minutes. We couldn''t stay here too long after all. I still had much more administrative duties to accomplish. It was several weeks after that we suffered the worse earthquake we''ve had in years. In a sudden turn of events, it felt as if the world had literally turned upside down. Zulong''s true form wrapped around Kailong Chen while my own form hovered over the main palace. More elders appeared to hold the fort while Zulong fought back any torrents that came our way. Underwater mountains collapsed and erupted all around the east sea. Thankfully, the shaking on lasted for several hours. Several hours of hell but still a short time compared to previous storms. Thankfully though, it had also seemed to be the end of it. After that world shaking event, the waters finally began to calm down. We were finally able to stabilise and communicate with other parts of the empire. For some months, we worked tirelessly to reestablish settlements tied to key recourse locations. Mines and fields had to be restored and missing persons needed to be tracked. The Sea Eye had thankfully resisted the disasters with little issue. It was after all, under constant watch by teams of Great Unity Golden Immortals and a single Great Principle Chaos Immortal elder. Yinglong and Qinglong had also left their respective generals in charge and were well on their way to returning to the east sea. Zulong wanted his brothers close to investigate the root cause of the ongoings. It was an organised effort that the entire empire was coordinated in doing. If news were accurate, the avians were much the same. If we could discover the root cause and resolve the issue, it could provide many benefits for the empire and restore much of the karmic luck we''d lost. But it was during one of those days that Yi Fei''e arrived in Kailong Chen. The albino woman carried a grave look on her face when she met both myself and Zulong. "Junior sister, what''s happened," Zulong immediately said. "It''s master," Yi Fei''e said gravely. "He''s been gravely wounded." I swear that crown is cursed. Interlude 3-Y-Responsive Dragon If the past several decades were an omen, then it was one that bode ill for our nascent kingdom. If the rough storm I''m flying through was any indication, then I''d say it''s a strong warning to turn back. But my brother was never that sort of person. He''d just cut right through it without hesitation then arrogantly mock it. That or recruit it into our ranks. A healthy dose of pragmatism was present since his birth and only fostered by master. It''s why I follow him. He was decisive and knew what he wanted. From the day we emerged together, I knew he was someone worth pledging my loyalties to. In that regard, I''m not like him. I don''t really know what I want. It''s actually much easier to follow his lead in ambitious matters such as this. I¡­do not know what I''d do without him. The wood creaked beneath my well dressed feet as I moved to the head of the sky ship. The dragon head carving was but a mere three metres away. Droplets of heavy rain hit the deck and my own person, though I was never wet. Staring into the abyss that was the tormented great wilderness, I couldn''t but feel uneasy. Then again, I haven''t been able to not feel as such for a very long time. "Senior brother, we should be nearing Yingzhou soon," San Fei''e said. One of my many junior sister in this world. Her origin as a spiritual silkworm turned moth raised at master''s feat had allowed her to progress very far compared to most postnatal life forms. Even connate lifeforms were hard pressed to reach the same stage as her. If this storm of chaos had been beneficial in one area, it was the ease in which triple crown Heavenly Immortals could overcome the Golden Immortal tribulation. I can''t detect the reasoning, but it was an opportunity many, including my junior sisters used to reach that stage. The sky ship we rode on parted the ocean quickly. It moved at speeds Great Unity Golden Immortals could only dream of. Only Chaos Immortals could claim to match this speed, a testament of our skilled artificers. I nodded at the news. "Big brother should be there already by now," I mused staring at the raging storm. "Sixth junior sister, what is the nature of master''s injury?" I asked finally. One would expect me to have asked such from the moment San Fei''e arrived. But those months ago, all I felt was a dreadful feeling that sent me into a temporary depression. Divination didn''t help, the Heavenly Dao was a chaotic mess right now. The physical appearance of the wilderness may seem bad. But it was in truth nothing compared to the glimpses I saw into the inner mechanisms of our cosmos. Now for the first time since I joined San Fei''e on board the sky ship, I left my cabin to ask. "Very few things in this world can even touch master much less injure him," I said to a visibly downtrodden San Fei''e. "Well¡­I can''t say for sure," she said. "My mastery was too low and big sister sent me out immediately to meet up with you, to change course immediately to head back to Yingzhou. Aunt master felt your locations and instructed us on where to go, so I boarded one of the sky ships." I nodded. "Guess we''ll find out when we return home," I said. San Fei''e nodded and mentally controlled the ship to turn a few degrees after a mighty wave shifted out positions somewhat. It was at times like these that I wish we''d kept the Universe Traversing Boat. Familiar feelings aside, letting it fall into the avian''s hands hadn''t been the most ideal. They already posses the Kunwu sword and who knows how many other top tier treasures. Starring forwards, I narrowed my eyes. Though my vision was obscured by a myriad of violent natural phenomenons, I could vaguely peer through. "Senior brother, the wayfinder compass is glowing," San Fei''e called out to me. It seemed she''d retrieved the spiritual treasure during my musing. This was good, treasures like those were good for navigating one''s way back home. "Good, dock us at Yingzhou," I said. Yingzhou, how I''ve missed that place. I spent so many years there and it was my true home even more so than the South Sea Dragon Palace. It saddens me to have been away for so long but duty was duty. As the two of us stepped upon the shores of the mystical immortal island, I took in the exotic breath of primordial qi. The purest form of qi that was closest to the constantly changing chaotic qi of the Chaos Sea was exhilarating to behold again. Yingzhou had been affected very little by the world''s disasters. This was no doubt due to its unique properties of existing outside of the primitive world at the same time as it exists inside. A confounding concept but one very similar to master''s Dao. But at this very moment, even Yingzhou carried an air of unease. The lush trees and mystical mountains covering Yingzhou gave off an odd sense of defeat. Most likely a reflection of master''s mood considering their connection, the island was refined by him after all. The main path was open to us and we quickly made out way into the inner layers of Yangzhou. We passed through the front forest, a few herbal fields, three different mountains that the path winded through before we reached the core regions. Master''s palace only lay just before the garden that housed the massive Fusang tree. Even standing so far away, the congenital tree was easily visible and brimming with power. Though it was noticeably lesser than before. Hm, wonder why? "You''re back. That''s good," Yi Fei''e stood at the top of the stairs when we arrived at the base. San Fei''e and I quickly ascended the stone steps to greet my fourth junior sister. "Junior sister, what has happened to master?" I inquired immediately. "I struggle to think of anything that could hurt him to the extend we were all called back." "It''s better if you see for yourself. I will brief you on the inside," the snow white coloured woman said motioning for us to follow her. Upon entering the palace, I felt myself pass through an extra layer of defense. Another anti-scrying formation as well as other high level formations designed to keep things out. The distinct feeling of starry essence was mixed in as well. Aunt master had helped set this up. "I take it I''m the last to arrive?" I asked. As I entered the building, I had also sensed the presence of my own family. Made sense considering Zulong''s close proximity and Qinglong was faster than me. My own speed was only comparable to a sky ship whereas my younger brother can move at least triple that with the Shooting Star Steps. "Yes, eldest senior brother and third senior brother has already returned along with sister-in-law and my younger sisters," Yi Fei''e said. "They''re accompanying master right now with aunt master. I nodded and followed her through the main hall. It was the stage where master once lectured the east sea. Though not many from that time period were still alive, the eldest seniors still remembered and held that event as an almost legendary turning point in history. Right now though, this room was desolate. Even the platform master normally meditated on was devoid of anything. We walked around the pillars and entered the side hallways, one of the many that took us to other parts of the palace. Over the years, my fellow disciples and I had modified the palace. Though we all had our own abodes in various parts of Yingzhou, we all made ourselves places of residence on different wings of the palace. The end result was a maze of clashing personalities. Master''s own rooms though were always homogenous, boring even. They were wooden floors with simple architecture and displays of paintings of even more ancient times. Some even depicted strange places with weird box like buildings with roads coloured in a dark lack substance drawn with stripes, not unlike the zebra tribes that roamed the continents. Yi Fei''e knocked on the door to master''s bedroom. It wasn''t used often as master usually meditated on the main hall or on the Fusang tree but for this occasion, he was within. "Come in," aunt master Wangshu''s melodious voice answered from the inside. Aunt master and the rest of Yingzhou''s core personnel were already inside. Zulong sat opposing aunt master beside master''s bed while Qinglong paced. The other moth fairies all shared uneasy looks while Gui Daiyu was nursing her brow in her own chair. "Aunt master," San Fei''e, Yi Fei''e, and myself saluted. I then made my way to the foot of the bed nodding towards Zulong and Qinglong. My knees touched the wooden floor as I began kowtowing to my mentor and father. It was unnatural seeing him unresponsive. Master slept on his bed, something I don''t think he''d ever done since the dawn of time. I could detect his life signature, that much was certain. But he was currently unconscious, something cultivators of our magnitude never were. Master''s vitals were not good. He was pale and appeared weak. If I didn''t know any better, I''d say he looked like another sickly patient in the hospitals. There was very little of his grand power that I''d normally detect. I got up and looked questionably at my elder brothers. Zulong carried a very stressed out expression while Qinglong just looked angry. "How?" I managed to ask. Though that question came out as a choke. Zulong sighed and tightened his fist in anger. "Greatest ally my ass. What a joke," he snorted. "Second brother, it''s¡­it is hard to believe but the Heavenly Dao was the one who did this," Qinglong said. My eyebrows shot up. Suddenly things made a whole lot of sense. The past few decades of turmoil. The chaotic nature of the Heavenly Dao. The sudden onslaught of vicious natural disasters. "I see you''ve realised," aunt master said. "Indeed, Da Hai engaged the Heavenly Dao for an extended period of time. As a last resort, he and the Heavenly Dao clashed against each other allowing him the chance to escape. But unfortunately, the Heavenly Dao is not the will of the world for nothing." The beautiful Star Lord of the Moon chuckled. "Frankly, it''s a miracle he could even fight that thing. I saw things from a safe distance and even then¡­" Aunt master was one of the strongest people I knew. She was an ancient lifeform originating from the last era. Her silence was telling of the true terror of the Heavenly Dao''s combat abilities. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Master has always admitted to being slightly weaker than you," I said in contemplation. "He reached a new realm?" I asked for confirmation. I myself was never too clear on the progression of Dao after a certain point. I of course knew of the term, Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal before. Being a disciple of a chaos godfiend, I knew roughly of their history and their legends. The stage of development closest to Grand Dao. It was named as such due to the path having stepped into the path that has the potential of achieving the state that was without limit. From supreme within limit to supreme without limit. "That''s right," aunt master confirmed. "I couldn''t even see his Dao fruit anymore. Not even when his Dao was deployed. Congratulations boys, you''ve all been taught by the first person in primitive world history to reach Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal." "What does the stage matter," Zulong snorted. "Master''s condition is like this. How do we fix this?" "Big brother is right," Qinglong said angrily. "We should be looking for medicinal plants. Fire Tongue grass, Purple Mystic seeds, High Sovereign Jade apples¡­" "Good value medicine, but ultimately useless. Da Hai''s state is so advanced that mere spiritual herbs, even of such high quality are ultimately useless to him. Right now, the only thing we can do is to keep him out of danger and wait," aunt master said solemnly. "GRAH!" Zulong got up knocking his chair down. "Why are we even here?" "I never summoned you. You just all assumed," aunt master said. "Big brother, calm down," I advised. "It''s useless to rage at indignities." I turned to aunt master who had a few fingers on master''s chest injecting some of her own power, likely checking on his condition. "Aunt master, what invoked the conflict in the first place? Master and the Heavenly Dao had a great relationship. As dragons, we are also the children of the Heavenly Dao. It makes no sense for them to fight." Aunt master shook her head. "I only began noticing when the shaking began." "Master hadn''t said anything to me," Yi Fei''e added. "In fact, he hadn''t returned to Yingzhou since the Sea Eye incident when he left with the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle. His rooms also didn''t have anything substantial to clue me in." I stroked my chin and the small beard I had grown. Until master woke up, there really was nothing we had to go on. Qinglong suddenly focused and pinched his fingers. His manifestation over the stars had always been better than mine at divination and he was doing exactly that. "Stop, you''ll get nothing but backlash," aunt master warned. As if on cue, my younger brother gasped startled. He fell back and bumped into a bookshelf gasping for breath. His horns and skin dimmed from the previous glittering starlight. "The Heavenly Dao obviously doesn''t want you to know," she said. "It may not be able to reach you here. But you''re putting yourself at risk by reaching for it instead. It may not kill you, but it will punish you for this transgression." "Fucking Heavenly Dao," Zulong growled. "What right does it have?" "Peace husband, be wary of what you say," Gui Daiyu spoke up for the first time. "The Heavenly Dao is the supreme power of the world. It cannot be questioned nor disobeyed." "And who said that? Some devotees from the east continent?" Elder brother snorted. "Basic common sense," Gui Daiyu retorted. "You''re talking about the manifestation of all things that walk this earth. Even going against it requires substantial power. Power very few possess. My father and teachers had always warned me since you." "She''s right," aunt master nodded. "It''s not a big deal as normally, the Heavenly Dao isn''t involved. But this time, it''s different. Something big definitely went down. Not even your status as sovereign can salvage this." "Hmph, the Devil Ancestor and the eastern hermit both did it," Zulong snorted. "There were special circumstance leading up to that moment," aunt master sighed. "It was a small but special opportunity. But even after all this time. Those two cannot dictate the Heavenly Dao''s actions nor observe with full clarity." Zulong sighed and sat back down with both hands on his face. I could see the stress on his person and I couldn''t help but feel useless. "Is there nothing we can find to help master?" Qinglong asked after catching his breath. "Da Hai has one of the biggest collections of recourses there is, hoarder that he is. If his realm was lower then sure. But unless I spontaneously breakthrough or we find something in the chaos sea. Don''t actually dive into the chaos sea," aunt master added. "Come on, let''s get some fresh air. No use mulling in a depressive atmosphere," she said getting up after her inspection. "One of you can stay and watch him." Yi Fei''e was the one left behind. I followed aunt master outside while Zulong and Qinglong stormed off. Most likely, those two would look to punch something. The ladies went off to do their own thing as well. To cheer themselves up, the moth fairies were taking Gui Daiyu around to see some sites she hadn''t been to. "Yinglong, come with me," aunt master called out as I was about to leave for my own wanderings. She motioned for me to follow and I did so. She guided me through the halls of master''s palace as if it was second nature to her. Odd as she hadn''t been here for a while and much has changed. "You''ve made good progress since I last saw you. Reaching the Great Principle realm at such speeds. Your Dao fruit is also showing signs of transformation," she complimented. "Thank you, aunt master. But that is nothing compared to my brothers. Merely a small achievement." "Don''t sell yourself short. If not for special circumstances, you''d be the most talented dragon of you three." "Don''t make fun of me aunt master. I know my limits." "That may be so, but you are far more than you think," she said cryptically. She pushed a portion of the wall in and a door formed out of an indent. I frowned not recognising this place. I''ve been all over Yingzhou, but this was very new. She must''ve seen my expression cause aunt master laughed at my expense "There''s a lot more hidden rooms on Yingzhou than you think nephew. Da Hai isn''t the most forthcoming guy but these places aren''t hard to find if you know where to look," she went into the room and I followed her. "These places are hidden with all of Da Hai''s power. They''re some of the most isolated places in all creation." Within was a well lit room of glass cases decorated with miniature figurines. Carvings all painted in various dark colours. They depicted strange lifeforms both demonic and metallic. I realised I recognised non of these things. Even the labels were written in a language I''d never seen. But it was simple and I scanned the room for similar letters to figure out the language. "Lord of Ch," I began to read out. "Yinglong, I need to speak to you about something," aunt master interrupted me. I perked up from the figurine of a blue birdman I was looking at. "What is it?" "I''ll be frank, I want you, in all your power, to prevent any conflict with the avians. Divert Zulong''s attention away from them." I frowned. My face scrunched at her words. "Tha¡­that is¡­that is impossible. War isn''t a possibility, it''s an inevitability. My brother can never stand for them to exist in the future. Their paths are set to cross." Aunt master crossed her arms. "It''s a war that will destroy you. You may survive in the end. But the road will only lead to your brother''s graves and damnation for your race." I shook my head. "I believe in my brother. Zulong can do it." "Da Hai disagrees," she said shaking her head. The new words that came out of her mouth was a startling experience. Dragon Phoenix Tribulation, the Devil and Dao Ancestors. What even was going on anymore? "Listen, I do not want to see you three walk to your deaths. My stake in this is Da Hai''s. Losing Daoist Five Elements broke him. Losing you three will drive him to the end," she said. "Why?" "Why what?" "Why tell me this? Inform Zulong. I''m not¡­" "I''m always watching from the stars. Of you three, you are the most similar to your master. Your brother is both fervent and passionate. His stubbornness is both a good trait as well as a fatal flaw. But it is not impossible to divert him. The oceans are massive, more so than the continents. He has enough already," she said. "But I¡­" "Let me finish first. Qinglong is already of the peace mindset. He, the other two symbols, and Zhuque have never stopped meeting." I swallowed a gulp of saliva at her words. Qinglong disobeyed brother? For how long? Since when? "I¡­this is a lot to take in," I said. "Your primary domain borders the avians. Please don''t let conflict arise," she said almost pleadingly. I sighed. "Zulong''s dream, his ambition. He trusts me to see it through. Things are different now compared to Shenni''s era. The avians simply cannot compete with us if we went all out," I argued. "Yinglong, you are personality wise, the most similar to Da Hai. Both of you truly wish for a simple carefree life surrounded by the ones you care for. I apologise if I placed you in an awkward position. But please, think on my words," she said. "Ideally, they will be your allies," she added. "The avians are the least of your concerns. Luohu''s endgame is something everyone must oppose." I perked up. "The devils are isolationists. They''ve never stepped foot outside of the west." "Some time ago, Hongjun spoke to me. The primitive world was built from Pangu''s body aided by the sacrifice of the entirety of the godfiend civilisation. Working in reverse will see the creation of the strongest divine body seen in history," she warned. "The cost will be existence itself." When I left the room that day, I felt as if the fate of the world has been placed on my shoulders. Was this how master felt all the time? Chapter 109-Awakening Chaos, endless chaos both colourful and colourless. Constant changes from myriad possibilities some of which long thought impossible. The sight of the Chaos Sea greeted Da Hai''s eyes. The sea god stood still floating within the vast chaos. He''d been here once before many years ago. Back then, he was still a confused being who had yet managed to achieve true balance. A being whose sides were constantly warring with him. In the deepest recesses of his mind, Da Hai sighed. "What am I doing here?" He wondered out loud. He observed his hands in fascination and examined the rest of his body. He was a little pale, but he could identify his complexion getting better as time went on, albeit slowly. He thought he was rid of this place ages ago. His being has long been ordered. He was no longer a collection of confused thoughts and instincts acting on perceived best interest. Hence it was perplexing to the sea god. "Geez, Heavenly Dao did a number to you," a gruff voice said from behind Da Hai. "Tian Hai," Da Hai greeted the scaled fish man who appeared in slight surprise. He''s long felt his presence yet was still shocked at his appearance. "I had assumed I absorbed you into me," he said. "You did," the ancient godfiend replied with amusement. "I''m not even here, just your memory of me pretending to be Tian Hai." "Besides, absorbing is such an inaccurate word to describe that event. More like homogenizing yourself. Is that how humans use that word?" He asked. Da Hai nodded absentmindedly. The two were not speaking the language used by the godfiends as was common by the primitive world. Rather, they spoke in a simple language originating from earth. A habit he inherited from the human side and something Da Hai only used when in deep thought. "Tian Hai, do you think I made the right choice with the white jade?" Da Hai said. "I certainly did not think the Heavenly Dao would become so upset with me." "Who knows, I would''ve gotten sick of that whiny brat long before you," the ancient godfiend said. "But you did achieve far more than I ever could." Da Hai raised his brows. "Think about it, I was a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal at my peak. You have already pushed far beyond that gateway. For all our existence, non of us godfiends has ever reached the Limitless realm. None of us even knew what Wuji meant! Oh I would''ve loved to test myself against you," the memory of Tian Hai chuckled at the thought. "It was an experience," Da Hai admitted to the older entity. "I owe too much to father god Pangu. Without him, I''d probably still be stumped at the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal realm by now and annihilated by the Heavenly Dao as a result. He, thank you for cheering me up." "Well that much is obvious, you''re talking to yourself here mate," a voice huffed from Da Hai''s other side. "Oh and as the memory of the more intelligent of us, I have to say you dun goofed." "Hello my mortal half," Da Hai said turning to a standing brunette human resembling himself. "I was wondering when you''d show." "Yeah well, can''t stand still after watching that fuck up," he said crossing his arms. "A blunder in my overestimation in the Heavenly Dao. But also one you would''ve attempted as well," Da Hai snorted. "Now my road ahead has become quite complicated." "You could always flee to the Chaos Sea," the memories of Tian Hai and Christopher suggested. "And abandon my home? My disciples?" Da Hai snorted. "I think we all know the answer to that. I''ve already thrown my lot in, I will win no matter how many times I lose." "I won''t, I''d run the fuck away from that mess," the human admitted. "Have you seen some of the shit you''ve fought and studied? If I wasn''t a part of you, I''d go insane." "Mortal minds aren''t built for the Dao, it''s why cultivation exists," Da Hai said dismissively. "I would''ve thought you of all people will be excited. What with all the ''meta knowledge'' you can deploy." "And realistically how far can that really take me?" the human memory snorted. "I don''t have the heart for what he can do. I don''t have the smarts to talk a person down. What''s more, this Primitive World is already so different mechanically from the ones you read about online. You know I used to think I can be just like the transmigrators I read about, but thinking about? I''d need a whole lot of self insert fiat to accomplish any of those feats." "Da Hai, was forming a clone out of Haotian really worth it?" the human memory questioned. "We''re all on the Heavenly Dao''s shit list now and I don''t think he''d add much to our combat ability. It seems like a net loss to me." "At the time, it sounded great in my head. A powerful figure close to Hongjun that feeds me information. My Dao is perfect for hiding beneath his notice," the sea god said. "And not Luohu? Is he not equally a threat?" "Indeed he is, but Luohu''s territory is difficult to infiltrate directly. It will take a full scale war to bring him down." "But that ship''s sales," Christopher said. "You''ll never let Zulong fight that war, and Zufeng on her own is too weak to instigate one. What''s more, now you''re too injured and blacklisted to even try." Da Hai stood silent following Christopher''s words. He was visibly grimacing. "I''ll figure something out," he said. "We''re both very good at that aren''t we," Christopher chuckled almost self-deprecatingly. "I don''t get it," Tian Hai spoke up. "All this scheming mumble jumble, it''s not for either you or me." "Course you don''t, you''re a dumb brute from a bygone era," Christopher snorted. "All you cared about was proving the Dao by way of your fist." "I''d be careful what you say brat. You''re speaking to a Chaos Godfiend of Tai Chu''s temple." "Oh yeah? What''re you gonna do? We''re not even alive anymore. Just figments of his imagination." Da Hai sighed and rubbed his brows. "I''ll never be rid of them will I," he mused. How could he? They were fundamentally part of his psyche, fragments of his mind. The best way to describe them would be that they were extremities of his personality personified. Tian Hai and the human had long combined into his person. He was them as much as they were him. That sparked a thought in his mind. Was he closer to a godfiend? Or was he closer to a human? Or perhaps he exemplified both at the same time though not in an extremely detrimental way as was the case long ago. ''They¡­or rather myself brings up a good point though,'' Da Hai contemplated his next actions thoughtfully. ''Haotian won''t come into existence for many years, what''s more, the Heavenly Dao may interfere.'' If only things were simpler. When he was human, or rather when Christopher had been alive, he''d read Honghuang novels before. The Heavenly Dao wasn''t nearly as sentient as they were here. It was nearly as forthcoming in its attacks. If fiction were to be believed, it will mostly scramble divination and induce a tribulation event. Shenni''s whole conquest could be interpreted as such even if the Heavenly Dao had not been born at the time. He''ll need to progress even farther in the path of Wuji. Pangu''s words were still fresh in his mind. Though he''d never expected he''d grasp Wuji almost immediately after completing his Dao, it was nevertheless a fortunate thing. But now he''d be stumbling in the dark once more. "The Chaos Sea," Da Hai mused. "I wonder what''s out there. The area the Chaos Godfiends occupied was massive yet pitifully small. There are bound to be more clues out there somewhere." Watching his alter egos argue, Da Hai couldn''t help but think he was subconsciously making this up to entertain himself. He does seem to be trapped in his headspace for the foreseeable future. Hence he began meditating, focusing on recovery. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Christopher paused in the midst of his banter against the godfiend he''d merged with. He momentarily glanced at Da Hai and smiled. ¡­ ''How many years has it been?'' This thought raced through all facets of Da Hai''s mind as he pressed his palm against the wooden edges of his bed. He lifted himself up, pushing the blankets back and opened his eyes. His short yellow hair swayed at his movements. For the first time, in a long time, Da Hai felt disconnected from the primitive world. It was perplexing, his senses into the forces of nature, life, death, karma and destiny were still strong, but there was a dampened signal when he peered towards the primitive world. His internal clock informed him of the amount of time he''d been resting. It wasn''t actually that long, he was clearly aided in his recovery. It has only been around thirteen thousand years since his clash against the Heavenly Dao. He absentmindedly took note of a woman running out of his room in a hurry after dropping a basin of water. The pool of liquid splashed into the air before the Heavenly Lord''s eyes. "Yang Light Springs," Da Hai said. "Affective Yang energy water bathed in the areas of rich sunlight." He waved his wand and drew the water forth. Opening his mouth, he consumed the substance and felt rich vitality entering his body. "Wait a second, who was that?" Da Hai perked up and looked at the empty room with its door swung open. He could clearly hear shuffling footsteps. In fact, he could hear many footsteps, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds even. Hundreds of thousands of people roamed around Yangzhou, more accurately his palace. Even the farmlands and ranches around had more sounds indicating living individuals than what he was used to. He was a bit weirded out. By the time he swung his legs around the edge to sit, people were filing into the room. A clean-shaven handsome man with antlers and a short, two others who similarly followed him. Several beautiful woman who looked as white as snow followed by demure women trailing behind them. There was also a small boy with antlers among them. Three dragons and the moth fairies. Curiously enough, Yi Fei''e was not among them but the rest were present with exitement. "Master!" Zulong who headed the group called out. He strode forwards and went down to his knees in a kowtow. "Master, thank the heavens you are alright." "Your disciple was incompetent, I did not realise master was in danger even when it was too late. Please punish your foolish disciple," he said. "Cease this nonsense Zulong," Da Hai snapped. "I will not have my chief disciple grovelling like this. What will others say about you?" "Let them say all they want. You are this one''s mentor, without you, there is no me. It is not embarrassing at all," the dragon declared. "Elder brother speaks true," Qinglong declared also on his knees along with Yinglong. "We have been negligent and had not been taking care of master. As a result, you suffered¡­" "Alright, alright, that''s enough, have you all no shame?" Da Hai sighed defeatedly. It was a touching feeling that he felt. Filial piety was one thing, but this was next levels of devotion. What he was seeing was just commical. Da Hai flexed his muscles and grunted. "Who''s that?" He asked, pointing towards the young boy behind them. The child''s energy signature heavily resembled Zulong. He was also very powerful, an immortal at birth. He was also completely bewildered at seeing the three dragons postulating themselves like this. In fact, Da Hai already had an inkling as to the boy''s identity. When one was as intoned with nature as he, it was child''s play to identify parental relations. Even if that child was someone else''s whose soul was placed in another, he''d still be able to tell. ''According to legends, this will be Qiu Niu,'' he thought both happiness and sadness. He cursed the Heavenly Dao for putting him out of commission for so long. It seems he''d missed several big events. The child stepped forwards. He was small, barely coming up to his thigh with pale skin and black hair. He was precious and almost doll like in appearance. If he couldn''t identify the innate Yang in the child, he''d be unable to tell his gender simply based on looks. "Uh¡­Uh¡­yes, this one is named Qiu Niu by mine father and mother. Imperial prince of the four seas. It is with great honour that I greet esteemed grandmaster," the young child said stiffly bowing. Da Hai immediately perked up hearing a melodious sound emanating from the boy''s voice. It was soothing and calming and sounded like classical chinese music. He nodded smiling happily, "Good child, good child. Just like your father, a talent indeed." His eyes that had achieved the path towards the one which is without limit observed Qiu Niu. He easily saw past the young doll like facade of the child and his true form within. A massive dragon with dull yellow colouring and silver hair. His face was short and shove, unlike his father''s angular sharp appearance. His claws and teeth were not sedated like Zulong''s but more blunted. His eyes were big and almost googly looking. Qiu Niu actually looked very goofy in comparison to regular dragons. But his voice was something truly special. Da Hai was not an avid follower of music but even he recognised Qiu Niu''s potential in this regard. It was an inborn talent just like Zulong''s roar or Qinglong''s star power. An ability to sing to the world and to the hearts of living beings. "When was he born?" "A short decade ago master. I took him here for some practice," Zulong said. "Yinglong and Qinglong had been staying here guarding you in my absence, but I visit every opportunity I am able." "And who looks after your southern and northern fronts?" "I can spare the manpower," the Dragon Sovereign said confidently. "Master, you''ve only just regained consciousness. Here, let me help bring you some medicine," Yinglong offered. "And some food. We''ve harvested some mulberry fruits of the Fusang Tree. I''ll get, Wu Fei''e, can you get the maids to bring them up," Qinglong said. "Of course senior brother," one of the white women behind him said. Da Hai halted as they made their plans. ''Wait a second. Maids?'' He focused his mind and grasped the situation around him and Yingzhou. Now the thousands of footsteps made a lot more sense. He turned to Zulong stupefied. His eldest merely gazed back with no indication of guilt nor embarrassment. "Noticed haven''t you?" Wangshu''s amused voice caught Da Hai''s attention. The Moon Star Lord leaned against the doorframe arms crossed smirking. "How''d you like my stealth technique, didn''t even notice when I walked in." "Wangshu," Da Hai greeted still bewildered. "Maids?" He asked ignoring his fellow deity for now. "Yes master. I felt your living accommodations has not been up to par. My junior sisters also need time to practice. Hence it is better if there are subordinates to take care of you whilst you rest," Zulong said. "Zulong¡­I am not invalid enough to need to be taken care of like some old man nearing his expiration date," Da Hai said exasperatingly much to Wangshu''s amused laughter. "Master, having them here is a good thing. Yingzhou is a big place and you''re only one person," Zulong said. Da Hai gave him a look. "They''re not leaving aren''t they?" "They''ve already been here for the better part of the last thirteen thousand years master. I''ll be a massive change of scenery." Da Hai sighed relenting. "Stop laughing Wangshu." "Don''t worry, they haven''t even found your doll rooms yet," she laughed to Da Hai''s irritation. She proceeded to yelp in surprise as Da Hai banished her from his palace with a flick of his finger. Chapter 110-And Thus an Era Fades Wandering the endless hallways of his palace, Da Hai couldn''t help but feel slightly annoyed. It was once very quiet, very isolated. A good place for him to sit by himself and do his own thing unbothered. Nowadays, male and female servants wondered the halls performing cleaning and maintenance duties. Waste of recourses, Da Hai had formations automating the process since long ago. But Zulong had been adamant that his master receives proper care. Da Hai felt slightly insulted as a result. But he''d also felt grateful at the gesture. It was the motive that counted. These were a gift for him and he could never turn them away. Passing rows of bowing maids, he ignored them for the most part. It wasn''t that he felt awkward, he had the pride of a lord of his stature after all. It was more like he couldn''t be bothered acknowledging each and every single one of the unremarkable dragons. "They sure are fervent," Wangshu, who was strolling beside him said. "It''s surprising how fast things can change." Da Hai gave her an odd look. "Hasn''t it been a few thousand years since Zulong brought them?" He asked. "Thousand, ten thousand, it makes no difference," the goddess said. "For beings like us, they are but a blink of an eye." Da Hai nodded. He''d only really notice the disparages in time when he put his mind to it. Otherwise, he doesn''t even feel it. It was a strange thought at first, especially for the portion of him that originated from humanity. A single year was a long time. A person could change a lot in the span of a year. But a year to Da Hai might as well have been a minute. His sense of time was just too warped by his power level. Without a clear direction, the two wondered until they reached a balcony overlooking the Fusang tree. The everlasting plains containing the celestial tree were dimmer than they appeared previously. It was clear the tree had lost a lot of power. In a section like this, servants rarely wondered. The Fusang tree was too sacred, they weren''t permitted in. It was the same for certain sections of Yingzhou, places Da Hai labelled for them to stay away from. Though whether these locations were a matter for their own safety or because of an embarrassing secret was left in the open. Yi Fei''e had been one who was adamantly supporting this notion. "So," Wangshu said watching the swing leaves of the Fusang tree. "Hungyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal?" Da Hai nodded. "I''m as surprised as you. But in the spur of the moment, it just kinda happened." "Cheh! Transcending the greatest hurdle in cultivation history and that''s all you have to say?" She scoffed playfully. "I had to work my ass off searching for clues and you just go and do it." "Not without Master Pangu I wouldn''t have," Da Hai held out his hand manifesting several concepts. "This whole time, every time he spoke to me. Every time I had met him. He had been preparing me." "Well, he is the creator god. I doubt there is much if any he doesn''t know. Maybe his clairvoyance told him he should help you?" The moon goddess suggested. At the same time, she investigated the concepts in Da Hai''s palm. But even with her advanced cultivation, even with her enlightenment, she was hardly able to perceive anything. "Yet even a being like that is on the verge of death. Humbling thought, anything can die," Da Hai sighed. "Yes, anything is susceptible to the end." The new voice interrupted them startling both immortals. Yet Da Hai was unflinching. That was because he recognised this being. Floating beside them, the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword hovered above the wooden flooring. It appeared extremely ordinary giving no sign of any significant power. "Cosmic butterfly," Da Hai greeted. "I did not feel you retrieve yourself." "Your guard is too lax," the ancient being within the sword breathed. "This is Yingzhou, nothing can touch me here, not even the Heavenly Dao," Da Hai retorted. While this seemed overly arrogant, it was merely a fact. Unless a superior being at the Dao realm suddenly appeared, he was untouchable. It seemed the sword agreed as it stayed silent. It stood with them admiring the view of the Fusang tree. "Pangu understood many things in this world. He understood more than any other he would die but still continued on with it. It was perhaps the worst choice he''d ever made. A skilled warrior he was, but a cunning schemer he wasn''t" the sword said after a while. "But he banked on you. You were the only living being to find him. Hence he staked everything on you. For someone like him, even a single word had much more meaning than you would think," he continued. "I was too weak at the time," Da Hai nodded remembering his first encounter with Pangu. "My enlightenment was not enough to understand. Only at this realm now, can I truly picture how powerful he would''ve been at his prime." "My brother in arms had long ago fulfilled all prerequisites to ascend to the Dao realm. But he''d always carried with him a fear, a fear that his road would end. He tried everything to prolong it, enhancing his combat ability, his knowledge on all aspects of life, and his own foundation. After many chaos cycles, he''d reached a point where he knew everything. Not even his greatest competitors could stop him anymore," the sword sighed. "I wish I could''ve helped him more." "Dao, the end of cultivation," Wangshu mused. "I can''t say I understand." "Not many did moon god," the sword said. "You''re being awfully chatty today," Da Hai said in amusement. For the longest time, the sword stayed silent. It had never spoken to him or anybody for that matter. In fact, Da Hai wasn''t sure it could speak so freely like this. "Hm? Ah! I was distracted," the sword appeared slightly flustered. If it had a face, it probably would''ve blushed pink. It was then that Da Hai realised a bit about its personality. The cosmic butterfly was the type to easily get distracted and begin rambling. He''d easily derail from his initial arguments. "You did an incredibly stupid and reckless thing," it said. "Offending the Heavenly Dao like that? Reckless, too reckless." "I told Pangu before hand, he didn''t have anything against it. In fact, you didn''t speak up when I told him," Da Hai criticised. "I misjudged the Heavenly Dao like you. I think Pangu did too," it sighed. "But now we are at an impasse. You can neither fulfil your own goal nor Pangu''s wishes." "Was that all you had to say?" Da Hai said frowning. Being reminded of his own failure hurt. Especially now that he was essentially under house arrest. "I¡­hai, what''s done is done. I am just a little frustrated with you. Do what you must," the cosmic butterfly said before fading away. The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword stayed floating before returning to its sheath. "At the end, even the strength of Limitless Supreme was not enough. I still have much improvements to do. The key principles I learned were just one among many," Da Hai said. "I didn''t want to, but it would seem venturing into the Chaos Sea may be necessary." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Directionless and confusing, the Chaos Sea was a place easy to get lost in. He could walk in and not find his way home for millions, billions, even trillions of years. He was not like Pangu during his youth when he had no home and wandered endlessly. He had a life here, family, and responsibilities. "Da Hai," Wangshu spoke up. "Since you are not able to enter the Primitive World. I can be your proxy in the meantime." "You sure? I have already asked too much of you in the past. Getting involved in my business can spell doom for you Moon Star Lord." "I am already too heavily involved Sea Suppression Heavenly Lord." Da Hai starred at his longtime friend for a long while. "You''ll need the strength of the Limitless Supreme realm as well," he said. Wangshu nodded in agreement. "The Moon Demon God had some clues and I was able to make some progress. But in truth, she was just as clueless as the rest of us." "Doesn''t matter, I have already stepped into this realm. I shall guide you there as well." Wangshu smirked in response. "Very well, when do we get started." ¡­ The west continent was in disarray even after thirteen thousand years. The barren lands were shaken to their core and the very earth bled. "The power of Wuji," Luohu mused in fascination. He floated above the massive ravine leading from the dimensional walls all the way to Mt Sumeru. A remnant of Da Hai''s attack. "So similar to the remnant in Tai Chu temple, but much fresher," he breathed in the rich air of primordial qi. The wondrous chaotic concepts left behind were a fascinating feeling. Luohu wasn''t angry. Rather, he was excited. He had already been aware of many Wuji secrets prior to this. But seeing one first hand was a completely different experience. Pangu''s blow had come too fast and the gap between them too large. He died before realising much. But Da Hai, while massively above the current him, wasn''t beyond the realm of possibility. Already, he had gained much in his short exchange with the eastern sea god. "Back here again?" Mara called out from behind him. He was accompanied by the hooded form of Hundun. Both immortals were incredibly powerful, the latter had already returned to his peak while the former was comparable. "Mara, Hundun," Luohu greeted with a bright smile. "Here to enjoy the gift our foe left us?" "Gift? You consider this a gift? You were maimed!" Mara blustered in shock. "Hundun, why are you not angrier. Our leader nearly died." The hooded immortal shook his head but otherwise stayed silent. "You agree with him?" The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven said in disbelief. "In the pursuit of the Dao, all paths are valid," Luohu said. "Use any and all things. The Dao is hard and confusing, so any resource should be utilised to its fullest. Mara my friend, this is the most promising breakthrough we''ve had in years." "You put chasing the Dao above your own life?" "A Deva like you won''t understand, our philosophies are simply too different," Hundun said from beside his contemporary. "No matter how entwined they''ve become, some fundamentals won''t change." Mara narrowed his eyes at Hundun. He turned back to Luohu, "You should return to Mt Sumeru, the management team is getting restless." "I thought they were doing an adequate job? What''s his name was running the sect well enough when I left, what was his name again? Love heart or something?" "Heart Devil," Mara confirmed. "But it would be better if the Devil himself shows his face. We lost a lot of manpower and having you present will do well in encouraging more youths to join." He took a moment to pause. "Though it would be even better if you''ll consider lowering the barrier of entry a bit." "Out of the question. I have no use for useless weak Daos," Luohu sneered. "Some may only blossom at latter stages of life," Mara stated. "Most of the management team seems to agree. Brother, at least consider it?" "Demon King''s words hold merit," Hundun said surprising both devil gods. "Of course, not everyone should be allowed in. But lowering the difficulty of trials may do well to restore our influence." "I''m surprised you''re speaking up Hundun, you don''t normally share your thoughts on anything," Luohu said suspiciously. "I serve those most dedicated to the path of the godfiend," Hundun deflected. "Right now, Demon King''s suggestions are beneficial to you, my master." "Very well, I''ll think on it," Luohu nodded after some deliberation. He touched his naval and connected with the thousands of Daos flowing through him. "Not enough, too many aspects of existence are still lacking." A core fundamental of his path was that all things originate from him. Only one devil can exist at any possible time and all things exist solely to benefit him. The more Daos created from his scripture, the more advanced he''d become. As the Ancestral Devil, he was the origin and culmination. Hence the more Daos present the better his progress. But the quality of Daos also had to be top notch as well. At the same time, having low quality but large quantity wouldn''t be a loss. There will be no gains but he won''t lose. Luohu looked back at the ravine in thought. "That Heart Devil kid has been doing a good job right? Let him handle things at the recruit''s side. If it can get us more defined Daos then it''ll be worth it." ¡­ "The world moved on. The recent string of natural disasters has already faded into the history books as the years went by. A hundred twenty nine thousand six hundred years passed since the end of Shinny''s war. Another yuanhui had came and went." "It all happened so fast yet it was a long period of time brother. My disciples, your nephews, they''ve all grown up into their own. Their destinies are just beginning still, yet they''ve already achieved so much." "Whereas an old fart like me? I failed. I failed so many times. I was too blinded and I couldn''t realise the truth until much later. Though thankfully I managed to salvage things somewhat." "I''m sorry for being unable to properly visit you. Unfortunately, I can not enter the wider world freely anymore. But I sent Wangshu to your cave with some incense, I hope you won''t mind." "I miss you¡­There was so much I wanted to share with you. Did you know I was the first in our history to break into Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal since ancestor Tai Chu? Amazing right?" "I wish you were still here, it''s been so long yet the wound still feels fresh. You told me all those years ago that eternity was like a blink of an eye. Time was nothing in comparison to our lives. That couldn''t be more true than now. Had I been a mortal human, I would''ve seen civilizations beginning to collapse many times over. Yet the eons feel like mere hours." "Thank you Huoyun, for all that you did for me back then. I could never express my thanks in time. But I swear, your death won''t be in vain." Da Hai stood from the small shrine he''d been sitting before. His legs uncrossed as he stood up. "Until next time my friend." Chapter 111-End of The World The world rippled, myriad colours departed, reality distorted. Creation began with the universe coming into being from unbending. The ex nihilo gave way to the material world with all its wonders. Lifeforms of all kinds from the smallest of forest dwelling critters to the highest of celestial beings manifested and went about their lives. In just a spontaneous accidental response, a universe made itself manifests. Then in the same instant, all things ended. The universe withdrew into itself. All things degenerated into chaos as vast calamities bathed the world in flames. Reality crumbled as the very laws of existence faded to be. In one instant, being. In other instant, unbeing. The world came and went just as fast as it was eternal. But it was not real. It was merely a reaction. An illusionary transformation generated from each step he took. Each step he took through the Chaos Sea manifested the concepts of creation, destruction, and recreation. Each step he took showed things taking form and in the next dissolved all things back into nothing. Natural entropy gave way to negentropy before reversing back to entropy and fading away only to fade into existence once more. The deity that manifested these changes did not pay them heed. And why should he? Such transformations were happening around him every second. Constant myriad changes reflected off of his pale blue skin at every instant. They lasted for eternities contained within an instant and regressed while progressing. Time itself was diluted and muddled. He didn''t bother with them anymore. While it was a wondrous sight, he''d long since become desensitised to it. He didn''t even bother to suppress it, not in this environment. If he were interacting with lesser creatures, he''d naturally suppress himself so as to not cause them harm. But in the environment of the Chaos Sea, such an issue was not present. At most, weaker chaos lifeforms will take it as a warning to run away. He looked around at his surroundings with a contemplative look. He took a few moments scanning every detail in the constantly changing spacial tides before frowning. Before him was a massive plain of colourless colourful void of entropy. Infinite amounts of elements twisted and turned, destroying and creating whenever they collided. Dao laws came into existence and went just as fleeting. But none are what he was searching for. Such a sight wasn''t one he was unfamiliar with. It was a scene just like any other in the Chaos Sea. "Not here," the blue man frowned. Two of his arms crossed across his chest while another set gripped their fists hard. His eyes twitched as he mauled over the clues he''d obtained. "Where can he be?" He muttered taking more steps forward. Each stride he took crossed an immeasurable amount of distance. Each footstep easily eclipsed the total distance from one end of a chaos world to another. He encountered various churning rifts and vortexes as he walked but ignored all of them. His gaze penetrated the vast beyond and his nostrils flared as he singled out specific Qi signatures. He rubbed his fingers across his chin. "People lived here," he said briefly taking note of a chunk of stone. It was nothing special in his eyes though it did resemble a piece of a building. Some sort of temple perhaps? Nevertheless, he continued his search for a little longer. The chaos sea was vast, so incredibly vast. So vast in fact that even he cannot accurately measure it. "Damn it, I don''t have long," he suddenly said looking back in a certain direction. "A pity, I thought I''d be able to find you after that aftershock. I know that was definitely caused by you Pangu. Just where did you go? I need your expertise," he said in frustration. When it came to understanding all things in all creation, few can equal a genuine Dao Ancestor much less surpass one. But Pangu was only a Hunyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal in name only. Even many kalpas ago, the great god could already ascend to the Dao realm. His many years holding himself back have secured a level of knowledge and expertise that was unrivalled in creation. Unlike he and his brother who took the first plunge long ago, Pangu would rather stay at his realm. But the results could not be denied. The chaos sea was a truly mysterious location. Even omnipotent Dao Ancestors were limited in some ways. Some places they just could not go despite being able to perfectly perceive them. Deep down, they too knew that should Grand Dao''s power turn on them, even they would be reduced to dust. A sudden ripple in the void caused his eyes to turn slightly. The new presence was a new being but one with a slight familiarity. He had detected the newcomer''s presence some time ago but had ignored it for the most part, he wasn''t in the mood to deal with others right now. But as the presence drew closer, his attention was drawn to it. The familiar feeling of rippling chaos mixed with some others were within it. "This being interacted with Pangu," he said with happiness. There was still a bit of time before he had to journey back. He could use this chance to obtain some clues and then begin his journey during the next kalpa. A chaos being emerged from the void. It was a truly titanic creature serpentine and draconic in appearance. It possessed gleaming scales of azure, amethyst, indigo, and bright green colours. Fins that resembled the dancing sea grass and corals of the ocean floor. It had manes of spongey yellow hair swaying as it moved its many heads. Eight serpentine heads and moved around the chaotic environments. It reminded him of his and his brother''s trusted retainers. ''Wait¡­no,'' he contemplated. This snake wasn''t a chaos life form. It had some characteristics of one but was otherwise distinct from chaotic lifeforms. This was a living being from a chaos world. A curious discovery. He turned his head and acknowledge the newcomer. "Greetings," he said. He must''ve startled the newcomer cause the eight headed serpent was rather alarmed. "Greetings," the newcomer answered back. "I sensed a massive change going on and came to investigate. I did not expect to encounter¡­" he trailed off. "Neither did I, I am investigating some matters of mine own. I hope friend can help me?" He asked politely sensing the newcomer had no intentions to fight nor any real ill intent. For what felt like hours, the serpent stared at him in something resembling recognition. It was an odd feeling where eight pairs of eyes stared intently at his body. It made him feel a but bashful. "Ahem, I wondered if friend can answer some of my questions," he asked interrupting the awkward silence. "Uh¡­yes¡­sure¡­of course Shi¡­uh, just ask away," the snake said. He casted the serpent an odd look. He definitely stopped himself from saying something. But he also didn''t want to pry nor invade the serpent''s privacy. He paid closer attention as he asked. "I was wondering if friend has seen a man around this tall? Muscular, very muscular and hairy with wild hair, like building muscles in all places. He should be wearing a loincloth made of leaves," he listed. He didn''t know if these details were still accurate to his once rival''s appearance but he wasn''t one to change his wardrobe. "You''re describing Pangu right?" The serpent stated. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Good, so you did know him. May I inquire to his location? I am in desperate need of his assistance," he said smiling for the first time since he''d left the fourteen realms. The serpent spent some time contemplating before he answered. Before he did so he shrunk into himself, reverting to a human form. An enlightened form rakshasas and similar beings alike took to hide their true appearances. The serpent was an unassuming man somewhere in his forties from the looks of it. He had a short beard from both sides of his lips and a short one on his chin. His hair was shoulder lengthen and tied in a head bun where a small crown rested. "Master Pangu''s situation is complicated," he said. The serpent looked unsure of how he was to proceed. Unsure how much he wanted to say. "Master? Pangu took an apprentice?" The four armed blu skinned man wondered aloud. "I suppose you do share similarities." "I can''t call myself a true disciple, merely a lucky man who received a bit of guidance," the serpent said. "What is it you want with Pangu?" "I am in a bit of a bind. I have friends, and family that need to be saved and I believe Pangu can help me. His understanding of certain aspects of Dharma can aid me in my predicament," he said. "But why? You are¡­ pardon my bluntness but you''re presence, your power, your realm. It''s not something that exists within the bounds of Hunyuan Wuji Golden Immortals. You''re a genuine article of Dao. A genuine Dao Ancestor," the serpent spluttered. "This matter is complicated, forgive me if I can''t say more. Please, I just need to find Pangu. I''ll only bring him away for a few kalpas," he said. "Pangu is invalid, on the verge of death. He won''t survive a trip to the chaos sea," the serpent said without hesitation. It took an embarrassing amount of time for the blue man to register those words. Invalid. Verge of death. Won''t survive. "Impossible," he quickly denied. "Pangu was invincible below Brahman realm or Dao realm as you refer to it. It is impossible for him to fall into such a state." Unintentionally, the blue entity''s wrath made itself manifest. Fire roared around him causing his tiger skirt to flare up. He took a deep breath to calm down. "Speak no falsehoods to me," he said. "Pangu separated Ying and Yang from formless chaos. He manifested the Dao and carved out creation, separating heaven from earth," the serpent said. "A universe, a chaos world was produced. But it was not an ordinary, nor even an extraordinary one. It was a truly unique thing that one has to see to believe." The blue man stopped as he listened to those words. He gulped down the mouthful of saliva that had built up within him. "What? That makes no¡­show me," he all but demanded. He took a step forward intending to proceed but stopped seconds after. He gazed down at his palm where a Sanskrit word made itself manifest. "We''ll talk at a later date," he hurriedly said before dashing away without waiting for an answer. "I''ll find you again." He had wasted too much time, he dashed at top speed through the unending chaos. He left a trail of fire in his wake as transformations burned out beneath his footsteps. Speed was the necessity here. He had already saved the location where he met the serpent in his mind. At his realm, he can track down that same location easily enough when next he was available. He traveled beyond many worlds, beyond many universe ending catastrophes without looking back. Random xiantian treasures scattered throughout the chaos did not distract him one bit as he approached his destination. A multi armed man sat on a lotus observing a spherical structure. Majestic enchantments were at work and the universe appeared beautiful from the outside. Yet one only needed to pear beneath the shell to see the turmoil within. "Did you find what you were looking for?" The sitting man asked. His skin was a dark blue in contrast to his own pale blue. But both were incredibly powerful omnipotent beings in all creation. "Sort of," he said striding forwards. "I''ll tell you more in the next kalpa. Let me concentrate," he said immediately entering the chaos world. His arms stretched outwards as his body twirled around. His forehead split as a third eye manifested into existence. A bright light enveloped the world, dissolving all of reality but preserving creation as he formed the, into usable matter. He danced to the end of the world. Cycling creation anew into the next kalpa. Tandava, one of his, Shiva''s, greatest techniques, Astras of unimaginable power. The power that ends the material universe and converts it into another. ¡­ The preserver watched the destroyer perform his work. The creator was already preparing. Vishnu was silent as his preservation enchantments were undone by his brother, silently gazing as the universe was remade anew. It was a process that took time yet was instantaneous at the same time. An entire day of Brahma''s remaining life will soon begin as this one ended. It was a fascinating process, watching them both work. But it was one Vishnu grew tired of long ago. He was itching to move. "Shiva, my brother of the same source," Vishnu said. "We can''t keep doing this. Brahma''s life nears its end. Till now, now alternatives can be found. Perhaps it is time you give up." As destruction winded down to its closing phase. As Tandava reached its climax. Shiva retorted from within the burgeoning universe. "No, not until the very end. I refuse to believe nothing can be done." "The time arrived long ago and the window is shrinking. A new power rises in the distance as I''m sure you''ve sensed too. I can''t see where and how. But one day, a new Brahman realm entity will emerge. Soon, we''ll have to leave," Vishnu urged. "We''ve stayed in this world for too long already. We need to transcend," Vishnu said. "Not to mention, when this new being comes into existence, even we may not survive." Shiva remained silent as he watched distant Brahman begin his work. He appeared very unwilling. "I seek transcendence too," he admitted. "But please, just a little longer. I have concrete clues to Pangu''s location now." "And what guarantees do you have that Pangu can do what we could not figure out?" Vishnu scoffed. "Fine, I can afford to wait for a little longer. Brahma''s end should come before the storm arrives." "Thank you brother," the pale blue god said in response emerging from the new universe. "Remember what Yuanling told us, only one may transcend at any given era. We are in luck competition is so scarce. But I grow weary of waiting," the darker god said. Shiva nodded in agreement. It was regretful, but he had built up too many connections in the fourteen realms. He cannot bring himself to abandon it, abandon them, abandon her. Even if he was to leave, he had to at least ensure their eternal survival. He was prepared to give up all his treasures. "People were really beginning to wonder. You were gone for most of the kalpa," Vishnu said as he approached the universe, specifically the sea of milk wherein his mount and retainer awaited. Shiva sighed in regret. "I had no choice. Like you said, time is so limited. I have such a small window to search as well. I have to make the most of it. How long is it exactly? Before Brahma gives out?" "A little more than a dozen kalpas. That''s all you have left," Vishnu said. Chapter 112-Heist of Yingzhou The immortal isle of Mt Yingzhou lay peacefully atop the east sea ocean surface unnoticed by all. Hidden beneath vast layers of illusions, the home of the Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord was experiencing its night shift. Servants moved around, tending to obscure facilities of the herculean palace that was simply too large for anyone except an army to care for. This was not including the other facilities on the island. Though in this day and age, Da Hai had opened up Yingzhou for Dragon Sovereign Zulong''s use. Since then, talented young dragons and the occasional sea folk will be allowed in to work for the Heavenly Lord whilst receiving resources for cultivation. Two small figures skulked around the premises wearing cloaks that covered them from head to toe. They sneakily snuck around the outer perimeter of the palace hiding behind some bushes. Their energy signatures were completely masked. Carefully, the two moved around the foliage and approached the steps leading up to the main hall. The first one motioned the second to stay quiet and hurried him along. They hugged the stone base of the palace tightly. Apart from them, guards and servants wandered the premises. There weren''t many people out on duty tonight. Only five people covered the outer courtyards. The first cloaked boy smirked. He gripped the hems of his cloak and got into a throwing pose. His stick like arms bulged with veins and muscles as he unleashed his great physical strength. "Hup!" He grunted as he arched his arm back and threw the cloak forth. It travelled beneath the star filled night sky igniting along the way in a blaze of glory. The other Boys behind the first also threw his cloak forward. It travelled just behind the first cloak and similarly made a massive disturbance. The explosion wasn''t one of light and wasn''t anything damaging. However, they were simply made to be overly loud and obnoxious. It travelled across in a high pitched frequency that not only caught the attention of the immortal apprentices but also disorientated them. "What was that?" A male dragon gripped his ears while gripping his teeth. His sensitive ears were caught completely off guard by the noise. It had even bypassed his natural defences. As if possessed, the group of five rushed over towards the source of the noise in a desperate attempt to stop it. The first boy, no longer cloaked, showcased his red, orange and black hair resembling fire and antlered head. He was a bit tanned and well muscled despite what his young appearance might otherwise imply. His face was fierce and his pupils were of a crimson red colour that almost glowed in the dark. He smiled viciously at the success of his attempt and gestured for his follower to quickly follow after him. The other boy was similarly young but was taller by a hair. He was much more effeminate looking and carried antlers on his head along with long black hair. The two quickly ran out from their hiding spot and ran as fast as their legs could take them. Yingzhou was a no fly zone and even immortals were forced to abide by the rules set by Da Hai. They quickly scaled the side of the palace stairs, a position that would''ve been in full view of the immortal apprentices. If they had still been present, they would''ve very quickly apprehended them. Their strength and agility were not to be underestimated however as they climbed to around three quarters up. The red hair boy glanced back down. He poked a finger in his ear and slightly loosened his earbud before wincing at the sudden assault of noise. He quickly tightened the earbud and molested the stone bricks. It didn''t take long for his expression to brighten as a loose brick came upon his palm. A sudden pull on his clothing drew his attention down as his partner hand gestures with his free hand. "They''ve found the devices, have you found the entrance yet?" He mimed. The red hair boy nodded and gently pushed the brick in. The bricks above him glowed in dim golden light and formed a circular pattern of ancient symbols. The surface of the stone became ripply, almost like the surface of water. The two quickly climbed through the portal with no hesitations. They rolled into a small corridor and quickly pushed a corresponding lever that deactivated the entrance. They sighed in relief. The red haired boy tilted his head and removed his earbuds with a smile. "Man, this latest batch of apprentices sucks. No situational awareness at all. The last batch would''ve easily caught us. Dad''s losing his edge," he said. "Hey brother, are you really sure we should be doing this? The security inside is bound to be much tougher and I don''t want father nor uncle finding out," the black hair one said nervously eyeing the other end of the corridor. "Hey, you already agreed to come with me. No chickening out now Ao Guang," the red haired boy said. "Besides, everyone''s in seclusion right now preparing for dad''s next scheduled visit. Coupled with the fact that grandmaster is away, we''ve got this in the bag." Ao Guang shuffled uneasily before nodding. "You have a point Suanni. Do you know where we go from here? Cause I don''t recognise where you took us," he asked gesturing for the red hair Suanni to take the lead. "No problem, I know exactly where we''re going, follow along," he walked past his dragon cousin and guided him to another empty hallway. The hallways of Grand Sea Palace sitting upon the Vast Plains Heaven resting atop Yingzhou were both long and confusing. Only those who were experienced in navigating this place could easily get around without getting confused. An accurate map simply didn''t exist beyond what people memorised and were willing to impart onto others. Da Hai certainly wasn''t telling anyone. Suanni frowned as he looked around. He hummed to himself as he sniffed the air. Then he licked the air with his longer than normal flat tongue. "Hm," he scratched his chin in a contemplative manner. "Um, fifth brother," Ao Guang called out as Suanni seized his chin looking around. "You do know where to go right?" "Of course, I just need a few minutes. All these corridors look the same," Suanni said. "It''s like someone copied pasted the same design over and over again, my mom once said this was super eery and I fully agree with her." "Didn''t imperial uncle make adjustments to this place?" Ao Guang asked curiously. "Yeah they did, but grandmaster changed some things back afterwards. He does it all the time, every few hundred years. Big brother Niu once said he changed the western wing twice within two hundred years." Ao Guang gasped in shock. It was the first he''d heard about it. "Imperial brother said that? When was this?" He was in truth still very new to Yingzhou having arrived for the first time a short thirty years ago. As such he was following Suanni''s example for much of his stay. "Last sometime Yuanhui, it was awhile ago. Now don''t disturb me," Suanni commanded. He furrowed his brows and examined the various tastes around him. "Hm, I wish Denglong was here," he lamented. "Somehow I don''t think elder brother Denglong will agree with you being here," Ao Guang snarked. "Shut up you, this way," Suanni said signalling with his index and middle fingers. The young immortal expectedly weaved around the many hallways without running into anyone, no doubt having familiarised himself with the intricate layouts. Even still, the complex nature of the construction did make him pause and examine his route despite his knowledge. No one can ever be too sure on Yingzhou after all. Illusions were the name of the game here. Sniff sniff! Suanni suddenly pushed Ao Guang against the wall beside them and wrapped them both up in a veil of reality. The world bent around them as a miniature universe formed, cloaking their existence as a dragon maid walked by. "That was close," Ao Guang gulped. "You better not get me caught brother, father will¡­" "Yeah yeah I know, uncle Yinglong will be very displeased with your improper performance. Honestly, you care too much for these things. Trust me, it''ll all be worth it," Suanni assured the younger dragon. The red haired boy''s catlike eyes turned back towards the hallway. The dragon lady was gone having turned another corner. The two sneakily continued on their way. They were heading deeper and deeper into Da Hai''s palace. As the two walked by, Ao Guang''s swinging hand touched a part of the wall that made a noise. Suanni frowned and turned around, he was certainly not expecting that. "What is it?" Ao Guang asked his cousin who approached the wall with the odd noise. "It''s a trigger of some kind," Suanni answered. Ao Guang frowned at Sunni''s look. "What are you doing? I thought we needed to hurry before anyone catches us?" "It''ll be fine, just let me find out what this is first," Suanni said navigating the wall. It didn''t take him long to open up a secret room. "Woah, I''ve never seen this place before, good catch little bro." Ao Guang stared stupefied as Suanni descended into the room. He danced around looking for anyone passing by before abruptly following after his older cousin. The secret room was both strange and mundane. Strange in its architecture and mundane in that there was nothing in here. It was simply populated by an empty wooden table and rows of glass cases that were obviously emptied. "Huh!" Suanni exclaimed starring at various empty glass cases. "There''s nothing here." "Let''s get going then," Ao Guang urged. "Looks like this was a display of some sort. Kinda resemble high end stores in the market districts at Kailong Chen. Especially alchemical ones," Suanni said. "Any idea what used to be stored here?" "No idea, and honestly, I get the feeling we aren''t wanted here. So why don''t we go back to our actual objective in sneaking around here instead of cultivating," Ao Guang''s tone carried with it growls of annoyance. The underlying power of a true dragon was felt by Suanni who sighed. There was a feeling of accusation felt by him when in the room. Hence Suanni agreed and stepped away from the glass cases. Though in his heart he swore to one day discover what they stored. Hidden chambers like these were an open secret. Everyone had a secret room somewhere, especially his grandmaster. But finding them was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Usually, they were beyond well hidden. Suanni suspected it may be due to Da Hai''s extended leave from Yingzhou that degraded the enchantments. "You know Suanni, grandmaster said curiosity killed the cat. I think you''re walking right into a deathtrap with your line of thought," Ao Guang said. "Was I that obvious?" "Written all over your face." ¡­ Suanni and Ao Guang quickly covered more ground. They passed by a spare storage room full of strange trinkets and treasures. Valuable to rogue cultivators but less than worthless for both princes. Da Hai, much like many high powered immortals, was a known hoarder. There were so many treasures around that he simply dumped some useless things in spare rooms like the ones the two boys passed through. Naturally, they paid these trinkets no heed. Neither primordial nor immortal grade spiritual treasures interested them. Xiantian spiritual treasures were kept much more securely elsewhere. They were nearing the end of their journey. Three hours of exploring had led them to the deepest layers of the Grand Sea Palace. In the basement layer that sat beneath all others, only a select few can access this location. It was after all, where the hidden secrets of Yingzhou lay. Even Suanni, who claims to have visited many times cannot claim to be too familiar with these parts. "So uh¡­which way now?" Ao Guang asked. "If I recall, this route should lead us to where we need to be. Though there is another one that is identical. I''m pretty sure it''s the left one. I came down here once so I''m sure of it," Suanni said. "Yeah but, there are like five different corridors here." "It''s the third one," Suanni said adamantly. "You sure?" "First two lead to grandmaster''s private rooms. Don''t know what he does in them but dad, uncle, and aunties have already warned me repeatedly many times," the redhead said. "And here I thought you didn''t listen," the dragooning retorted. "Depends on the tone. Last two are blocked. Like with lethal protection. Third one is the one used for super tight storage according to azure uncle, it''s definitely inside it." And the third one they went. Suanni couldn''t contain his excitement. His stomach was practically roaring for a taste and he salivated. Even Ao Guang was excited, after all, he did come for a reason. Loyalty to one''s older cousin was but one aspect of it. Through the third corridor, they reached another junction that split into two. This time they went left as Suanni had instructed. "We abandoned a mandatory cultivation session for this. This better be worth it," Ao Guang grumbled. Suanni smiled triumphantly as they reached a large silver door. "This is it little brother, the wine cellar of the gods. Said to contain fruit wine dating back to the archaic ages many years ago," Suanni said. "And soon to be ours," Ao Guang confirmed. "Ready?" "You bet." Suanni pushed against the silver door. Strangely enough, it opened quite easily. Suanni peeped through to find an unlit room. His feline eyes barely made out some features. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "What the?" Ao Guang was immediately startled, "What do you mean? What''s wrong?" "It''s not the wine cellar," Suanni said uncharacteristically gulping nervously. "Shit." "What?" Ao Guang screamed. "You¡­you¡­what the hell Suanni. What do you mean it''s not the wine cellar?" "I mean it''s not the wine cellar. No drinks in there, just a bunch of books and shelves and this big round bag sinking on the floor and oooohhhh!" Suanni''s eyes lit up as if he suddenly had an epiphany. "Horse shit," Ao Guang meanwhile raged. "Crap we gotta get outa here. You don''t know where we are, I don''t know where we are. Why did I agree to follow you in the first place?" Ao Guang ran around hysterically holding his head in his hands. He desperately looked around the hallway. "Which way did we come from again? Was it the left or the right? Heavens now even I can''t remember." "Wait, I think I know where we are," Suanni called out. "I''m never trusting you again!" Ao Guang started running away after picking a direction. But he didn''t get far when he bumped into someone and fell back down. ''I''m dead, father''s gonna kill me, uncle''s gonna kill me, grandmaster''s gonna kill me,'' this thought ran through his head over and over again. "Ahem," the soft female voice above him forced Ao Guang to raise his head. As soon as the voice was heard, he paled even further. "Ah¡­ah¡­aun¡­aunty Yi Fei''e," he said shivering. The dragooning scrambled to his knees and kowtowed before the white woman, banging his head on the floor. "It wasn''t me, it wasn''t me I swear. Suanni kidnapped me and forced me down here. I''m lost, cold, hungry, and all I want to do is cultivate like a good dragon." "Come on bro," Suanni''s natural was as expected. "Aunt master, my beloved aunty. The most radiant and beautiful maiden in all the east se¡­no all the four sea¡­nay the entire primitive world. Please believe my sincerity," Ao Guang cried with no dignity. Yi Fei''e had a blank expression. She didn''t sigh exasperatingly nor was she amused. In fact, her expression was quite tight and her rosy lips were flat. "Ao Guang, you''re embarrassing yourself," Suanni called out. "Shut up, don''t drag me down even further," Ao Guang glared back from between his legs. Suanni shrugged and walked up to Yi Fei''e. "You two shouldn''t be here," Yi Fei''e said flatly. "Hello aunt master," Suanni greeted with a smirk. "We were a bit lost and hope you can help us find our way." Yi Fei''e starred Suanni in the eye. She glanced down at the trembling Ao Guang, then at the confident Suanni. "You two are supposed to be cultivating diligently. Not skulking around here like a bunch of rats in the sewer. I will drag you brats before your fathers. See how they handle you naughty brats." "Aunt master, aunt master, no need to be that harsh," Suanni said suppressing his own fear. Yi Fei''e was downright scary under certain situations. This was especially the case as the immortal fairy sent him a blank yet unimpressed look. "Enough nonsense, you two are coming with me," Yi Fei''e snapped hurriedly. She grabbed Ao Guang by the scruff of his robe and lifted him with one hand before reaching for Suanni. Suanni backstopped, he had one chance to convince the moth fairy and it was something that had to count. He reached into his sleeve and touched an interspacial ring he wore as a bracelet. ''Common, this has to work,'' he urgently searched for the specific book. It was an open secret his aunt liked certain types of literacy materials. No one ever commented on it to his knowledge but almost everyone definitely knew. She was also very secretive about it. One time, Suanni overheard some maids talking all flushed about the time they stumbled across her collection. Overtime, her tastes have only grown and the number of authors who could satisfy her dwindled. Thankfully, as a prince of the strongest empire in the world, it was a small matter to get exclusive early access work. That was especially the case with an older brother like Pulao helping out. The dragon made horrendous music according to Qiu Niu but he knew connections. Suanni quickly pulled out a fresh time handcrafted and signed. It was mundane, without any spiritual activity aside from quality boosting enchantments that made the book impervious to most forms of damage. Yi Fei''e caught sight of the object immediately. She subsequently halted in her tracks. "What is? What are you doing with that? Little kids shouldn''t have such uncouth material. Hand it over immediately," she urged. "No, I want to make a bargain with you aunty, and this here is my offer," Suanni said. Ao Guang was so terrified that he went into a fetal position in Yi Fee''s hands. Suanni just ignored his cousin. "Who will want that rubbish?" Yi Fei''e snapped. "Hand it over and I''ll dispose of it. What would senior brother and sister-in-law think of you possessing this?" She reached out with her open hand. "Not so fast aunty. You let us go and tell us where the wine cellar is or I''ll burn this limited edition, early access copy, personally signed by the author," Suanni threatened. "Please, you think I couldn''t stop those puny flames of yours?" Yi Fei''e let out a laugh for the first time since confronting them. Her show of emotion told Suanni how much the book had moved her. "Yeah but, azure uncle helped me with a little formation. One thought is all I need and you can''t resist the power of a Hunyuan Golden Immortal," Suanni said with a smirk. "Cheeky brat," Yi Fei''e gritted her teeth. She but into her thumb''s nail while she thought up what to do. Her crystal blue pupil contracted as she read the title of the book. "That can''t be real. Mr Fu Xian hadn''t even begun work on his next¡­" she quickly realised her blunder and shut her mouth. "Well that''s what he tells his fans," Suanni said. Along his chest and forehead, a faint image of a burning star appeared. "So? Take it or leave it?" Yi Fei''e appeared very hesitant. Her hands halted mid air reaching out before retracting every so often. Her beautiful face was marred by a deeply embarrassed frown. Due to her snow white skin, it was extremely noticeable. "Fine, give me," she relented. "Swear to me first," Suanni insisted. "I swear in the name of my master, Eight Directions Oceanic Suppression Lord, Great Sea Heavenly Lord, that I will not pursue you nor expose you," Yi Fei''e said letting go of Ao Guang. The younger dragon plopped onto the floor with a flabbergasted look. Suanni handed the book over and reminded her, "Remember your promise." "This doesn''t get out you hear," her demand was all he received for an answer. Suanni merely nodded with an uncaring shrug. "Wine cellar is on the fight side corridor, past the third torch is another split path, take the one with stairs heading up, the other is another route that you don''t wanna go through." "Got it, thanks aunt master," Suanni said with a bright smile. "Not a word brat, otherwise you''ll wish you''d never met me," Yi Fei''e said opening up the room Suanni was peeping through. "I''m going to dispose of this now. You really should not be handling these materials." She closed the door and the sounds of locks activating as well as formation spells going off were heard. "How''d you know that''ll work?" Ao Guang decided to ask. "And what was that you gave her?" Suanni turned around without answering and walked away. "What? Hey common fifth brother, are you angry? I''m sorry okay," Ao Guang tried to apologise. "You should be thankful I''m even letting you follow me after this. Come on sixth brother," Suanni called back. ¡­ Following Yi Fei''es instructions were simple enough. She had not lied and had led them directly to the wine cellar. It was a simple yet massive chamber fitting tens of thousands of immortal wines of extremely high quality and grade. The sweet smell of the beverages within was intoxicating for their noses. "Heavens, the amount of concentrated spiritual energy here is unreal. I don''t think South Sea Dragon Palace have anything that can compare," Ao Guang gasped. "Nor the East Sea Dragon Palace," Suanni nodded in agreement. "So many options, so many to choose from. But we have to be careful. Grandmaster may notice if we take something too valuable." "Right brother, one of the smaller barrels should be fine. I don''t think our stomachs can handle the more exotic ones," Ao Guang said pointing towards a few inconspicuous barrels on the side. Suanni meanwhile held out a stone cup. He used it to scoop out a cupful and drank it all in one gulp. He immediately had a face that screamed of ecstasy. He moaned as he stepped back. "This stuff is great!" He cried out. "I can feel my foundation strengthening, my connection to heaven and earth strengthening." That was the signal for Ao Guang to join in for a cup of his own. The two boys collectively decided everything was with it and that this was much better than munching on mulberry fruits and cultivating in a cave. "The others were right. Grandmaster''s collection is the stuff of legends. Look alive Ao Guang, we''ve done something no other dragon before us ever did, not Big brother, second brother, or even third brother. Even dad''s pale imitations are nothing to this." It was a fantastic and beneficial experience for both boys. They could feel their situation improving as they took in more power from their drinks. It would only take a few centuries after this for them to supersede the True Immortal realm and enter the Profound Immortal realm. Soon enough, the barrel was emptied. Suanni was a little dazed from the experience. But he didn''t feel intoxicated yet. He looked to the side and saw a smaller barrel. He rubbed his stomach and reached out for the second barrel. "Don''t touch that," Da Hai said from his position leaning against the entrance. "Yes grandmaster," Suanni said instinctively stopping. Then he widened his eyes realising who he had just addressed. Ao Guang also stood petrified, much more than when he had met Yi Fei''e not even an hour earlier. "Uh¡­Hi grandmaster, when did you get back? Ao Guang and I were just cleaning the wine cellar for you," Suanni lied nervously. "Yes, your certainly cleaned that barrel well," Da Hai nodded along. "Though be careful of what you drink. If I hadn''t diluted that barrel then you two would''ve burned to ash. Even a single drop from the usual stuff will burn a dual crowned Heavenly Immortal to ash. Not to mention the Sword Qi wine." "Yes grandmaster," both boys said mentally wiping the sweat off their brow. "So just be careful. The deeper areas aren''t trapped but they do contain some nasty stuff. You two honestly shouldn''t come wonder in the basements and It''s my fault for not having more defensive measures." "Yes grandmaster, we won''t come back here again." "Nice job in getting here though. Suanni, impressive espionage skills, It''s not easy navigating this place, and the sonic cloaks were quite ingenious. You two are talented, don''t discount how impressed I am." "Thank you grandmaster!" Both boys smiled at the compliments. You''re both still in trouble by the way. I''ve already informed Zulong and Yinglong and they''re already on the island," Da Hai added before walking out. "They''re waiting for you two at the main hall. Come on," he signalled for both horrified boys to follow. ¡­ "Gotta say, impressive how they got past you," Da Hai said watching from the balcony while Zulong punished his son. Using the waterfall packed with ice attribute Qi was quite brutal for a heat preferring creature like Suanni. Ao Guang''s punishment was somewhere else. Yi Fei''e wore a slight blush as she swallowed a gulp, "Well, they''ve grown powerful for their age. Their skills were beyond my expectations and I couldn''t say no after that." "Indeed, five sons and each of them are turning out to be a talent. As loathed of it as I am, the Heavenly Dao has blessed his family,"Da Hai said taking a sip of tea made by Yi Fei''e. She filled his cup after he was done. "Ingenious method he used. You should really improve your mental fortitude Fei''e. Falling for such distractive temptations are not good if you want to cultivate the Dao even further," he added. "Master, you were away for quite some time. I thought you''d be away for a while longer. What prompted you to come back?" Yi Fei''e hurriedly asked. "I had an encounter shall we say," Da Hai said watching the father son duo below in amusement. Suanni had taken his true form and evaporated the waterfall before trying to run away. His hybrid dragon lion body was chased by Zulong''s golden form. "And don''t try to change the subject Fei''e," he said "Of course, disciple wouldn''t dare." "Yi Fei''e, no one cares what you read in your own time. Zulong doesn''t care, Yinglong doesn''t care, Wangshu doesn''t care, I don''t care. That being said, you really should come up with better places to hide your porn." "They''re not¡­" "You were discovered thirty nine times and counting. This is embarrassing for someone who''s already attained the Great Principle, it''s an aspect you need to improve on, concealment techniques are very useful." "Of course master." Chapter 113-The Dragons Wrath
Clang! Clang! Clang! The escort dragons led a man up to the mighty throne hall. They did not look at the one they escorted and merely held onto their halberds looking forwards. Their steel soles clanking and echoing were the only sounds heard. Before them, rows upon rows of immortal dragon and turtle ministers stood at the side glancing at the man being escorted. Many of them looked in both curiosity, worry, and disappointment. They had known him, general Kan. He was an up and coming superstar who''d reached Great Principle Chaos Immortal within thirty thousand years, a monstrous feat. Among the members of the army, this shark was one of the best. As a direct descendent of the Colossal Shark ancestor, he was both fierce and powerful. His true form was a colossal great white shark measuring thousands of kilometres in length. It was said that he once devoured a Great Unity Golden Immortal avian senior when he had just stepped into that realm in a single bite. He was domineering and arrogant even among members of his dragon overlords. He lorded his power and talent and had more than once sparred against the Imperial Princes on equal footing. The current general Kan did not hold that same disposition. He merely looked down not daring to meet anyone in the eye. Before him was a row of seats numbering three in total. However, only two were occupied. They formed a line occupying the lowest level of the stairs that led up to a much larger and higher dragon throne. On these seats sat two of the five Imperial Princes. The eldest son Qiu Niu and the third son Pulao, both handsome young men appearing in their late teens when in their Dao bodies. Their true forms told a much different story. Qiu Niu wore dark clothing and had long silky black hair, a contrast to his yellow scales and free flowing white hair when in dragon form. He wore an annoyed expression throughout the entire procedure. This dragon, once famed for his music, now infamous for the same thing, did not hold much investment in Kan at all. His younger brother, Pulao, was a different story. The smallest and third eldest of the dragon children was apocalyptic. He was snarling with killing intent every time he looked at Kan. ''That''s fair, he never liked the sea clans anyway,'' the shark idly thought as he took note of the prince. Born without the signature serpentine body of a dragon, Pulao was short, stout, bulky, and loud. He had routinely come into conflict with members of the sea clans. A famous incident was when he fought and killed the patriarch of the Primordial Whale clan after a dispute turned violent. General Kan reckoned he''d be the first to call for his death. Above the two, above the trail of stairs sat his emperor. The Sovereign of all the world''s waters ruling over half of the total territory in the great wilderness. The Dragon Sovereign, Zulong. He was a handsome older man with a short beard and wore imperial robes depicting his exploits. Golden dragons and clouds wrapped around his figure giving him a mystical yet tyrannical feel. General Kan did not meet the sovereign''s eye, he did not dare to. PAH! His knees slammed into the floor as he kowtowed again and again. In mere moments, general Kan mumbled apologies after apologies. It was a curious sight to witness an immortal of such power desecrate himself like this, it was a scene rarely if ever seen. Ordinarily, even when speaking to one of the strongest individuals in the world, immortals of high calibre will still retain their pride. General Kan was much the same, he did not grovel like a weak mortal. "I have erred. It is upon my shoulders that his highness Yazi was injured," general Kan spoke with clarity and regret. "The monkeys of the east coast mountains were underestimated by this slave. But it won''t happen again, send the command and I shall exterminate them to the last man." Pulao snarled, his muscular neck twitched as veins popped into visibility. "Dumb fish thinks he can scramble away from this with his life? What audacity, you should do us all a favour and see your own way out." Pulao''s disrespect drew ire from the shark general but he held it in. He glanced at the side, towards one of the ministers observing the situation. Towards his backer, the Colossal Shark ancestor. Silent signals transferred between the two. Their positions within the dragon''s court were no longer stable. His callousness and gross underestimation of the surface led to his current predicament. Their previous gained prestige in the eye of the Dragon Sovereign were all but lost when his Yazi was near fatally injured by his mistake. But who would''ve guessed that such lowly creatures could obtain a formation that entrapped even Chaos Immortals of their calibre. "Have I not proven myself a competent officer? I have taken ample territory and secured many victories for you your highnesses? I swear it shall not happen again. I shall avenge prince Yazi." Kan lifted his head slightly and instantly forced himself down again. The moment his head raised even an inch, he felt a titanic oppressive aura bear down upon him. A pair of glowing golden draconic eyes. Zulong rested with his back straight and his gaze directly upon Kan. He never spoke a word and let his sons do the talking. However, his mood was almost visible in the dense fluctuations in the environment. Pulao sneered, "Oh yes, prove yourself just like you getting trapped helplessly just now. This nonsense has gone on for too long. My second brother is in a coma thanks to you and who knows how long it''ll take for him to recover. Father, allow me to teach this incompetent fish a lesson." Although he claimed to wish to teach him a lesson, Pulao''s bloodthirsty was evident. Seeing this, Qiu Niu immediately opened his mouth. "General Kan, you have served the dynasty your whole life loyally. But time and again you''ve proven yourself too blind to the obvious. Too arrogant are you that you are negligent in your actions," Qiu Niu said before Pulao can throw more shade at the shark. The older dragon always had the unique capability to soothe people with his voice. Even when not singing, he was capable of calming the situation. "This¡­I can guarantee things shall not happen as they did again. I am more than capable of dealing with those monkeys, allow me to prove myself to you." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Colossal Shark ancestor frowned from his stance at the sidelines. Kan was his most recent grandson and his most promising descendent since Gui Daiyu''s birth. The empress was not present but general Kan''s talent was no less than her''s had been in the past. "Your highnesses, your majesty, my descendent is young and incompetent. But he has also learned much and is a valuable asset to the dynasty. experts who''ve attained the Great Principle are hard to come by. Is it not wiser to allow him the chance to avenge himself?" He spoke out. "Jade Spring Valley, Hurricane Peaks, Red Crystal Reefs, Falling Reed Highlands, I can name dozens more. We overlooked these because of you elder Colossal Shark. But the losses this time were too high," Pulao spat smashing at his armrest. His own power of Great Principle Chaos Immortal was unleashed and the muscular image of a draconic beast manifested behind him. Qiu Niu appeared slightly hesitant however, the loss of a Chaos Immortal cuts deep, even if his own rage argued for it. "How many? Just how many rising talents perished under your command? But we overlooked it since you gave back some gains. Well, your sins have caught up to you now," Pulao continued. Kan gritted his teeth. Yazi was his friend and comrade and his inability to defend him was regretful. But Pulao was blatantly overblowing issues for none other than his dislike towards the sea folk. "Your highness, please reconsider," Colossal Shark said taking a stance by Kan''s side. His eyes darted upwards slightly before turning them away towards Pulao. He did tighten his fists though, if push came to shove, he may have to defend himself. Colossal Shark was an old fox. He could easily justify things as Pulao letting his rage get the better of him as was commonly known. But what worried him was Zulong''s lack of words. From start to finish, the Ancestral Dragon had not spoken. But whenever someone turned to glance at him, they could feel an incomprehensible pressure bearing down upon them. It was tantamount to a mountain crashing toward a person. "Your highness, I understand my mistake. I¡­" "A Chaos Immortal being humuloiated by a bunch of weaklings. You led my brother and many others into a trap that should''ve been obvious. Your incompetence sullies the name of our dynasty." "Cease!" Zulong''s voice was soft and quiet. But it was clear and heard by everyone in the room. The Dragon Sovereign''s fingers gently tapped his armrest. ... ... ... "BLAAGH!" SPLATTER! THUD! Pools of blood flooded the imperial throne hall before anyone could react. Even Qiu Niu and Pulao were surprised. Colossal Shark widened his eyes and glanced sideways in utter disbelief. A Great Principle Chaos Immortal, general Kan of the Colossal Shark clan, keeled over and spat out pools of blood. His eyes were bloodshot and he slumped over to the floor clutching his spasming body. He did nothing but gasp again and again. His aura grew weaker and weaker until it became a small blip on everyone''s radar. His radiant Dao fruit shriveled into a cracked mess. "NO!" Colossal Shark called out. But he soon found out he could not move his body. The gaze of the dragon was upon him and even he, a being closing in on the Primal Origin realm found it difficult to do anything but stay still. "He''ll live," Zulong said as if that placated his old subordinate. Qiu Niu grimaced at the bloody display while Pulao appeared satisfied but not placated. He was itching to do more. "Our son is alive and due for a full recovery hence we saw no need to terminate a Chaos Immortal servant. Kan is hereby stripped of his rank, we will tolerate no incompetence in our ranks." Colossal Shark shrank down and kowtowed, "Many thanks for your majesty''s mercy." He glanced at his twitching grandson''s prone form and his feelings were complex. As for Kan, he only felt pain. His world existed in nothing but torment. Even his cultivation did nothing to alleviate this fact. "We have grown tired of those monkeys at the Flower Mountain ranges. Leishen, Koilong, we do not want to hear about any Flower Macaque clan when we see you next," Zulong declared. The sovereign glared around the hall with a deep frown before disappearing. "Court dismissed!" ¡­ On the Flower Mountain ranges, a wild party was going on. Billions of primates celebrated their greatest victory yet, victory over the draconic tide that washed the east continent. Thousands of clans and trillions of living beings have fallen to them already, yet many more fight hard. The East Continent cannot be taken so easily. Their Chaos Immortal ancestor was laughing and drinking right alongside them. Even one of the famed sons of the dragon had failed to penetrate their formation. What''s more, they were even beaten black and blue by them. In the end, the dragon and sea folk army had retreated to their remaining stronghold on the old Vast Plains Rhino''s territory. The Macaque''s next plan of action was to gather allies to invade, after all, the lands there had rich spiritual veins. As they parted, the skies darkened. At first, it was small, barely noticeable. But as time went on, they began to notice. Rain poured down uncontrollably and a raging thunderstorm began. Not even the power of their patriarch could remove it. Lightning crashed down onto the monkeys smiting them to death. Amidst the storm, a face appeared. A bored face of a thunder dragon. The reaction was immediate, the macaque''s formation was activated and a kingdom of enlightenment manifested into the form of a divine ape. It opened its mouth and roared in defiance. Led by a Great Principle Chaos Immortal and supported by dozens of Great Unity Golden Immortals, this formation was worth armies of similar manpower by itself. The thunder storm grew stronger and stronger in response. The rivers also rose up as drills of water combined with the rain above to form massive tentacles. Leishen and Jian Koilong. The two strongest dragons after the three ancestors. The thunder dragon and the ascendent dragon, both represented the heads of both factions of dragons. Some would even say their strength exceeded that of the dragon king. It took five months to penetrate the formation and another for the remaining monkeys to be hunted down. Chapter 114-Blossom Valley Banquet Across the vast lands of the east continent, there was a consistent phrase apparent no matter what. The east continent was beautiful. The end result of long eras of peace, prosperity, and the constant stream of Primordial Qi emanating from the mysterious Mt Yujing. While the density was incomparable to the central continent, it was at a perfect balance between comfortably habitable, and yet extremely dense. Though besieged from both south, east, and north. To this day, the East Continent was peaceful for the most part. The meteoric rise of the two Beast Sovereigns had little impact on the interior areas of the east. As such, much area was still contested land. Peace was relative after all. The wars occurring between different clans were fundamentally small scale in the grand picture of the primitive world. Even if hundreds of thousands marched to their deaths, it was still barely a blip to the attentions of Great Principle Chaos Immortals. It was upon one such war that the third and youngest brother of the dragon trinity passed through. Invisible except for the faint trails of starlight connecting many miniature galaxies contained within a serpentine cosmos, Qinglong moved across the sky as if he was a part of the heavenly bodies. This was his ace movement technique, Stellar Cloud Steps. When in use, Qinglong''s body resembled a picture of a cosmic supercluster in the shape of a skeletal dragon enveloped within a thin veil. Every step he took, he left a trail of aurora borealis. Like this, Qinglong passed through the eastern sky swiftly. He moved unhindered even as a clan of man faced dogs clashed against a clan of fanged lizard demons. He wasn''t unused to such a sight after all and he really had no intentions of stopping them. ''You''d think they''d harmonise considering the forces breathing down their collective necks,'' Qinglong inwardly scoffed. They said ten thousand distinct clans fought regularly in both big and small conflicts. They said each clan gave birth to many mighty heroes. The azure dragon didn''t put much stock in them. The only reason Zulong hadn''t washed over the east continent was because of several factors that prevents the greater empire from focusing their full might. The first was a constant standoff at the south sea against the avian empire. Then there were the garrisons on the west sea against the devils. The latter included to regularly patrols to stamp out intrusions by their master''s enemies. Then there was Ancestor Hongjun to consider. Tracking Mt Yujing was impossible but its approximate location was known from back before it was hidden by the purple heaven. Who knows how that godfiend might react. Finally, there was the Sea Eye to consider. Ever since Zulin cursed them with this burden, they''ve had to contribute many of their experts to look after the Sea Eye. Regular shifts of Chaos Immortals to aid the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle in plugging that filthy hole. Just thinking back to the dragon like horse made Qinglong furious. If he could, he''d travel back in time and rip him apart himself. Too bad such an act was far beyond him. Qinglong glanced down and caught the glimpse of a lizard being torn apart. ''What are they even fighting for? It''s much better if they just submit to my brother,'' he thought. The dragon largely faded into the night sky as skipped beyond the war. His destination was among the contested lands, deep within the East Continent. It was fairly secluded all things considered. A blossom filled valley that bloomed year round. A forest of cherry blossom trees that were very beautiful. A garden even among a land known for its beauty. This type of valley was suggested by Da Hai when he''d brought up finding a secluded abode for his friends to drink in. He had wanted to gather with his other family and enjoy reunions with them as they were often far apart. He''d never specified who he meant but deep down he knew his master knew. It took time, but eventually, they''ve been able to locate something matching Da Hai''s description. A temple was constructed deep within the valley atop an intersection of rivers. A home away from home. Qinglong glanced around the valley and immediately noticed he wasn''t the only one who arrived. Four other superclusters were manifesting above the valley, all in the shape of different animals. Specifically, they were celestial beasts like him. Whilst his own body glowed in a soft azure colour, the others glowed in their own colours. A faint orange for his sister in the south, dark black for his brother in the north, and steel white for his brother in the west. Qinglong acknowledged the rest. His movement technique faded and his draconic form appeared instead. Then he began rapidly dropping altitude. Unbothered by the velocity, Qinglong assumed his human form as he landed toe first on the forest trail. He much preferred to walk the way to the temple and enjoy the scenic view. It reminded him of wandering around the forests of Yingzhou when he was much younger. Though those trees had lost much their lustre, it was still a soothing experience. A relaxation away from the work he does in the north sea. Though better now, sorting through the frigid north sea was still hard work. Qinglong''s current form appeared to be a devilishly handsome man in his mid twenties. He had shoulder length black hair and wore a rippling outer blue coat with a white inner robe completing his hanfu. With his hands behind his back, Qinglong entered the temple. It was a simple one storey pagoda that only consisted of one room. A dining room where Zhuque, Baihu, and Xuanwu were already sitting with wine cups filled. "You''re the last one as always," Baihu laughed raising a cup towards him. His companion sword lay leaning behind his seat lazily while he wore a silver fur coat that complimented his white hair. "And you started without me," Qinglong retorted back smiling. "And wait days for you to finally make your way in here? No way, I''ve travelled long enough," Baihu chuckled along with the others. His companion sword lay leaning behind his seat lazily. "And the food will get cold. It''s meant to be enjoyed immediately upon release, otherwise, it''ll all go bad," Zhuque added with her own chuckle. "Exactly, if we waited for you, we''d be sitting hungry for a millennia," Xuanwu teased. "Oh haha very funny," Qinglong said taking his own seat at the eastern end of the table. Though rather than a table, it was more accurate to call it a star chart being used as a table. It contained the diagram of the entire starry skies after all. Qinglong took a bite out of the chicken presented and smiled. "Not bad," he said. "Where''s this from?" "There''s a race of spiritual chicken on the borders of the west continent. Had to sneak in to grab them so you better appreciate it," Baihu chuckled taking a big gulp of wine. "You wouldn''t believe how heavily they''ve fortified their territory, no ones get in or out without their higher ups knowing. Luckily, I''m not any second rate amateur," he said. Qinglong grimaced, "That bad huh? Is the Devil Ancestor still in seclusion? I haven''t received much news on his moves." "Far as I know he still is. Though that''s the case for most of the first generation," Zhuque said. "Getting any readings from their movements are nigh impossible. Even your aunt master is hard to trace." "Wait, don''t you have one working in your sister''s court?" Xuanwu asked innocently. "He comes and goes, that vulture headed bastard isn''t even in the empire a fraction of the time if even that. I don''t know why my sister holds his advice at such high value," she grumbled. However, she didn''t expand more. Zhuque wasn''t one to share the inner workings of the avians, just as Qinglong won''t share the inner workings of the dragons. Their loyalties to both their kin and to each other prevented them. It was already a tense situation that divided the phoenix and the dragon. There was no need to add even more to the mix. Qinglong had no desire to ruin his current relationships with unnecessary complications. That was the rule on their gatherings. No talks about government secrets or personal affairs. However, public knowledge or badly kept secrets that were essentially public knowledge were frequently talked about. Gossip among old immortals was a pretty excitable hobby. "Speaking of your sister, any news on an emperor-consort?" Baihu asked wiggling his eyebrows. Xuanwu and Qinglong glanced over with interest. That was an excellent question. Zufeng, known throughout the world as Virtue of Yin and Yang Primal Phoenix Supreme Empress, was a very popular woman. She was often in the minds of young men who dreamed of taking her hand. However, subjects of romance and attractiveness weren''t prevalent in the minds of connate lifeforms. Although the second generation of innate gods had mentalities closer to postnatal lifeforms, they still held to many instincts of connate lifeforms. "You have met my sister right?" Zhuque deadpanned. She was met by a flood of laughter from the three. "Seriously Baihu, this is what? The fourth-fifth time you asked? Doesn''t it ever get old?" "It''s either that or asking about old birds squabbling about who''s prettier. All the youngsters are always talking about who''s getting together with who, who''s seeing who. Romance seems to be all the rage nowadays," Baihu shrugged. "Tell me about it, fourth younger sister has charts about big brother''s court. Who''s interested in who. She''s evolved from the imaginary stuff as master would say," Qinglong said in exasperation while eating a roasted duck. Baihu snorted in amusement. Yi Fei''e and her unwarranted embarrassment was always something fun to tease about. She was the only one more worried about getting discovered than anyone else. "Cheh, physical attraction between postnatal lifeforms. I don''t understand. It''s so fleeting," Zhuque said. "It doesn''t even seem to have changed when they ascend to immortals." "Differences in perspective sister," Xuanwu offered his insight. "They were born in a womb whereas we were formed from energy. Perhaps that has some correlation?" A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "If that was the case explain Zulong and Gui Daiyu," Baihu said. "How did they get together anyway? And what about Yinglong and all of his mistresses?" "Something about working together for a long time," Qinglong explained. "I''m not too clear on the details. As for second brother? It''s a necessity to calm to minds of postnatal lifeforms. Though only so many dragons are strong enough to have a talented child with him." "And now we''re getting into that talk as well. When was the last time a devil, dragon, or phoenix big shot clashed? Those made fun news," Baihu said. "Well we are at an era of peace. Relatively speaking of course. Those sentiments are just asking for necessary trouble," Xuanwu verdantly shut Baihu down. "Besides, didn''t Leishen and Jian Koilong make a huge splash in the east continent a couple millennia ago?" "Really, old thunder and old fishy? When did that happen?" Baihu looked over confused. "Something about rebellious monkeys. Don''t know how true it is but one of your princes got hurt pretty bad," Zhuque answered for him. "It was news even in the south continent." Baihu appeared baffled. "Wounded? They''re all exceptional immortals. I don''t see that happening easily. Is the prince alright?" he asked. "He''s fine, just in recovery, thankfully it was non life-threatening. Unfortunately, we did lose a few geniuses from the dolphin, shrimp, turtle, and plesiosaur clans. It necessitated a response. They were a pretty potent force and brother would''ve preferred recruiting them but that was no longer an option," Qinglong sighed. "Cheh, east continent and their pride," Baihu snorted. "Just because the sovereigns don''t turn their full attention that way doesn''t mean they can be offended." "They grew arrogant. It''s not strange, my brother and sister Zhuque''s elder sister don''t come out often. Many clans left alone for too long begin developing as such. I had to put down a group of giants with Qinglong earlier this yuanhui because of this," Xuanwu said while eating. "Well, I for one prefer the quiet times. Besides, conflicts get tiresome after a while. It''s better to peacefully walk around and admire the sights. Less chance of the view being marred," Qinglong said. "Couldn''t agree more, the south continent is much better under proper management than it was previously. Avians of all cultures thrive in the unity of the five virtues," Zhuque said holding up her cup to toast Qinglong. "Speaking of, did you guys know about¡­" Zhuque then went on a tangent on the latest gossip regarding the southern avians. The avian empire, although vast and mighty, was still weaker than the dragons. The amount of experts they could call on still loses out to the dragons and their pool of recourses was lesser as well. This was why they made attempts to push into the east continent. However, they were superior in their ability to defend themselves. Their lands were concentrated largely on one continent rather than being spread out over four oceans. But they were also an equally diverse group like the sea folk. When Zufeng announced her presence to the world, birds from all over crossed the universe to serve her. Their population was in fact, even comparable to the sea folk. Qinglong silently wondered while his friends bantered. How good would it be if Zufeng and Zulong had married? Don''t get him wrong, he loves his sister in law and his nephews. But perhaps much of the tension would be relieved with a union between the Ancestral Phoenix and the Ancestral Dragon. Then again, neither superior beings would ever tolerate one ruling over the other. They can''t exist as equals nor can they accept inferiority. "¡­Indeed, and Cinnabar Flame just took another dozen concubines. Seriously, that kid might just draw the ire of his elders soon enough." Qinglong snapped his attention back to the conversation. ''Cinnabar Flame?'' He wondered. "So another arrogant young prodigy popped up? Those postnatal geniuses show themselves every once in a while. I''ve even stopped counting by now," Baihu said. "They do tend to have pretty big egos, don''t they? We had one recently in Colossal Shark''s newest grandson, can''t remember which brother he was though. Soon enough, that bird of yours will get his comeuppance, they all do in the end." Xuanwu said with a vaguely disinterested look. Zhuque had informed them of a womanising young pheasant who''d earned the attention of Zufeng. This Cinnabar Flame had since began cultivating the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra as he had been gifted by Zufeng. Phoenix Nirvana Sutra was Zufeng''s answer to Zulong''s Draconic Dao. It contained the forms and powers of the phoenix and taught one to reach the ideal form of the Primordial Phoenix through unifying harmony in the five elements and virtues. Zufeng had rejected the idea of a phoenix clan, believing herself to be the only one deserving of the truest bloodline. However, she did allow others who''d proven worthy to be adopted by her and to cultivate her sutra. Hence those she adopted, began referring to themselves as phoenixes. Their own bloodlines will also carry some traces of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra. But none will ever be the same as Zufeng herself. Zhuque was the only one who came close. But even she was an innate god who only shared origin with Zufeng. And even that was up for debate. Compared to the amount of dragons in the world, phoenixes didn''t even come remotely close. The dragons were, after all, a very hardworking clan. Their population across the four seas easily exceeded the quadrillions and made up a large portion of the four sea''s total population. Xuanwu and Baihu, as people who moved around a lot unlike Zhuque and Qinglong, had seen many examples from varying levels. They may or may not succeed but sooner or later, people like them will learn their lesson and evolve. "Heh, I see those all the time in the west continent. It''s like their habit or something. Even old Chenghuang had encountered a few. Young lads mouthing off when they shouldn''t." Baihu began exchanging his own stories about his time in the west sea and his time sneaking into the west continent. The White Tiger was no stranger to these acts being a primary informant to the movement of the devils. Those talks gave Qinglong some thoughts. He may be busy for now, but eventually, Zulong will descend not the west continent. Through Da Hai, he too knew many things about the devil leaders. Through the west sea, they knew many things regarding their basic culture. "West continent Devilish Dao," Qinglong suddenly mused rubbing his chin. "You know, we spend so much time worrying about it, but they never actually do anything." His sudden statement drew nods in his direction. In Qinglong''s mind, so much emphasis was put on the Devilish Dao yet what had they actually done? They have big name deterrents but like most ancestors, himself included, they mostly cultivated in stasis. "Baihu, you''re the most familiar with them. What do you think?" Qinglong asked the White Tiger. Baihu raised an eyebrow. "Devils, ''Mo'', hm¡­you ask a complicated question. I guess there aren''t any distinctions between them and cultivators on the outside aside from the distorted path they follow. I wasn''t in their sects long enough but I did learn some things." "They''re a tricky lot. Will stab you in the back to advance themselves. See here''s the thing, there can only be so many Devils who occupy a position." He was interrupted by Xuanwu who said, "Well isn''t that obvious? Only so many people can work job." "Not talking about that, I''m talking about cultivation. Their Daos, they all originate from the same source, bestowed on them you could say. You and I Xuanwu, Qinglong, Zhuque and a thousand others can invent a Dao of say soil, Dao of Soil, each came from a unique place of understanding." "They don''t have that luxury. Their understandings were all derived from one place no matter their creativity. Hence there can only be so many similar Daos." "Wait, you''re saying that to advance as a devil, another devil above you has to go?" Zhuque was a bit startled. This was news even to her. Qinglong appeared a bit perplexed as well, he shared a look with Xuanwu and Baihu before he started speaking. "My brothers and I have theorised on that before but we weren''t sure. We''ve never cultivated the Devilish Dao before and we know none who had," Qinglong said. "Be thankful you don''t, one try is all it takes for you to be absorbed by it. Happened to one of my fellow innate gods a long time ago. They prioritise innate gods who''ve yet to mature like we were. I bolted the first chance I saw," Baihu sighed in reminiscence. He drank his liquor until there were none left. He was silent afterwards "Sorry for making you remember," Qinglong said. Baihu returned that with a grateful nod. "That''s fine, I don''t like to remember those times. Things are better now, I''m allowed to harass them at my leisure with you guys. You should tag along, our stellar movement techniques are beyond their detection." Baihu said smiling again. Soon, the four returned to a jovial atmosphere and shared gossip with one another. Qinglong leaned back as the conversations were winding down. There wasn''t much to talk about now that stories had been shared. After a week of dining, they separated again. Zhuque returned to her roost in secret in the south continent. There was no need for Zufeng to find out she was gone. Baihu and Xuanwu left together, they had roles as employees of Zulong around the west continent. The former due to the greater strength of the sea clans in comparison to the local dragons. As for Qinglong, he left for the east sea. He''d previously informed his subordinates that he''d be returning eastwards to participate in the strengthening of the Sea Eye seal. That a reunion of the four symbols took place in between was just an extra convenience, definitely not preplanned. In a rare act of defiance, he didn''t tell Zulong about his meeting. There was no need for the elder dragon to know. Chapter 115-Yi Feies Suitor "Hm, fascinating¡­" "Oh my¡­" "Oh no she didn''t¡­" CLICK! Yi Fei''e''s wooden door opened as a dragon maid in a blue dress walked in carrying a tray. "Good morning mistress, your breakfast is ready," she said. Immediately as she did so, a pillar of blue fire erupted from Yi Fei''es hands. The fresh book she was holding was consumed by flame leaving nothing, not even ash, and a pissed off looking Yi Fei''e. For a moment, silence reigned the bedroom. Yi Fei''es head slowly creaked to glare at the maid. The dragon girl nervously gulped as she settled down the tray of hot steam buns on Yi Fei''e''s table. With a few tussle, Yi Fei''e stood up from her bean bag and inched closer to the maid. "You''re new," she said. "Uh, yes mistress, I arrived on Yingzhou three months ago. Three months six days in fact. It was very, wow. Anyway, my name is¡­" "I don''t want to hear your life story," Yi fei''e snapped. "Oh, uh a thousand apologies," the maid bent ninety degrees in submission. A common sight when a lesser lay in fear of a superior. In this case, Yi Fei''e could snap her out of existence regardless of her background. "Stop, stop yammering girl," Yi Fei''e pulled the dragon maid to her feat with one arm. She grabbed both her shoulders and have her the most intense glare she''d experienced in her life. At the same time, the white haired woman''s beautiful face had a deep rosy blush. On her pale skin, it was extremely visible. "You never saw anything, nothing was here. You delivered food while I was resting. Am I understood?" An invisible but heavy tension permeated the moth''s room. It was to such an extent that the dragon, a Heavenly Immortal powerhouse, struggled to breath. "Yes mistress," she uttered a bit confused. In truth she''d seen nothing aside from a pillar of flames. Yi Fei''es anger wasn''t understood by her. "Speak any word of what you saw, and you will never see the another day. Understood?" Yi Fei''e emphasised her words. Her tone was so grave, it was as if she was speaking of matters of national security. "Yes mistress," the dragon nodded. "Good, now be on your way," Yi Fei''e quickly pushed the dragon out of the door. She grabbed the handle and slammed the wooden door shut. From outside, the dragon heard dozens of locking formation being activated as well as physical locks being pulled. The confused dragon decided to be on her way and report to her superior thinking to herself, ''Was this the legendary chief female immortal of Yingzhou?'' ¡­ Yi Fei''e starred at her room in sorrow. It was as if her world had crashed down around her. "Limited addition¡­" She mumbled on the verge of tears. Her hands shook with tons of complex emotion and she slowly fell to her knees. In her hasty reaction, she had activated her strongest technique. The spell she fired off, obliterated her book in all forms of existence. It was even bombarded out of the timeline so even she can''t reverse time and reconstruct it. Tears streamed down her red face as she screamed. "I DIDN''T GET TO FINISH!" ¡­ Da Hai''s thin brush dipped into a small container of light metallic grey paint. His arm moved up and dragged the brush lightly across a tiny figurine he held on a holder on his other hand. His full attention was on this figure and he didn''t even turn his head toward the other person in the room. "So¡­" Da Hai said while adding flecks of paint for highlights. "You want to leave Yingzhou, to cross the continent into enemy territory. All to retrieve a rare spiritual material that will help you in your cultivation?" The sea god said each word one after the other in increasing amusement. His pupils glanced sideways towards Yi Fei''e. There were a hint of irritation in his eyes. "You''re not fooling anybody disciple," he said putting his tools down. "Master, I must stress the importance of it to me. The sacred manual was a revelation brought about by an ancient¡­" "Fei''e, I was alive in the era of ancients," Da Hai interrupted his fourth disciple before she could go on another passion driven tangent. His unimpressed gaze made the moth fidget as if she was a child caught in her misdeeds. "Anyway, that detail isn''t important. Why are you coming to me? There''s no restriction of you leaving the island," he said curiously. Though he already had a hint of the reason. "Well, the Phoenix Sovereign. While she would respect your position and mine by extention. She still won''t take too kindly to my ''intrusion''. Hence I need a way to hide. I don''t have techniques good enough to hide from her eyes." Yi Fei''e smiled nervously after she finished. Da Hai sighed in exasperation and shook his head laughing. He raised his empty left hand. POOF! The Chaos Cauldron appeared in Da Hai''s open palm. It was shrunken to the size of a small jar. Da Hai floated it before Yi Fei''e. "I was waiting until you''ve done a great deed before bestowing you a treasure of this magnitude," Da Hai said looking deadly serious at Yi Fei''e in the eye. "But if you''re gonna take this trip you''ll need it." Yi Fei''e gasped, "Thank you master, I promise I won''t disappoint you." She reached for the cauldron only for it to dart back. "Not the cauldron," Da Hai snapped. "Inside it," he flicked the base of the Chaos Cauldron. In another instance, a brilliant white light enveloped the room. A white orb flew out and landed gracefully on the fairy''s palms. She let out a gasp as she felt fresh immortal power flow into her. "Illuminating the heavens, one of the mysterious sky," Da Hai chanted. "I made that from samples I collected in the nearby chaos sea. I can''t say it''ll be too useful in a fight, but you can use that to blend in." "Many thanks master, does this treasure have a name?" Yi Fei''e inquired. "No, you can decide for yourself." Yi Fei''e nodded at Da Hau''s response. She admired the white pearl she held in her hand. Its luminescent light shimmered as it faded into her pale skinned body, stopping at her upper chest. "Pearl of Great Brilliance. Yes, I shall call it Pearl of Great Brilliance. My, Yi Fei''es companion treasure." Da Hai nodded, "Stay safe and don''t get caught. You''ve only spent time in your senior brother''s domain. Use this chance to get some experience in the wider world." ¡­ The sleazy city of Cinnabar Roost, located seven hundred and forty eight billion kilometres from Phoenix Roost, was the home city of the newest Phoenix Lord of the Avian Empire. It was also a site of relaxation and pleasure, filled with dancers, gamblers, and wine. A behaviour many immortals considered uncouth and distasteful, yet also one many younger cultivators indulged in. Cinnabar Flame, the latest in a long line of prodigies stemming from the lineage of an ancient phoenix master drank down a glass of expensive spiritual fruit wine while beautiful nation breaking ladies danced around him letting their colourful feathers create a site most magnificent for the eyes. The young virile man laughed joyfully as a party raged on around him. As a newly minted Chaos Immortal, he had finally achieved Dao. There was not much more for him to gain now. Cinnabar Flame leaned back as his sixty-seventh wife massaged his shoulders. Around him, his friends and contemporaries drank and partied around him. However, he was not happy. In fact, he was a bit peeved. "What''s wrong my love?" His sixty-seventh wife asked. Cinnabar Flame raised an eye. "Was it those old farts again? Don''t take their words to heart, you are destined to surpass them," she said with an alluring smile. Cinnabar Flame couldn''t help but raise his lips in a smile as he saw the beautiful woman smile. "Naturally, those old birds don''t know how to appreciate real talent," he leaned in and gave her a deep kiss. This was one of his earlier conquests, the saintess of a small sect he encountered when he was barely six hundred. She was pretty, incredibly so, fit for a one such as him. But Cinnabar was aiming higher. The glorious prize waiting at the top of the mountain. The king of myriad birds herself. Cinnabar considered himself a beautiful bird, the highest of all. He wasn''t even a single yuanhui old unlike all the other Chaos Immortal realm old fogeys. This was a higher level than many of the first generation innate gods had reached. Records said that although brutal, the ancient Shenni war was fought between mostly Great Unity Golden Immortals. It wasn''t that impressive in his eyes. Even among his generation, none could keep up with him. Not even the generation before him or the generation before that. He could only find worthy beauties in the more senior generations. Even the wives tending to him ranged between True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals, irrelevant small fries. None of his friends present were even Golden Immortals. "Heh, give me some time. The Dao is complex love, a few more kinks and I''ll be tackling more advanced realms in no time," he confidently said. Truthfully, he was deeply unimpressed with his current wives. The aforementioned issues were in full force here. There were very little difference between them and common maid servants. What''s more, the beautiful female phoenixes were few and far between. He longed to court one. "Hey Lord Cinnabar," one of his oldest friends said. "Long time no see. Congratulations, I just heard about your ascension." "Mystical Vein you''re here," Cinnabar smiled on the outside and disdained on the inside. "And is that the sister I''ve heard about? Brightness Vein was it?" He leered at the beautiful pheasant at his side with some interest. She was quite pretty, another good addition to the harem. Her aptitude wasn''t the greatest though, wasn''t even an immortal yet. Last time they''d met she''d still been a chick. "Indeed, we''re just travelling around so she can enhance her cultivation," the immortal pheasant said. Of course his anterior motives were noticed but otherwise ignored. Cinnabar Flame decided to allow him the honour of chatting with him. They were friends after, so he''d allow that courtesy. The two talked for a while catching up. Cinnabar did not find Mystical Vein''s stories interesting at all. He''d long let that world behind. His current realm was too high to notice mere immortals. But one topic did interest him. It was talks regarding outside the south continent. "South? You went to the south Sea?" Cinnabar Flame asked. "Indeed my friend, I fought as part of a defence force there a few centuries back. Quite a few interesting things I learned. So many seafood available, much better then the garden fishes grown on land," he said. "I see, I see," Cinnabar Flame dismissed. "But there quite a few beauties though," his friend said. "Here, check this out." The pheasant pulled out a portrait from his sleeve. It was a soggy thing but one where the image was still portrayed. "Look at this, found this off of a dead seafolk. Did a little digging and apparently these ladies are touted by them as the most beautiful women in the world," he said. Cinnabar took the portrait off of him and had a look himself. Seven women were painted on there. Seven women of extraordinary looks, white as snow and graceful as a gentle spring breeze. He salivated at the thought. "Who are they?" He asked expectingly. "According to what I gather, the seas call them the Seven Immortal Moth Fairies." ¡­ Sneaking into the south continent turned out to not be a challenge at all. In fact, Yi Fei''e found it quite easy. Even though there were multiple Great Principle Chaos Immortals along the way, they couldn''t detect her. Yi Fei''e giggled in excitement as she flew through a forest. Her current form was a shrunken form of her true form. A tiny white moth that flew from leaf to leaf. Of course, to lesser people, she was still so fast that she was unsociable even by the eyes of advanced immortals. Hence in a stream of white light, Yi Fei''e darted through the foliage to her destination. "Huh? I thought master Si lived in a rural village," she whispered to herself. Transforming back into a woman, Yi Fei''e reached for her sleeve and pulled out an old map. Her last limited edition copy of ''Wives of Red'' was something she convinced Zulong to find for her. Copies of south continent books weren''t all that common where she lived after all. The fairy turned her gaze up at the afternoon sky. Her eyes saw past the sky blue atmosphere and into the image of the stars above. Countless celestial bodies flashed through her eyes as she observed the movements of the stars. She stroked her chin as she narrowed her gaze. Then she turned back to the map then back to the stars. "Location is correct," Yi Fei''e breathed a sigh of relief. "Curse you master Si, you are such a talented writer but you are such a gatekeeper," she fired a stream of other curses as she glared at the city beyond. The author she was referring to was well known in his sphere for being both talented and eccentric. He refused to print his work by way of printers and had to handwrite everything. At the same time, he refused to sell his works other than from his person and every copy he sells will be a little different. As such every single one of his books was considered limited edition and very rare. Yi Fei''e both loved and hated him for it. "I mean, learn to distribute your works," she humphed before transforming herself again. Yi Fei''e was neither blind nor ignorant. She knew how beautiful she was and how much attention she''d attract if she showed up as herself or even if she deigned to wear a veil. In the presence of similar peers, Chaos Immortals and whatnot, no one cared. They were all focused on cultivation, treasures, or their families. But in a normal city, the attention she''d garner from looks alone was too much. She wasn''t a diva unlike her younger sisters, or at least she didn''t think of herself as one. When Yi Fei''e prepared to enter the city, she was in the form of a plain Asian woman with black hair and average height. Nothing specular, a face and figure that blended in with the crowd. Her cultivation was also pretty high for the area she''d arrived in. As a precaution, she mimicked the aura of an Earth Immortal(Human Immortal). High enough to but not overly monstrous yet still beyond mediocre. Standing in a line of birds, Yi Fei''e did not feel out of place. She herself was a winged creature as well. What''s more, she remembered being born in the south continent. Was it wrong of her to feel a little sense of kinship? It was a quick and simple endeavour. She was inspected by the guards and asked what she was here for. She answered honestly which was also a common answer. And it was not like they could ever discover her secrets. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Yi Fei''e silently followed the crowd when she entered the city. It was a no fly zone and a formation was in place. She did also feel the presence of a Great Principle Chaos Immortal present so actively. Resisting was perfectly within her capability but doing so will require too much effort and risk her anonymous nature. "Hm, not bad. Quite colourful," she mused as she observed the buildings around her. Avian architecture was similar to dragon architecture. Except they emphasized bombastic colours and beauty rather than the mighty arrogant dragons. Two forms of "LOOK AT ME" but completely different approaches. Yi Fei''e quickly started learning the lay of the land. Her divine sense covered the city looking for signs of her author. She was wary to avoid the other Chaos Immortal but they were barely paying attention themselves. But she has taken her master''s words to heart. Don''t shy away from defending yourself, but be wary and stay hidden. Attention can be really bothersome when you don''t want it. Having never left the man before, Yi Fei''e had some trouble finding him from her initial scan. So she did the next best thing. "Excuse me sir, would you know where master Si''s residence is?" She asked a feathered passerby. The man gave her a thoughtful look and tried to remember. "Ah, young lady, you''re here for those?" He asked. "I am here to buy books," Yi Fei''e hurriedly said. "Yeah but those sort of books?" "What do you mean, books are just books." "I mean, it''s pretty graphic stuff and you''re," he gestured at her body. "I am only here for books," Yi Fei''e said coldly glaring. She desperately wanted this to be over with. "Suit yourself, he lives in fifth avenue in White Feather district," he said and left the disguised moth alone. ''Well that was easy,'' Yi Fei''e sighed in her heart. Asking was both the quickest yet most embarrassing way. Besides, she''d be out of here very soon anyway. ¡­ Cinnabar Flame yawned walking down his city. With beauties in each hand, he began the long walk home. He could''ve taken an easier route and just teleported. But there was something about letting everyone see and grovel before you that just scratched the itch in him. Cinnabar was a very handsome man, and even prettier phoenix. His feathers were white and black and upon his head and back was cinnabar coloured feathers stretching from his crest along to his tail feathers. Combined with his power, status and prestige, he was someone people cannot ignore. Needless to say, he was treated with a sight of hundreds bowing to him as he walked across. Within his mind, the phoenix imagined the figures of his seniors. Great Principle Chaos Immortals who''d look down on him as a junior, a brat, or an arrogant fool. The same fools he''d love to put in their place. Then he imagined her kneeling here. The Ancestral Phoenix and sovereign of all avians cut a magnificent form. He deeply desired it. Of course, there were also beauties from out of the mainland. To think he''d been limiting himself for so long. He''ll get to exploring those places soon. Those seven moths were all jade beauties waiting for him. Just thinking about it was starting to get him back in the mood again. "Hm?" He stopped glancing to the side. A queer woman was standing there totally ignoring him. What''s worse was that she was treating the book in her hand as if it was the greatest love of her life. ¡­ Retrieving the brand new copy was easy after that. Get in, had over a few pills, get out. Quick exchange for a fresh copy to replace her destroyed copy. Holding it up to her nostril, Yi Fei''e took a huge sniff of the book receiving weirded out looks as she did so. But she did not care, they did not understand the true meaning of paradise. "Ah, my love," she praised taking a big sniff. This piece of fine literature(95% porn) was bound in the hide of a Bull immortal. A valuable one of a kind. In a sane world, who wastes such materials on smut? Yi Fei''e carefully handled the copy in her hands placing various protective enchantments on it and prepared to leave. But it was then did she notice her surroundings. She''d been so entranced by the presence of her new book that she hadn''t noticed everyone bowing. "Hm?" She locked eyes with a handsome young man. It was a Great Principle Chaos Immortal standing right across from her. ''Fuck, how did I miss that?'' She screamed in her mind. Though with her track record with similar situations, she honestly shouldn''t be surprised. If Da Hai was here, he''d smack his face in shame. "You, do you know who you''re standing in the presence of?" One of the hot woman beside the young man commanded. She pointed at Yi Fei''e gesturing for her to get into position like everyone else. Yi Fei''e frowned. She had not prepared herself for this position. The smart thing to do will be to obey, but she had her own pride as well. Who the hell was this bitch to tell her to bow? As one advances along the long road of cultivation, one grows more and more confident in their abilities. Their accomplishments in their enlightenment all instiled a sense of pride. While she debated obeying, the young man, Cinnabar Flame looked her over. "Her body isn''t bad, just the face is a little off, nothing that can''t be fixed," he said. "Join us." At that moment Yi Fei''e felt a little annoyed. Her feet twisted a little before lightly touching the ground. Her eyes trailed towards to horizon and calculated some scenarios. Then she took off. Breaking all restraints, she bolted for the eastern direction. Cinnabar on the other hand was shocked. On instinct, he flew after her at breakneck speed. Her speed shocked him, it was on the level of Da Lou Golden Immortals. ''He kept up with me?'' Yi Fei''e frowned gently placing her precious book into her sleeve. Body left a trail of starlight and she moved through swiftly. But even so, Cinnabar could keep up. Below the phoenix''s stomach, green clouds formed carrying him across the sky. He was even faster than Yi Fei''e was. Cinnabar Flame originally was famed for being incredibly swift. His movement techniques were one of the best even among his cultivation contemporaries. "Who are you?" He called out. "Shit," Yi Fei''e felt troubled. In her haste, she''d made another mistake. She turned and knocked her fist back, colliding with this layer of reality to abruptly halt her body. Then the shattered pieces of space forged into a spiked gauntlet around her fist shining like a glowing white star. Cinnabar could not stop his own momentum as Yi Fei''e punched him square in the jaw. "GAH!" He cried in pain. His Dao body shattered and his true form made itself manifest. He was easily several thousand kilometres in size. Simply by flapping his massive wings, Cinnabar created burning tornados that blew towards Yi Fei''e. Fei''e did not pay the flames any heed. She took and deep breathe. Then blew out a small stream of wind from her mouth. Directed by her palm, she blew away the sea of flames. Under her command, they transformed in a titanic fire dragon lighting up the sky in a burning mess. It crashed towards Cinnabar Flame. "My own flames?" He cried out in shock. He quickly flapped his wings hard, lifting his body and flew around the fire dragon. His feet dragged along the air as spacetime warped and folded around the dragon. His efforts bent reality and send the construct into another dimension. Even so, his feathers were singed and he glared at Yi Fei''e in rage. "You dare¡­da¡­d¡­woah!" His beaks fell apart as he eyed the woman before him. Gone was the average faced Yi Fei''e and replaced by her true appearance. "You, I know you," Cinnabar salivated. "Should I know you?" Yi Fei''e asked. "You were in that painting," Cinnabar laughed. "Moth fairy Yi Fei''e was it? Words cannot describe your beauty." Da Hai''s fourth disciple narrowed her phoenix eyes and crossed her arms. "I see." "I have decided, you can be my three thousand and ninety-ninth wife," he spewed. Yi Fei''e raised her eyebrow. Instead of being angry, her face rose in fascination. Then she scrunched her features and studied his face. His beak, his feathers, his wings, his tails. "You''re extremely impressive, come with me and I can promise you a good place among my harem. Even chief wife is possible," he spouted. "Wives of Red?" She muttered. ''This bird, he''s practically a one to one with the protagonist.'' "So I take it as a yes?" Yi Fei''e hummed and shook her head. "No, I''m afraid I can''t commit to any relationships kid. My business here is over, go back to your city and I''ll be on my way." "Kid? Who are you calling kid," Cinnabar growled. "You think you can just leave after attacking your king?" Yi Fei''e raised an eyebrow, "Your bone age doesn''t lie. You''re only twenty eight thousand." "I am a phoenix, a king of myriad birds," Cinnabar insisted. "I''ll give you one warning." "Hm¡­no," Yi Fei''e flicked her fingers. Cinnabar suddenly felt a heavy force impact his body punching him through the air. She turned around no longer paying attention. "You," Cinnabar rose from his position with anger. The way Yi Fei''e treated him, was the exact same way the Phoenix Sovereign had treated him. The callous amused dismissal. The mere thought nearly drove him mad with rage. "We''re not through!" He flashed forwards, appearing in a flash of light in front of the departing Yi Fei''e. His wings blocked her figure much to her annoyance. Yi Fei''e swayed her head to the side. Raising her hands, she manifested a rising star. Cinnabar met it head on with a peck from his long beaks. Both attacks collided and shattered the surrounding void with brutal force. Cinnabar rose into the air attempting to catch the woman in his claws. But Yi Fei''e flicked her fingers again, punting him back in the direction of his city. As he fell, a celestial gate crashed into his body. He grunted as the structure pinned him onto the forested ground. "That''s enough of that," she said walking away. The massive phoenix struggled from his position. He hadn''t felt is humiliated in a very long time. "You, you think this is enough to stop me? Who do you think you are," Cinnabar cried out in frustration. He unleashed all his power shattering the gate holding him in place and flew up. Yi Fei''e was halted again as Cinnabar caught up with her figure. The fairy frowned in annoyance, her fingers itched for her picket dimension. For an instant, she was tempted to draw her sword and dice this annoyance to pieces. "I am a phoenix, king of myriad birds. I said you''d be mine, and you will be mine!" Cinnabar''s body ignited in a torrent of flame clouds. He enveloped the sky in a rain of pure power that washed over the universe. His inferno song permeated the air and scorched the ground. Normally, the song of a phoenix was one that brought prosperity. However, Cinnabar''s only brought wrathful destruction. "My my," Yi Fei''e stood right in front of the flames. Cinnabar was stronger than she anticipated. Then again, she wasn''t really trying to kill him. Assassinating him could cause trouble for her senior brothers after all. "So you want me to be yours eh?" Yi Fei''e smirked with a snort. "Since you''re so enthusiastic, why don''t I do this?" From her back, through her white dress, translucent wings unfolded. They were like a fan that spread out into the cosmos. Four wings emitting from her body that were like the face of a giant. Yet these wings resembled the form of the boundless cosmos. Countless universes, clusters, stars, and planetoids floated within. Yi Fei''e was like a mysterious goddess from the nine heavens, bearing down upon Cinnabar. Cinnabar Flame felt cold sweat drip down his back. It was like staying at the face of a primordial god. ''How was this possible?'' He wondered. ''Just who is she?'' In fact, Fei''es wings did form a face. The energy she emitted formed a face resembling hers except millions of kilometres in size. She opened her mouth and chomped down at Cinnabar. "NO!" Cinnabar''s flames were snuffed out in an instant. Caught in a flurry of stars, the phoenix helplessly tumbled around, dragged in all directions as he was brought to heel. "Since you want to accompany me so much, why don''t you be my mount?" Yi Fei''e said smiling mockingly. "You! You dare!" Cinnabar cried out in rage as a rope of starry water snatched him by the neck. His body was forcefully shrunken until he was barely a dozen metres. Meanwhile, Yi Fei''es wings shrunk back into her dismissing the cosmic phenomena. Cinnabar came to midair. Except this time, Yi Fei''e stood atop his back. The pressure he felt from her was unreal. Despite only smirking at him, he couldn''t help but see the face of a demon. "What are you?" "Your new master," Yi Fei''e said pulling on her reigns. Cinnabar cried as his head was forced back. "Frankly I''m tired of your bullshit. So you chose, serve or die?" In the same instance, she withdrew a simple sword and held it loosely in her grip. Cinnabar eyed the sword and at his captor. Her power was unreal, given all he''d felt, he doubts anything except the highest phoenixes can challenge her. "I see," Yi Fei''e suddenly said aiming her sword. She tug it into Cinnabar''s back causing him to cry in pain. "Serve, I''ll serve mistress, I''ll serve," he begged. "Right, then you can forget your previous allegiances. You are now my, Yi Fei''es mount Cinnabar Phoenix. You are a mount of Yingzhou. Understand?" "Yes, I understand mistress," he said fearfully. "And to betray us, betray me is death. Understand?" "Yes, I understand." "Hm, good, you do understand sense after all," Yi Fei''e glanced back at the south continent. "Hm, someone''s bound to have noticed this. Alright Cinnabar, you''re faster than me, so FLY." ¡­ "What?" Da Hai put down the models he was painting and gave Yi Fei''e an exasperated look. "I may have gone overboard? Say hello to my master and the lord of Yingzhou Cinnabar," Yi Fei''e said pulling on the leash of her pet phoenix. The phoenix sang a raising song in response. Da Hai eyed the bird, then at Yi Fei''e. "Okay," he said after a moment of silence. He studied the duo and thought back to the spells and its she''d learned and her hobbies. "I guess this is fine as well." "Master?" "As long as you''re well, all is good. Now prepare yourself. Zulong is coming back for a visit soon. Daiyu is pregnant again and I can''t have you and your new mount looking improper." "Yes master, I''ll clean him up immediately." The phoenix only whimpered in shame. Chapter 116-Son of the Dragon
That was the question he asked himself every day and every night. Why was he born this way? Why had the Heavenly Dao cursed him so? He can''t possibly show anyone this form of his. What about him even resembling the dragon? The young boy looked at his feathered forearms. He felt disgusted at his taloned feet and wings. It was unnatural, so unnatural. Dragging his claws across his forearm showcased the unique glow of the smooth feathers manifesting underneath. Chao Feng struggled to comprehend why he had to be this way. Even plucking all his feathers only resulted in more taking their place. His beak, so birdlike, so avian. No whiskers, no serpentine physique, not even the thick muscular limbs like his brothers. His body lacks any and all aquatic features. Not even a turtle shell like his mother. It must''ve been humiliating for his family. Son of a dragon who wasn''t even close to being a dragon. The only thing remotely similar were their horns. But then so many races had horns. The sealed door behind Chao Feng shook violently as a loud banging noise registered within Chao Feng''s eardrums. The son of the dragon turned his short neck towards it. "Chao Feng, open up, I know you''re in there!" Chao Feng grimaced and hugged his legs in a fetal position. He designed to ignore the voice. It was one he was intently familiar with. Qiu Niu, the eldest son, the perfect son. The crown prince under their father''s seat. The greatest composer of music the world has ever seen. Superior to all composers in phoenix history. They say the sound of his song alone can rearrange the world itself. Though rarely seen, his might was not something phoenixes nor devils wished to contest. "Chao Feng, little brother, come on how long do you plan to stay in there." Chao Feng closed his eyes and pulled his palms over his ear. Just the thought of facing his draconic brother with his looks terrified him. "How am I going to finish this song without you?" "Chao Feng?" "Fine" The door''s many locking enchantments were torn to shreds and the structure itself came flying off its hinges. Qiu Niu walked in, took one look at Chao Feng''s form and deflated. "Chao Feng," he called out. "Go away," the younger boy insisted. "You don''t want me here." "That''s not true brother, you know that," Qiu Niu placed a hand on Chao Feng''s shoulder. He was unsure how to proceed in this situation. "Chao Feng, little brother, it''s not good to lock yourself in this place. I still need your help you know. No one''s as good as you on vocals," he tried. Chao Feng stared up unimpressively. ''Who are you fooling?'' His eyes evidently said. Qiu Niu was educated by a Hunyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal since he was a child. His own grandmaster who hadn''t been seen for many Yuanhui to the point where many even doubted whether he was still alive. "Song was made by us together, I can''t do it without you, can''t sing like you can." Qiu Niu pleaded with Chao Feng. Inwardly, he was incredibly displeased. What had started out as an attempt by an elder brother to bond with his younger brother through a shared interest had turned into a discovery of a terrible truth. The eldest son of the ancestral dragon was an exalted figure with the highest status available. Any one of his brothers were the same. After all, who''d dare speak ill of the dragons. But Chao Feng''s situation was much different it would seem. To such an extent that even his father hadn''t realised how badly it affected the young prince. Zulong''s seed is as unpredictable as the weather. Very few of his children even resembled him. He himself was closer to a dragon shaped ox than a member of the dragon clan. His brothers Yazi, and Pulao were short but stout beasts with draconic features. Suanni was a lion while Denglong was a dog. Bi An was a tiger while Bixi turned out to be a turtle. Even little Chi Wen was more fish than dragon. Out of all nine siblings, non of them looked quite right. Chao Feng most of all was the worst off. From his father''s crazy genes, he came out resembling their worst enemy. As if the Heavenly Dao was spitting in their faces, Chao Feng was a phoenix with the horns of a dragon. If one didn''t know any better, he could be passed off as an offspring of Zufeng. "Chao Feng, this is something we worked on together for months. Father and our brothers were very excited to listen to you. The people are excited to listen to their fairest prince sing." Chao Feng scoffed aloud. His body shimmered and glowed in many different colours resembling a rainbow. From out of his skin popped beautiful colourful feathers decorating his body like a dress. "Look at me. They were right, I''m not even a dragon," he snapped. In a flash of light, the young boy was replaced by his true form. A shining phoenix who''s body was covered in smooth red scales from his short neck to its bushy feathered tail. His hind legs were chicken like in their composition ending with long sharp curved claws. His forelimbs though were massive wings decked out in thick layers of crimson feathers. They would occasionally catch flame as well and glow in a shining yellow colour. Chao Feng''s head resembled that of a pheasant. Atop his crown were deer like antlers not dissimilar to his father. They jotted out like the crown of kings. Quite evidently, Chao Feng was far more bird than dragon or turtle. "Of course you are, who has been telling you?" Qiu Niu tried to walked forwards "Just leave me be," Chao Feng yelled angrily. His body exploded in a radiation of crimson fiery light that expanded like a dome. The hot winds burned away at the room and streaked past Qiu Niu. The elder dragon sighed. "Stop this please!" He sang. His voice carried by the air halted the expansion of fire, intercepting and dispelling the extreme heat until they fully dissipated. Chao Feng appeared momentarily horrified. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to," he tried saying. Two arms folded around the phoenix pulling him into a hug. Qiu Niu strode forwards before he could continue. "It''s nothing, no big trouble little brother," he reassured him. He stroked avian dragon''s scaly back comforting him despite the intense heat being emitted. "Didn''t even hurt, I assure you." He sat down beside the younger phoenix. Was this how Chao Feng really felt for so many years? He wondered what was the catalyst for it all. He''d never treated his brother any differently than the others. After Qiu Niu, all the children of Zulong had a variety of shape and sizes. Any voices of accusation towards Gui Daiyu was swiftly denied and proven false. "Chao Feng, whatever happens, no matter how you look or how different you are. You are still my brother and family stick together." Chao Feng raised his head to look at Qiu Niu. "You are at war with my kind." "You are a dragon. You may be avian in shape but you are my brother first and thus a dragon," Qiu Niu patted his shoulder. "Ask anyone and they''ll tell you the same. Besides, don''t you wanna show father your new talent? Come on, people are starting to worry." "Singing is for phoenixes. Dragons roar and command," Chao Feng said. "Says who? I play music and songs of all kinds and I''m the most dragon shaped dragon. Seafolk of all kind sing and dance. Creatures of all kinds do it." Qiu Niu stood up with a hand raised. Chao Feng stared at it for a while before transforming back into a boy and reluctantly held onto it. "Let''s get you cleaned up. Dinner is only in a few hours and we can''t see you all frazzled." "Thank you," Chao Feng said. "No problem, it''s what brothers do." ¡­ After settling down Chao Feng, Qiu Niu left him rehearsal notes and left to check the theatre stage. "I heard about Chao Feng." Qiu Niu stopped narrowing his eyes. He turned and glanced at a corner and immediately spotted Suanni. Suanni had grown a lot over the years. What was once an energetic and mischievous boy had grown into a strong broad shouldered man with a fiery mane of hair. His mouth would nowadays constantly emit copious amounts of smoke. "How is he?" Suanni asked. "Shaken but otherwise calm," Qiu Niu sighed. "How did this happen?" "He doesn''t look like a member of a dragon clan, nor even a flood dragon clan. Talks like those were around since second brother''s birth," Suanni said. "Only it would seem that it''s even worse for him based purely on his likeness to birds. We were too negligent with him," Qiu Niu said shaking his head. "Just based purely on our brother''s looks, there''s been many talks behind closed doors. But those were just that, talks behind closed doors. Let''s see who has the balls to say it to Chao Feng''s face," he humphed. Suanni nodded in agreement. "Big brother, I should tell you. As soon as Chao Feng ran out, Denglong already began sniffing around. We''ll find out who it was." "Good." Denglong, the famous guard dog was a fellow brother of Qiu Niu. Though the eldest thought he should lighten up instead of being so rigid in defending the southern borders all the time. It was rare to see him back in the east sea. This was what he planned after all. For all the family to gather around and spend time around a good song. "Help him out as best you can, get our cousin''s help if you need it," Qiu Niu instructed. "I still need to check on the stage." "Still not trusting anything but your own eyes?" "I''m using that stage, I''ll inspect it myself." ¡­ Bixi, Bi An, and Chi Wen were already present when Qiu Niu joined them at the Stage he''d wanted. It was a grand structure, many thousands of metres high and designed to house only the most distinguished of guests within the East Sea Dragon Palace. "Brothers," Qiu Niu called out. "I see everything is in order." Rows of servants walked by and bowed towards him. Looking around, he saw the seats prepared for his father, mother, and all his brothers were set up and everything had been readily prepared. Even food was in the final stages of completion. "And you got Chao Feng back? Or will we be seeing a solo?" Bi An asked. The tiger-dragon hybrid was the eighth brother of nine. Despite his ferocious appearance, Bi An was actually very much a reasonable fellow. He was the one often times negotiating for their father. "He''s back, he''ll be here by then," Qiu Niu replied. "That''s good," Chi Wen, their eighth brother sighed in relief. The glutton of the family was usually assigned to overlook the open ocean from high perches. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I confess to have not been back in a while, but why would Chao Feng run out like that?" He asked. Qiu Niu growled at the reminder. "If I had to guess, it was probably some words among the younger kids. Suanni and Denglong are already looking into it, we''ll find the culprit." Bi An sighed, "There were rumblings among the ministers when they first saw Chao Feng but father silenced them quickly. I never expected it to have continued, it was never the case before." "Hm, I guess none of us looked too egregious in the family of dragon and turtle. I mean most of us resemble land bound beasts and me and Bixi are the only aquatic ones here," Chi Wen said. "Can it fish, enough talk about such rage inducing topics brothers, we''ll sort things out after tonight," Bixi said. Bixi was the only sibling among the nine to resemble their mother more than their father. He was literally just a turtle with the head and tail of a dragon. For Qiu Niu, it was nice seeing everyone interacting together for the first time in thousands of years. In this day and age, they were usually busy running around the greater empire. For each siblings, they were born tens of thousands of years apart, sometimes even up to a Yuanhui. It was already an incredibly accomplishment for Zulong to father nine children. For immortals, the stronger they are, the more difficult it was to have children, this was especially the case for two individuals of such high power. As such, by the time another child was born, the older one would''ve long left to find his own walk in life. Just like the older generation, the sons of the Ancestral Dragon had pursued their own interests. Zulong himself was incredibly proud of what each had accomplished. He''d personally seen to their education just as Da Hai had trained him years prior. The four nodded and waited for the main event. Chao Feng arrived later in the day with Suanni in tow. Accompanied by more and more of his family, Chao Feng felt more comfortable. ¡­ Zulong arrived accompanied by his second and fourth sons Yazi and Pulao. His wife Gui Daiyu arrived hand in hand with him and the four descended to the tables. "Father, mother," seven of the nine sons stood up and greeted with a now. "Children, tonight is just for us, none of you need to stand on occasion," he said sitting down on the main seat. Gui Daiyu smiled sitting beside him. Zulong had changed over the years. He appeared far older than he was, now sporting a long beard with an aged but handsome face well into his fifties. He smiled brightly at the sight of his completed family. "You all," he whispered emotionally. "Qiu Niu, Yazi, Pulao, Denglong, Suanni, Bixi, Bi An, Chi Wen, you''ve all grown up and accomplished many things away from this seat. And you little Chao Feng, I''ve heard you''ve progressed well in your cultivation," he said. "Yes father," they said. Chao Feng shrunk a little when Zulong''s gaze landed on him "You''ve broken into the Profound Immortal realm I see. And you''re only a thirty two years old, well done son, well done." "Thank you father," Chao Feng nodded looking away. He seemed to shrink in on himself as if he didn''t want to be here. "You know father," Qiu Niu said. "Chao Feng is an incredibly skilled singer." "Really?" Zulong raised an eyebrow. "Now that''s a surprise, none of you lot", he pointed towards the other seven, "Have ever shown an interest in it before." "Meh, not my cup of tea," Yazi snorted. "Not since big brother went through his, ahem, phase." "Oh heavens don''t remind me," Suanni gripped the side of his head. "Couldn''t think straight for a thousand years, poor brother Ao Guang didn''t sleep for centuries straight." "Worst part was the clothing, what were you thinking Qiu Niu?" Yazi said exasperatingly. "Now now children, I thought it was fine," Gui Daiyu said showing a strained smile. "Mother don''t pretend," Pulao said. "I could hear you complaining down the hallway every time." "It was an experimentory time," Qiu Niu defended. "It was sleepless torture." "What happened?" Chao Feng asked innocently. "I''ve never heard of this before." "Neither have I," Chi Wen, Bi An, and Bixi leaned over. "What''s so interesting about it?" "Well it was¡­" Qiu Niu began. "Don''t, we erased it from the history books for a reason," Denglong snapped. "You had no concern for my ears." Zulong chuckled at the memory. He''d sent Qiu Niu to Da Hai for some time hoping for the young lad to learn something and improve his skills. While Qiu Niu did improve, he''d also brought back something completely alien. The pristine prince swapped his golden yellow and white robes for form fitting black leather clothing. He''d trimmed his long hair shorter and coloured it. He''d went all out and started applying exotic makeup. Gui Daiyu had been horrified by the change. Then there was his change in musical style. Zulong very muted enjoyed the traditional calming music and had welcomed the louder, more bombastic one. But the constant noise started grating on him after a while. "You lot have no appreciation for fine art," Qiu Niu scoffed. "If you wanna know more, talk to me later." "Fine art is the text written in my poems, not whatever plucking of the strong you do," Bixi argued. What followed next was a series of arguments involving what was considered and what wasn''t considered art. Zulong smiled in his heart, his children were a variety short. Some were brutal warriors while others were musicians, poets, or diplomats. ''But all are great artists in their own right,'' he acknowledged inside his mind. "So father, mother, Chao Feng and I have something to show you," Qiu Niu said motioning for the youngest brother. Chao Feng suddenly froze unsure of how to proceed. "Oh?" Gui Daiyu perked up. Zulong had already guessed what it was, it wasn''t exactly subtle. "Chao Feng, do you have something to show us?" Zulong edged on. He leaned forwards with a warm smile. "I¡­" Chao Feng swallowed and looked toward Qiu Niu. The eldest merely sent an encouraging nod back. "Don''t feel pressured on our account son," Zulong said. "Your father speaks true Feng''er. If you are uncomfortable¡­" Gui Daiyu spoke tenderly. "No, I can do it," Chao Feng interrupted shaking his head. "Let''s go big brother." Chao Feng and Qiu Niu stood up and made for the stage. It was there that Qiu Niu said down and brought out a guqin and rested it on a table above his lap. It was one among many string instruments he owned but this was his most prized one. Together, they began a performance of song and dances. Chao Feng unleashed a fiery aura and wowed his family with his vocals. It was telling for the impressionable young immortal when his parents smiled and clapped for him. ''Qiu Niu was right, it''s all really just in my head,'' he thought as he danced. He still couldn''t help but feel a tinge of fear remembering what the other children had said. He wasn''t like a dragon at all. Any creature can have horns and scales. But dragons were special in their makeup. He, Chao Feng was closer to their hated enemies than any honourable dragon. He couldn''t stand it. He knew all his brothers were all born a bit different, not fully a dragon unlike their kin in the main clan. But why did he have to be so criminally distinct? Why resemble their rivals of all people. "Magnificently done son," Zulong praised when Chao Feng walked off stage. "You''ve certainly outstayed your brother here." "I wouldn''t have been able to were it not for big brother," Chao Feng said bashfully. "Come here you, you were great," Gui Daiyu ignored any protests and embraced Chao Feng in her bosom. Chao Feng''s face resumed in a full broad smile. Seeing this, Qiu Niu too was very pleased. He walked up to his father and said, "I assume Denglong told you before you arrived together?" "He did, your brother is extremely quick on the job, far quicker than I," Zulong admitted. "So we know who?" Qiu Niu whispered back. "Young Void Shark, Sky Squid and Crystal Prawn were all such fine talents," Zulong said. "Their futures were definitely bright." "They are?" Qiu Niu raised an eyebrow. "Indeed, such a shame they encountered cultivation deviation though. A terrible loss," the Dragon Sovereign sighed. "I see, their families must''ve been devastated." "Indeed, it seems in their grief, they decided to join their children," Zulong shook his head with a saddened expression. "But no need to worry, now is a joyous time." ¡­ Even later that night, Zulong found Chao Feng starring at the ocean above him from a rooftop perch. "Usually I''d find Chi Wen in places like these," Zulong called out. "Father!" Chao Feng exclaimed. "I mean emperor-father. What are you doing here?" "I know I have been a bit busy recently with the recent phoenix debacles but we''re not so distant for such formality son," Zulong sat down beside Chao Feng. "Father," Chao Feng mumbled. "Sorry, I''m just a bit under the weather today." "I heard about your situation." Chao Feng perked up with a frightened expression. "Don''t be like that son, you have nothing to fear of me. Never show that with me," Zulong warned. "You hate phoenixes father. And I''m a phoenix," Chao Feng said. "I don''t hate phoenixes son," Zulong denied. "I saw what you did to that phoenix diplomat. I heard about the battles in the south sea. You hate phoenixes," Chao Feng sighed and hugged his knees. "That was a spy, completely different circumstance," Zulong said. His gaze softened as he stroked Chao Feng''s back. "Chao Feng, I don''t hate phoenixes or avians of any kind. Seagulls and some cranes used to exist under me before they left for the south continent." "I don''t dislike avians. Sure they''ll all be better off away from that toxic waste of space but I don''t dislike them." Chao Feng contemplated his fathers words. In his mind, his worries never went away. "You still love me? Even if I look like them?" Zulong chuckled, "You are my son. You were born of me and Gui Daiyu and I know that for a fact. Your appearance is irrelevant, your similarity to a phoenix is unimportant. Dragons are ultimately a label I slapped on to my creations. But you, you will always be my son." "You never had to have feared," Zulong sighed. "It brings me pain to know I''ve failed you in that regard. But I hope to make amends as well." Chao Feng sniffed but smiled. "Thank you dad." Interlude-4-H-The Great Balance "Righteous God or Villainous Fiend, it''s your choice in who you''ll become. But be wary of both sides. Failure lies in excess. To walk the path of the Dao is to walk the line of balance." Phrases integral chanted throughout my mind. The ancient final words of the ancestor. An important lesson many chose to ignore or were just oblivious of. Not that it mattered to me. Their choices are their own. They have their path and I have my path. Though they all failed to sea reason and fell to a failing abyss, I alone managed to climb through. Walking the tightrope was the most ideal way of following the great ancestor''s teachings. I alone managed to infer it all those years ago, mere days after my own birth. God or Fiend. I opened my eyes for the first time in countless years. A breath of satisfaction left my lips as the virtues of the Great Dao flowed through me. "Right on time," I mumbled aloud. The purple flickers across my body was truly something worth admiring. At long last, I had accomplished the impossible dream of the chaos godfiends. It still amazes me they hadn''t figured it out even after so long. Pathetic honestly, things were so simple. The cosmic egg wasn''t even that far away yet I alone unlocked the secrets of the Dao. Hongyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal. The veil has been pierced and then some. The presence of my corpses within my mind emanated in harmony. Although their physical forms were tragically lost, they still existed within the recesses of myself. In time, I shall merge all three and myself and achieve true enlightenment. In that state, I should be able to harmonise with heaven and breech the final realm. Such a pity Luohu, but it just wasn''t meant to be. As regretful as that thought was, I cannot dwell on it now. Observing the universe around me informed me of the time passed since my seclusion. "Hm," I grunted as I read the fortunes of fate. The Jade Fortune Disc manifested before me as I calculated. "Nearing a million years yet still so calm?" I frowned. The dark clouds of sin was there as it had always been. But the buildup to a tribulation just simply was not at what it should''ve been. "That''s¡­heh, figures," my gaze turned eastwards towards a distant island shrouded in mist. "It''s my fault, I had too much faith in fate." "What do you think old friend?" I asked. The present within my Zixiao palace offered up a shrug. It''s a wonder how easily the Heavenly Dao can be convinced to ally. Playing to its wants and needs was simply too easy. "Hm, the dragon is a little too good at governing," I mused. "Unexpected and unwelcome. How are the qilins doing?¡­ Hm, okay. Most impressive of him, is he primed to assume his father''s position?" The Heavenly Dao''s intent flowed into me through our shared bond, skimming past the neglected dark presence of Luohu in the process. That fool never really understood how to play with the Heavenly Dao, it was honestly disappointing considering their long friendship. I signed in disappointment as news of the Primordial Qilin patriarch reached my mind. It would seem I cannot realign things back to schedule, not as they were at least The qilins are not even a power much less a superpower. The avians are undoubtedly masters of the skies and the dragons run unchecked through the world. The devils play their shadow politics as always and all that was missing were the qilin. I glanced outside and observed the areas of Mt Kunlun. With my inheritance from Pangu, it was simple to identify the important signs. "Their time is near. Going by the sequence of events, the time of the demon court and the race of primordial gods known as the Wu clan should be ripe as well. Yet this era is prevailing too long," I said to the Heavenly Dao. I understood as it shrugged. It had seen and liked my vision for total control by way of the Heavenly Courts. But to get there, things needed to align accordingly. For that to happen, the current world order needed to go. Standing up with haste, I strolled out onto the balcony. Displeasure immediately came to me as banners flying the dragon''s flag came into view in too many places. It was an irritating sight that served no purpose other than being an annoyance. It reminded me of the people from the Kraz chaos world before I harvested it for materials. Among the many worlds I had lived on and guided, it was among the most terrible. "Such arrogance, he''s extending too far." My attention turned back to my guest. "This Da Hai, he''s behind the changing variables," I mused. That eight headed annoyance had proven himself annoyingly difficult to get rid of. His irrational displeasure with me was also getting in the way. Unfortunately, he achieved a higher state before I and I was forced to turtle myself in. A shame but considering my situation, it was the intelligent move. "But there is still some good things in the world. For the very essence of the world demands balance," I concluded reading off the Jade Fortune Disc. The Devilish Dao, it cannot be understated how cut-throat Luohu''s minions became. The man himself was an imbecile but he had gathered some intelligent helpers. It was quite vexing how big that sect''s influence spread despite the lockdown. It was enough for discord to be sowed and negativity to spread. Unfortunately, the dragon''s over reluctance strikes again. "We need a way to push them forward. Else the sovereigns will really overstay their welcome," I mused stroking my beard. Da Hai, it always came back to Da Hai. A million years of the dragon''s reign hadn''t seen head nor tail of the sea god. But even so, his presence was felt through the dragons. Their highway currents, their long distance telecrystals, and their broadcast talismans all points to influences from that world. All things introduced over the many Yuanhui the dragon ruled. But if Da Hai had proven anything, it was that he was a useful tool against Luohu. That alone warranted his gratitude. Because despite all his shortcomings, Luohu was a genuine opponent he was unsure of winning against. If only I could convince Da Hai to attack the devils. The dragon will follow his lead and the desired result will be achieved. At this stage, things were salvageable. "Are you alright with letting him back in the world?" I asked. My partner contemplated before giving me an answer. "I see, well looks like I''m due for a trip." The Heavenly Dao was fickle and childish, not that I''d ever let it know that. World wills with a definite personality often are. But I still had to perform my duties to it. I cannot afford to lose favour now, not after working to get it for so long. It was set to forbid Da Hai''s casual entry. But if I could get him to work for me, then it will allow it. I am not afraid of fighting him, if not total victory, I can at least force a pyrrhic one. But if he and I could join forces, my path against Luohu will be secured. From what I understood, the master and disciple relationship he had with the dragon was very close. He''d definitely want to physically aid them. His role in the Sea Eye and the invasion of the North Continent was proof enough of that. He cannot pass this opportunity up. With that set, I stepped through a personalised portal of my own making and exited to find myself atop the east sea. Such was the power of Wuji. Spacetime was mere childsplay at this level. With but a single gesture, even the strongest of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals will fall. With arms behind my back, I took the first steps on my new mission. Setting a good pace, I made non threatening steps towards where I''d detected Yingzhou. The chaos fragment was a fascinating piece of treasure. But ultimately, it cannot compare to my Zixiao Palace. Unlike my own, it is stationary within the primitive world. Hm? The presences running at my direction were sudden but expected. Loyalties between master and disciples were strong indeed. The sword wielding girl who''d arrived along with the Dragon Sovereign himself. The constellation dragon had also arrived though the winged one was too far away to make it in time. Among this group, only the sovereign posed a real threat. The azure dragon was nothing without the other three and the girl was not worth mentioning. Though it was curious how she managed to blend together some phoenix tricks along with her own. It was tempting to test her. "Senior Hongjun," the Dragon Sovereign greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence in my domain?" "Your majesty, I am here to seek an old colleague. Allow this old man passage please, time is of the essence," I answered. It was surprising he wasn''t picking a fight already considering his master and his personality recorded from the other world. The three shared looks and appeared to be in full agreement. Their posture saddened me greatly. Oh well, peace to accompany violence. "Hongjun," Da Hai''s familiar voice reached my old ears. My brow raised as the sea god made his presence known. His body was not physically present, but even the Heavenly Dao cannot oppose his conscious will from entering. "Fellow daoist Da Hai, it''s been awhile," I said. "Why are you here?" He countered with open displeasure. It was not productive to beat around the bush hence I informed him of the possible deal. To further lend credence, the Heavenly Dao even sent down a sign. Now this had intrigued the dragon brothers. I did not pry but from the looks of things they were communicating with Da Hai. The girl appeared very disgruntled and even sent me glares. Was this how Da Hai taught his disciples? When she met my gaze, she tightened the grip on her sword. Brave of her all things considered. She, a mere Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal sure thinks highly of herself if she thinks of attacking me. "Fei''e, come back," Da Hai all but ordered. "Hongjun, let''s have our talks inside. I will open my doors for you for now." With that, the mist parted and Yingzhou manifested atop the ocean surface. Its main entrance gate was where the two dragons took their positions like some sort of gatekeepers. "Don''t try anything," the constellation warned. "Peace little friend, I am only here to talk to your master," I insisted. Yingzhou really was a special place. I was quite intrigued, a chaos fragment was a very good cultivation site. "Hm?" I tilted my head. Interesting, very interesting, so this was how he wanted to play. My foot stepped onto the island. Touching down immediately gave me a strong impression. The sheer Primordial Qi here was staggering. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The ground was covered in slabs of stone, lining a path for me to Da Hai''s palace. Following this step, I ascended the path passing through numerous fruit trees and gorgeous scenery. Quite spectacular even compared to Mt Yujing. Reaching the very top, I beheld the man waiting for me. The shorter daoist who''d since aged in reverse compared to when I last saw him. "This way," he gestured towards the open door. I shrugged and moved through the scene into the next. A massive hall designed for titans greeted me. Da Hai had taken his place on a white lotus throne at the very back. His physical stature alone could fill oceans. A colossal titan many kilometres tall. I of course grew to such height as well and took several steps forwards stopping just behind where I needed to. Taking a seat across him, I accepted his offer for tea. Seeing his work made me marvel. Was this his speciality perhaps? Praises where praises were due, this tea tasted authentic. Much better than the fruit obsessed avians my avatar had tried. "Fellow daoist, it has been some time since we last met," I said. "You have a lot of gall visiting like this. Has your memory really dulled with age?" He mocked. How expected of this man, can he not let things go? His obsession of events from so long ago will be the end of him. Unlike the true path ancestor Tai Chu passed down to us, he is walking an unbalanced road. Even though he''d reached the mythical realm of Wuji, his future is undoubtedly limited. But for now, he can make an excellent assistant against Luohu. Certainly better than old Destiny Demon God or Sichen did. "Hm," I sighed. "What happened back then was the result of a crossroads. Our paths intersected and he would not stand down. Surely as a seeker of the Dao you understand the logic." He gave a hostile nod and sent a glare my way. An incredibly petty action, you''d think after million years he''d learn to forgive and forget. After all, the most healthy path to seeking the Dao was such. Seeking unnecessary troubles was just asking to bring disaster on oneself. "How can one such as you, one who''s never understood the concept of connection understand," Da Hai scoffed. "What do you want from me?" Well, at least he was willing to listen. I eyed the mystic universe around me carefully before I continued. "I understand your troubles thus far. Your banishment from the greater primitive world must''ve been very vexing for you, especially with those you''ve taken in," I explained. It was a feeling I understood well. I had guided disciples in the past and I could understand the desire to aid them. Though the extremes I witnessed this man take were a little unusual. The bestowment of protective treasures and words of advice should''ve sufficed. "You''ve locked yourself out off¡­" "What happened back then is an open knowledge. You should''ve inferred it with your cultivation base so we both know what happened. Get to the point," he grunted. "Fine, fine, here''s the deal. I can get you back into the primitive world," the revelation I revealed immediately caught his attention. This is good. "You expect me to believe that?" "For sure, as long as you aid me in my quest to end Luohu, I can bargain for your entry back into the primitive world. Your movements will not be restricted and your actions will not be scrutinised," I offered. "Sure," he scoffed. "Do you even know why I am stuck here?" I did not. The Heavenly Dao did not think it necessary for me to know. What I did gather was that they had a disagreement on how to do things. I surmised as such when they had their brawl all those yuanhui ago. It was something I had not had the time to investigate during my retreat. But it was not relevant for now. "Naturally," I replied. "Your battle sundered the world we walked on. Countless perished in that tribulation and it took the better part of this era to restore things back to the way they were." It''d also made it easier to insert some agents into places. "But not all hope is lost my friend. Would you not like the chance to visit your disciples again without being constrained here? See what they''d accomplished personally?" I could see the temptation getting to him. Almost there, his walls were already cracking. "Ah¡­mere wishful thinking," he snorted. "Do you really think you have the qualifications?" "See for yourself," I tapped my abdomen and revealed an inscribed energy signature. One I have since come to realise this man recognised intimately. Though my connection was far more special and far closer than he''s had ever been. "Heavenly Dao," he muttered in obvious surprise. He couldn''t even hide it bitter emotions. There were even traces of withheld anger twitching there. "To think you of all people. Are the heavens blind or do they not care for those who''d violated them," he spat. "We had an agreement," I said sipping my tea. "What do you say? It is already on board. You know how troublesome the West Continent can be. The enemy of my enemy is my friend so to speak." Da Hai laughed bitterly on his lotus throne. In the next moment, he stood up and gestured toward me. "I suppose your words are genuine. We agree on much, Luohu needs to go." Another door opened up on the back of the door and the tea set before me disappeared. "But spoken words are hardly enough. I''ll need a signed geas washed beneath the eyes of Grand Dao, follow me." I stood up from my seat and gave him a deadpanned. This man wasn''t even trying to be convincing. It was almost lazy how halfhearted he was treating this new attempt. Seems my words did not go through after all. "You insult my intelligence," I said to him. "I am obligated to try," he said drawing his sword. He pointed at the spot in front of him with his index finger and an expecting look. "Enough," I waved my purple sleeve. Clouds upon clouds washed across the expansive universe surrounding us, puncturing the false walls of reality that have infected the world. The hallway crumbled away, the delicate architecture crumbled away. The stone road, stairs, fruit trees, and beautiful scenery outside faded and I found myself standing in the space atop the east sea once more. Only this time, I stood inches before a high cliff face whereupon Da Hai stood. The two dragons and the girl were there, the third had also arrived too. He shouldn''t have for at least a few more days. I marvelled at the complex illusionary particles fading away. "Impressive, although I detected it, my sense of time was still distorted," I complimented his work. Yingzhou was by its nature an illusionary location. Although he couldn''t exit the island proper, he could enforce the illusionary formation of the immortal mountain outwards for a fair distance. It was not harmful, at least not to immortals of my level, but it can still trick the mind. I turned my head back towards him and gave him a disappointed sigh. "Shame indeed, you would really leave them vulnerable to Luohu? It seems this was all your disciples were worth in the end. " "I trust in their ability to take care of themselves. They are not children, they can make their own choices in their world even if that choice results in their demise." "How cold, it seems you are far more fiend than god." "Cheh, and what the fuck would you of all people understand about my bond with my disciples you bastard?" "Such language was most uncouth for a godfiend," I lectured. "And what does being a godfiend ever matter to me," he said blasphemously. "My forefather did have some interactions with you. Always obsessing over that line, ''god or fiend?'' My aren''t you an insane !@#!!@@!%." Did he just insult me in one of earth''s languages? "Touched a nerve did I?" He smirked. My glare must''ve been too obvious. "You really are something aren''t you. You¡­" "Just stop, I feel like I''m losing brain cells just listening to you yammering on," Da Hai cut me off while pointing the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword at me. "I don''t care for what you have to say. I don''t care for what you have to offer." "I don''t for one second wish to be your friend nor ally nor anything under the sun but your corpse at my feat. So if you''re too chicken to come in, then I have no more use for you. So take your worthless offer and piss off." "Hmph, it seems this is farewell," I said. My anger was not for his amusement. My leaving was swift and decisive. I did not spare him nor his ilk another glance. In an instant, I had already arrived on the coast of the east continent. Another area the dragons were sinking their claws too deeply into. Something had to be done about that. As I took more steps along the beach, I noticed another presence that caught my curiosity. He was sitting by his lonesome, on a large piece of rock watching the open ocean. It was an adorable black haired boy dressed in all white. His gaze was an unreadable one. At that moment, the strings of fate coursed through myself. Hence I approached him. "Child, what is your name?" I asked even though I already had an inkling. He was certainly surprised to see me. "Uh¡­this one''s name is Haotian," he said. "Is that so?" I said rather joyfully. So this was where he''d appear. The records never were clear where or when he''d show up. If he was here, that means Yaochi must be nearby right? "It seems we are fated," I said. "Follow me, I am in need of an assistant." ¡­ "Master, was that the right choice?" Yi Fei''e asked, standing across her master on the cliff overlooking the east sea. "Is that even a question?" Da Hai scoffed. "But the opportunity. You could walk among us once again." "I can walk with you on Yingzhou," Da Hai said dismissively. "But you are right, it was probably better to accept. But how can I ever side with that person?" "I had a friend once, a brother in all but blood. My mentor if anything and my greatest ally. I would be stepping on his memory if I ever sided with him." Da Hai turned toward Yi Fei''e and gave her an angry glare. "So do NOT ever ask me something as silly as that ever again." "Apologies master," she said bowing. "I''ll be processing my harvest from the chaos sea. Do not disturb me," he warned before leaving for Yingzhou''s heartlands. Elsewhere-Most Holy Step by step, brick by brick. He helped place one stone brick after another, doing the dangerous manual tasks. The heavy lifting to get the work done. "Yes, just a few more and we''re done for the day your uh¡­your holiness," the people below him said uneasily. "Don''t worry, I can complete the tower by the end of the day," he assured them. "This is easy, just step back and enjoy your day. Let me handle things" "Oh and you don''t need to stand on occasion, I''m not going to bite." The young man who was building the port town lighthouse smiled down at the residents below. He effortless pushed in heavy chunks of stone and carved out intricate aesthetics where mortals were not able to. From start to finish, this took him less then a single day. A project that would''ve taken mortals upwards of a decade to build. Before the sun had even set, he was down on the ground again, having completed the lighthouse. "So, what else needs to be done around here?" He asked the gawking townsfolk. "Yo¡­your holiness, that should be all that we had planned before the harvest festival," the mayor said. He rubbed the sweat off his sweltering chubby face full of smiles. "Really? I mean your mills looks a little worn, I can upgrade the place as well. And what about that half finished water wheel on the other side of town? Could also fix up your steel tools, notice the degradation when I first arrived." The mayor and the elders swallowed a gulp looking at each other. The temptation was there, but who in their right minds would ask a god to do manual labours? "Hey uh, we could cut a lot of costs if he helps out," one of the town folk whispered into the ears of the mayor. "Are you boys insane? We can''t possibly ask a him to do that! Not to mention this is a god from the heavens," he rather aggressively lectured at the two in hushed tones. "We can''t afford to offend a god or we''re all doomed. What kind of offerings will we have to pay? We don''t have that much to sacrifice. Oh we have to stop him before it''s too late." He panicked in his mind wondering why the deity had descended in the first place. The young man wearing luxurious white robes had shown up out of nowhere, flying down from the heavens. Over the course of the past few hours, he''d insisted on helping wherever he can. It was honestly quite stressing. In their panic and awe, they had guided the man, a boy really, around town and could only watch in fascination as he did his thing. That was the only way they could describe it. Even followers, priests and warriors who''d trained in the ways of the True Path could not compare. It was in this stupor, that they didn''t notice a carriage riding into the town in top speed. Pulled by mighty war beasts easily capable of trampling thousands underfoot, the carriage raced around the streets and right before the crowd. "There you are, what were you thinking just leaving on your own like that," a beautiful woman yelled, racing out from inside. She wore religious robes and wore a crown and held a staff in hand. Though he''d never interacted with this woman nor seen her in his life, the mayor immediately got an inkling to her identity. Priestesses, followers of high gods of significant rank wore similar clothing to her. They were akin to miniature gods of their own and possessed supernatural powers that could easily overturn mountains and fill seas. It was said high priests and priestesses even surpassed minor gods in power. But people like that usually dwelled on the core worlds, not a place way out here. "Oh hey Sophia," the young man greeted. "Sorry, I was just so excited." He scratched his feathery hair and gave a hearty laugh. The priestess, Sophia sighed. "Yahweh, you are not normal people. There''s a proper way to do things." She shrugged exasperatedly and walked forwards with dignified poise. Noticing the divine workmanship around her, she smiled softly. Her charge''s antics were something she''d long gotten used to over the century he''d been in her care. The youngest and latest son of the supreme creator, Yahweh was a deity who at a terrifyingly young age, already surpassed the majority of his contemporaries. Her patron trusted her a lot to place him under her care. The young Yahweh had the decency to appear bashful. But ultimately he brushed it off and offered to introduce his current caretaker. For the townspeople of this area, a high priestess to the great king gods Baal visiting was unprecedented. This was a once in lifetime opportunity as well as a terrifying prospect. What made this fact even more prominent was the revelation of Yahweh''s actual status. He was someone they''d definitely need to be on their best behaviour for. The mayor dropped to his knees followed by many of his people. They sang the praises to Sophia''s and Yahweh''s visage and hailed them as divine figures. They went so far as to grab a random livestock for sacrifice. As for Sophia and Yahweh? They enjoyed their stay among the mortals. The younger deity had sought to aid them in whatever way he could much to Sophia''s protest. But she ultimately relented each time. There was that innocent bright smile who showed something who genuinely cared about these strangers that just made her relent. Gods did not often, if ever go out of their way to do this. Yahweh was simply kind, extremely so. "Wow, so that''s how mortals do things huh? All this manual labour with not even the slightest of magical aid or heightened strength?" He exclaimed as the two sat on a wall watching evening stars. The rest of the day was spent humouring Yahweh as he pushed himself into every situation he could find. Whenever he could, he would offer aid. Whether they were offerings of food or performing odd jobs, he would do it. "Indeed young lord, unlike me who follow in the teachings of a religion, or you a deity from heaven. Ordinary mortals must build everything by hand." "They look to people like me for leadership. They look to gods like you for peaceful living. They come to us with offerings and in turn we offer them to you and it is your job as the patron of these lands to provide good weather and fortuitous encounters. It''s the natural order of things." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "You don''t have to think too deeply about it now. You''ll learn more in the coming days. This town is just one in a sea of settlements in a kingdom which itself is one in a sea of kingdoms. They''re too minute for your full attention." Sophia spoke with a firm and warm tone. Her educational duties were handpicked by her patron to show Yahweh the way deities interacted with their mortal charges. "I see," the young god muttered. Yahweh sat back thinking. He starred out at the down that had long settled for the night rather than the stars above. Unlike Sophia, he couldn''t stop thinking about the people. "Hey Sophia, why do they have to struggle so?" He found himself asking. "Hm?" Sophia flinched, a little startled. "I''ve already explained that as the natural¡­" "Yeah I get that," he responded looking right at her. "But couldn''t I as a superior being do more?" Sophia was taken aback. "I suppose you could young lord. But that is not the way things are done. Lord Baal and the others learned long ago to not meddle too much in the lives of mortals." "But why? With a flick of my hand I could materialise a city. With a flick of the wrist, I can bring about more food so no one has to starve. With a single breath I can stop natural disasters from ever happening." As an example, Yahweh flicked his index finger and casted his divine power across the rocky lands outside the fishing town. In mere moments, he''d transformed the arid texture into lush fertile farmland. The transformation was so seamless and so instantaneous that no one had noticed yet. "Because if we baby mortals too much, they''ll never learn to stand of their own," she argued pointing up. "You must understand, that eventually, these people will come to expect you to work for them, to cater to their every whim. They''ll stagnate and live in complacency and eventually fall to decadence." "Lord El shares his wisdom with us all and it is by his decree that we stand by. Young lord Yahweh, you are still young so you don''t fully understand. For mortals to receive your benefit, they must be worthy of it first. In time, you will know I am right." Yahweh hummed in confirmation. "I suppose you have a point," he blankly said. Sophia could tell he instinctively did not fully agree. Following that she frowned wondering how she''d approach things. "Big brother could still be doing more though," he said. "All we do is study the heavenly mysteries all day and everyday. I don''t think big sis Anat has left her room in ages." "Studying Lord El''s legacy is far more important," Sophia gasped. "It is the fundamental laws the universe functions on. You must put precedent on it above all else. I would kill for an opportunity like that." "Then maybe I should take you up there," Yahweh suggested. "Definitely not, I am a mere priestess of Baal. I do not belong in the heavens unlike you." "I''m sure big brother Baal won''t mind." "I would rather not offend my patron young lord," Sophia sighed. "Oh but come¡­huh?" Yahweh ceased his chatter when he took notice of another incident. A dispute had occurred as a man approached another accusing him of stealing his belonging. Yahweh''s ears told him the former had discovered it missing and immediately ran to confront the latter. "This doesn''t warrant your attention," Sophia said. He on the other hand got up and prepared to spring into action. "Young lord wait¡­" Sophia shouted after him even though he ignored her. He appeared between the two in an instant and held his hand before both. "Stop this now," he commanded. It was a good thing he did as it looks like a fight was about to break out. "What the?" The accused stammered even as the accuser growled in anger. The scent of alcohol was prominent from his breath. "Some squirt thinks he can stop me? I need to teach this fucker a lesson," he yelled. Yahweh immediately frowned feeling the unfamiliar feeling of offence coming from within him. "I am a god, your god," he stated beginning to glow. "Cease this nonsense at once. Talk it out, I''m sure you can¡­" "Yeah I tried weeks ago, but this guy won''t listen." "Ah screw that, this smug fucker is the one at fault. He''s already stolen everything from me. My inheritance, my wife, my¡­" "Me? That was you, you insane psycho. Dad split things even and she chose me!" "Hey you guys shouldn''t," Yahweh tried to say in between. "Even? I barely got a dime." Yahweh looked back and forth as both men raised fists. "I said STOP!" He roared freezing both men in place. "Yahweh, don''t run off like that," Sophia shouted overhead as she finally arrived. "What did I just say?" "Solving their dispute," he said without looking back. His powers came to light and his light penetrated into both men''s skulls. "Go back, don''t cause trouble again," he commanded the accuser and force teleported him away. The accused was compelled back into his house. Sophia looked at the aftermath and sighed. "That solved nothing, they''ll just be back and argue again." "I''ll just stop them again. Compel them if I have to." "This is just one incident among trillions. You can''t expect yourself to come running every time right?" Sophia asked. "Naturally, I''m their god, Baal made me overseer of these lands." "Young lord, eventually that''ll just tire you out. Domestic disputes like these are up to the authorities. They''re too low to be of concern to you." "I''m their god, it is my concern," he stood firm. "Well¡­" Sophia stopped mid sentence when she noticed people beginning to come out after the commotion. She turned and sighed intending to address the crowd. "We should inform them of what happened, mortals aren''t used to displays of magic," she said motioning him forwards. Yahweh nodded following after her. Elsewhere-Most Holy II A vast line of people sprawled out across the holy city, reaching far and wide to even beyond the mighty gates. A whole line of those seeking miracles from their god. Their chief protector and benefactor as well as the divinity they pray to everyday for good weather, wealthy harvest, long lives, and so much more. Yahweh had grown a lot since his early years. As a young man into his thousands, he and Sophia centralised his power to a single observatory that watched over all of his domain. His kindness was endless, his love bottomless. Yahweh never skimped out on giving out fortune across his people. His belief on what a god should be had grown with the aid of his loyal caretaker. As Sophia had said, babying the populace was counterproductive. But as Yahweh still sought to do all that he could, he made a compromise. He was a shepherd, a caretaker who took care of his own and provided a good environment for humans and animals to grow and prosper. Yet he allowed all who was willing to journey to him to ask for boons. It was a combination of this and his own prayer filtering system that keyed Yahweh in to the wants and needs of his people. "God is generous, god is generous." The people praised him all around. Yahweh watched from a balcony as his avatar met with people everyday and overnight without rest. His charming face rested on his open palms. He reveled in it. He wasn''t ashamed to admit it. It was one of the things he wanted to live up to. Yahweh, the greatest son of El. They called him that. Baal, Anat, even grumpy old Mot. They all recognised him as such. So what was wrong with wanting to achieve that status? Come to think of it, he hadn''t contacted his family in some time but he was content for now. The humans under him were fed and happy. He received their adoration and he gave back to them fortune. He was sure he''d done a better job than what Baal would''ve expected. He loved watching them and his hard work. From behind him, he felt Sophia approach. His loyal caretaker and one of Baal''s priestesses. She hadn''t changed over the years, having cultivated to a level where she could be considered a deity in her own right. But she wasn''t born in the heavens like gods were. He found her fun. She was the mother he''d never had, willing to indulge and discipline him when needed. His best friend. "My lord, the southern quadrant is due for another raining season," Sophia called out from behind him. "The weather gods are asking for confirmation to begin as such." Yahweh glanced back. "Hm? Already? Wasn''t that area just out of one?" "The chief god there says there were signs of drought," she said reading from a tablet. "It''s a little out of the way but I could schedule a trip there." Yahweh hummed to himself. His subordinate gods were a handful. They always grovelled before him and sang his praises, more so than his human followers. But they had been at their job longer than he''d been alive and Baal trusted them so he''ll trust them as well. "I trust their judgement," Yahweh said turning back to his humans. "It''s a little strange they''re asking for permission all of a sudden. Especially so soon." "There shouldn''t be anything to worry about, Baal said those guys are good at what they do. Not to mention they''ve progressed very far into the heavenly mysteries as well. And they''ve obeyed me so far, so it should be fine," he dismissed. "If you''re sure," Sophia appeared a little hesitant but shook her head. "Very well, I''ll let them know." Yahweh returned to observing his humans again. His avatar continuously met men after men. He occasionally yawned and fidgeted in boredom. ''Maybe I should get some helpers?'' ¡­ A majestic storm of thunderclouds descended towards the holy sanctuary of Yahweh. A storm cloud containing a mighty chariot driven by heavenly bulls. Riding the tide of lightning and clouds, the king of the gods descended wearing his bull crown. The startling sight of such an apocalyptic power startled the humans below into frightful reverence. "Grandfather who is that?" A child in silk clothing asked. "Hush boy on your knees," the elder man manhandled the child into a kowtow position. The boy was a little unhappy, being ignorant of the situation. However, the elderly man knew. Worship of the higher gods wasn''t that popular anymore but he remembered them from his time as a boy. "Praise be great god Baal, praise be great god Baal," he chanted. "What''s the deal? Is this Baal guy that great," the child muttered. The mighty god, who stood over a hundred meters tall, cast his gaze at the boy. His crimson gaze glistened as his bronze skinned body turned with him. "Hm?" He grunted staring directly at the child. In that moment, the child felt as if the totality of the universe''s storms watch him. In that moment he was frozen. Was he even alive? Or was this a premature state of death. He couldn''t think, couldn''t mutter even a single world. All he felt was the total collapse of his mind and body on a fundamental level. It was an excruciating experience. The feeling of helplessness before the supreme deity. All the while, the anger of a god barrelled into his person. The displeasure at this mere mortal''s dismissal of him. A crime is a crime. Ignorance be damned. "Big brother!" Baal''s expression brightened as his intended visitee zoomed out to greet him. The bull god laughed heartedly as his younger sibling made his bright presence known. "Yahweh, it was been too long," he announced in a booming fashion. "Still as dramatic as ever I see," Yahweh laughed along with Baal as the brothers shared a familial hug. Their gigantic forms were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of grovelling civilians. In this sea of bodies, Sophia made her way through. She knelt before the two. "Your most holy majesty," she said prostrating herself before Baal. "Sophia," Baal''s crimson eyes lit up in appreciation. "Still as beautiful I see. You have done well caring for Yahweh." "Indeed, Sophia was¡­" Whatever Yahweh had intended to say was stopped when he noticed another commotion. Down below him, a child wheezed and struggled in pain. His eyes bloodshot and bulging out. His skin was beginning to smoke and the look of anguish of the elderly man beside him was transparent. Even then, he dared not go out from his kowtowing position. "Oh you poor thing," Yahweh immediately shrunk down to the boy''s side. "Yahweh?" Baal cried in curiosity as Yahweh''s hands glowed. His youngest sibling''s divine power flowed through him as his light touched the boy. His brilliant power, the greatest that was born out of El reached through spacetime itself to restore what has been lost. In less than a single moment, the boy began gasping for air, restored to his previous healthy condition. "What happened to you?" Yahweh asked with concern. He slowly patted the boy''s back "Yahweh," Baal walked up beside the young god with an amazed look. "What''re you doing?" "This child is showing damage from exposure to divine power," Yahweh frowned. "Baal you should be careful. Mortal humans are fragile without cultivation. They could burn up or go insane." This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Baal stared at his brother for a long moment. Then he crossed his arms with a confused look. "I suppose," he muttered. Yahweh meanwhile continued to pat the boy. "Hey, you alright?" "Huuhhwaaaa¡­huwaaa?" he sat up. "You?¡­oh my god! Lord Yahweh," he screamed. Yahweh laughed in amusement and waved the child off. "I''m asking if you''re feeling fine. Do you remember what happened to you?" "Huh? Oh¡­I¡­well¡­I don''t know?" "Well, looks like you were exposed to radiation leaking from divine presence," he starred back at Baal. "Seriously, be careful." "I¡­you know what, fine," Baal threw his hand in the air. "Play with yours however you like. I won''t judge." Yahweh frowned slightly but otherwise got up and dusted himself. He left the child behind as he began guiding Baal to his base of operations. "Sophia, sort them out kay?" He suggested to her. He then took Baal into his home. Staring at Baal, Yahweh made a, ''what do you think'', gesture. The two only stood at the front entrance but the majority of the building was already visible. It was circular in structure and contained a single large throne for Yahweh with other balconies around. Of course those areas were restricted to Yahweh and other gods. Only special humans like Sophia could enter. Baal scratched his chin and observed Yahweh. "Not bad," he commented. "Thought you''d go for bigger." "Well that wasn''t really needed. I think this looks nice enough." Baal frowned. "Yahweh, you''re a high god not some lowlife bottom dweller. You should be living in a fortress not a temple. Did I not teach you the importance of image?" Yahweh fidgeted nervously. "Well I didn''t want to just copy you." Baal chuckled. "I suppose not. Every god must find their own specialty after all." He took a moment to observe the outside where Sophia felt with the humans. Yahweh felt his gaze was slightly off. It was as if Baal was contemplating something he couldn''t quite wrap his head around. But Yahweh didn''t think much of it. Baal was the king of the heavens. He was the head of all gods and was extremely busy managing the cosmos year round. He was probably judging his progress at managing his sphere of influence. Yahweh felt a pit of trepidation in his chest. It was daunting the longer Baal stayed silent. "How was your time with Sophia?" Baal decided to ask. Yahweh sighed in relief when he chose to break the ice. "Sophia was really nice. She¡­" He began retelling the tale of their first meeting all the way till the present. Baal gave a wry smile as he listened half paying attention and half wondering. He took a glance around the entire star regions he was in multiples times as well as reading into the past and present. Yahweh of course noticed this as well but continued Baal''s request. He secretly wondered why Baal had to be so thorough. Did he catch on to some mistakes he''d made and were judging him for it? He sure hoped not. "And then you came," Yahweh finally concluded as Sophia walked back into the building. "Hm, interesting," Baal muttered glancing at Sophia with visible displeasure. "Is something wrong?" Yahweh asked innocently. Sophia glanced at both deities and bowled. "My lords. The situation has been sorted as requested." Baal glanced at Sophia and sighed. "You''ve grown quite comfortable haven''t you." "It was not my intention, I was¡­" Sophia began an attempt to defend herself. Whatever she said though, Yahweh wasn''t paying attention. That was because his ears picked up something. For gods, their worshippers were a source of power. Not the primary source, merely a supplementary source that empowered them and aided them in unlocking the secrets of heaven. A god can reach out to their followers and speak with them however they wished. The inverse is true as well though very much restricted. Prayers were the primary source of contact. But for many gods, prayers were tuned out. One could only handle so much attempts at saying good morning or good evening or thanks for dinner before it all gets irritating. Even Yahweh wasn''t immune even though he tried his best. His filter system was a method in which some noises were blocked out while more important ones were heard by his avatars. But should a large amount of prayers accumulate enough, they could circumvent the system. "Help, somebody." "The water, so much." "God Yahweh, please help us." "I have to go." Yahweh announced and took off. He left a bewildered Baal and a nervous Sophia behind his sudden teleportation. "I''ll sort you out later," Baal said before taking off and following Yahweh. ¡­ "Insects, daring to offend us," the chief sea god of Yahweh''s southern regions scoffed. Below his gaze and the gazes of his contemporaries, the world flooded. "Think you can order us? What gall," they spat. "It''s all that runts fault. I can''t even concentrate on cultivation anymore," they spat. Looking at their handiwork, many of the disgruntled deities looked on with expressionless gazes. They weren''t too concerned with the ramifications. The mortals needed to be taught a lesson for abusing the kindness of their betters. The god king will understand their case. Even if he punished them, at most it''ll just be a few millennia worth of prison time. The rapid waves below was all consuming. A flood that swallowed the sinful humans below. A flood that in a wave of light, disappeared. The chief sea god turned his gaze towards his overseer with shock. "Leviathan, what is the meaning of this?" Yahweh said with gritted teeth. As reality reformatted around them and broken landmasses were restored. Leviathan, the chief sea god snorted. "We are punishing the mortals as is our duties," he said simply. "Punishing?" Yahweh had never felt so enraged before. His fists were pulled into a tight fist that he raised. "You were supposed to take care of the humans. Give them rain and floods for crops and good fishing harvests. Not drown them!" "You are just a child," Leviathan sighed. "These people have grown complacent and decadent. They dare offend the god''s divine authority and abuse out relationships. They were only reaping what they sowed." Yahweh felt his heart sink. "You¡­monster," he announced glaring at the collection of gods. Many of them were on high alert and fearful of him. For the first time in his life, Yahweh wanted to hurt something. "Yahweh, that''s enough," Baal''s regal voice interrupted all those present. Thunder and lightning broke out announcing his presence and all stilled in the world. Both Yahweh''s metallic light and Leviathan''s aura of seawater disappeared. Only the bull god''s thunderstorm remained. "Big brother/your majesty." "Big brother, you must¡­" Baal raised his hand halting Yahweh. "Follow me back to heaven. We shall sort things out there." He glared with annoyance at Leviathan and the disgruntled gods then at Yahweh. "Little brother, calm yourself first. We shall deal with this in an orderly fashion." Elsewhere-Most Holy III "Since you understand your crime, I shall pass judgement." "Thank you your majesty for showing mercy on this sinful lowly self." "Seeing as the only casualties were mortals and no permanent damage has been done. Your actions, although out of line is not a totally detrimental one." ''Is this some kind of joke?'' "For the sake of your past accomplishments, I can overlook your offence to my brother. But make no mistake, another one and I will end you." ''You''re just going to let him walk?'' "But you must still face punishment. Leviathan, you have sinned against your betters. You shall be imprisoned within the underworld realm for the next ten thousand years. You shall have no reprieve in your isolation and you shall receive no aid in your cultivation." ''That''s a fucking slap on the wrist, what about all the people that died?'' As Leviathan was being escorted away, he glanced towards Yahweh. A smirk emerged from the grotesque man''s lips ''You, how dare you!'' Yahweh couldn''t even keep a straight face. Not even as Baal passed judgement. His seething rage was evident to practically everyone. "That is unacceptable!" The young god''s cry thundered the divine hall of the pantheon. Dozens of gazes drew towards Yahweh though their owners remained silent out of either bewilderment or amusement. Yahweh took several deep breaths. His face was red with anger as he glared at Leviathan''s back. He faced his elder brother and king with the same vitriol. "You can''t just let him walk away like this!" Baal raised an eyebrow. "Brother, he slaughtered millions. Millions of humans, my humans!" Yahweh look around at his fellow deities. But all he got were low whispers, some of which he barely heard. "Underworld is too good for this scum, he deserves¡­" "Enough," Baal raised a palm. "That is enough out of you." "Broth¡­" "That is enough Yahweh. Judgement has already been passed. Under my father El''s watchful gaze, Leviathan will be punished," Baal said rising from his throne. His gaze was chilling as it penetrated Yahweh''s very soul like a lightning storm heralding the wrath of heaven. For the first time, Yahweh felt small. The lord of the Elohim''s gaze had never fallen on him like this. For the first time in hundreds of years, Yahweh felt inadequate. He didn''t like it. But he couldn''t speak. Baal surpassed him in strength by an order of magnitude. The slayer of mighty YM demanded and could only be obeyed. "What are you smirking at?" PAH! A sudden smack was heard as Leviathan was tossed onto the floor of Baal''s throne room, cracking the ground with his face. Baal motioned of the guards to drag the sea god away. Yahweh stood there silently and watched. Leviathan was bruised. His very image was one of humiliation for the god. But he was still alive. And within a few years, he''d be free to do as he wished. He remained in the same position for a time. Just standing there watching Leviathan be dragged away. His fist gripped tightly as he silently seethed. "Yahweh, your brother wants to see you." He broke out of his thoughts when a feminine hand touched upon his shoulders. The corner of his eye caught sight of his sister and queen consort to their brother Baal, Anat. "Come on, stop throwing a tantrum and follow me," she reminded him. ''Tantrum? Is that all they saw it as?'' Anat led him to a room he was intimately familiar with. Baal and he would spend time here as the king and queen and all his nephews would educate him about the world. Before Sophia, they were his guides. It was a room filled with paintings detailing the royal family''s life. A dining table with many seats. He still remembered sitting here reciting mantras with Baal and Anat. It was a warm room of happy memories. So why did it feel so cold? "Yahweh," Baal said amicably with a small smile. "You finally made it brother. Apologies for the harsh display, but a sign must do as he does." "Big brother," Yahweh said with a certain unfamiliarity. He took a seat across from Baal while Anat placed herself beside her brother-husband. His dark skinned elder brother had never seemed more terrifying then he did now. Though his bull crown headedress was set aside allowing his hair to free fall, and he had none of his standard jewellery on, there was still a strange air around him. In ancient times, Baal was the one who defeated the terrifying beast named Ym. He later was able to fend off and even tussle with Mot, something not many can claim to have done. Although Baal lost that confrontation, that was millions of years in the past. Who knew how things will turn out now? Baal snapped his fingers manifesting dozens upon dozens of plates. Various fruits and meats were on display, a dinner worthy of a god. "Come on, eat. It''s been so long since you were home. I can''t believe we left you down there for so long." Yahweh stared at the display. His favourite assortments of beef were among them. Along with the vegetables he liked. He gazed up to stare at Baal''s amicable smile. "What''s the matter?" "You let that bastard walk." Baal leaned back and sighed. He shrugged as if he found the talk amusing. Anat remained silent as she held her lips within her fingers. "He broke no laws that would warrant a harsher punishment," Baal admitted. "I mean, I could extend it for a few more thousand years but it was already sufficient enough." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ''Was he serious?'' Yahweh couldn''t help but wonder. He''d cared deeply for the plights of sects who''d come see him in the past. Why was he like this with mortals? "A lot of people died," he began. "And for what? Leviathan had no reason to do what he did. It was just senseless murder." His siblings both appeared irritated by his questions. Anat especially whispered something to Baal that he couldn''t hear. The elder god gave his full attention to Yahweh. "That discussion has already been resolved brother. I''ve personally seen to his punishment and you will be compensated. You can consult our law tomes later." "Stop dodging the question." "Brother," Baal''s stern voice cut through the room. "Very well. Leviathan destroyed your property in a fit of anger. What he did is not right, he trampled over your rights as a high god and committed a sin before the Elohim. But you are not entirely blameless either." ''What?'' "As one of the highest ranking members of the Elohim, you are an overseer of vast territories. Countless lesser deities and cultivators look to you for guidance. Divine cultivation as I have explained to you time and again is one of sacrifice and study." ''What does that have to do with anything?'' "As overseer it is your duty to identify and nurture future talents from the crowd. But you have been neglectful of that." ''But I''ve been doing as a righteous god should. I''ve looked after my people as you''ve said. It''s not my fault cultivators aren''t that common.'' "For a cultivator to become a god and join the Elohim. Countless resources are required. The power of faith, natural herbs, spiritual waters, spiritual veins, and challenging adversity. All of which are very important." Baal pointed a finger manifesting storm clouds. They generated images displaying all of which he''d described. Among them showed a young boy losing everything to famine. He then managed to pick himself back up and embarked on a journey. He fought and killed countless and eventually met Heavenly Tribulation head on, overcoming it and becoming a True God realm deity. "But Yahweh, Leviathan has informed me that you''ve done none of that. You''ve hogged all the faith power to yourself, you''ve distributed all spiritual resources to the common rabble, you didn''t even bother finding more disciples." "I understand you are young but clearly I''ve done something wrong in educating you," Baal concluded rubbing his forehead. "But those were needed for my people," Yahweh argued. "Their lands are arid and the seas unbountiful. As their sovereign deity, it is my job to bring them salvation. You told me that yourself." "That wasn''t what we meant," Anat interrupted. "You''ve been doing nothing but coddling the rabble. You''ve only managed to raise sheep." "Sister!" Yahweh cried in shock. "I can''t just¡­" "Among the major territories, yours have the lowest possible count of people embarking on cultivation. Lesser gods are not immortal and high gods like us are hard to come by. There''s a system in place for the cosmos," she rebuked harshly. "I can do it myself." "And what about your own cultivation? You have vast talent, don''t squander it on your lessers." "There are things more important then fucking cultivation!" Yahweh''s scream echoed through the room. The structure shook and the table vibrated. Yahweh stared defiantly at his siblings with tight fists. The two parties were at an impasse. A fundamental clash of thoughts that neither could truly understand. "Clearly Sophia has failed in educating you," Anat spat. "She was a zealous student with high potential. But it seems some things just aren''t for everybody," Baal sighed. "What''re you gonna do with Sophia?" Yahweh inquired nervously. "Nothing much, her resource allocation will be removed given her failures. But as a good seedling, she shall remain as. She''ll just have to find her own opportunities," Baal explained. "As for you brother, you''ll have to stay here in heaven. Anat will take you through your proper role. You do not need to visit her again." ''What? No that can''t be.'' "Sophia is my friend." "She''s just a mortal. A talented one but one nonetheless. There are countless of them among the endless territories," Anat dismissed. "Now eat, these ingredients are very beneficial to your cultivation, especially your physique." The finality in her voice was evident. Anat left no room for him to argue. His sister had always been harsh, much more so than Baal. What else could he do but obey? Things passed by in a blur with Yahweh merely performing the motions. He felt so empty working with the other gods. Wondering around heaven, Yahweh would gaze down on the countless worlds of the cosmos. When left to his own devices, he''ll do nothing but watch. He''d observe the countless people under about, performing their own duties. His people went back to the way they were. Many of them were already long dead. That boy he helped when Baal came to collect him years ago? He died when he bumped into the son of a local powerhouse. The world moved on without him. His actions forgotten. Sophia continued her path as before she''d met him. Killing monsters, killing other humans, advancing her realm. Through it all, Yahweh watched from the highest heavens. His rage, ever growing in contempt. Yahweh gazed back at a courtyard full of deities going about their business. His gaze, one of disgust. "This world," he whispered. "It''s so dark." Elsewhere-Most Holy IV Tonight had been an eventful one. Not for anyone else though. To them, it was just another night. But for me, tonight was where I decided. Years of deliberation, observation, and self searching had one by since I last saw Sophia. I didn''t know where she had gone. Last I''d seen her, she had a baby with her. Satanael or something like that. I don''t know how she would''ve reacted to my conclusion. I didn''t want to know. Deep down, I can imagine the likely scenario, but I try not to think hard on it. Sacrifices must be made. I had spent so much resources getting here. Sneaking past so many supreme class gods was difficult, these were people who can swap hands with Baal. But I preserved. When I leaned forwards from my crossed legged position, I couldn''t help but shed a few tears. For so long, I''d heard your name. The creator, the true lord of the world. The one where all things originate. Baal would tell me of your greatness as would any other god. Of the tough road of divine cultivation, of divine mysteries that existed out there in the chaotic road. I''ve been there too you know. Was tough sneaking out of this universe. But I''d say it was worth it. So much to see and so much to learn. But the more things differed between numerous chaos worlds. The more they just stayed the same. All following the same cruel system. Cultivators are gods and gods are cultivators. This was a fundamental truth. Parasites taking advantage of the people. Why couldn''t they see? Why couldn''t they be better? Why couldn''t they dedicate themselves to a just cause instead of their own progression? Their own powerbase? Their own wants? Even this whole charade of being gods and caring for the cosmos? Just talk to gather faith power. Faith was an extremely good resource that aided in one''s progress. It smoothed the process of forming god beads and various internal foundations. Faith bolstered combat ability and brought good fortune from the universal will. I''ve learned a lot and I have seen how it could be utilised. But this? How cultivators treat the world than just expect to be adored in return? Wanton acts of slaughter and overbearing arrogance. Children with too much power. I realised long ago that none were perfect. This universe was one of take and take. I do not like it. I do no acknowledge it. I will fix it. This system, this system of gods and mortals, this system of cultivators garnering faith from mortals, of becoming gods and managing the universe? I was taught that it was the righteous path as was elevated by my father and creator. You. El. The supreme god. I''ve always wondered why you set things out to be the way it was. But looking at you now? I think I finally understand. Faith is truly a miraculous power. I''ve heard how Mot healed himself after what Anat did. I''ve heard how Baal managed to empower himself against Ym. I''ve experienced Anat''s knowledge first hand. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The ability to restore even those fading away to their peak. An astonishing resource. The greatest of them all, squandered as they are. Seeing your state, I realise the concept of gathering faith was not for the Elohim. It was for you. It was to heal you. But at some point, that stopped being the objective. At some point the Elohim began cultivating themselves to even greater heights. They repeated the same process but instead of directing it to you they directed it to themselves. I guess they, or at least Baal figured it out. He was here wasn''t he? However long ago that was. "No matter the case, it''s not like you can stop them father. After all, you''re already dead." My piece said, I stood up one final time. My father, the legend I''ve never met, long dead. His corpse, fresh as any living man merely floated there. Anyone would just assume he was asleep. This place, the secret realm between the twin mountains Targhizizi and Tharumagi. The core of the universal will lay. The coffin that contained your corpse. You must''ve been desperate, merging yourself with this chaos world, transforming it from a low class one to one which could exist for so long. I''ve studied numerous chaos worlds and none could even come close to you. In another world, I believe you would be what those chaos lifeforms called Hongyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal. No, I believe you were someone close to this final realm. This Dao realm. The so called, omnipotent realm. You became the universal will. Or at least what''s left of you did. Your conscience is long gone anyway. Nothing but a corpse dangling from the thing that keeps this universe running. But before you died, you created this system. "Father, you are unworthy," I declared. "I will fix things in your place. I will save them all." I turned my gaze away from him. Facing the unbelievable power of the universe at my finger tips, I could feel the change coming. I''m not quite there yet. I have not fully understood the total functions of the greater chaos. I am nowhere near strong enough yet. I must grow as well. Loath as I am I must follow in his footsteps. I must gather more strength. For the sake of my people, for the sake of my vision, I will become strong. I swear I will save them. I will save them all. I will break the darkness that shrouds the infinite chaos and bring peace and prosperity to mortals of all realms. My wings unfurled. My claws unchained. My white scales manifested. My snout exposed. The true form I''ve never shown to any but myself came to me. I could feel it already. The whole world was resonating with me. The universal will at the centre was already connecting to me. It hurts, it hurts so much. But I must preserve. My own suffering will be worth it. Today is where I embark. Today my crusade begins. Cultivators are a disease. Gods are mere idols. Mortals shall no longer suffer. So as I declare: "LET THERE BE LIGHT!" Chapter 117-The Primitive Age In the mystical boundaries of the primitive world, beyond the void fabric that separates the boundless infinite void and the chaos sea. In this colourless colourful world of infinite possibilities, a battle raged on. Where once an orderly disorder permeated harmony stood, only dysfunctional pieces of constant changing energies remained, torn asunder by the shockwaves of two clashing majesties. It was as if an uncountable amount to apocalypses were occurring at once. Entire illusionary worlds blurred into existence only to disappear like the fleeting wind. Mirages showing what could or could not be, destined events and uncertain paths were formed and discarded as quickly as one would blink. And among the destructive chaos, a gargantuan ten thousand kilometre long golden dragon twirled. This creature, glittering with the power of a fully completed Dao, swam in an ocean of watery starlight. An ocean composed of the vast expanse that mortals would see upon looking at the night sky. Each droplet of water was like a fleeting galaxy. Expanding spots of starlight that contained enough power to end great worlds. Yet the dragon swam with no difficulties, his majestic snout roared differently, chomping down upon tendrils of starlight, ripping them apart as if they were nothing but annoyances. His golden scales were so strong that the extremely dense seawater could do nothing but bounce off of him. His claws so sharp that they effortlessly tore through incoming comments and spiralling bands of land. With a thunderous cry, the Dragon Sovereign, Zulong roared into the vast chaos. The shockwave along pulverised an oncoming circular tsunami as if it were nothing. With a swipe of his claw, draconic energy elongated like blades. They slammed down, meeting the metallic end of a short sword. Zulong grunted at the result, he flexed his nine digit claws and pulled them back. "Take this!" Executing his famed Nine Clawed Killing technique, Zulong attacked his monstrous foe, his own master, Da Hai. His full power was exerted. Zulong attacked ferociously. He cut through the very chaotic energies surrounding him like butter reaching for the sword wielding serpent before him. Da Hai, manifesting in his eight headed true form. Eight pairs of eyes gazed at the dragon intensely. He held the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword in the grip of his webbed front claw and roared. Swinging the sword down, the energy that originally shattered the chaos bore down at Zulong''s blackened claws. CHINK! Shards of scales flew off and Zulong was rebounded. He withdrew his claws and grimaced. Seeing this, Da Hai pierced with an execution of his Eight Heads Killing. The inspiration of Zulong''s own move caught him on the back foot. Seeing no other option, the serpentine dragon coiled around himself to withstand the attack head on. Around his golden body, black and yellow lights covered him in a manifestation of the dragon''s head. It breathed out a smokescreen, trying to decide the impact of the attack. KROOM! Zulng bit into his lower lip. Da Hai''s offensive power were incredibly high, even with his defences, he was able to consecutively burn away at his outer layer. Yet the dragon held on and survived with little real injuries. "You''ll have to do a lot better than that to hurt me," Zulong boasted. Da Hai''s heads smiled, pulling back his scaly lips to reveal deadly fangs. His eight monstrous heads pulled together to fire streams of cosmic fire. They expanded into millions of rays travelling in all directions, zigzagging to reach Zulong. Although in response to this, Zulong bent space. He distorted the reality and trajectory of the assault but still they managed to track him. Narrowing his eyes, Zulong began kiting the attacks, flying away at top speed. Two of Da Hai''s heads pulled back and lunged for the dragon. His spongey yellow mane twirled menacingly as Da Hai''s fangs elongated like knives. One of them, the closer one to Zulong was fast enough to reach the sovereign quickly. It opened its maw to bite at the exposed body of the dragon. Undaunted, Zulong pulled back his tail. With one move, he slapped his master''s face with the appendage causing the snake to recoil. His body quickly morphed a state of Pellucid Divine water, fading into a dimension of his own making and phased harmlessly through another head of Da Hai''s. "Damned brat!" Da Hai roared and summoned forth a colossal wave of sea water. It was an ocean filled with blinding spots, resembling the night sky. They faded in and out of sight, forming an elusive illusionary appearance. Together, this ocean became a giant claw. Da Hai attacked Zulong in all layers of reality. Da Hai''s own Pellucid Divine Water counteracted Zulong''s, jumping into his own layer of reality. But Zulong was prepared. From below his feet, Zulogn summoned his own treasure. Twenty four blinding universal lights shimmered into existence as twenty four ever expanding worlds. They together formed into one singular gargantuan blackhole that swallowed Da Hai. A new set of divine laws bore down on the sea god. A new level of space formed outside Da Hai and consumed his own, trapping him within. But as Da Hai''s Pellucid Divine Water shifted him into different layers of reality, even forming its own universe, this new universe changed within. This forced him out of his illusionary state and into a new reality. Coming to himself in a new environment, Da Hai scoffed. As quickly as he was trapped, Da Hai tore himself out. He bit into the fabric of the universe and pulled. With a hole forming, he plunged his blade into the soft membrane of this universe and cut open a gashing wound. Zulong looked up in surprise. Da Hai tore his way out of Zulong''s trap far earlier than expected. Feeling exposed, Zulong opened his mouth and spat out his other treasure. The Dragon Pearl flew through the chaos sea like a bullet towards the newly emerged Da Hai. Da Hai snorted, he slashed down with the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. His clash with the Dragon Pearl created a storm of multi coloured lightning. Tendrils of electricity cut through the very origin of creation leaving behind burn marks, scars on the chaos sea. Da Hai grunted feeling the muscles on his arm tense. Despite excepting his full strength and then some, he struggled to beat back the pearl. Even so, he was pushing the damn thing back. His other arm retracted and pulled. From out of his own dimension Da Hai retrieved the Ocean Swallowing Jug. Holding onto the handle tightly, its inner contents filled themselves with universes worth of ocean. Da Hai proceeded to swing the clay jug down, smashing the Dragon Pearl away. In ages past, the Ocean Swallowing Jug was merely a high grade xiantian spiritual treasure. But ever since journeying into the Chaos Sea, Da Hai had refined it even more. It was his first weapon and the one he cherished the most, even above the 12 Petals White Lotus. With external aid, Da Hai bonded with the jug allowing it to become his own natal treasure. It merged with his very being and became his closest companion. Da Hai''s progress was its progress. Through this, the Ocean Swallowing Jug evolved beyond its original rank. In conjunction with Da Hai''s understanding into Wuji, it transcended what a mere xiantian spiritual treasure could define. As it was now, it was a chaos ranked spiritual treasure. It could never be stolen, it could never be used by others, it will only obey Da Hai. But the draw back was that any damage on the jug was a damage reflected on Da Hai''s own person. As both were one and the same, changes in one reflected on the other. Should it break off from Da Hai, the Ocean Swallowing Jug will devolve back into its previous state. With this treasure, Da Hai swapped it to between his teeth. He tipped it over unleashing waves of swords made of water. This single action would''ve brought any Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal to trembling fear. But Zulong could only smile. ''So I finally forced you into using it huh? Not bad.'' "Prepare yourself master!" Zulogn roared, his draconic cry forming an army millions strong. All of them were titanic dragons. Creatures of such majesty that the chaos sea shook as both sides clashed again and again. Within several moments, Da Hai and Zulong flew at each other, exchanging more then thirty five thousand blows against each other. To those spectating at the side, Qinglong, Yinglong, Yi Fei''e and their fellow disciples. This was a heart pounding scene. Zulong coiled around himself with a maddened grin. Chanting began and cries from an infinite amount of dragons harmonised around him. "I am the dragon ancestor, I peregrinated the dragon race." "I am not a simple beast born within the ten thousand clans." "Formed beneath the seabed." "Arising from the ocean." "Parting the waves." "Ascending the heavens." "Soaring above the clouds." Heavenly Dragon Rising Da Hai widened his eyes. Before him, the formation of a dragon the size of a chaos world manifested. A terrifying creature the likes of which none had ever seen. It possessed terrifying might, one which could easily kill and shatter the forms of even Hongyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortals with terrifying ease. If Zulong was born during the chaos period where the three thousand chaos godfiends still roamed, he could easily be ranked top five. ''No, he''d surpass even old man Destiny Demon God.'' Da Hai ended his musing when he chose to clash head on against Zulong. Da Hai''s own body grew and grew. It grew to match the ascending dragon with a fiendish body of his own. Dragon and eight headed serpent smashed into each other. The force of this one clash shattered the chaos around them with terrifying ease. Like clash, fragments of reality and whatever Dao materials were tossed on the wayside. Qinglong and Yinglong nodded to each other. They held their arms out before the rest of their disciples and family. Their conjoined power manifested a world around them, one adorned with a wall of scales. Yi Fei''e stepped up beside them and held out her own hand. Her personal treasure, the Pearl of Great Brilliance flew out and transformed into a chain of stars. "You help out as well," she called out to the trembling phoenix she stood on. "What? Are you insane? We should get outta here before we''re caught up in their battle!" Cinnabar Flame phoenix all but screamed as rays of cosmic radiance flashed at their side. Zulong''s and Yinglong''s children who were present, Ao Guang, Ao Run, Qiu Niu, Chi Wen, Chao Feng, and Suanni all snorted at this reaction. "Uncle and aunty are more then capable of defending you." "Incredible," Qinglong and Yinglong both mused. Neither they nor Yi Fei''e were really paying attention to the younger folks. "Eldest senior brother," Yi Fei''e murmured in astonishment. "You don''t spend much time cultivating comparatively, yet you still made so much progress." When the dust settled, a storm of chaos already flooded the area. It was a cosmic event that would kill even Great Unity Golden Immortals if they wandered too close. Yet it was harmless for the two men who stood within. Zulong stood tall and proud like the emperor he was. Yet he didn''t wear his crown. Shrunken to his human form, Zulong appeared as a middle aged man well into his fifties with a long beard. It was Da Hai who appeared the younger of the two. Unlike ten yuanhui ago, Da Hai physically appeared younger, healthier. The sea god appeared to only be in his late thirties, clean shaven and shoulder length hair. "Well done disciple, you''ve given this old man a shock of his lifetime," Da Hai complimented. "Small matter, disciple still has much to learn," Zulong denied humbly. "On the contrary, you''ve long surpassed what I could teach. In the cultivation world, we are fellow daoists." "That may be so, but once a master, always a master. None but you can ever claim that title." The two complimented each other having ended their spar. It was pointless to continue for longer. Both sides had been going for a long time. Battling for nearly a hundred years. Da Hai could overpower Zulong, he was stronger and could utilise far more powerful moves, could even overwhelm Zulong. Yet it wasn''t strong enough that Zulong couldn''t shrug them off. Not strong enough that the dragon couldn''t counter. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. His offence simply was not enough to pierce Zulong''s natural defence. But Zulong was also not strong enough to hurt Da Hai. For all his power, he could only manage a stalemate where he could not defeat his master. Conversely, Da Hai could not defeat Zulogn quickly either. Perhaps in ten thousand years, Da Hai could trap and seal Zulong. But to kill Zulong would be nigh impossible. What''s more, even if Da Hai came with the intent to kill, it was still within Zulong''s ability to get away. If Zulong was an outsider, one who had never trained in Da Hai''s techniques, this wouldn''t have been the case. But it was and hence Da Hai had no real means to trap the dragon. "Master/grandmaster, elder brother/father/uncle," the others greeted. "Fei''e, don''t think I didn''t notice," Da Hai immediately said before anything else. "Your laziness will not be tolerated next time." "Ah?" Yi Fei''e flinched having been caught flatfooted. She scratched the back of her head in shame. Previously, this was not a sparring match between Zulong and Da Hai. It was a sparing match with all his disciples. Seven moth fairies and three dragons vs Da Hai. But as one would expect, fairies two through seven were knocked out early. Yinglong couldn''t last very long and eventually, Qinglong was knocked out too. Yi Fei''e hung on for a little longer but exited the fight as well right after Qinglong. "But master, I didn''t want to get between you and senior brother," she wined. "Check brat," Da Hai scoffed. In reality, Yi Fei''e could''ve lasted of a lot longer. She was his strongest disciple right after Zulong. Qinglong came right after and it was debatable who could win between her and the Azure dragon. "That is enough for today," Da Hai announced. "I suspect you all have gained a little from this experience?" He addressed the third generation. "Yes grandmaster," Suanni boasted. "I can feel my flames surging. I just a little time to consolidate it." "I too desire to go into secluded cultivation," Chao Feng said. "Good, you may use Yingzhou as your staging ground. I wouldn''t mind," Da Hai said. "Thank you grandmaster." The sea god nodded in satisfaction. He looked around, everyone here was at least at the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm. None of Zulong''s children had disappointed, having long reached Primal Origin Immortal. It''s just that Yinglong''s children fell behind. His four sons were Great PrincipleImmortals as well. But they were only average among them. The stronger one is, the more esoteric their nature. The more esoteric their nature, the harder it is to procreate. Yinglong only had the four sons. Zulong''s virility was an anomaly. With their business concluded, Da Hai began the journey to return to the primitive world. Though he could not enter it properly, he could still remain partially within by staying on Yingzhou. The journey was brief. They hadn''t ventured far from the primitive world, only far enough that they could fight to their hearts content. Touching down on the Great Plains Heaven beneath the Fusang tree. Da Hai sent the others away until it was just him and his core disciples. "You''re leaving soon aren''t you?" Qinglong said breaking the silence. "I owe the Dao Ancestor Shiva a favour. Wangshu and I have already agreed to meet him. It will not be my first foray into the chaos sea, I can make my way back," Da Hai assured them. "You say that but you got lost for over two Yuanhui last time," Qinglong said. "Gave big brother and junior sister here a scare" "That was a miscalculation," Da Hai retorted. "Master," Yi Fei''e called out. "What is it?" "I''m not sure if you''ve noticed it, being cut off from the Heavenly Dao and all. But there was a shift in the world recently." "Zulong has already made me aware," Da Hai said. "But I have done my measurements and I''ve even received news from my sources. The tribulation is not coming anytime soon, the buildup of negative karma is nowhere near enough." "Then what was that shift?" Yi Fei''e asked. Zulong leaned over as well in curiosity. They''ve reported it before but Da Hai had yet to properly inform them. At the time Da Hai could only make guesses and it took some time to confirm them. "I''ve already told you of these people," Da Hai said. "Master, you don''t mean?" Zulong''s eyes widened. "But you said they only appeared after my fall." "If Zulong was not as he was, they would''ve appeared after the tribulation. But given how good Zulong is, they started showing up now. It''s not that they''re early, it''s that you''re still here." Da Hai explained. "I''m sure Qinglong here is aware of fellow disciples in Wangshu''s lineage?" "Of course, didn''t get their names though, was in a little hurry," the azure dragon nodded in confirmation. "Oh, now I see." "Indeed, Wangshu notified me not long ago about Xihe and Changxi''s birth and subsequent acceptance into her tutelage." Da Hai looked up at the distant sun with an expecting look. "The third and final generation of innate gods are here." ¡­ Deep within the Solar Star, the cry of a pair of crows compounded around the Pure Yang Sun Fire. Two massive golden grows each boasting three legs flew around playing tag. ¡­ On the Lunar Star, beneath the Supreme Laurel Tree, Wangshu sat crossed legged lecturing two young woman with her. The younger of the two listened intently. But the older of the two appeared a little confused and unsure. ¡­ Deep within the recesses of Mt Buzhou, a pair of siblings played. They were half man half snake with the lower part of a serpent and the upper torso of a human. The older one, a male in his teens with black hair and brown eyes. He played diligently on his qin instrument creating a wondrous tune. A tune his sister, a topless woman with waist length hair danced to. The two were at peace within their own little hideout completely cut off from the rest of the world. ¡­ In a distant part of the ocean, hidden beneath a thick veil of mist. On an immortal island not dissimilar to Yingzhou, a cloud of Qi condensed forming into the image of a man. This was in fact the first cloud of Yang Qi in the world. On Mt Penglei, it formed a divine figure ready to tour the world ¡­ In connection with that event, on the slopes of west Kunlun, the first cloud of Yin Qi had already formed. A beautiful woman with a jade tiara who held a mirror looked east. The scent of her counterpart were already memorised. ¡­ Beneath Mt Buzhou, the Pangu temple slept. Around it, twelve pools of blood bubbled. Suddenly, from the largest pool, a thick muscular arm reached out. Grading the edge, it pulled a fat blubbery body with four wings and six legs. Around him, eleven other hideous figures made themselves known, dragging themselves out of their own pools. With them forming a circle, a formation formed around them into the faint image of a giant wearing a loincloth holding an axe. Formed from the purest blood essence of the father god, a race of primordial deities had been born. ¡­ Away from others, on the far off northern ocean. Far away from the prying eyes of the north sea denizens. A giant fish leapt out of the ocean. As it did so, its scaled form transformed. From where once a fish jumped, a bird flew. ¡­ Within a cave on Mt Kunlun, three clouds of Qi condensed atop three prayer mats. The first appeared at the centre, a complete being harmonised in the constant changes between Yin and Yang. He was an old man patiently cultivating. On his right was a middle aged man who also cultivated. This one had a dignified face and long black beard with a natural air of pride. If one looked at him they would immediately think him a noble lord The third figure which was the last to form though, this one was most peculiar. Both men gazed to it as the slim figure of a woman came out of the mist. Both were slightly confused, they were expecting a brother. Unknown to both, the severed arm of a certain goddess that fell to this exact location injected its own power into the Qi cloud. An imbalance was reached and the destined god became goddess. The two shrugged as the woman appeared. It didn''t matter anyway, sister was still family all the same. ¡­ In the far west continent, a kind looking man with a squarish faced and snail shell curls shaped hair sat. Although the land he was in was hostile to non conformists, he''d done well for himself. Cultivating silently, he did so below an infamous bodhi tree, beneath the light of another infamous lamp. ¡­ At the borders of continents, at the place where east met centre. A young man wearing a star hat was busying himself constructing a temple. The building was one which covered a massive ginseng tree. Said tree was already bearing fruit, though theses fruits resembled the form of human infants. ¡­ Deep beneath the known world, on the reverse side of the flat earth. In a dark and twisted nether storm, a coffin lay. This coffin had drifted here aeons ago, drifted here from one of the few openings this underworld had to the great wilderness. Slowly but surely, this coffin that lay in a land of darkness opened. A gangly corpse like hand emerged, grasping the lid and flipped it open freeing its contents. ¡­ Not far from the coffin, a putrid sea of red lay. Under the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, a qilin stood by and watched as gunk and muck from the corpses of all dead primordial beasts in the world gathered. The pile of corpses of living malice melted and fused into the sea of blood. Qi An watched with barely concealed disgust. He turned around and walked away, unconcerned for a dual sword wielding naked man who emerged atop a red lotus. ¡­ Atop a mountain in the middle of nowhere, a massive thunderstorm was occurring. Storm and rain, thunder and lightning. The storm continued nonstop until a figure emerged. The most brutal storm in the world gave way to a divinity, a man with a bird for a head. With a single cry, his voice rumbled through the nine heavens. ¡­ ¡­ Within the dark confines of a cave deep within a valley Da Hai was intently familiar with. Five coloured energies converged. Though it had long lost its lustre, having degraded from the phoenix''s last visit, it still preserved. The first cloud that had drifted here long ago finally transformed. From out of it, a young man in red appeared. If Da Hai were here, he''d be shocked. The young man here had the same face as his first friend, Huoyun. ¡­ "Senior brother! What are you doing?" A cute childish girl asked the boy standing at the eastern edge of Mt Yujing''s cliff. The boy she was talking to was only a child in form for he''d existed for far longer. The boy was dressed in white and holding a pair of binoculars. He ignored the girl. "Come on Haotian, tell me what''s going on?" She wined stomping her feet. "Nothing, just looking for¡­you know what, it''s not important," Haotian said. He had a distant look in his eye, one with a sense of longing. "Well master told me to get you, it''s time for our daily lesson," she said walking away. Haotian nodded, he put the binoculars down and followed after. ¡­ In the middle of nowhere, in a secluded location where not many wondered. A pile of dead monkeys lay. Sitting atop the pile was a small macaque holding a stick. With an arrogant look on his animalistic face, he spat on the corpses. "Heh, you think I''m so easy to bully? WRONG." "In journey to the west, in the primitive world, Liu Er is a loser. He was pathetic and couldn''t even listen to Hongjun''s lecture. In the end, he suffered a tragic death under the hands of a puppet." "But I am not that Liu Er. I am Liu Cheng, the new six eared divine monkey. I swear to never be a slave and to fight for my true destiny. I shall roam and rule supreme in the primitive world." The macaque proclaimed proudly with a maniacal expression. The soul tossed in by an uncaring god of a realm beyond finally gestated to completion. In another world and another time, this man would''ve just been another NEET living in their mother''s basement. But here in this world, he was god. An SI-Monkey Wants a System In a rather peaceful clearing in the middle of the east continent, in a secluded location of grass and rock formations. A six eared small monkey stood on its hind legs. Its adorable face was turned into an annoyed frown and its hands were stretched out towards the heavens. This was the Six Eared Macaque, an innate god born from heaven and earth utilising one fourth of the Chaos Demon Ape''s remnants. He was one of four divine monkeys that were rumoured to eventually be born into the world. Six Eared Macaque, Liu Er was merely the first. But he was not mere primitive creature. No, he was a modern man from twenty first century earth who transmigrated into the primitive world of Chinese legends. Someone who thought he knew the ins and outs of the primitive setting. He was born with an amazing physique and superb talent for cultivation. There was just one problem. "System! System! I summon thee, activate!" He had no fucking clue how to cultivate. Liu Er wasn''t a mortal creature or even an immortal. He was a Golden Immortal at birth, a superior being in control of their own lives. According to Liu Er''s knowledge, he should be refining True Qi continuously and reach the Da Luo Jin Xian realm wherein he would open the three splendours. Or was it called the Fairy Wonderland realm? He wasn''t too clear. Afterwards, he would comprehend one of three thousand intact Dao laws and reach the Hunyuan Da Luo Jin Xian. No need for that pathetic Saint of Heaven nonsense. Everyone knows that Hunyuan Da Luo Jin Xian was the way to go. But reality turned out a little differently. For starters, he could understand all three thousand Dao laws at a single glance. Now one would think that''s a good thing that would benefit his cultivation. But in reality these three thousand laws were where merely the functions of the universe that could enlighten lesser mortals intro Immortals. Hence these Daos could only help a True Immortal break into Profound and Heavenly Immortal. Afterwards Immortals must seek their own way. Another difference was that Liu Er already possessed all three of his flower crowns. The splendours of Qi, Essence, and Spirit were fully condensed and present. Liu Er had no reference for this. He''d read as many honghuang novels as he could find when he was alive. This matched non of the cultivation they showed. Now ordinarily, innate gods had instinctual knowledge towards heaven and earth. They could tap into inherited knowledge and enlighten themselves as to their next move if such information was inherited at birth. This was how Da Hai despite being half human was able to navigate the early days of the primitive world. Enough instinct remained for him to do so and occasionally take over. But Liu Er had non of it. For whatever reason, when Liu Er transmigrated, he was %100 pure human in mentality. In actuality, he did have inherited knowledge from Demon Ape. But because he had non of the instinct, he didn''t know how nor was he aware he even had any. So he chose the next logical option for a man like him. "Come on, SYSTEM WHERE ARE YOU?" He screamed to high heaven. "LOOK, I BRING A SACRIFICE. I LIU ER HEREBY SACRIFICE MY CHAOS GODFIEND INHERITANCE FROM DEMON APE FOR SYSTEM REWARD!" He cried out desperately. The small monkey was becoming increasingly agitated. One of the many easy systems was the sacrifice system. It was depicted that every sacrifice will reward the user with rewards based on rarity. But for some stupid reason the system just won''t activate. "God damn it system," Liu Er spat. "I''m sacrificing my foundation here. Where''s my reward?" ¡­. ¡­. ¡­. Liu Er remained standing for two hours before he gave up. It would appear that he did not possess that particular system. But there were others he hadn''t tried yet. Liu Er scratched his chin for a system he could try. He immediately sat down on a rock. He then grabbed another slab of stone and another sharp piece of rock and got carving. He didn''t know how to use any of his powers aside from brute force but that didn''t matter for now. He had a list to make. A few hours later he held up a stone tablet. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Heavens above, I Liu Er have made a list of the top ten beauties in the world. Each rank shall receive a reward," he proclaimed secretly giddy at his genius. The list was a system in which the system will give out rewards based on your written list. In turn you too will get rewards for making the list. Sure he could attract some outrage for this, ''beauties list'', but he could get a bunch of goodies from it. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ "Heavens above, I Liu Er have made a list of the top one hundred talents in the world," Liu Er proclaimed again after a day of silence. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ "Fucking useless system," he screamed throwing the tablets he made onto the ground. He stomped his foot in rage cratering the environment. If he were in a populated area he could''ve easily killed a lot of unsuspecting people. Liu Er was feeling depressed after both easy systems failed on him. But he refused to believe systems wouldn''t come to him. He transmigrated, it was what was supposed to happen. He then had an idea. "Sign in," he proclaimed pointing down. "Sign in grassy plain." He was met in silence once more. Hence Liu Er looked around and saw a mountain in the distance. In a single summersault, he lept to the peak of the mountain and pointed down again. "Sign in mystical mountain," he proclaimed. He was trying to invoke a sign in system. He almost kicked himself for not trying this one first. Sign in systems were the number one hacks system in the world. Doing literally nothing and getting profit, who wouldn''t want that? With each sign in, Liu Er could hide and get tons of goodies even if the location he was signing in from was not that good. Sign in systems were busted like that. "Come on, sign in already. Where are my dailies?" After another hour of waiting, Liu Er collapsed the mountain in a fit of frustration. He killed thirty four thousand spiritual animals living on that mountain. Liu Er wandered back to the field and then had another idea. If easy systems didn''t work he could try a harder one. A week later, Six Ear farm was complete. It was only a field of dirt with some seeds planted but it looked like a farm. "I have a farm set up. System activate!" He exclaimed. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ The result was expected. Liu Er destroyed the farm in a fit of rage and ran off. "Wait a second, I might have a dangerous astonishment system," he wondered. These were systems that required the user to mess with people purposefully and wow them with your own superiority. Systems that required you to piss others off to buy points to buy goodies. So Liu Er quickly made way for the closest village he could find. He proceeded to insult every person in the village only to meet with no result. So he tried a harem catching system. "You assholes, you dare strike me?" He spat towards the villagers. "You fiend, first you insult my wife, my friend, and my parents. Then you try to rape my wife and my daughter?" The man he was facing roared to attack. "After we greeted you with kindness and offered you shelter? DIE!" Liu Er had an extremely bad mood at this point. He threw a punch with his body. Now one must understand, Liu Er''s body was a Golden Immortal''s. A body inherited from Chaos Demon Ape. His physical strength was much higher than normal Golden Immortals. As such he easily tore the entire village and the surroundings to shreds. "Humph," he snorted walking away. He did not believe he was in the wrong. He was only trying to activate his system and these people had ruthlessly attacked him. They were only courting death. "Well if a astonishment system didn''t work. Maybe my system is time gated?" Liu Er mused wondering into a cave. He sat down in the cave and caved in the entrance. "I''ll just wait a few eras until like say journey to the west. Yeah that''s when systems usually activate. Maybe even investiture of the gods. You never know." He sat down and tried to meditate, trying to see if he can figure out how cultivation works. After all, the primitive world is very dangerous, he decided to hide until the systems conditions are met. There aren''t any, system doesn''t exist A week later¡­ "God this is so boring." An SI-Monkey Meets the Three Pure Ones The forests of the east continent bore residency by a myriad of races. Immortal cultivators from all walks of live inhabited this diverse yet contested land. It was in many ways the foremost battleground of the primitive world yet also the most naturally beautiful. Aside from spiritually overpowered areas such as Kunlun mountains and Mt. Yujing, many of the areas were dominated by either the dragons or avian banners. Only select powerful areas defended by Chaos Immortals of transcendent might stayed independent. Here, in this forest owned by the Sky Shattering Monkey clan, Liu Er the six eared macaque sat dangling his feat in the air, munching on the limb of a deceased feline cultivator. In fact, he sat upon a mountain of half eaten rotting corpses covered only by the dense foliage of trees thousands of metres tall. It was a starkly contradictory sight as Liu Er was tiny. The six eared macaque was barely over three feat tall and wore a leash loincloth around his waist. His face was one hundred percent primate and looked adorable if it were not bloodied by crimson blood and the razor sharp fangs he used to tear off flesh. Many hundreds of years had passed for the primate and this time was spent productively. Motivate by the rage of his failure to attain a system, Liu Er began a journey of internal contemplation. It took him decades but after many years of taking half remembered advice from martial arts movies, he finally was able to sense his own Qi. It took many sessions of sitting down and trying to feel out uniqueness from within his body but eventually he figured it out. Luckily for him, the dense environment of Primordial Qi resembled that of the Chaos Sea''s Chaos Qi. Were it the True Qi of later degraded generates, the process would''ve been an order of magnitudes harder. But with newfound memories stemming from one quarter of the Chaos Demon Ape, he learned about how cultivation was actually done. He had been expecting to need to sense and cultivate Dao Laws, but instead he learned of the need to create one''s own Dao. It was utter bullshit in his opinion. Where would he even start? Dao Laws were easy to understand. They were comprised of the facets of the three thousand Great Daos and one hundred and eight thousand Minor Daos of the chaos godfiends that formed the basic cosmic functions of existence. From his inherited memories, he learned that what others would sense of these laws were only a small fragment of the actual Dao. They were in reality comprehensive concepts that adds to the internal and external structure of immortals that were produced by the actual Dao that was itself a battery of sorts. If the actual Dao were to be taken, reality may collapse due to it now missing a piece of the proverbial puzzle. Liu Er had indeed thought about taking one of the Daos for himself. Such a deed would instantly skyrocket him to the Hunyuan Da Luo Jin Xian stage. He would essentially be assuming that Dao''s creator''s place. For example, the Demon Ape practiced what he called the Dao of Eternal War. That Dao now resides within the core of the primitive world and only the Great Dao of War showed itself to be comprehended. The original Dao would contain everything that was Demon Ape. If the true Dao from the core was ripped out and taken by him, Liu Er would in essence resume from where Demon Ape left off. But as soon as he had that thought, Liu Er shot it down. It was not because of any moral conscious of the primitive world''s safety. Rather it was because of the impossibility of doing so. He''d need to get through the Heavenly Dao and who knows how many countless monstrosities that would realise what he was doing and get in the way. He was simply too weak. Hence he began on his own path. Liu Er hated to be looked down on. He hated the constant displeased, amused, or pitying looks others gave him. He hated it as a human and even now as an innate god. So what if gods and heaven stand in my way? I''ll crush them all beneath my feat! I swear to never be weak and to stand above all! Liu Er reminisced with fondness as he finished his latest meal. His conclusion that he came to, what allowed him to plant his Dao tree after forming the primal unity was what necessitated his doing so. Liu Er did not know where to start enlightening himself on the Dao. Such an abstract concept was one that he couldn''t identify no matter how hard he tried. So he used a different method. If you don''t know, use others. That Snake Immortal just entered the Golden Immortal realm, eat him and absorb what he knows. That cricket had begun his journey to the Dao, eat him and absorb what he knows. Two Great Unity Golden Immortals bordering on death from dueling each other, eat them and absorb what they know. Liu Er kept eating, kept hunting, kept scavenging, kept scaling up until his own Dao took shape. A Dao of Devouring Assimilation. A Dao of incorporating others into oneself. A Dao that propelled him into the Great Unity Golden Immortal peak stage after a few centuries of living. "This area is so empty now," Liu Er grumbled. He tossed the bones away and jumped to the ground far below. He did not acknowledge the corpse pile behind him one bit as he opened a palm behind his back and blasted them to ashes. "Hm, these monkey''s area is so poor. I''d love to invade the dragons, if legend is true then they are rich beyond belief," Liu Er salivated thinking about the Dragon Sovereign''s treasure vault. "Not much nutrients left either. If I kept scaling up I''ll really catch the attention of the elders," Liu Er mused with wariness. He wasn''t a stupid man, he knew how strong the Sky Shattering Monkey clan''s higher ups were. The lower level experts he could take down, his physique came from a top godfiend after all. But the stronger monkeys can defeat and maybe even kill him. Liu Er has for the longest time used his innate hearing ability to hide from the truly earth shattering experts. "But where can I go?" He pondered. The east continent was large and expansive with many areas. But all were of similar wealth levels or even lower to where he was staying. Powerful unique sites were few and far between and were fraught with many dangers. "Mt. Buzhou? It''s so far away. Yujing is out of the question, but wait Kunlun is still available. That place has bound to have tons of good prey due to its even denser spiritual environment." Liu Er smacked his own forehead at his own foolishness. By his estimate, the Kunlun mountains should also house a few top tier treasures. It was literally double the reward for the same effort. It was also where the Three Pure Ones were born, there are bound to have many goodies. "Heh, I''ve always wanted to beat up the Three Pure Ones," Liu Er said smirking. He''d never liked the Heavenly lord of the Primordial Beginnings all that much, nor did he like the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue. They were nothing but back stabbing weasels in his opinion. They turned to the two pathetic bald donkeys from the west of all thing rather then their own brother, the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure. No matter their excuse, betraying Daoism to the two hacks from the west were unthinkable. Liu Er was frothing in the mouth thinking about it. And don''t get him started on the sorry excuse of a teacher the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure was. Couldn''t protect his own disciples nor his own sect. He had the audacity to lose the final battle despite all his powerful formations. Such a man wasn''t worth respecting. "The three descendants of Pangu are all worthless trash," Liu Er spat rubbing his chin. "But their bodies do contain raw essence from Pangu''s nascent soul." An idea struck Liu Er''s mind. "Why stop at beating up the Three Pure Ones? I can consume them and get even stronger." THOOM! Thunder rumbled in the distance stopping Liu Er''s musing. The lines of karma around Liu Er lessened considerably. "Pangu broke apart chaos and established a perfect world to bring about countless talented beings, this act is an act that was worthy in the eyes of Grand Dao and as such he was aware great karmic merit," Liu Er grumbled. "I can''t kill them without shooting my karma to the deep end." In the current world order, Grand Dao supersedes Heavenly Dao. In the days before Heavenly Dao fully consummate its power, Grand Dao''s authority leaked from the chaos sea into the primitive world. Heavenly Dao should be respected, but Grand Dao will be revered. Only in the future could Heavenly Dao take full command of the primitive world. When the Heavenly Courts are complete and able to enforce, when he six saints join hands in powering it, when Ancestor Hongjun merge with it. Once that''s done, Grand Dao''s reign over certain qualities of life would be over. "Meh, doesn''t stop me from teaching them a lesson." It would seem this was acceptable enough for him to not become a luck pariah. "So unfair, don''t I deserve good things too? Hey Heavenly Dao, if you''re watching, give me some good stuff. You should be powerful enough to show me the way right?" ¡­ Many Years Later Three individuals walked out of a cave. Well to be more accurate one individual skipped out and stretched beneath the warm sun while another exasperated individual followed trailed by a kindly old third. The first was a beautiful bright young woman wearing red robes. She had long black hair with streaks of silver that glowed like moonlight and a headless that held it all in a high pony tail. Her brows were sharp like sword edges and her figure, while elegant contained a sharpness to it like a sheaved sword hungry for blood. The man who followed her appeared like a middle aged man into his forties with long black hair and long black beard separated into three prongs from each side of his lip and his chin. He wore blue robes that were much more elaborate appearing to be a noblemen. Upon his head was a crown. The third was a kindly old man with a perpetually smiling face. He had full white hair and a fluffy white beard and deep wrinkles on his face. He wore yellow simple robes and a small crown upon his own head. The first woman exuded an aura of sharpness, the middle aged man an aura of chaos, the old man an aura of tranquility. These were the infant Three Pure Ones. Supreme Purity Tongtian, Jade Purity Yuanshi, and Grand Purity Taishang. These three had recently ascended to the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm and decided they were ready to do some adventuring. "Ah the great outdoors!" Tongtian exclaimed with a wide armed stretch. "If I knew the sun would feel so good I''d leave that stinking cave earlier." "Not so fast third sister," Yuanshi called out hurrying to her location. "We need a comprehensive plan first, no charging out!" "Nope, catch me if you can," Tongtian yelled back before darting off in a beam of light. "Get back here you BRAT!" Taishang chuckled with amusement as the two innate gods chased each other over the peaks of Kunlun. He kept an eye on his siblings the entire time and knew no real danger could touch them. For whatever reason, most mighty figures tended to avoid the heart of the Kunlun mountains so even at the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm they were practically invincible here. The Grand Pure One took a gentle step into the air and leisurely followed after the Jade and Supreme Pure Ones. He''d left his siblings have their fun for now. Yuanshi chased Tongtian across several peaks before they both descended. This was because Tongtian had gotten bored of the exchange and left to check out something else that caught her eye. "Come on, go little beetle. Beat that other guy," she cheered after landing on a tree branch. Yuanshi noticed that she was now observing the clashing of a Hercules beetle and a rhinoceros beetle. ''What was so interesting about a bunch of insects?'' He wondered in is mind. In the real world, he called out towards Tongtian. "There you are, lets regroup with eldest brother first. No running off recklessly like that and listen to your elders," he lectured the young woman. "Hush you, I''m in the middle of something here. Come on use your horn," her lack of attention on him brought much ire to Yuanshi. "Stop playing around, we have real business elsewhere," he said forcefully grabbing Tontine''s shoulder. Before she could retort and further, space folded around itself and both innate gods teleported back thousands of kilometres. Both reappeared right in front of where Taishang was leisurely strolling mid air. Then they immediately descended to bickering right in front of the old man. The same old topics he''d heard a thousand times were expound. The same old talks of "let me do what I want", or "listen to your elders", or "you''re too impulsive." "Now now second brother, third sister, lets all cool our heads," Taishang ever the harmonised one, took things into his own hands before things got too far out of control. The three had emerged together within a secret cave deep within Kunlun. Himself emerging as the harmonised one between two extremities whereas Yuanshi and Tongtian strayed towards either extremes. As such they all knew what their Daos were gonna be and took very little time to enter their current realm. "Now then, which way do you two want to go?" Taishang asked. "Shouldn''t eldest brother decide?" Tongtian asked mockingly while glaring at Yuanshi''s direction. "Don''t give eldest brother attitude," Yuanshi said harshly. "But personally I think we should all visit Mt. Buzhou first. It is the creator''s resting place and the tower that holds all things in place. Even if we''re exploring for opportunities, I think we should still pay respect." "Hm, not a bad idea big bro. You do have good ideas after all," Tongtian said smirking. "What is that supposed to mean?" "Buzhou isn''t a bad location. I agree, we can use the harsh central continent to temper ourselves," Taishang nodded along in agreement. "Since that''s settled lets head¡­hm?" Yuanshi''s sharp senses picked up movement within space. His flinching action caused the other two to start looking as well. "What is it?" Tongtian asked. Taishang closed his eyes and sensed with his divine sense. "A Great Unity Golden Immortal approaches." "Now? I thought we were expending enough energy to keep them away?" The Three Pure Ones were not simple beings. All three were not only innate gods born of heaven and earth, but also direct descendants of pseudo Dao Ancestor Pangu. They were naturally powerful. All three of them had auras that even contemporary Great Unity Golden Immortals knew they could not deal with. As such, this aura acted as a deterrent when they didn''t want to be bothered such as now. Lesser creatures wouldn''t realise the effects as they''re fundamentally too low to feel them but they would''ve not been the target to begin with. So it was a surprise another immortal would actually approach them. "Should we say hello?" Tongtian suggested with an excited smile. "I''ll go, who knows who this fellow daoist may want," Yuanshi said taking a step up front. "They could be thieves who want elder brother''s treasure." Tongtian pouted, "I''m aware of the dangers Yuanshi. I''ll be fine, who in our realm can even touch me?" You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Taishang kept quiet not interfering the argument. He was content to stand in the back and observe as the foreigner made his way here. In fact, that person was astonishingly quick. Not long after, a small three foot figure summersaulted into a perfect landing on a piece of cloud right before the Three Pure Ones. It was an adorable looking six eared macaque. Tongtian instantly squealed at the creature. It was the cutest little creature she''d ever seen in her life. "Aww!" She cooed. "Aren''t you just the cutest little thing," she made to ruffle the little monkey. "Hands off lady," Liu Er said slapping away Tongtian''s hand with a loud, ''THWACK!'' Tongtian raised here eyebrow withdrawing her hand, "The hell was that for?" "You there," Liu Er said pointing right at Tongtian''s face. "I''m looking for three people who live around Kunlun. They''re called the Three Pure Ones, ever heard of them?" It was an amusing sight for Taishang who opening chuckled. Liu Er for all his bravado was like a child in stature. Though he did wonder what the monkey wanted. "Well you''ve found them," Tongtian said doing a midair twirl and gestured at herself. "Can I help you stranger?" "The fuck?" Liu Er narrowed his eyes at the woman before her. ''Is this Xi Wangmu? She''s supposed to be on West Kunlun,'' he pondered while observing Tongtian. "Don''t gaslight me if you know what''s good for you," Liu Er growled. "The Three Pure Ones are men, not some chick like you." "You''re misinformed," Tongtian corrected him and released her power in full. "I am Supreme Purity Tongtian, so who am I speaking to?" Liu Er was taken aback. "So the Supreme Purity is a coward not willing to show his face and hides behind a woman''s facade," he sneered. "Roll out here for your grandfather and I''ll be lenient." At this point Tongtian was losing her patience. She was trying to be polite as curtesy towards the cute little critter but since it wasn''t returned she felt no desire to pay nice. "You have some nerve beast. Apologise now," she demanded. "Just you?" Liu Er taunted. He held out his palms and discharged massive amounts of power. The surrounding temperature dropped as Tongtian was bombarded by unfathomable amounts of bloodlust. Liu Er didn''t just want to beat up the Three Pure Ones. He wanted to bloody them, embarrassed them, humiliate them, brutalise them. When he fought he never held back, always aiming for the kill. "The hell does this furry beast think he is?" Yuanshi stepped forwards crossing the distance between himself and Tongtian. He strode forwards in indignation on Tongtian''s behalf. "Mere animal thinks himself our equal? You think too highly of yourself to speak to my sister as if you''re her equal," Yuanshi countered Liu Er by releasing his own power distorting spacetime around him. Yuanshi leaked a gas like grey substance that seemed to be sucking the very air into them. Then they would discharge that same air as a completely different substance in a chaotic distortion of nature. "I''ll handle this," he told Tongtian. "I Jade Purity Yuanshi shall teach this furry beast a lesson." "Finish it quick, I don''t want to remain here anymore," Tongtian said flying back towards Taishang. Li Er on the other hand was alarmed. This was not because of Yuanshi''s power, no he wasn''t scared of him one bit. Rather it was the fact that Tongtian''s gender was female instead of male. "So it''s true? That''s Tongtian? What kinda messed up world is this?" He mused. Then his head snapped back from the force of a chaos enhanced punch. "Pay attention," Yuanshi punched with so much force that the resounding crack could be heard for many kilometres. Trees were ruffled and landslides occurred in the wake of his blow. "Ant!" Liu Er clapped back immediately. He struck Yuanshi with a heavy blow that blew him back. The force of the seemingly cute monkey''s arm was monstrous, far exceeding any of the Three Pure Ones. If Liu Er was the god of anything, it was war. Fighting, killing, the spilling of blood, it was all the same to him. If the primitive world had a god of war in its most primal sense, it was Liu Er. He beat his chest like a gorilla and roared, splitting the clouds and shattering the earth. The cloud beneath his feet disintegrated as he leaped off for a punch. Yuanshi felt a bit embarrassed, the beast had not fallen to him and was now charging at him. He mentally kicked himself for thinking Liu Er was a simple nobody. With several motions of his hand, Yuanshi formed a colourless mirror like shield that withstood the full force of Liu Er''s punch much to the monkey''s dismay. Yuanshi grabbed out with his left hand. A gas cloud formed a massive palm that caught the monkey from out of the mirror. With one motion Yuanshi smashed Liu Er down onto the earth below with earth shattering power, uprooting the land and sending tons of debris into the air. "That all?" Liu Er taunted as he jumped into the sky once more. "No," Yuanshi retorted sending hails of punching from his gas cloud again and again. But Liu Er weaved around the assault and even allowed some to hit him to little affect as he smirked at Yuanshi. "So this is all the Jade Pure One amounts to?" Liu Er said in a disappointed tone. He opened his mouth and unleashed a giant wave of air, easily blowing away Yuanshi''s gas cloud. But unfazed, Yuanshi gripped his palm before opening it. He revealed a ball of grey colour and along with it, he disappeared. Liu Er narrowed his eyes and his ears twitched. Hearing something off, Liu Er turned around just in time as Yuanshi pushed the orb into his furry abdomen. The resulting hurricane was a fierce explosion raw power that tore at Liu Er''s flesh. "ARGH!" The six eared macaque gripped his chest in pain after the hurricane disappeared. He keeled over and spat out mouthfuls of blood staggering back from Yuanshi. ''His flesh is so tough,'' Yuanshi grimaced. If only he had a xiantian spiritual treasure, he could better optimise his power and cave the monkey''s head in. Raising his palm, Yuanshi pushed out with he force of collapsing stars. His motion was reminiscent of the gentle movement of clouds. Each of his footsteps left behind jade remnants as he approached the monkey. "No matter how tough your flesh is, it cannot withstand my power," Yuanshi claimed. His palm contained all the power he could muster at his current level. "Origin Driving Palm," he declared. His palm was like a hardened world as it slipped into Liu Er''s belly. This one strike folded him and blew him into a distant mountain, slamming him into it with a massive explosion of soil. "Brother really went all out there," Tongtian mused as she watched with Taishang. "What is that monkey?" "A contemporary," Taishang said. "I''m sure he''s an inheritor of a chaos godfiend just as we are inheritors of father god Pangu. Be thankful he too does not posses a suitable treasure, else second brother will be having an even tougher time." The top part of one of Kunlun''s peaks erupted in a rain of rocks as Liu Er emerged. The macaque had enlarged his body to the size of a giant standing ten kilometres tall. His growled with rage at Yuanshi. His stomach was caved in with the imprint of Yuanshi''s palm. The back part of his body was hairless exposing skin and a deep red mark. Yuanshi frowned, his figure disappeared replaced by that if an equally big giant wearing imperial robes and a majestic crown. "Furry beasts should stay down," he declared clasping his hand. His body released streams of gas toward Liu Er in an attack aiming to tear apart the monkey. But Liu Er only growled. He allowed the gas to stab at his shoulder, allowing them to pierce his body and drawing blood. But he then raised his palm, gripping the gas and shoving it all into his mouth. In an unbelievable sight, he drank Yuanshi''s spacetime manipulating gas. "Animal," Yuanshi enhanced his control. He forced reality within and outside Liu Er''s body to distort hoping to break apart the macaque''s physical form. "Haha, you really think hat could break a body as strong as mine?" Liu Er laughed aloud. He jumped for Yuanshi throwing punch after punch forcing the Jade Pure One to take steps to avoid them. Whereas Yuanshi had natural control over chaotic spcetime, Liu Er''s blows were physically strong enough to blow holes in reality. Yuanshi predicted that Liu Er''s flesh was even stronger than a Great Principle Chaos Immortal specializing in cultivating the flesh. Jumping back, Yuanshi took a bit to compose himself. In this instance, Liu Er fired a wave of air with his punch. The sheer force of which was grinding away at layer of reality. Meeting this force, Yuanshi held out one hand. He allowed the force to hit his palm but instead of destroying his own flesh he passed it through his gas. It flowed through Yuanshi''s body and emerged from his other hand. Now it was in the shape of a drain shaped fire cloud which fired back towards the monkey. What Yuanshi had done was that he had transformed Liu Er''s attacking force, broken it down into its most primal state then redirected it into an attack of his own. This left Yuanshi a bit winded as Liu Er''s attack was monstrously strong and he had expended a lot of effort for that. Still, he was amazed and embarrassed at the same time. He found it hard to compute that someone other than another descendent of Pangu was pushing him this hard. But Liu Er was crazed in his assault. He ran through the blast of fire screaming his lungs out. His emergence was a hairless charcoaled figure was a horrifying sight for any normal person. His arms were outstretched and his fangs barred. His only distinguishable feature was the three ears on each side of his head. "You just don''t know when to quit," Yuanshi sneered. He forced out another Origin Driving Palm into Liu Er''s body. This time he put even more effort into that strike. This time he hit so hard that a hole was blown through Liu Er''s body. His abdomen was bloody and his ribcage was exposed. But he was far from dead. Liu Er''s body remained unmoved even as his gore splattered onto Yuanshi''s arm much to the Jade Pure One''s own disgust. "Got yah!" Li Er''s massive palms gipped Yuanshi''s outstretched arm. "Unhand me beast." With a crazed look, what Liu Er did next utterly astonished and disgusted Yuanshi. He brought Yuanshi''s arm up high with his overpowering physical strength. Then he bit into it. Yuanshi''s eyes widened in pain as a chunk of his flesh was torn out of him. He quickly uppercutted Liu Er with a pillar of Qi forcing some distance between them. He glanced down at his ruined right arm and glanced up in shock. Liu Er swallowed Yuanshi''s flesh and licked his lips. Parts of Yuanshi flowed into him and he even comprehended parts of Yuanshi''s Dao. Assimilating them into his own Liu Er felt himself abruptly grow even stronger. "What are you?" Yuanshi uttered with disgust. "Your better," Liu Er said with a smirk. "Hey asshole," Tongtian called out. Liu Er only glanced down as Tongtian''s figure suddenly appeared before him. Before he knew what was happening, a slit appeared at the base of his throat. Tongtian with a sword made of whirling wind in her right hand grimaced. She jumped back as Liu Er smashed down. "The hell is his flesh made of?" She and Yuanshi glanced up and nodded in tandem. Both moved out of the way as a giant pagoda crashed down at Liu Er. The building''s tiled roof drove into Liu Er''s back causing him to cry out in pain. He retreated many steps as the Heaven and Earth Exquisite Pagoda righted itself in the air. The tall pagoda exuded an aura of golden light blanketing everything in the surroundings in its magnificence. For it was a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure. Yuanshi and Tongtian joined Taishang atop the right up pagoda and looked down at Liu Er''s healing form. "Are you alright brother?" The Grand Pure One asked. "Yes, it''s just a flesh wound, nothing I can''t heal," Yuanshi said putting up a brave face. "The comprehension you condensed, there''s a chunk of it missing," Tongtian said with concern. "Forming your Dao fruit would now be harder." "Nothing to worry about, I can recultivate and re-condense what I''ve lost. At most my ascension to the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm would be a little delayed," he said. "What''s more important is this impotent creature. To steal from a genuine descendent of the father god. This sinner needs to be destroyed," he claimed. Away from them Liu Er smirked licking his lips. "I take back what I said. Heaven is fair after all. As long as I don''t kill them all is fair game. It''ll be their own fault for not being strong enough to keep what they have." He charged forwards ready to strike. In one instant, he was attacking with ferocity. In the next instant half his body was missing. Li Er gazed up in startle fright. For the first time since transmigrating, he felt terror. The Three Pure Ones standing atop the Heaven and Earth Exquisite Pagoda was wholly unlike weaponless Yuanshi fighting solo. They were not even like a Great Unity Golden Immortal anymore. Liu Er felt as if he was standing before the Sky Shattering Monkey ancestor. The Three Pure Ones stood in a triangular formation. The three rotated constantly vertically like three suns above the pagoda. In unison, they pointed their fingers out. Like a gunshot, they blasted another part of Liu Er to pieces. This sent chunks of gore in all directions as the macaque screamed in pain. "Motherfu¡­" then his lower jaw was blasted apart. Now that his flesh was gone, only a transient amalgamated light was left forming a skeletal outline of his body. "Fuck I need to run," Liu Er felt humiliated. This was not how the story should go. He couldn''t believe he was suffering so much. "You, I''ll get you all back for this," he cried out before his remaining hand was also torn to bits. Now Liu Er was left with only his upper chest and parts of his head. "KILL!" The Three Pure Ones attacked together once more. They were like a tidal wave of our chaos reminiscent of the Chaos Sea. They crashed down like stars upon an ant fleeing for its life. In an eruption of power, they obliterated the surrounding mountain range of Kunlun in a burst of power that would''ve severely injured, if not even outright killed Great Princple experts. Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang emerged from the pagoda a bit winded. Harmonizing together like that was a bit taxing for the three mentally wise. Looking into the distance, Taishang frowned for the first time. "We failed, he yet lives," he said. He sighed in disappointment. The Three Pure One''s were powerful in combat but lacking in speed. They could be very fast in close quoters but in terms of travel time they were still lacking a good movement technique. "We''ll get that fucker next time. We''ll avenge second brother," Tongtian spat. "No worries, I''ll kill that monkey myself," Yuanshi promised. Far away, a tiny one millimetre cubed chunk of flesh flew away at rapid speed. This last remaining visage of Liu Er promised the same thing the Three Pure One''s did. Though it wouldn''t be long before they found themselves together again. This time on the same side. Chapter 118-Departure Da Hai''s departure from Yingzhou was not one of much fanfare. From start to finish, he''d only interacted with his disciples and their family, all other inhabitants, maids, butlers, and what not were irrelevant to him. Why should he make a big deal about it? It''s not like he''d be away for too long, half a Yuanhui at most. Da Hai didn''t know when but since his ascension he''d begun seeing even Yuanhui as short spans of time. The minds of Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals were immune to the ravages of time. They felt nothing even as insane stretches of time past. To them, hundreds of thousands of years could pass by very quickly. Over the many years, Da Hai''s feelings towards the Heavenly Dao were a little bittersweet. He kept his life and continued to exist with no issues. He could talk and be with his disciples without interference. For the most part he was content. But no matter how he tried, he could never forget the goal he was motivated by for the longest time. The face of his friend was still fresh in his mind. Cultivators had long memories, even now he could never forget. But for the time being, Da Hai pushed those to the back of his mind. Haotian has not reported any suspicious movements on Hongjun''s front. Nothing he could take advantage of. He rapidly exited Yingzhou''s protective bubble and into the chaotic space beyond the primitive world. He stood mere inches away from the universal boundaries patiently waiting for his partner. ¡­ Qinglong flew into the heavens as instructed. Unopposed by any, the azure dragon flew into the void between realms and exited at the starry skies. In the ocean of stars, the titanic dragon activated his movement technique, taking the form of a supercluster. The starry skies had continuously expanded over the years. Nowadays, living beings had finally started to appear. Star beasts and other weird creatures born from the surfaces of stars or the cold pockets of space. All of them lived under the protection of the Moon Star Lord, Wangshu. From three hundred and sixty five original stars, countless others had appeared. They filled the cosmos, filling the cosmic waters of the Heavenly River with their essence. An area of space that was possibly even bigger than the great wilderness. As Qinglong moved, these star beasts moved out of the way and prostrated themselves. The azure dragon was hardly a strange sight, non of the four symbols were. All four divine beasts were regular visitors of the stars and had residences here. Though said residences mainly formed two camps. The Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Azure Dragon palaces resided in the eastern quadrant of the stars while the Vermillion Bird palace resided int he southern quadrant. Qinglong and the others planned as such to avoid any controversies. He travelled for the centre of the stars, where two enormous celestial bodies sat. The starry skies'' rulers were the three hundred and sixty five major stars. But among them, seven stood out as special existences. These were the Venus Star, the Mars Star, the Jupiter Star, the Saturn Star, the Mercury Star, the Solar Star, and the Lunar Star. The greatest mystical powers of the starry skies were concentrated here. Though only a single individual could claim rulership of the stars. Qinglong moved for the Lunar Star. As he passed by the other great celestial bodies, two flat haired figures looked up. Two three legged crows watched curiously as the dragon flew by. "Brother, you see that?" The more excitable one cried out. "Yes, that dragon I believe the race is called. I couldn''t perceive anything from it without pain. It was almost as if I would go insane if I pushed any harder," the younger more reserved one said with a nod. "If my brother says so then it is true," the first one chuckled. It stretched its golden feathered wing out at the passing figure of Qinglong. "So that''s the pinnacle? One day¡­one day I will reach it." ¡­ "Xihe, that is not how you perform the Moonlit Flash Steps." Wangshu''s irritation was barely concealed. She liked to consider herself a very patient individual but this was just getting absurd. One simple technique using gliding moonlight, was that so hard to ask? Behind her, a pretty girl wearing a silver and blue dress grimaced. This was Changxi, one of the two fruits of the Supreme Laurel Tree and Wangshu''s second disciple. In the moon goddess'' lineage, Changxi was the most talented in learning her techniques. From the Moonlit Flash Steps, the Yin Gradient Fist, the Twilight Starry Wave, to the most difficult options like the Celestial Crashing Star. Changxi has made rapid progress in the short time she''d been alive. She cultivated even faster than Wangshu remembered the dragons had achieved. Her other disciple, her first on the other hand. Xihe was a disappointment. Xihe was Changxi''s twin older sister also born of the Laurel Tree. Despite making equally rapid progress, Xihe ultimately failed to inherit the orthodox teachings of the Lunar Star as Changxi had. Xihe was equally as beautiful as Changxi. But whereas Changxi exuded a calmer colder demeanour that was both gentle and chilling, Xihe was the opposite. She was ''This girl, so much talent when she was born but¡­'' Wangshu sighed at her trail of thought. Was it this hard for Da Hai as well? How did Da Hai train Zulong again? Xihe''s messy movements had made a mess of the palace courtyard. Her foot had uprooted the earth and knocked a projectile into the side of the castle. How did she even turn a movement technique into an offensive one? "I think that''s enough for one day," the Moon Star Lord said. Wangshu didn''t really want to send Xihe away. What''s more, she didn''t know where to take Xihe''s education. ''Perhaps Da Hai would know more,'' she wondered. However, her musing was interrupted when Xihe cried out. "Master, wait! I can do this, just give me a chance," Xihe pleaded. Her face was flush with embarrassment as she took a look at Changxi. Her fellow goddess cringed. "Xihe¡­" Wangshu wasn''t sure of what to say. She''d educated Qinglong but he was practically fully realised by the time he came to her. He lightly wondered what would Da Hai do in this situation. But before she could come to any decision, Qinglong''s supercluster form entered her peripheral vision. Both Xihe and Changxi gasped as the great aura of a Primal Zenith Immortal bore down on the Lunar Star. "Qinglong, suppress your aura, my disciples aren''t ready for that kind of pressure yet," She called out. Although both Changxi and Xihe were comfortably within the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm, they were still less than ants before a dragon race bigwig like Qinglong. "Apologies aunt master," Qinglong said landing out of his movement form. His human form condensed in the midst of windy starlight beneath the shadow of the Jupiter Star. His energy was especially rich in vitality like the overgrowth of a dense forest. Xihe and Changxi relaxed upon Wangshu''s words, this was evidently not an enemy. In fact, they began to recognise his image from portraits kept in Wangshu''s Lunar Palace. "Greetings senior," both goddesses cupped their hands and bowed. "No need for that, we''re practically family," Qinglong chuckled to the two goddesses'' shock. "I came from Yingzhou''s lineage and have studied under aunt master Wangshu''s. Both our lines had been tight nit since the most primitive era." "He speaks true, you can consider Qinglong here your senior brother," Wangshu added. "In fact, all the disciples of Yingzhou can be considered such." "We greet senior brother," Xihe and Changxi corrected. "Impressive accomplishments aunt master. I received news about them but its still a shock to hear that they''d already reached Great Unity Golden Immortal within a hundred years." Qinglong whistled in amazement. Was this the young surpassing the old already? This generation of innate gods was supposed to be the final ones and the most impressive. Naturally occurring connate life forms of that scale would simply disappear after this era. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Senior brother overpraises us, forming the primal unity is but a minor achievement," Changxi said. "Indeed, at the end of the day, discovering one''s Dao is the true path to becoming a mighty figure," Qinglong said. "Junior sister is wise." Both Xihe and Changxi took those words to heart. Though Xihe eyed Changxi with a gaze of envy. ''It''s unfair, as the older sister¡­why am I?'' She felt guilt at her own jealousy. They theoretically had equal talent, Wangshu said so herself. But reality is turning out a whole lot differently. "Since you''re here, I suppose Da Hai is waiting in the chaos sea?" "Yes, he left Yingzhou after instructing me." Wangshu nodded at Qinglong''s response. She turned to her disciples and began informing them of unfortunate news. Da Hai and her made a pact, they''d support and aid one another no matter the task. "Xihe, Changxi, I will be departing for the chaos sea on a business trip with your uncle master Da Hai. I don''t know how long I''d be away, half a Yuanhui at most," she said. ''Da Hai your timing is piss awful,'' she added in her mind. "Half a¡­but that''s sixty four thousand eight hundred years!" Xihe exclaimed in shock. Was Wangshu abandoning them for that long? She needed her master. "Xihe¡­" Wangshu hummed tilting her head back and pursed her lips. ''Damn it, why is the timing of things so bad.'' "I have prepared many things for you both to learn in my archives. And¡­" She glanced at Qinglong. The azure dragon was very familiar with stellar arts. "Your senior brother is very familiar with my teachings. He can help you in your cultivation," she hurriedly said even as Qinglong''s eyes'' widened comically. "You will help your juniors right?" She asked. Though Qinglong felt like it was a command. "Of course, it''ll be my honour," he said. Xihe appeared a little uneasy, though outwardly she was appeased. She couldn''t help but feel that Wangshu was a little irresponsible. "Azure dragon Qinglong, brother of the Immemorial Celestial Dragon Sovereign and the Dragon King, reigning protector of the four sea dragon race, and a mighty figure for the past million years," her sister Changxi chanted. "He''s supposed to be the best at stellar techniques outside of a few exceptions. An unparralled existence who studied under the Eight Directions Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord. Sis this could be a major opportunity for us." Xihe nodded in agreement. They too were not out of the loop in the great wilderness'' events. The starry skies may be out of the way but they did receive world news often. The accumulated strength of the dragon was unparalleled in the world. As the matter settled, Wangshu floated into the air. "Changxi, you are most familiar with the Lunar Palace''s formations. I''ll leave you in charge of its day to day proceedings. Xihe, Changxi, remember that talent is nothing without hard work. Cultivate hard understand?" "We understand master," they said. As Wangshu took off, Xihe couldn''t shake a feeling of resentment in her chest. Ultimately, her master was correct in choosing Changxi to be in charge. But she certainly wasn''t happy about it. ¡­ Zulong watched the Solar Star setting in the horizon from his bedroom balcony. Night was falling again as it had continuously done so for the past ten Yuanhui. ''I can''t sense master anymore, and judging by the pulse of lunar Qi, aunt master should''ve left as well,'' he contemplated with his hands behind his back. It was hard to return to home after his spar. His Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal cultivation base allowed him to traverse the primitive world near instantaneously. He glanced down at Kailong Chen, his empire''s crown jewel. It was amazing as always. Large televised crystal screens detailing the day''s news. Roads and vehicles tunnelling through the water on their designated lanes making for easy transport. His son Bi An had also just brokered a deal with an eastern tiger clan that allowed them to join under the dragon''s rule further adding to its prosperity. But growth had long since stagnated. The dragon''s empire covered the entire four seas as well as parts of the east continent and edges of the north. Zulong, for all his talk of conquest, hadn''t done much in the way of conquering the world. Even the conflicts with the phoenixes, though still tense in their rivalry, was calm. Zulong had to date never ordered an outright war with anyone, just retaliatory battles. He''d like to tell himself that it''s because he had to be wary of the devils, of his master''s enemies, of hidden ancient godfiends. That he had to expend resources to guard and suppress the Sea Eye. That he was stretched too thin. ''In ages past I hungered for the world. I lusted for all to be beneath me. But as I look at things now, I am content.'' He looked back to his room, at a portrait of his family. Gui Daiyu standing beside him and nine powerful children alongside them both. All eleven individuals were smiling. But the truth was. He just didn''t want to. He was content. He finds himself not wanting much else. Any wars now could risk taking what he had. "Qin Niu, Yazi, Pulao, Denglong, Suanni, Bixi, Bi An, Chi Wen, Chaofeng," he chanted out loud. "Dad''s so proud of you all." "Zulong?" Gui Daiyu''s voice broke him out of his musing. His wife was holding a Comu-talismen when she entered. One of the empire''s widely used products was inspired by tales of his master. An all purpose communication device that could connect to broadcast signals for news and chats. It didn''t even need cultivation to use and was fairly cheap making it a valuable tool. Its only flaw was the distance it could function in. They were still working out the kinks on that. "I thought you''d be attending governor Square Sponge''s birthday celebration," she said curiously. "Cancelled it, don''t feel up for events like that right now," Zulong replied. He strode for his wife with a smile. "Oh, I suppose we can Mmmth¡­" Zulong had spontaneously took her into his arms for a deep kiss. The empress gazed at him in surprise. "What''s the occasion?" She asked. "Nothing, can''t a man relax with his wife?" They retired for an early evening that day. ¡­ In the chaos sea, Wangshu approached Da Hai who sat crosslegged. Da Hai''s eyes were closed in meditation but opened when the lunar goddess approached. "You made it," he greeted. "Naturally, I don''t intend on going back on my word. Now let''s go. I want to meet this Dao ancestor myself." Da Hai nodded and stood up. He was prepared to guide Wangshu for deep into the chaos sea. "Be careful, we''d need to cross some turbulent space and since this is your first time in the chaos sea, it''ll take some getting use to." "I''m sure I have nothing to worry about with you here," she said. "I do want to make haste though, I have two disciples now and I don''t want to be away for long." Da Hai nodded. "Xihe and Changxi, how are they?" "Talented, enormously so. I can see how they became so strong in the stories you told me." "That future won''t come to pass," Da Hai said shaking his head. "Zulong''s destiny is now to be a ruler for aeons to come." "Yet you''re still waiting for Hongjun and Luohu to slip up and reveal themselves," Wangshu mused. Da Hai didn''t dispute her. ''This obsession, it''s gone on for so long. But honestly? I think you''ve let go of much of it,'' she silently thought watching Da Hai''s back. ''There are things you consider more important than them. I say it''s better that way.'' As Da Hai explained the ins and outs of the chaos sea, his head suddenly jerked to his left. Wangshu raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze. "What is it?" She asked. "No, I just. I thought I felt something," Da Hai scratched his head. "Probably a trick of chaos. Transformations are numerous here. Let''s get moving, we''ve wasted enough time." As the two left, neither noticed a figure returning to the primitive world. Chapter 119-Dao Ancestors Hand in hand, Da Hai and Wangshu spiralled leisurely through the boundless chaos sea. Time was nigh meaningless in such a place and only one''s own understanding into temporal powers would give different estimates. Overall, Da Hai and Wangshu measured their trip to have taken over twenty thousand years. Throughout this time, the two did not stray from their path. Though they passed by many mysterious areas and even yet to be born treasures, they ignored them all. Not even the existence of chaos lifeforms could deter them. While this took place, Da Hai pointed out unique properties of the chaos sea to Wangshu. As a semi-experienced traveller of this place, he was already aware of many mysteries. From how to identify dangerous currents to intriguing natural phenomenons, Da Hai explained them all thoroughly. It greatly intrigued the naturally curious Wangshu and awakened a sense of wanderlust in her, one that hadn''t been triggered in a very long time. Because of their current goal, this trip wouldn''t be fruitful. But Wangshu swore to return in the future and see what she could gain. After she completed guiding Xihe and Changxi of course. "Right, the agreed upon location is just right ahead, pass the ruins of one of, I believe it''s old Nine Eyes'' cave manor," Da Hai absentmindedly mentioned. "I think he was one of those who died against Shenni. You''d find lots of old godfiend cave manors here." "Anything of note in them?" Wangshu asked. "Most of their belongings were recycled into the primitive world. Whatever''s left are just scraps born from remnant energies. This whole place is practically a wasteland," Da Hai admitted. "By chaos sea standards of course. This area used to be the chaos godfiend''s territory. Our forefather''s entire civilisation extended this far in all directions from the primitive world," Da Hai said with nostalgia. "You''ve never experienced it yourself though," Wangshu stated accusatorially. "No, but I have relived Ancestor Da Hai''s memories," Da Hai said. "You could do the same with Moon Demon God too." "I have no desire to interact with that bitch," Wangshu denied. "Hearing from you is much better." Da Hai nodded, his footsteps slowed as he surveyed the area around him. Wangshu followed his example. Da Hai arrived at a thin distortion in chaos. He slid his palm into a crack and pulled. The result was a sudden flash of light that revealed a door. "Old Yamg Mei, Ancestor Shangxia and Qiankun once tried to chase Patriarch Tai Chu. They set up relay points to ease their journeys back. Though they ultimately didn''t get very far, Their remaining travel points are useful for skipping distance," Da Hai explained. Qiankun''s location was largely a mystery even to this day. It wasn''t a stretch to say that the master of spacetime''s hiding abilities were the best in the world. No one has news of him whatsoever despite many attempts. Shangxia''s death however was since confirmed. Chenghuang''s existence and his displays of mastery were confirmed long ago by Wangshu and Da Hai speculates Hongjun to also be aware even if he''d never spoken of such things to Haotian. "Do you think we''d see Daoist Yang Mei in the future?" Wangshu asked with barely concealed nostalgia. After all, Yang Mei was one of the most influential people in Wangshu''s life, even if he''d been gone for majority of it. "Who knows, the Chaos Sea is vast and infinite. I cannot fathom where he could''ve gone," Da Hai replied. The both of them proceeded to take the transport devices and shot themselves through the chaos at impossible speeds. Despite having surpassed the old chaos godfiends in raw power and mastery, the genius of Yang Mei, Qiankun, and Shangxia''s device still stumped Da Hai. Goes to show even Limitless Supreme level experts could fall short of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. "This is it Wangshu, the final stretch," Da Hai informed her when they emerged from the other side hundreds of years later. The area they emerged on was groundless and colourlessly colourful just like before. But the energy emitted here was far more exemplary. No longer did it resemble a chaotic barren wasteland, now it was an area fully resonating with the Dao. Every step one took preached enlightenment. Every sweep of one''s gaze brought boundless new concepts into higher mysteries. Wangshu didn''t really understand it. Even though she''d long reached the Wuji level, she still couldn''t identify what was going on around her. Like Da Hai, Wangshu understood the concepts of the one and the two. As such she could be considered the peak of Hunyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal. Her abilities were especially terrifying. But that did not stop her from being flabbergasted. "Amazing isn''t it," Da Hai said. "Even after all these years, after meeting with him several times I still do not really understand." He took a deep breath of the Chaos Qi around him. "So this is the begetting of all things. A genuine Dao Ancestor," the moon goddess felt her heart tighten and nervousness erupt. It was unlike her but butterflies were practically swarming her stomach. "Let''s go, we don''t want to keep the Dao Ancestor waiting," she said taking the first step forwards. They weren''t even close yet they could already feel his presence in such magnitude. She could tell even Pangu was inferior to this presence. As they approached, a distant figure came into view. It wasn''t just one though. Rather it was two figures who meditated together, two blue coloured men with four arms. Dao Ancestors Shiva and Vishnu. They were as boundless as the chaos around them, yet clearly defined as individuals. Neither Wangshu nor Da Hai could tell the difference between them and the Grand Dao. Both so illustrious existences that a simple sneeze could wipe them out. Dao Ancestors were not Golden Immortals. They were a transcendent existence who had left immortality behind. They truly were nigh omnipotent beings. A simple flex of their will could result in countless phenomenons that boggled the minds of Great Principle Golden Immortals no matter the Dao realm. Simply their presence here had already generated an entire world of myriad beliefs. Concepts more vast and spectacular than either Da Hai or Wangshu had ever seen were present in droves. Both were instantly reminded of the scene of Pangu splitting apart the chaos. Yet they weren''t truly all powerful. There were some things they couldn''t do for if not they wouldn''t be here. Still, they were apex predators in the chaos sea. "Hey Wangshu," Da Hai suddenly said. "Yes?" "I''ve been thinking¡­" "Mhm?" "When this is over, when we''ve received the Dao Ancestor''s aid and defeated Hongjun and Luohu. When all is accomplished. What say you and I roam the chaos sea? Explore the Dao together." "Was that all?" Wangshu raised an amused eyebrow. "When all is said and done I have no problems with that arrangement. We are carefree immortals, there is no other path I''d rather take. Besides Da Hai, we make a pretty spectacular team don''t we?" Da Hai nodded in contemplation. "Since we work together so well. What say you and I become Dao companions? Wangshu starred back with a blank look. "Walking the path towards Dao together huh? I thought you''d want Huoyun for that. After finding some way to resurrect him of course." Da Hai chuckled. "Perhaps, but I do not need an answer now. Taking the Dao companions oath is an extremely important one." "But aren''t we already Dao companions though?" Wangshu asked. "We''ve aidded each other''s pursuits in who knows how long." Da Hai nodded. Dao companion was a term that denoted two individuals partnering up to seek the Dao together. They would fight, train, learn, from each other and help each other. They were people who will never betray each other and who the other can always rely on. Commonly, they were often married couples. Dao companions weren''t necessarily couples though. They could even be friends, partners, siblings. Bottom line is, they were people who swore to help each other and will always support each other eternally. Hence Dao companions, companions who walked the Dao together "Let''s not keep the big guys waiting. Shall we?" Wangshu and Da Hai began speeding up and approached the grand Hindu gods. ¡­ "Friends, you''ve returned," Shiva''s sonorous voice flowed out. Like a melody, it stopped the hearts of the approaching Da Hai and Wangshu. Vishnu turned a slanted eye over and observed the duo. This was the first time he''d left the fourteen realms and the first time he''d met Da Hai. His eyes though weren''t focused on him but on Wangshu. "A being transformed from Pangu''s eye," Vishnu said making note of Wangshu''s nature. "A hybrid, Qi from Pangu, spirit from another, and flesh from a divine tree." "I was conceived by the merger of the Moon Demon God of the three thousand chaos godfiends and the Lunar Star formed from Pangu''s eye. My body is one birthed by the Supreme Laurel Tree that grew as the heart of said eye." Wangshu admitted openly and without hiding anything. Her posture was more straight and proper, unlike her more casual self. "Pleasure to make acquaintance with you honoured Dao Ancestor." "Hm, we knew Pangu for aeons. While it is saddening to hear of his untimely passing, it is good to see his legacy live on through such talented youngsters," Vishnu said back. However, his eyes never left Wangshu as he analysed her every way. The moon goddess felt scrutinised under the Dao realm being''s gaze. "Brother, you are intimidating my guests," Shiva reminded to which Vishnu closed his eyes. "Apologies, I often find myself fascinated by new things," he said. "Am I truly so unique?" Wangshu asked with curiosity. "I''m but one among many innate gods of the primitive world." "A combination such as you is something I have never seen before," Vishnu said. "Reincarnated beings like friend Da Hai here are rare, but far more common compared to you." He then turned his attention to Da Hai. "You were innate gods born at the Golden Immortal realm. Transformed by natural forces and propagated by a chaos world. A stable one that has lasted for so long at that. Such a thing is¡­rare indeed," he admitted "I''ve heard as such from Lord Shiva," Da Hai said. "Our world, our primitive world is an anomaly. The beings within it such as Wangshu, myself, and many others are not things which should exist in a chaos world." Throughout this exchange, Vishnu had already analysed both Wangshu and Da Hai. Everything from their appearance, to abilities, to energy signatures were like an open book to the preserver. This was how he began understanding what Pangu had done. "You understand now brother?" Shiva asked. Vishnu nodded with a look of regret. It was a shame he was so hasty back then. If he had waited until his breakthrough to Dao realm, his fourteen realms would be perfect, eternal. "I believe we should get down to business," they said in agreement. Wangshu with a nod from Da Hai retrieved something from her sleeve. Her palms held forwards a small patch of land. A clump of dirt with numerous features upon it such as grass, forests, mountains, and living beings forming civilisations. This wasn''t in fact a dirt clump. This was a continent sized island that was in actuality millions of kilometres in length. But in Wangshu''s hands, it was shrunken to the size of a small patch of dirt a few centimetres long. An entire piece of the primitive world arrested and brought out. "It''s been bathed in the most powerful sources of natural energy in the primitive world we could find. Three Brilliance Sacred Water, Pure Yin Pale Water, Five Elements Soil, Pure Yang Sun Fire, Nanming Divine Flame¡­" Da Hai listed. All natural phenomenons within the primitive world, even his own Pellucid Divine Water was added to the mix. All samples of different transformations created by the primitive world. "And whatever residue signs from the Heavenly Dao that is still on me," Da Hai said offering himself forwards. He stepped into Vishnu palms allowing for examination. Both Shiva and Vishnu were enormous. They easily towered over Da Hai and Wangshu. In Da Hai''s mind, the scene of himself stepping onto Vishnu''s palm resembled that of Sun Wukong in the Tathagata Buddha''s palm. "Fascinating!" Vishnu exclaimed. "Pangu is indeed a genius." He spoke out various high praises for the primitive world''s creator. "Didn''t you call him a reckless fool earlier?" Shiva quipped. "He''s still that, man was a meathead. But I can appreciate good work," Vishnu retorted. "Need I remind you who invented creation''s creator? So do be quiet you artless simpleton." "This coming from the screw up." Wangshu chuckled in amusement as the brother''s bantered on. She sat crosslegged after offering up the miniature world. Vishnu studied it closely editing each detail of it into his mind. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The ultimate plan Da Hai and Shiva came up with relied on it. Shiva couldn''t do this without Vishnu''s aid. At the same time these two had to be mindful of time. They were still on a time crunch until the end of the cosmic year. Yuanhui or Kalpa, it was all the same. The fourteen realms was becoming more and more unstable by the second. It only lasted this long by the prolonged efforts of two Dao Ancestors but there was a core issue that couldn''t be fixed. The universe Vishnu created was an imitation of the eternal chaos sea. All within are but illusions stimulated by an imitation of the Grand Dao. Yes, they were indeed real flesh and blood people, but their existence is eternally tied to their universe. No matter how powerful they actually were, they could not escape this. In reality, many of the deva had long surpassed the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm equivilant. Even Da Hai wasn''t confident in fighting them in their element. Of course, for all their power, their existence is contentious at best. The goal here was to revitalise the fourteen realm''s world will. However, Brahma''s lifespan had already been stretched well beyond his limit. Numerous lesser chaos worlds had already been fed into him in the distant past and no universe was capable of sustaining him for long. What''s more, Vishnu was itching to leave. It was only the relationship he had with Shiva that both Dao Ancestor''s opted to stay for so long. "So? Can it be done?" Shiva asked as Vishnu returned from his examinations. The darker skinned deity was far more skilled such matters than he so he deferred to his expertise. "Pangu''s chaos world, even if I have not been there personally, I can already see the possibilities," Vishnu said. He looked towards the others and nodded. "It can be done. It''ll take time but with a few pralayas, Shiva should be able to convert the fourteen realms to a similar enough energy types that a perfect merger can occur," he said much to Shiva''s outwards joy. Merging was different from eating. One chaos world can eat another, thereby consuming it entirely. They''d process everything into materials that''ll strengthen the first. Nothing would survive. Merging took place rarely and had to be facilitated by outside individuals. Two universes will combine into one allowing for both to exist in harmony. "Brahma is already dying as we speak, it is imperative we get on with the process," Shiva said. "Thank you two friends for aiding in my selfish request." "It was no issue Dao Ancestor," Da Hai and Wangshu both said. "In truth, the merging of both worlds would be very beneficial to us as well. The environment for cultivation would be significantly amplified." ''And the Heavenly Dao will be pleased enough to not be such an ass to me,'' Da Hai added silently. The reason was even more complex. Each chaos world, that is to say, each universe had a will. These wills referred to by different parties as universal wills or world wills or even guiding forces were the instinctual desire of a chaos world to survive. They could not be really be described as sentient beings. When two chaos worlds collide, these wills will often reject each other subconsciously and try to eat the other. This was because of the unique frequencies in which each chaos world existed on being incompatible. But a merger can facilitate both wills to become similar enough for them to not repulse but to combine. Both the fourteen realms and the primitive world are outliers. They possessed wills that were personified and had intent. Brahma was the lynchpin of the former while the Heavenly Dao was master of the latter. One built from an incomplete Dao while the other a perfect one on the same level as Grand Dao. Pangu''s body had been frail but his Dao was already transcendent. He perished but his designation should''ve been Dao Ancestor as well. As such his Dao survived and became the source of the primitive world making it perfect and eternal. Because Dao on that level is indestructible. The Dao Ancestor may die, but the Dao would always remain. "The Heavenly Dao of my world can easily see the benefits. Arrogant and childish as it is, it is not beyond common sense," Da Hai trash talked without reservation. He''d suffered too much indication from that thing to truly like them. Vishnu and Shiva nodded at Da Hai''s proclamation. At last, hope was restored to them and they were thankful. "As promised," Shiva opened his palm. Transient light flowed out from him and entered Da Hai''s noggin. Invisible scriptures detailing his cultivation understandings derived from his long years of life was handed to Da Hai. Da Hai''s eyes glazed over as his body went rigid. His whole being fell into a daze and his consciousness retreated to the back of his mind. The same occurred to Wangshu as Shiva repeated the process for her. This was not an attack but a result of enlightened understandings being processed. If Da Hai was to do the same to a lesser creature, the same scenario will occur. Shiva handed over quite a bit to Da Ha. His understanding of the one, two and three became clear to Da Hai. While this did not mean Da Hai instantly understood the begetting all things concept, he did now have a reference point. He''d also received spells and techniques, referred to as Astras. They did not exactly suit Da Hai''s cultivation but he did get some ideas for new moves. "I hope that was to friend Da Hai and Wangshu''s satisfaction," Shiva said to the two after they woke up. It had taken another three thousand years for them to regain consciousness. In that time, the two Dao Ancestors protected them from outside threats as they remained vulnerable. "Yes, thank you honoured Dao Ancestors," they bowed. "It is us who should be thanking you," Vishnu said with a shake of his head. "Now our years of stagnation will finally end." Da Hai frowned slightly. He had been curious so he asked aloud. "If I may Dao Ancestors. I have noticed you are in quite a hurry. For what reason would you be so agitated?" He minded his attitude in the face of a superior being but Vishnu took no offence to the question. "I do not know," he admitted much to Da Hai''s shock. "Years ago, many kalpas ago. In fact it was before the fourteen realms'' deterioration began rapidly spreading, Shiva and I both divined a premonition. A major storm will spread throughout all reality in the coming kalpas." "Dare to ask, how long do we have?" Wangshu asked. "I cannot give you an exact date. Whatever is happening is a being so great I cannot give you a full handle of the situation. But it is soon. Probably around a hundred kalpas." Vishnu''s admission rang alarm bells in Da Hai''s head. If Vishnu was describing it like this, then this storm was in some way related to another Dao Ancestor. A Dao Ancestor was omnipotent and omniscient to all others except themselves. This was the only available explanation. "I know what you are thinking," Shiva said after observing Da Hai''s face. "But the being at the centre point of this storm, they do not exist or at least have not reached a level where they are a threat." "And before you suggest the other thing you''re thinking of, this being''s presence is unknown to us as well. Bear in mind, I have no reference for this as no Dao Ancestor has existed since our rise, but it should be the transcendental nature of a Dao Ancestor''s existence," Vishnu continued. "A being at the Dao realm such as us transcends common sense. It is impossible to identify someone who would in the future becomes a Dao Ancestor as their natural protection extends even into the now." "Theoretically, Shiva and I could assassinate this person. But identifying them is impossible. Even if we skirted our responsibilities to the fourteen realms and searched full time, tracking them would like finding a needle you''ve never seen before in a cosmos full of them." The revelation shocked Da Hai, he had not been aware of this. "Seniors, are there any more Dao realm existences in the chaos sea?" He asked. "It could be a present being with great ambition." "No," both shock their heads. "There is only one Dao realm being aside from us. No other has existed since and we would know if he was planning to kill us." "Dare I ask who?" "You may, while it is uncommon knowledge for modern living beings, it is no secret that the chaos sea originally existed as a singular world. Back then it was called the One World." "Back then, all that you would find within the chaos sea lived within that world. Even celestial beings who would be considered apex within a chaos world cannot exist there." By that latter quote, Vishnu referred to Heavenly Immortals or equivalent realm as in a standard chaos world, that was the highest realm one can attain without breaking out of their home universe. "In that world, there already existed a Dao Ancestor," Vishnu''s gaze gained a nostalgic look. "My brother and I were young back then, could be considered toddlers. We didn''t know or understand much but we were among the lucky few who survived the One World''s collapse." "The most famed being in that land was a God Emperor and what you''d call a Hunyuan Wuji Luo Golden Immortal by the name of El. But beyond him stood an even more insurmountable existence. The oldest living being and the only Dao Ancestor at the time. The primordial spirit Yuanling." "Yuanling?" For whatever reason, that name struck a chord with Da Hai. Somewhere deep within him, he was not surprised by that name. In fact it was a somewhat familiar feeling. He just couldn''t quite understand it and it strung up some speculations on his side. "Yes, Yuanling was the first living soul in the world predating all others. We were taught as children poems about the first living creature in existence. Some say he was even born at the Dao realm. Others say he was a manifestation of Grand Dao." "But one thing was for certain and it was that Yuanling was powerful," Shiva concluded. "Then what happened to the One World?" Wangshu asked. "We don''t really know. One moment Vishnu and I were meditating, the next it was the apocalypse," Shiva sighed. "We don''t even know how we survived. Come to think of it, we met Pangu shortly after that, he was newborn back then so I doubt he has any recollection." The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword vibrated within Da Hai''s pocket dimension. Apparently, it was aware of the One World as well, being the reincarnation of Pangu''s longtime companion, Cosmic Butterfly. Da Hai felt incredibly overwhelmed at this very moment. He was just hoping for browny points from other powerful figures and to gain benefits to further his progression. But to discover so much about both the past and the future worried him greatly. ''Now my grudge seem so insignificant,'' he laughed in amusement. ''Oh well, one issue at a time. I''ll deal with it when it comes.'' If Da Hai had learned one thing in his lifetime, it was that he hated planning. Longterm schedules just wasn''t him. He''d face these things as they come and who knows? Perhaps the ''storm'' was only targeting the Dao Ancestors. They were much larger players than him. "In the end, I can only pray everything goes well. The premonition indicates a danger to us but we can''t infer much else. We thank you for all that you''ve done, we are in your debt," Shiva said. "If nothing else I believe this is where we shall part ways. I don''t have much time before the next pralaya so do you have any more questions." Da Hai turned to face the two Hindu Dao Ancestors. He cupped his hands and bowed in respect. "Thank you, I want to¡­" He stopped mid speech. A tugging feeling struck at his chest. His eyes narrowed in confusion. A deeply uncomfortable feeling that continuously grew stronger. It was to an extent that Da Hai gripped his heart in visible pain. Wangshu was instantly at his side with worry and even the Dao realm gods were startled. "Is something wrong?" Shiva asked. The tugging connection almost became tangible as it reached out towards the direction of the primitive world. "No!" Long ago, to keep track of his disciples, Da Hai left behind traces on each of them. They kept up with their energy signatures and had long formed an intrinsic connection to Da Hai''s very being. They monitored their health and for the longest time, Da Hai didn''t use them. The dragons and moths were all exceptionally powerful mighty figures. Even in the chaos sea they''d still be mighty. So in the million years since Zulong began ruling, nothing ever went wrong. Zulong and the rest were always healthy and strong. Their connections faded to the back of Da Hai''s mind as there had never been a need to worry. Now one of them just snapped. Chapter 120-The Primordial Spirit The moment Da Hai began moving, Shiva and Vishnu were not immediately alarmed. But when he subsequently disappeared in incomprehensible speeds, that was when the two Dao Ancestors began moving. For beings as powerful as them, nothing in the Chaos Sea or anywhere in all creation can surprise them. But the fact that Da Hai moved beyond their reach in less then a second did. A mere third step cultivator like him cannot possibly move that fast much less escape from a Dao Ancestor¡¯s periphery. Not even they themselves could manage it. ¡°Da Hai!¡± Wangshu called out in alarm. The gargantuan form of Shiva was already where Da Hai previously was. His blue hard was outstretched and time seemed to move backwards. However, nothing more happened and Da Hai did not reappear. ¡°What is this?¡± He muttered with seriousness. He stepped forwards attempting to pursue Da Hai. Massive amounts of unidentifiable energies assaulted Wangshu¡¯s senses as Shiva began moving at high speed. But as he did so, the Chaos Sea distorted with uncomfortable vibrations. An aura manifested around them with the appearance of a quadrillion floating spirits surrounding an archaic landmass that blanketed this area of the Chaos Sea. Quickly cut off the fleeing sight of Da Hai and trapped Shiva, Vishnu, and Wangshu within. Shiva narrowed his eyes, he pulled back his fist and punched the aura. His strike shook the area with enough force to scatter billions of spirits. But just as quickly as he struck the wall of spirits appeared once again. Shiva had not been serious, merely testing the aura. However from just the lone exchanged he identified whoever was behind this as a great threat. In the distance, reality distorted violently. Before Shiva¡¯s very eyes, distance seemed to have been lengthened and direction disrupted. Da Hai¡¯s figure dropped off his divine sense and the Chaos Sea¡¯s geography shifted entirely. It was to the point where Shiva suddenly could not identify where he even was. This was a feeling that greatly worried him but also enraged him. He held out his arm and drew forth a trident poised to strike. ¡°Fellow daoists, for your sakes and mine please stop.¡± All three deities heard the voice at simultaneously. An ancient withered voice who spoke of age countless aeons before their existence were even conceived. A voice that sounded like something who tethered on the edge of death by age related means. Yet there was also a horrifying quality to it. Both Vishnu and Shiva felt their souls churn at the voice they heard. They felt as if they¡¯ve regressed into their infant years and that al their progress up to now had been meaningless. However, that was just an illusionary feeling. One that they both very quickly snapped out off with little effort. Rather it was Wangshu who was suffering from its effects the most. ¡°A Dao realm being,¡± Vishnu said narrowing his eyes. ¡°But you and I are the only active Dao realm existences since the One World collapsed. It¡¯s impossible for¡­unless,¡± Shiva said widening his eyes in realization. ¡°How silly of me to assume he had died just because I hadn¡¯t seem him in so long,¡± Vishnu said in exasperation. ¡°Senior, I believe this is the second time we¡¯ve met. Though the first time we only witnessed you at a distance so I suppose this is the first time we¡¯re meeting.¡± Of the two, Vishnu appeared almost giddy. Who wouldn¡¯t be after discovering a being from the super ancient past who was also a Dao Ancestor to boot. Very few of such beings existed in this world and aside from Pangu, the sleeping rainbow serpent was probably the only other who had the potential of reaching the Dao realm. The two of them were originally born in a time predating the Chaos Sea. Though they were incredibly young, little more then children when the One World collapsed they still remembered it¡¯s existence. They also knew some stories common in the One World. In the past, when existence came to be from the scatterings of a fiery explosion. A primordial landmass was formed. From it rose the very first existence in this world. He was the first lifeforms, the first immortal, the first innate god. The very first person to have reached Dao realm. He predated anyone who came after, supreme even when the oldest of living beings were born. Some say he was Dao realm at birth, others say he was just another innate god who managed to reach his height before the rise of others. Some individuals even claim he didn¡¯t exist at all and was just a hoax. But his name was known by all. Yuanling, the primordial spirit. Upon Vishnu¡¯s and Shiva¡¯s realization, the barrier of spirits disappeared scattering into the wind. The primordial landmass which was only an illusionary manifestation disappeared along with it. From out of the vast expanse stepped figure. Yuanling¡¯s physical appearance could not be identified as young or old, male nor female. His voice was the only aspect that could be identified as an elderly male yet even that was suspect. ¡°It is an honour to speak to you for the first time,¡± Vishnu said. ¡°I have always wondered where you¡¯ve gone. I have been curious as to what happened to the One World and to the experts who existed in that time. I understand these information might be sensitive so I am willing to trade for¡­¡± ¡°Vishnu,¡± Shiva interrupted shaking his head. He stood in front of Yuanling with a visible frown. ¡°Why did you obstruct me?¡± He asked Yuanling. ¡°Da Hai is incredibly important to my goals. Doing what you did has not endeared yourself to me at all.¡± Yuanling tilted his head. ¡°You are hardly a danger to me fellow daoist. I did only what was necessary.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shiva felt angered and had to compose himself at Yuanling¡¯s dismissive response. ¡°Maybe you are more powerful then me given your age and experience. But do you really think you can fight me and my brother as well?¡± Vishnu closed in on Shiva, despite his own wishes he will defend the latter if it came down to it. As such he unleashed his own power and allowed it to mingle with Shiva as an attempted deterrence to Yuanling. Yuanling observed them both then shook his head. ¡°You two together will overwhelm me,¡± he said in calm unconcerned conclusion. ¡°Now are you willing to listen to my explanation?¡± ¡°It better be good. I do not have the patience otherwise.¡± Yuanling nodded and told them, ¡°Unfortunately, a higher power has taken interest in the one you call Da Hai. You on your own will already tip the scales too much. Hence I am here to insure you do not interfere with his viewing experience.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You expect me to believe that?¡± ¡°That is the truth. I understand your plight. But I have a job to perform too. In this scenario I cannot allow you to pursue Da Hai.¡± ¡°So you scrambled the Chaos Sea and cost me the ability to find Pangu¡¯s Chaos World? You could not have just delayed me for a time? You have wasted precious years of hard work. Do you think the fourteen realms can last that long?¡± Shiva raised his trident with crackling lighting and blazing fire. His posture was monstrous and the sheer power he exuded was enormously greater than anything Wangshu had ever believed possible. The only thing more impressive would¡¯ve been Pangu¡¯s strike that tore apart the Chaos Sea before she was even conceived. Shiva intended to strike Yuanling with every thing he had. For the first time in a very long time, he felt angered beyond belief. He had already mapped out a route to the Primitive World, but now not only is his ally missing but the route changed so drastically he was back to square one. ¡°Peace young Shiva,¡± Yuanling said holding up his hand. ¡°I may have stopped you but you are also mistaken. I am not the one who scrambled the Chaos Sea.¡± Those last words halted Shiva¡¯s actions and caught Vishnu¡¯s attention. The lightning and fire did not dissipate but were not as volatile as before. ¡°You did mention a higher power. What is it?¡± Vishnu asked stepping forward. ¡°As Dao Ancestors are we not the highest powers in all existence?¡± Yuanling starred at Vishnu then at Shiva without giving a response. Hence Vishnu continued rambling. ¡°Unless you mean the Grand Dao which represents the totality of all things and is the deciding will of the Chaos Sea from which all things spawned from including us and yourself. But the Grand Dao is mindless, little more then instinct incapable of complex thought nor desire.¡± Furthermore, there has never been another Dao realm being since us three. I know this for a fact else we would¡¯ve felt it. Or is this a case of a future Dao Ancestor interfering with the past? Impossible, such temporal abilities cannot affect another Dao Ancestor¡¯s actions. Oh what could it be?¡± It was at this point that Yuanling grew exasperated and interrupted him. ¡°Young man,¡± he began saying. ¡°Your theories while interesting to hear are ultimately fruitless. Neither of you can ever know, not unless...¡± He paused for a moment before taking a large gulp. He scanned around as if feeling something in the air. His sudden peculiar actions caused both Vishnu and Shiva to start scanning the Chaos Sea in tandem. It was strange. They sensed nothing, felt nothing and saw nothing. They could not identify anything. Yet there was a pit forming in their stomachs. ¡°Stop! You can neither perceive his existence nor would you desire to. Take my advice and just follow along,¡± Yuanling demanded them. ¡°You¡¯ve caught my curiosity, how could I give up on answers now?¡± Vishnu inquired with a raised eyebrow. Yuanling sighed and shook his head. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re both near the Supreme Boundary. No rather its better to say you are already right in front of that gap. The answer to your questions lies beyond that gate. But understand this. It is by his will and his whims that you exist.¡± ¡°And this being blocks me?¡± Shiva asked trembling in anger. ¡°You can hear me can¡¯t you? Have you no heart? My family, my friends, my world is on the cusp of disappearing never to exist again. And you would stop me from preventing that?¡± Yuanling flinched as Shiva¡¯s angry voice riveted throughout the Chaos Sea. Lines of power swept across the chaotic space like whips, thrashing and striking. It was unclear if Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals could even survive under this pressure which would not even be aimed at them. But as this happened, Yuanling suddenly received a message. The primordial spirit tilted his head to one side as if listening in to something. ¡°I see,¡± he murmured. ¡°Would be nice if you shared with me from the start.¡± He eyed his two contemporaries completely disregarding Wangshu with anticipation As for Wangshu, she felt entirely out of place at the moment. Her best friend had bailed on her for what seemed like extraneous reasons which itself was a cause for concern. Then the apex lifeforms in all creation shows up for a threatening confrontation while completely ignoring her presence. Right now she just wanted to run back to her palace and drink some hot tea. She could not really identify what the three Dao realm monsters were talking about. To her they might as well be speaking with a higher dimensional form of communication. It was a humbling experience for her who stood at the apex of the Primitive World. Yet she could tell something strange was going on with them as well. Yuanling was unbothered by the combined pressure of Shiva and Vishnu. In fact he didn¡¯t seem concerned about anything at all. But the ancient immortal¡¯s communication had come to an end. He stepped forwards and approached the other two Dao realm beings peacefully. ¡°Fellow daoist, I have a proposition for you,¡± he said. Shiva and Vishnu looked over willing to at least hear him out. Yuanling motioned with his hands and a bright light encompassed the three. It resembled the gears of a clock. The texture was similar to the earlier spirit aura barrier but now a similar sight to some time based abilities were visible. Wangshu could not identify them though as they were far too complex for her to understand. But she did also hear some faint meditative chanting. Or was it prayers? It felt peaceful and soothing, not too extreme on anything except peaceful calmness. ¡°N¡­o¡­A¡­t¡­a¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°This¡­the solution?¡± ¡°Fut¡­re¡­t¡­se¡­t¡­ne.¡± ¡°I¡­fre¡­¡± More words were exchanged in the sphere of light. Wangshu raised her arms to shield herself from the light but she after a while she heard Yuanling¡¯s archaic voice as well. ¡°Oh I completely overlooked you. Young lady, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t a discussion for you,¡± she heard Yuanling say. All of a sudden she got really dizzy. Her feet was unsteady and she felt as if she was free falling. ¡°Return to Pangu¡¯s Chaos World, whatever you do doesn¡¯t matter. But let me give you some advice. Put on a good show.¡± Wangshu tried to respond, but the only words coming out of her mouth were screams. Chapter 121-Looming Threats It was a sunny day. The Solar Star''s cosmic rays washed over the arid lands of the west continent emitting instances of yang attribute Dao Laws. Luohu chose this day to come out of his aeons long seclusion. As the Ancestral Devil exited his cave manor, he carried an air of brilliance rivalled by few. With a few steps he reached the cliff face that overlooked the greater lands of the west. "Wonderful," he muttered in delight. In his seclusion, his cultivation had been raised tremendously. The Devilish Dao had long entered an era of prosperity. Generations upon generations of great devils arose. With their rise, Louhu''s own power continued to rise. With each additional Dao added to their conjoined repertoire, his own core Dao reached ever closer to the encompassing of all things. "The origin in sight. I was right, this path was the way to go," Luohu breathed a sigh of contempt. His gaze carried eastwards as he''s snorted. "Hongjun, what a fool you are. You think you''re so smart, so clever. But it was I who ultimately found the best way to reach Dao realm." After his recent breakthroughs, Luohu no longer feared Hongjun. His senior brother of yesteryear now seamed less of an obstacle and more of a footnote. Once upon a time, the two were as close as brothers. Both ranking among the three thousand apex among the chaos godfiends, they remained lowkey. Luohu followed Hongjun''s example and acted as the cricket''s partner. Throughout the many Yuanhui of their existences, Luohu had seen countless chaos worlds. Each experimented on by himself and Hongjun for the best methods to cultivation. There were little they didn''t already know. That why it hurt so much when Hongjun abandoned him on that day. One vision was all it took for the Chaos Cricket to change his mind about his oldest friend. Luohu never truly understood why. Just because a vision showed them coming into blows and himself coming on top, Hongjun would wholeheartedly villainies him? Had the old coot fallen to jealousy so easily? Based on a mere mortal''s texts? Luohu scoffed just remembering. If Hongjun taught him anything it was that cultivation was the truest goal of all beings. Nothing else mattered in the long run as long as one continues to progress down the true path. He''d come to understand that since even before Pangu split chaos. Nowadays he controlled the greatest sect in the world. Indefinitely increasing mounds of Daos for him to absorb. Of course, even among those, only a very few ever stood out as special. These Daos were produced by the strongest devils that exists today. They were comparable and in some cases superior than even the chaos godfiends of old. These Great Devil Emperors were products of his long recruitment strategy. Selecting only the best of the best and brightest who were guaranteed to progress far. They produced the best of Daos. A sudden footstep landing behind him broke Luohu out of his self enjoyment. The devil glanced back at the new arrival. "Mara you old dog, how have you been?" Luohu greeted. His first subordinate cupped his hands and bowed. "Luohu, you''re finally out. I congratulate you on your advancement. How far along are you?" "I have attained a state necessary to sense the encompassing of all things," Luohu said giddily. "In other words, I don''t think I''m far away from Dao realm." "Then we can finally begin moving soon?" "Yes, I''m confident in refining the primitive world. My efforts have already hindered Hongjun''s ambitions and now Da Hai is far out of the picture. Now my own abilities should be up to par." Mara tilted his head. "Are you sure you do not want to consume the Heavenly Dao? It is built from the remnants of a genuine Dao realm being. It seems wasteful to let it go to waste." "But I''m not," Luohu shook his head. "Mara, the Dao Pangu left behind had nothing to do with me. I don''t need it to acquire the perfect Dao body." "I see, you are sure of the Dao of seven emotions six desire reaching the highest realm?" "Why all the doubt all of a sudden?" Luohu narrowed his eyes. "I am confident in your abilities Luohu, just that after so long, the other factions have grown and accumulated an enormous foundation," Mara said with some hesitation. "My flesh has always been a weakness. My Dao''s breakthrough is already inevitable but my body is a problem I need to rectify," Luohu sighed. "Back then I was foolish and listened to every advice that old fool said." "You didn''t answer my concern." "Why are you fearing the dragon and phoenixes so much? They do not even possess an opponent equal to you much less me. My devils alone are enough," Luohu chuckled. "Our count of Primal Origin ChaosImmortals outnumber both those empires combined. And while they''re fairly liberal with their secrets we kept all our cards hidden. So do not be concerned, I am aware of the powers of every devil in existence. Your job has always been to ensure their development and loyalty." Mara nodded. "Forgive me, time has brought about a great itch for action." "Understandable. I suspect a lot of the younger devils are the same. What do you think of them?" Mara and Luohu made their way down Mt Sumeru. Through this, Mara informed Luohu of recent developments as well as the Devilish Dao''s greatest fighters. Louhu''s intrinsic connection to devil cultivation ensured his knowledge of every Dao and technique below the seven emotion six desire banner. But he knew little in the way of what these people were actually like. "Fire Devil Emperor has a calm temperament, he doesn''t speak much but he is patient and a decent general as proven in the Yang Devil sect''s war against Arch Mountain sect¡­.Devil Smiting Heavenly Emperor is fairly impressive, she''s notable for being a righteous figure wjo defends the weak...of course then there''s Spacial warp devil, he''s pretty close to Rippling Reflection Emperor being fellow subordinates of Hundun...Sin Water Devil is a fairly loyal figure too¡­and Heavens Swallowing Devil Emperor¡­" The conversation went on for a bit before Luohu asked about an individual he was curious about. "You mentioned Hundun picked up an assistant. Some Rippling Reflection Emperor? The one with the Dao of Heart Demon. what''d he do for Hundun to take interest?" Mara perked up. "Nothing of note really. Daoist Rippling Reflection isn''t much of a fighter. He doesn''t have a good victory to loss record and is little more than a statesman. He''s Hundun''s manager in the daily affairs of the lineage." With Luohu in retreat most of the time, management of all the sects under the Devilish Dao were headed by a council. The three remaining of the once four evils along with Mara oversaw the council while actual members were made up of Great Devil Emperors. Each Great Devil Emperor was an existence on par with Primal Origin Chaos Immortals. Their status were just below the founders. "Hm, the workload probably was a little too much for Hundun alone. Picking up a clerk was a good idea." Just like that, the two continued on. This time around, Luohu did not plan to enter retreat again. Rather, he began preparations for his final goal. ¡­ In the wilderness of the west, a square faced man sat within a mist of rippling water. He appeared completely peaceful and unfettered, meditating in a lotus position. He had snail shell patterned hair and had his eyes closed the entire time whilst being surrounded by thin golden light which separated him from the mist. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. His chivara robes were loose and exposed his muscular chest. One of his palms laid bare on his lap while the other made a hand seal near the centre of his chest. "Give it up. That tree is ours," a voice outside the mist roared. It was a man with the head of a snake who wielded a spear. He exuded the aura of a Great Unity Golden Immortal and not a weak one at that. Following him were various other devils of similar rank. With a swift gesture of his hand, he attacked with waves of spear light that further pressured the sitting individual. "Mmm," the square faced man grimaced with discomfort. Sweat poured down his face as he struggled to defend against the powerful assault. Regardless, he continued to defend. He weaved several different hand signs and brought about golden changes of calm and tranquillity. With each action, he attempted to beat back the mist and maintain his body before further spear lights. "Cheh, this bastard''s still standing," one of the devils grunted. "He''s resisting big bro''s attack despite a measly Golden Immortal cultivation base." The chief instigator, the snake man rubbed his chin. "You know you''re quite the talent. The Misty Fang sect is willing to recruit you. With your abilities, the sect master will be more than willing to make you an elder." The sitting man slightly opened his eyes. He cast a look back at a bodhi tree behind him then at the devils outside. ''Devil arts are frightening,'' he mused in his mind. However, his outer words displeased the devils. "Benefactors are kind to offer this one such a proposition. But the Devilish Dao was unsuitable for me. I cannot accept such a proposal," the man rejected the offer. He clasped his hands and nodded his head down in thanks. "How arrogant, you don''t know what''s good for you," the snake man spat. He pierced with his spear right at the heart of the square faced man. "In times of adversity, true power rise," the man chanted. His eyes opened to their fullest as a radiant golden light appeared like the sun emerged from his head. Within his body, a primal unity formed. "What? He''s using this battle to ascend?" The devils were alarmed. They furthered their attempts but failed to penetrate the golden light shrouding the man. "Thank you benefactors for aiding me. Were it not for you I speculate it''ll take me another three hundred years," the man pushed out a single palm. The emerging rippling sound pushed out with force, seeing everyone back from the bodhi tree. "Gah! You really want to make enemies with the Misty Fang sect? All over a single tree?" The snake man spat. "Unfortunately it must be so," the man said. "This tree is my junior brother. I cannot allow harm to come to him. In the past, he provided shelter from the rain and a peaceful environment to meditate. How can I allow him to be processed as material by you." "Senior brother is so kind, truly kind," the group were interrupted by a new voice. The man glanced back and smiled as the bodhi tree shook with transcendent light. "Since senior brother is willing to go so far, then this junior will naturally lend assistance," the tree said exploding in a shroud of power. "What? An innate creature? That tree was supposed to be a valuable connate root, how did it become a lifeform?" The snake man took a step back. "Oh? It seems the pressure helped you too. Congratulations for transforming junior brother?" The man who sat on a lotus position tilted his head with a questioning look. He was unsure what to call the new individual. Walking out of the former bodhi tree, another man stepped out. He was tall wearing chivara robes and possessed eighteen arms. His face was squarish with long earlobes just like the sitting man. But instead of snail shell shaped hair, his hair were miniature versions of his own face. A twenty four faced and eighteen armed being with the cultivation stage of Golden Immortal. What''s more, in one of his hands was a seven branched tree, a treasure born alongside him from the former bodhi tree. "This presence, top grade xiantian spiritual treasure?" The sitting man smiled in amazement. "Junior brother is extraordinary." "How can this be? An innate lifeforms with a Golden Immortal cultivation base? But true souls don''t belong to living beings at birth, how could this be?" The snake man uttered. "Don''t benefactors know?" The twenty four faced eighteen armed man smirked. "Among innate beings there is a special class even further than ordinary beings born from heaven and earth. We are creatures born in control of ourselves in all aspects, deities of heaven and earth." "Both senior brother and I are innate gods." Without hesitation, the Seven Branch Treasure Tree was handed over to the sitting man. He proceeded to unleash radiant golden light far beyond what the devils were capable of. In an instants the lesser devils were vaporised leaving the snake man alone. "Gah, you''ll pay for this. You two clearly aren''t devils, I was kind enough to offer you sanctuary before but I see how it is," the snake man spat. "Under law by his highness Rippling Mirror Emperor, creatures not of devil origin is subject to conversion or death." He flew high up into the air and transformed into a serpent. But instead of fighting, he retreated. Frowning, the two innate gods tried to attack. However, they were ultimately too slow. Their moods were shot down despite advancements in power. "Apologies, I have dragged senior brother into unnecessary trouble," the eighteen armed man said. "That is not the case, this same event will be happening sooner rather than later anyway. The village down this hill was already gracious enough to offer me sanctuary, but devils will never tolerate my not being a devil. It is inevitable they''d come," the sitting man said standing up. "What do I call junior brother?" "I am called Zhunti, it is a pleasure to finally meet you senior brother." "I am Jieyin, pleased to meet you," Jieyin greeted back. "Senior brother Jieyin, weren''t there supposed to be another brother with us? I vaguely remember a lamp hanging off my branch," Zhunti asked. "Truthfully I do not know. Many years prior, I journeyed down to the village for resources. When I returned, I discovered the branch missing as well," Jieyin said. "I too am curious what happened to it." ¡­ Far away, in a devil settlement, within a busy restaurant, a robed elder sat drinking wine. His attention was not on the restaurant but on the distant figures of Jieyin and Zhunti. However, he carried no malicious intent and simply let them be. "Hai," he sighed gulping down mouthfuls of wine. "Better those two leave. Their talents would be wasted here." This elder leaned against his knuckle and sighed again. His white hair was dishevelled and left hanging off his shoulders. His robes while not bad but also wasn''t anything extraordinary. If anything he looked like a peasant rather than the accomplished devil he actually was. He held out his finger and wrote something on the table. "Hm¡­" he mumbled. "He''s returning already, good. That is very good," he continued to mumble before smiling. ''Your highness, we have an incident!'' His good mood was broken when a mental message was sent his way. The man frowned and listened in. "Welp. Breaks over," he grumbled before disappearing from the restaurant. From start to finish, no one has noticed him at all. ¡­ Many years later, within the East Sea Dragon Palace. A letter with the stamp from the phoenixes arrived. Chapter 122-The Phoenixs Letter
Arguments upon arguments flew through the air as turtles, dragons, sharks and various other ministers yelled opposing opinions at each other. Though no violence has been committed, some were itching to punch others. Even the lord of the castle, the Dragon Sovereign Zulong himself sat in silence. His face was an expression of bewilderment and confusion. So much so that he was rendered frozen sitting upon his throne. Gui Daiyu and the two dragon grand elders Leize and Jiang Coiling gapped opening starring at the letter discarded at Zulong''s armrest. This chaotic scene was the one Bi An arrived at when he walked into the open door. The seventh son of the dragon and a minister working in negotiations starred wide eyed as the orderly hall of his childhood descended into madness. "Obviously a lie¡­" "A trick, bait for the naive¡­" "Filthy scum, we should marshal out forces¡­" "There could be some truth to it¡­" "We should consider it, it''s a good deal¡­" "Of course you''d say that avian sympathiser¡­" "Yeah, everyone knows your family have connections with¡­" "Your majesty, this is an insult to your authority¡­" "Your majesty, they''re worth hearing out¡­" "Your majesty¡­" "Your majesty¡­" "What on earth is going on?" Bi An released his thunderous voice lined with the power of the dragon''s roar. His cry silenced the arguing ministers. Heads turned towards the visibly angered Bi An. "You all stand in the presence of his majesty my honourable father. Yet you all bicker like headless chickens?" He spat approaching Zulong. The elder dragon was silent and appeared incredibly torn. He wasn''t even paying attention to his son nor the hall in general. Merely stuck in his own thoughts contemplating. "An''er," Gui Daiyu nodded her head. "Mother," Bi An answered back. He then turned his attention back to his frozen father. He took a knee and greeted the old monarch. "Emperor father, your son has arrived as summoned. Apologies for my tardiness." "Bi An," Zulong''s eyes turned to his son and he sighed. He rubbed his forehead and shut his eyes with indecision. "I summoned you for another average court session but who would''ve thought, who would''ve thought." Zulong waved his hand sending a letter he had received minutes prior towards the prince. Bi An perked up. He could already guess the that it was an item of great controversy. Reading it carefully, his eyes widened. He no longer prejudged the ministers for their rowdiness. "Father, this can''t be right?" In his own shock, Bi An forgot any formal address at all. Even Zulong had forgotten to use the royal we. "She wants to sue for peace," Bi An felt himself uttering. "The Phoenix Sovereign, our hated enemy and king of all feathered beasts want to sue for peaceful coexistence?" What kind of sick joke was this? Zufeng hated Zulong and made so secret of it. Just look at the mounting piles of mockery spilling out of the south continent for the past million years. Of course, the four seas did the same for the phoenix. It was unwritten law that all phoenix shall never be referred to as phoenix. Chicken, pigeon, peacock but never phoenix. In ancient times it was decreed. Qilin ruled all creatures of fur, Phoenix ruled all creatures of feather, Dragon ruled all creatures of scales. Yet reality turned out differently. The ancient Qilin Sovereign was slain before he could truly begin. Ever since the other two had picked up where he left off in an eternal deadlock. Zufeng was one of many deep rooted concerns for Zulong. Her very nature decreed that she must die at his hands. But the familial ties of her sister and his brother stayed his hands. So he hesitated, and hesitated, and hesitated. For a million years Zulong never aggressively pushed for war. At the same time Zufeng never did either. So a tenuous peace existed. But both rulers had long decided true peace was never an option. "It''s her handwriting son," Zulong said. "I can confirm traces of her Qi as well. It''s a genuine article." The elder dragon scanned the room around with looking for reactions. The disbelief of his words had sent many of his ministers into deep contemplation. "Emperor uncle," Ao Guang, the eldest son of Yinglong stepped forward. "We cannot confirm her true intentions. I advise caution." Zulong absentmindedly nodded. Ao Guang was just regurgitating his own thoughts. Zulong liked to think he knew Zufeng well. She was pretty similar to the him in his youth. "Only one way to find out. All be silent as I work," Zulong commanded as he tapped his armrest. The whirling sound of machinery reached his ears as a blue scree popped up before him. He closed his eyes after tying up the long message before pressing send. Advancements in communication technology has reached far over the years. The old communication crystal had evolved into a commercial use commu-talismen but Zulong had accessed to far more advanced methods. Using the formation under Kailong Chen, he shot a signal through the world towards the west. There, Western Dragon Palace would receive and reshoot that signal up the Jianmu tree into the starry skies. The process took quit awhile even with the insane power used. Sending a carrier at Primal Origin Chaos Immortal realm would take a few days to upwards of a few weeks. That and Zulong liked playing with new esoteric technology. For three hours, static phone noises filled the room. Three hours for the signal to reach into another layer of the chaos world. Three hours for the youngest of the three ancestral dragons to receive it. In those three hours, Zulong dismissed everyone and remained by himself. He wondered about the possibilities. If Zufeng was truthful, which he doubted, then it was a good thing. One less variable to worry about. His happiness was only threatened by a few things in the world and this would go a long way to assure it. ¡­ Haotian starred at the screen of his commu-talismen. It was hard for an eastern continent dweller like him to get one and Hongjun wasn''t prone to letting him leave. Not that it stopped him from sneaking out. The text he read was not the ancient godfiend script nor was it the commercial ocean script developed by the dragons. "Zulong needs to be more careful with how secure his messages are," he mused with disappointment. Intercepting the signal was dangerously easy. While any other cultivator only read confused static, Haotian''s talisman picked up the actual message with full clarity. ''I guess Da Hai won''t have to worry about anything. Everything is resolving itself,'' he thought with amusement. ''Grand Pure One''s inaction method has merit to it after all. Why control life when good things can come natural to you?'' "Hey big brother, what are you doing?" A feminine voice asked behind him. As quickly as she was heard the commu-talismen in Haitian''s hands shut off. "You messing with that toy again? You know master will scold you for playing," the young girl reminded. Her physical appearance was only around ten years old but in reality she was already many hundreds of thousand years old. The same was true for Haotian. This was Yaochi, Haotian''s fellow disciple under Hongjun and an innate god like him. She was born of the golden essence condensing into an empyrean jade that Hongjun discovered not long after Haotian. In fact, Haotian was responsible for inadvertently leading him to her. Speaking of Haotian, the young boy dressed himself in all white robes and still wore a necklace with a jade piece attached. He too only appeared to be ten years old and completely harmless. "No I''m not playing, I''m browsing stories," he clapped back. "Right¡­what''s so interesting about those sea folk stuff anyways? It doesn''t help you with your cultivation. You could be achieving a lot more if you weren''t on it so much." "It brings me entertainment," Haotian said standing up from his seat and slipping the talisman into his pocket dimension through his sleeve. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. From around the corner, an elderly figure in purple robes walked out. He was strong and muscular with a long fluffy white beard. "Yaochi is right, you shouldn''t spend so much time on that thing," Hongjun chastised. "I wanted you to finish that essay about the Earthly Dao concepts, do you remember that?" "Yeah I''m already done," Haotian said tossing a scroll out. He was privy to Da Hai''s knowledge. At his cultivation level, Hongjun''s homework was childsplay. Hongjun accepted the work with a raised eyebrow. He began scrolling through the written work and nodded with an impressed hum. "Good boy," he chuckled in happiness ruffling Haotian''s head. "What? But he only wrote that thing once!" Yaochi gapped. "Yet it exceeds works by the Ivory Elephant ancestor''s own work on the subject. For Haotian who is only in the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm to be superior to he who is at the Primal Origin Chaos Immortal realm is a feat worth praising," Hongjun said stroking his beard. "You did good disciple, your talent is astonishing," Hongjun complimented. ''This boy, he will accomplish so much more than all my previous escapades. He might even understand the concepts of Wuji in time,'' the elder immortal thought to himself. At his current rank, he''d rank Haotian''s future prospects to be superior to all the prior godfiends. Even Destiny Demon God struggled at the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal realm. He did not regret taking Haotian in as a disciple. While Yaochi left some to be desired for, Haotian did not disappoint. He''d taken him in out of interest at his potential future self''s deeds. But Haotian had smashed all his expectations. Once he reaches the Dao realm, he''ll guarantee Haotian lives comfortably. Gifting him the primitive world to rule wouldn''t be out of the question. For Hongjun, nothing else mattered to him more than cultivation. Pangu''s Dao within the Heavenly Dao was just another step in the long road. Having a disciple never really mattered to him and he never found joy in doing so in the past. But he could safely say he found Haotian''s presence to be enjoyable. It was even better that Haotian posed no real threat to him. He was a diligent and respectful if quiet child. Everything a master could ask for. He would actually be sad if Haotian needed to be eliminated. ¡­ From out of the sky, Qinglong jumped out of a portal into the east continent. Right into the blossom forest valley that the divine beasts regularly met at. He appeared very excited. From another portal outstepped a devastatingly beautiful woman wearing a tiara. Zhuque the Vermillion bird walked out to greet the dragon. "Qinglong, it has been too long," she smiled and saluted him, an action he returned. "Zhuque, as beautiful as always," he said. He proceeded to pull out a scroll. Upon it was inscribed Zufeng''s letter he copied from Zulong''s message. "I need to know sister. Is this true?" He asked with hope filled eyes. Zhuque accepted the scroll and read it in understanding. She hummed in relief. He looked up at Qinglong with her phoenix eyes and nodded. "It was a shock for me. Only the inner circles know for now," she revealed. "Me, Chongming, Yingshao, Qizhong and some other trusted avians know about this. She wants to know Immemorial Heavenly Dragon Sovereign Great Emperor''s confirmation first before proceeding. Trust me Qinglong, she is genuine, I know her look and she spoke only truth." The use of one of Zulong''s more formal title revealed her respect and seriousness. From one sovereign to another, this was a huge matter. It could potentially lead to some backlash. "I am overjoyed," Qinglong said. "I''ve spoken long with my brother about such topics but he never seemed to take it to heart." "Neither did my sister," Zhuque responded. "Then what spurred such a change?" Qinglong asked with full seriousness. He was loyal to his brother and ruler. He could not take any chances. All evidence must be collected, he needed to know why Zufeng would come to this conclusion "It''s a fairly recent development," Zhuque explained. "No one else but me knows the true reason, the other ministers don''t ask questions and you shouldn''t tell anyone except your brothers." Zufeng warned with fire lighting up around her. She held out her hand which Qinglong took without hesitation. "Under the gaze of mightiest Grand Dao I solemnly swear in your name. Strike me down should I break our pact," both said at once. An ancient practice engrained automatically in the minds of powerful immortals. A mechanic of all creation that ensured the total eradication of an individual should a promise be broken. Making the oath towards the supreme power that can and will kill even Limitless Supreme Immortals effortlessly. Heavenly Dao may not necessarily possess the power, but Grand Dao easily can. One was the chaos world''s will harnessing colossal power. The other was omnipotent. "I don''t know how it happened or when it happened exactly but my sister was in secluded cultivation for a time prior to this. When she emerged I went to visit her and that was when¡­" ¡­ Zufeng was not in Phoenix''s Roost. She was not in her palace or capital. Rather, she was far away in a coastal volcano shrouded by mist. A dormant volcano hidden by the power of a mighty Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal, herself. A place no one but her and Zhuque knew. For it was a family home. A retreat private to the eldest phoenix. Within this volcano, within the flowing magma at the core of the mountain. A leyline so strong that only select places like Mt Yujing or Mt Sumeru could compare. This place was the Undead Volcano, a spot that touched upon the core of the primitive world. Like the Sea Eye, this volcano had the power to destroy the entire primitive world. Its eruption was an event no one wanted. Similar to the Sea Eye, such an event would only happen should the world be steeped in sinful acts of suffering. The Sea Eye came about as a result of Zulin forcing the totality of negative karma left all over the north continent by Shenni into a singular spot. It pushed the creation of a structure that otherwise should not have occurred as it did not cross the threshold. The Undead Volcano had already existed long before that however. But it simply never reached that threshold to activate. Nor does Zufeng plan for it too. Karma positive or negative each had their own uses. Positive achieved through meritorious deeds brings protection and fortune. Negative too could be cultivated into dangerous weapons yet was lethal should it spill. The task of achieving such negative karma would also be quite heinous. All things existed on a scale. Everyone achieved positive and negative karma each day. It''s only when certain thresholds are crossed did affects start taking place. Shenni''s heinous actions created negative karma that permitted land but had not crossed the necessary threshold. But concentrated in one place allowed for it to drill the Sea Eye into existence. It was a tight rope Zulong had to walk on in order to maintain the constant suppression of that pit so that the dragons, luck, and Sea Suppression Divine Needle won''t be overwhelmed. Within this place however, was a formation. A diagram resembling a pyre that channelled the Nanming Divine Flame. A fire harmonised in Yin and Yang keeping the volcano from attracting negative karma. A formation placed here not long after the Sea Eye incident. Nanming Divine Flame was the best fire when it comes to nourishment. It was the popular choice in pill making alchemy. But it was also used by parents to nourish their young. Sitting here was Zufeng who appeared older yet still beautiful. She sat with one leg handing over the other, looking tenderly forwards. The item of interest for her were two massive eggs nestled within a nest atop the burning pyre. Eggs birthed by her own person. Chapter 123-Wang Tian Hou Denglong stood silently, as he had always done. The guard dog of the dragons remained still like a stone statue even as the other dragons and seafolk around him grew anxious. Not even his more diplomatic brother, Bi An, was spared. But Denglong was very much unlike the others. He''d never been the type to lose his nerve nor would he hesitate. Decisive and obedient, that was Denglong. It''s why his father favoured him to accomplish tasks above even Qiu Niu. "The Solar Star has reached its highest," Bi An said beside him. The fifth son of the dragon turned a sideways glance at his younger brother and nodded. "Lets get this over with, I have no desire to stay in these lands longer than I should," he said. "Don''t be like that brother," Bi An chastised. "We''re here for a diplomatic mission. It''s a turning for our history." "Are you even sure?" Denglong. He wanted to scoff and dismiss Zufeng''s seemingly goodwill but his father''s command and his uncles assurance haunted him. "Uncle gave us assurance. Father gave the command. So we''re here," Bi An reminded. Denglong and Bi An were expecting higher-ups from their rival nation. Phoenix Lords from the avians were meeting up with dragons from the seas. Bi An was the one leading, Denglong was just here as insurance. Sure enough, on the agreed upon time, members of the avians had indeed arrived. The Chongming Bird in all his chicken like glory(In his opinion) arrived with a retinue of phoenixes. In this regard, the seafolk and dragons became wary. Every single phoenix were geniuses handpicked by the YuanFeng Empress otherwise known as Zufeng, to study the Phoenix Nirvana. Dragons on the other hand were products of active breeding as well as indoctrination. But even the latter method, though similar to the avians, appealed to the masses. Hence dragons existence in all layers of the power pyramid while phoenixes occupied the very top. So while there were weak dragons, there was no such thing as a weak phoenix. Denglong though has never paid much mind to phoenixes. Sure they made tricky opponents to the unprepared, but they were equally easy to deal with. A dragon''s natural affinity to water and lightning can overwhelm the flames of a phoenix, this was his genuine belief. Denglong himself had bested his own fair share of phoenixes. They always were common whenever the dragons or avians discover a new spiritual vein, particularly in the contested east continent. But it was equally likely in the southern borders too. "Great King Chongming," Bi An spoke up first. "We are honoured to have you join us." "Prince Bi An, I can say for many of my kind that we are pleased to be here," Chongming returned. "Great General Heavenly Roaring King, it is an honour to meet you." Denglong nodded in response. Chongming''s tone was one of respect. A respect many behind Bi An and Denglong nodded in approval of. "That''s the Heavenly Roaring King?" "Impressive, you can feel the presence." "General of the South huh, I''ve only heard rumours but." Whispers went around at the back, all held in very hush voices. Even Great Unity Golden Immortals would struggle to pick up what''s being said. But they weren''t offensive speeches so the dragon higher ups did not mind. Rather, they approved. Let them be in awe of the strongest son of Zulong. In reality, Denglong felt slightly awkward. He was stripping the spotlight away from Bi An and this act made him somewhat uncomfortable. But he continued to stand behind his younger brother, deferring to him. Thankfully for Denglong, Chongming quickly began addressing Bi An again. Denglong knew of this old bird, even if he''d never fought him before. He was famously someone from his parent''s generation. An innate god from the second Yuanhui, Chongming wasn''t actually a phoenix. But he commanded even more respect than one. "This way please," Bi An said politely, not a single hint of disrespect was visible from his tone nor expression. He looked extremely comfortable and relaxed, a far cry from some of the men on both sides. Denglong held Chongming and his entourage in his eye for a little while before following the group from behind. This role was more fit for him. They all entered the base of the dragons located on the shores of the south continent. An area the dragons controlled as opposed to the rest of mainland. This was where chairs were set up and talks began. Denglong took a seat at the side beside Bi An opposing Chongming. He stayed silent as the two heads began discussing their talks. He thought back on the past between both empires. The avian''s history were a little linger than theirs by a couple tens of thousands of years. But it was the dragons who''d held onto an advantage in terms of size and numbers. In terms of an all out war, the dragons would undoubtedly win. That wasn''t to say the avians were weak. They were a world superpower more than capable of making the dragons bleed and then some. They fielded about as many high level experts as the dragons did even if they did lose out by a few. Chaos Immortals were the backbones of both nations. A single one is worth greater than countless Great Unity Golden Immortals. As such the number of these immortals were seen as fractions of their total power. Ever since the destruction of the beasts in the north and the subsequent retirement of the qilin from public eye, Zulong had become overly cautious when dealing with another superpower on that level. The last time he did so, half of his total power were erased. That coupled with the Sea Eye meant the dragons didn''t have as many active Chaos Immortals as they''d like. At the same time, the avians didn''t have the balls to go on the offensive either. Denglong could calculate their overall strength and he often found them lacking in many areas. At best they could run away but what good would that do? He glanced at Chongming and Bi An. The old bird as surprisingly polite and cordial in his talks. Not surprising as he was a proponent for an accord between both powers. From what Denglong understood, many of the avian higher-ups actually wanted for an armistice with the dragons. They sought co-existence and an end to hostile conflicts. This party was said to be lead by the sister of the Phoenix Sovereign and supported by many avian clan heads. ¡­ "Big brother, I have received good words that the avians aren''t reaching out from a malicious intent. They genuinely want peace with us," Qinglong had said in an audience with Zulong. Zulong narrowed his eyes in an accusatory look. "It could be desperate attempt to buy time. We''ve beaten them at over nine thousand crucial sites of interest over the course of the past million years. Our momentum have led to sixty percent of the east continent and parts of the south to fall in our hands." Qinglong frowned, "We''ve only had skirmishes and no large scale war had ever taken place. Brother, it is not worth the risks. Besides, isn''t this what you''ve always wanted?" Zulong looked angered. "You dare presume what I want?" "I know you brother, I''ve seen the current you," Qinglong starred back defiantly. "Zhuque gave me her word." "Of course you''d believe her," Zulong scoffed. "Qinglong this is no small matter. This is the Phoenix Sovereign we''re talking about." "But brother, she''s motivated by the exact same reason as you are." Zulong widened his eyes. "What are you talking about?" "Her children!" ¡­ Whatever was said between his father and uncle Denglong didn''t know. His second uncle was always strangely affectionate whenever the avians were brought up. Denglong honestly could not say where his loyalties lied on that regard. He loved his uncle but he would still kill him if he turned on them. Truthfully, Denglong did not care much wether the deal was passed or not. He was fine either way, his role was that of a protector. If this was the best way his father decided, then so be it. Little by little, six hours went by before agreements were made. "Thank you fellow daoist," Chongming saluted towards. "As gratitude, please precent this gift to his majesty the Immemorial Celestial Dragon Sovereign." Denglong''s ears picked up the sound of a box being retrieved from one of the avian''s sleeves. It existed their pocket dimension and was carried towards his younger brother. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ''I guess that went smoothly enough,'' he concluded as he watched the ongoing proceedings. His nose sniffed the air around the man walking forwards for any signs of danger as was his duty. He locked eyes with Bi An and nodded. "Very well, I will be gracious and accept this gift in my father''s name," the tiger dragon hybrid said. The avian with the box was one of crow descent. He had the appearance of a middle aged man with a thick black beard and the cultivation base reaching into Great Principle Chaos Immortals and not a weak one at that. But he did not carry the distinct scent of a phoenix. Denglong concluded this was probably a clan head from way back when. His bone age was reading to be higher than his own after all. "Your highness, may I present the Destiny Seeking Needle," the crow said opening the box to reveal a precious treasure at the highest tier of xiantian level. Sounds of amazement and astonishment went throughout the room. A top grade xiantian spiritual treasures wasn''t small business. Was Zufeng actually allowing this? Even Denglong''s eyes were moved. He looked towards Chongming and the bird had a weird look. The crow was completely calm as he kneeled and held the box up towards Bi An. The son of the dragon reached out to grab the box. Denglong''s eyes narrowed as he watched Chongming''s eyebrows raise. He flashed his gaze towards the needle being levitated from its box. As a precaution, he opened his mouth. His senses did not hint at any deceit and as far as he was aware, this was a genuine gift. The crow''s intentions were fully intent of presenting a gift. Denglong''s divine senses read as much from all the intricacies of the cosmos. VROOM! The needle twisted mid air. Its sharp end pointed right at Bi An''s face. As the prince''s eyes widened in fear as the needle fired itself off. Everything moved in slow motion. Denglong felt something was wrong even before an attack was made. His mouth widened, his jaws extended. A terrifying torrent of sound emanating from Denglong''s mouth roared out in a sonic blast. His sudden blow was so monstrous and urgent, that was not as precise as he''d want it to be. But no matter the case, his brother and the needle were both impacted. The stone chairs Bi An sat on was disintegrated upon impact. The much tougher Bi An was knocked back. But the impact of Denglong''s sudden attack made it possible for Bi An to narrowly escape with his life. In addition to the momentum he gained, Bi An''s quick thinking in the moments just after his realisation that something was wrong, allowed him to tilt his head just enough for the needle to no puncture through his brain. But it was wishful thinking if he''d gotten out of it Scott free. SPLATTER! "GAH!" Bi An cried out falling back clutching his right eye. His bleeding socket leaked out particles of Dao essence uncontrollably. His remaining eye eyed the needle in shock before he shot streams of power like an eruption from a dormant volcano. This combined with Denglong''s cry obliterated an entire wing of the base designed to withstand opposition from similar ranked immortals. Bi An fell onto his back a distance away. Denglong flashed to his side within a moment''s notice. He looked up to glare at the crow who charged towards them with the needle. "ASSASSIN! Honourees scoundrels!" A shark from the dragon''s side screeched pointing at the avians. "KILL!" Groups of crabs, shrimps, dolphins, and even dragons charged at the avians. "You¡­you wait just a¡­" a crane cried out before he was ruthlessly cut in two. The ocean forces charged relentlessly to avenge their fallen prince. "Hold on," Chongming, having finally got his bearings back tried to cry out. "Wow what a Chongming bird. So this is how he''s really like?" A shark mocked before relentlessly attacking the avian. "You don''t deserve to live you traitorous scum." "Do not make me defend myself," Chongming growled. His flaming palms blocked multiple strikes coming his way. The avails were horribly outnumbered from the initial attack. Chongming glanced back catching sight of others being cut down. Outside, lightning and ominous clouds, a byproduct of natural chaos tore into the landscape. The island the base nested on became the epicentre of a typhoon. "You sea lot are sure dense, fine, you want to fight? Let''s go, KILL!" The avian side, although overwhelmed, pushed back with killing intent. Both sides quickly spiralled out into chaos. Blood was shed as immortals both strong and weak were cut down. In a bid to defend himself, Chongming executed the shark infant of him who exploded in a mass of dark smoke. On the other side of the island, another scuffle came to an abrupt end. Denglong''s canine body shielded Bi An''s from as his thick head roared. His screech caused the crow''s eardrums to burst and his physical form to cave in on itself. "You filthy pigeon," Denglong said rising up. He knocked aside the needle, sustaining a pierce at his paw as a result. But he was close enough that a single slap from him caved in the crow''s head. The avian''s true form fell, tumbling onto the pavement. "You''re coming with me!" He gushed out in the final moment''s of his life. As he did so, his black feathered body glowed with magma like cracks. Denglong''s eyes widened as he dashed for Bi An. "Get down!" He commanded everyone in a booming voice. It thundered throughout the heavens and was louder then even the clash of countless immortals. It certainly caught their attention, even if it was a little late. The crow self destructed like a nuclear blast, catching both sides off guard. In those split seconds, Chongming made a bid to shield himself as did many others at the Great Principle realm. The unstable eruption of power from a self detonation at the Chaos Immortal realm produced an insane amount of energy. Enough energy that a hole in reality was blown through. The thick layers of currents originating from the void washed into the physical world. Countless lifeforms in the area who''d managed to survive the environmental damage from the clash were instantly caught and carried away. Only the Chaos Immortals were able to resist albeit with difficulties. "Grah!" Bi An cried clutching his body in agony. His face leaked flame like substances. Denglong saw this and held his brother close. His flesh bulged as thick veins emerged and even his eyes became bloodshot. "Retreat!" He exclaimed. Whatever event didn''t matter anymore. He needed to secure Bi An and fast. Without warning, Denglong bolted for the South Sea Dragon Palace. Seeing this, the dragons and seafolk fled as well, unwilling to remain behind while the avians'' top figures still here. "The avians were a bunch of foul villains," a shark scolded as he left. "We will not forget this." "Do not slander us, that was not us," a phoenix angrily retorted. "Return, we need to get to the bottom of this," Chongming commanded his side. "Why would daoist Ya do something like this? Your majesty, could you really?" Chongming shook his head. "Her majesty was explicit in her instructions. I need to consult her." This was bad. Chongming feared the outcome. If Zulong was anything like what Zufeng and Zhuque said, he''d be rampaging. Things were going so wrong so fast. ... "Fuck!" a figure grunted in pain keeling over gripping his chest. he huffed and puffed and spat out a bit of blood. "Backlash was stronger than expected," he said with bloodshot eyes. Luckily, there were only two occupants in this isolated room. "Disciple," another figure called out. "Master, I have succeeded," he said. "Hm," his master, an aged man with long scraggly hair nodded. Then he slapped the other man with his backhand sending him tumbling to the ground. "You suffered from cultivation deviation you worthless fool," he spat. "Your cultivation into emotions and desires leave so much to be desired. How could a youth taken in by I the esteemed Emperor Rippling Reflections be so useless? Do you even understand my doctrine? Do you understand the cultivation style I''m trying to teach?" he yelled pointing at the younger man. "Apologies master," the younger man''s eyes glazed over and he sagged his shoulders. "I swear to do better." "Hmph," the master, Emperor Rippling Reflection snorted turning away and exiting the room. All the while he carried a deeply hidden anxious feeling. Chapter 124-His Failure There were no words that could describe the absolute fury Zulong felt. No words nor action left the ruler of the four seas, not even as he watched Bi An''s prone form. Nothing beyond a cold dead gaze, one which promised nothing but pain towards the perpetrator. The deal was fake. He had been lied to. And he had fallen for it. How could this happen under his watch? He was too complacent. He should have destroyed them sooner. These were among the many thousands of thoughts running full speed in Zulong''s mind. This was the first time ever where he felt his failure full force. What Dragon Sovereign? What overlord of the primitive world? What Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal? He still failed to protect his son. Bi An was in a state of agony. Though his peaceful state may not look it, it was only the result of tranquillizing formations and the work of dozens of dragons and turtles helping him recover. This current wing of the place they were all in was placed deep within the complex. Protected from all sides by armies of guards. Very few were even allowed near Bi An. Here, Bi An lay floating inside a bubble of contaminated water. There were tubes operated by top immortals filtering out whatever filth is infesting the water and others trying to stabilise the situation. But dark flame like substances were seen sealed within containers for study. Separating the operating room and Zulong was a wide plane of glass. Ordinary sea water was not permitted into the room. Zulong could only watch from the other side trusting others to do their work. At times like these he was frustrated with his inability to understand what had infected his son. Denglong had wondered off somewhere. After delivering Bi An to the South Sea Dragon Palace, Yinglong had to restrain him from dong anything rash. The two had then made a quick journey back to the east. Once there, Denglong remained seated not far from Zulong. The strongest son of the dragon appeared dead to the world with his face placed squarely in his palm. "Zufeng, oh Zufeng," Zulong chuckled as his hair shadowed his eyes. "Son, can you forgive your useless father?" Who was it that sent his son out for that meet up? Who was it that placed trust in Zufeng''s words? Zulong felt like he could blame none but himself. Tap! Tap! Tap! Zulong heard soft footsteps behind him. He slightly turned his head and acknowledged his eldest Qiu Niu''s approach. "Mother is stable now, Chao Feng and Chi Wen are accompanying her," he began saying. Zulong nodded, still staring at Bi An. "Gui Daiyu is a strong woman," Zulong replied. His wife had collapsed like a mortal when she''d seen Bi An''s form a scant few hours ago. Zulong mentally made a note to see how she was holding up after all this. At the time, he himself could barely stand as well. But as sovereign, he could not afford himself the luxury to. Qiu Niu took a quick gaze at his younger brother''s body then closed his eyes with a look of frustration. "Damned birds," he spat. His fists gripped so tightly that blood was flowing out of fingernail wounds. Zulong waved his hand and Qiu Niu''s palms slackened against his will. His wounds closed up and blood flowed back in. The eldest prince eyed his father and muttered an apology. Zulong shook his head and said, "There''s no need". He placed his palms against the glass panels. "Bi An is strong father, he will make it through," Qiu Niu tried to reassure the dragon. "Nothing in this world can challenge the blood of the dragon. He will pull through, he will pull through¡­" he trailed off. Zulong understood his eldest''s fear. His children had not been hurt like this in a long time. Not since they had all ascended to the Primal Origin Chaos Immortal had so much damage been inflicted. Sure, Yazi, Denglong, and Suanni etc had been hurt in battles before. But they were flesh wounds that were easy to heal. Bi An on the other hand was still being attacked by a malevolent force. Something the dragons still do not understand. Everything from his flesh, to his Dao, to his soul was being attacked. It was a sinister blow unlike anything anyone had ever witnessed. "What do we do now?" Qiu Niu asked. Across from them, Denglong perked up in interest as well. He did not dare meet Zulong''s nor Qiu Niu''s eyes fearing what he may find. But the staunch protector was itching for an answer. "This act cannot be forgiven," Zulong simply stated. "If Zufeng thinks its so easy kill my own kin then she can think again. Denglong, Qiu Niu, gather your siblings and marshal my forces." "We''ll raze the south continent to the last atom." ¡­ "Have you heard?" Zhunti perked up from the bread he was eating. Jieyin sat down across him and slipped a local edition of the newspaper across the table of the restaurant both were eating in. "Massive explosion at south continent shore a day ago?" Zhunti mumbled holding the paper up. "How did west continent get news from the south so quickly?" "Devils aren''t simply junior brother," Jieyin reminded. "I''d wager they have some means to detect things from far away." "There''s not much detail here," Zhunti grunted. "What do you think happened?" "Who knows, nothing to do with us at least. But from the writing, it seems the south sea and the south continent will be in open conflict soon," he took a bread off the plate and ate. Conspiracy theories and gossip were rife within devil newspaper. Tales about the barbarous outside world and the unenlightened freaks who were non devils were dime a dozen. For cultivators who could not classify themselves as devils, they were a source for contempt and mockery. Jieyin and Zhunti were among these bunch. Even now, there were stories about two golden criminals murdering and pillaging their way across the west. Sensational news that shat all over their actual deeds. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. But for the two, the West Continent was their home. They were hesitant to truly leave their place of origin. As innate gods, they were spawned by the land and air of this place. It wasn''t the same feeling as a postnatal life form would their own homeland. As such, they remained within the west for now. "Things are quite chaotic outside the west, not to mention things are hard inside the west," Zhunti murmured. "Hey senior brother, when we perfect our Dao and reach the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal realm, what say we liberate the west from the control of these devilish villains? We could start our own sect and save all living beings from their misery." "One step at a time brother less you get too ambitious for your own good," Jieyin scoffed. "You haven''t even found your own Dao yet and only just formed your primal unity, don''t think about such complex things." "Ah sorry sorry." However, the two froze when they noticed others looking at them. "Liberate from devils?" "Could they be spies from outside?" "Now that I look at them they don''t have the same Qi as devils do." With an ''Oh Shit'' expression, both brothers immediately bolted out of the small town they were staying in. ¡­ Elsewhere, in a secluded dining room in a yum cha restaurant, two Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal devils sat in meeting. One was an old man with disheveled hair while the other as a beautiful young woman. "You seem concerned, I thought things were going well for you Daoist Rippling Reflection?" The young woman asked. "Thank you senior for your concern senior," the old man said. "But it is natural for me to be concerned. The world is on a thin tightrope right now." The young woman nodded taking a sip of her tea. Reports from devil spies in the South Continent had already sent back news. Reports from agents that had for sure reached all the devil emperors by now. "I must thank you senior for your gift. Without your expertise I would''ve never been able to succeed," he said. "I''ve promised you payment and here it is." He handed over a jewel which the woman accepted without hesitation. "Marvellous work as always," she said admiring her reflection within the jewel. "What are allies for? I always aim for flawlessness," Devil Emperor Rippling Reflection chuckled. "Though you can submerge yourself in it later. Our esteemed ancestor wants us to prepare a quota by the end of the decade and you''re still far behind." "Yes, yes I know," the woman groaned and stored the jewel away in her sleeve. The was very much annoyed by Louhu''s awakening. But their shared ancestor had his demands and as his servants they must oblige. "So much work for one old coot," she grumbled. "Hey now, that old coot is someone who''s reached Wuji. Senior Intoxicated Dream, he''s quite out of our league. From ancient accounts, it is right for our ancestor to fear him. You know how important it is to guarantee a victory," the old man said. "You know," Rippling Reflection added. "Master Hundun told me this once. After the primitive world becomes ancestor''s new body, we shall roam the chaos sea with him and ascend to endless heights." He mused whimsically before he shifted into a frown. "Ah what fun times those days were." The woman across him sighed as well. They truly were naive then. "You know," Empress Intoxicated Dream said. "After all this is said and done. We''d become enemies, you and I and everyone else." "Of course, I wouldn''t have it any other way." The intense struggle to the top was intrinsic in every devil''s bones. Even if they were cooperating or even fond acquaintances. They would not hesitate to backstab each other. All''s fare in cultivation or so they say. Luohu was first and foremost a chaos godfiend. He too adhered to the god and fiend mentality that Hongjun was on. But compared to Hongjun, he strays too much into fiend in his rival''s opinion. Younger devils like Rippling Reflection and Intoxicated Dream were not privy to the two''s past. But they knew enough to know their purpose was to combat Hongjun. Louhu''s own canon fodders against Hongjun''s own. Suddenly, both devil emperors perked up. They both felt tugs in their hearts and understood the reason. They were being summoned again. "So close to last time," they grumbled before getting out of their seats and exiting the restaurant. ¡­ Gazing at distant storm clouds, Haotian frowned. It didn''t take a genius to figure what had happened in the past few days. Rays of tribulation lightning were emanating everywhere in the far east. The rage of the dragon was evident even if he was not physically present. "Big brother, I''m scared," Yaochi murmured beside Haotian. "So am I," Haotian mumbled with a nod. Why couldn''t things go right when they needed to. Deeper in the Zixiao palace, beyond Haotian and Yacht''s notice, Hongjun scrutinised his eyebrows. His confusion was palpable and he did not like the feeling of not knowing anything. "What on earth happened?" He seethed. His remaining corpse in Phoenix roost was only giving back confusion at the situation. It was a predicament he didn''t want anyone else to know. Hence he isolated himself and blocked out the Heavenly Dao''s gaze. "Who triggered the war?" While Hongjun was not pleased with the decision of Zufeng to reach out to Zulong, he had not stopped her due to the abruptness of the command. He was expecting to have to assist in an ''accident'' later down the road. Trigger the tribulation that was way past its due date and hurry the world along in development. Dispose of the two eyesores and eliminate all previous godfiends that had outlived their worth. Get rid of the annoyance named Luohu then claim his prize when no one is left to stop him. But his job was done for him. It was done completely out of his calculations. Out of the Heavenly Dao''s calculations. And he didn''t like it. Chapter 125-Consequences "Brother please reconsider, there must be an explanation!" The East Sea Dragon Palace was in a huge commotion. Legions upon legions of soldiers had been recalled. They assembled in the waters above the dragon city amassing an enormous amount of power. At Zulong''s call, powerful immortals from his domain began gathering. At this point in time, trillions of True and Profound Immortals acted as foot soldiers while billions of Heavenly Immortals led them. Squadrons of triple crowned Heavenly Immortals stood as elite soldiers. A staggering number of Golden Immortals and above experts had appeared as well. Yet once lofty both Golden and Great Unity Golden Immortals could only present themselves as minor figures, leaders of groups but nothing major. Only the true mighty figures, Great Principle Chaos Immortals could lead divisions of the army and even they served under more prominent Primal Origin Chaos Immortals. The children of the Dragon Sovereign had obeyed their father and gathered in unison. But there was a resenting voice. One that was grating on Zulong''s nerves. As Zulong halted his step at the courtyard of his palace, Qinglong trailed behind him with an urgent look on his face. The sheer aura emanating from them were explosive and almighty. Behind them, they left a trail of unconscious body. Servants and ministers, each immortals in their own right could not keep their consciousness in the dragon''s presence. Zulong at present was very much unrestrained. Only a select few could approach him and as his mood worsened, this few number shortened. "There has to be an explanation. You and I have viewed nephew''s memories, there was something going on," Qinglong urged. Zulong however, was steadfast in his march. It was as if the azure dragon was little more than a buzzing bee unworthy of his attention. Qinglong swallowed a harsh bile and grabbed hold of his elder brother''s shoulder. "Zulong would you please listen to me," he cried out. "You and I both know this event is suspicious. We can talk it out with the Phoenix Sovereign, sister Zhuque and I can arrange it. There''s no need to launch a¡­" Whatever he was going to say next was drowned out by the abrupt violent turbulence of the water surrounding them. An oppressive aura fell upon the shoulder of the azure dragon, a mighty force far larger than anything he had ever felt before. But that wasn''t entirely accurate Rather, he had felt it before, just not fully concentrated on his person. He could feel the very nature of the universe around him diluting. Time stilled in its most literal sense, the wave of horrendous power washing over him would be enough to massacre a dozen Great Principle Chaos Immortals working together into atoms. Qinglong was completely and utterly frozen, unable to do anything but accept Zulong''s judgement. He was by no means weak, he was a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal himself. He would go so far as to claim superiority over the original three thousand godfiends in terms of strength. Yet he could not resist Zulong in the slightest. "You are my brother, flesh and blood brother," Zulong said. "That is the only reason you are not a smear on the floor." The threat carried an enormous amount of malice. Bloodlust was practically oozing out of Zulong''s sharp eyes. The glare the elder dragon sent the younger as he turned his head was one that could freeze the hottest of suns. "How could you say that," Qinglong murmured. The shock of such threat from Zulong was like a club to the face. It was only the slight regret he saw on Zulong''s face that eased him. "My son," Zulong said. "I trusted her. If that peacock is so incompetent as to not even be able to control her own vassals? What point if there to negotiate?" Qinglong understood. Zulong was far from dumb, even emotionally compromised he was still logical enough to recognise Zufeng as not being the direct cause based upon what Denglong had seen of Chongming. But that did not change that the phoenixes were at fault. Since Zufeng could not control her own court, since her incompetence lead to his son''s hospitalisation, what was the point of talking to her? Qinglong had no response for Zulong. He could only look down at the floor, shaking in frustration. "Evidently," Zulong began saying. "You are compromised. I forgive you for your transgression. But you are hereby forbidden from leaving the east sea until my return." Qinglong nodded dimly muttering a soft, "understood. As Zulong''s form retreated towards the palace gate, Qinglong called out again. "I am in charge of training our junior sisters in the starry skies. May I at least go there?" He asked. Zulong took a moment to consider. He was furious with Qinglong and was heavily tempted to deny him. But thinking about it some more, he said; "Go to the stars. But you are not permitted to enter the great wilderness, seas or continent besides the east sea. Failure to comply is treason," he declared looking back one last time. "Understood your majesty," Qinglong said bowing. He remained in such a position even as Zulong rose towards the ocean surface to meet his army. Qinglong watch him go and sighed. He could feel displeased glares behind his back though he did not mind them. He understood their reason and empathised. Hence he did not stay long and directly entered the starry skies. ¡­ Beyond the great wilderness, within the burning stars of the starry skies. Two sisters watched the world below them through a projector formed from a curtain of water. "Hey sis, what do you think they''re all doing?" Changxi asked mulching on some melon seeds. Xihe hummed to herself watching the waves of sea creatures amassing above the east sea and south sea. They had just wanted to see what their senior brother Qinglong was doing and to see an army was the last thing they expected. "Looks to be big trouble," Xihe said. "I''m worried." She had a bad premonition not long ago but hadn''t thought anything of it. She had those all the time and they amounted to nothing, just another side affect of being a being born of heaven and earth. The subtle course of destiny could be felt even if she''s not trying. "Do you think we should get involved?" Changxi asked. "Not only are we strong but we''re mighty Great Principle Chaos Immortals, and it''s also people familiar with us. Practically family." ''You reached Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm,'' Xihe thought bitterly. She hadn''t even sprouted a tree yet. "Little sister, I would want to help if we can. But we shouldn''t be hasty," she advised Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Changxi nodded obediently. "Thanks for correcting me, you always know so much," she chuckled. Out of nowhere, Changxi flinched. "What is it?" Xihe asked. "Senior brother is back, he''s outside the lunar star," she replied. "Well what are you doing? Invite him in already!" Changxi nodded and dropped the barrier around the lunar star. Qinglong entered the Lunar Palace. He joined both sisters in Wangshu''s dining chamber. Idly he took note of the water curtain they were using. "Master''s old viewing mirror, was wondering where that went" he muttered. "Senior brother," the two goddesses greeted. They divulged into small talks after that. Qinglong took care to answer some of Changxi''s and XIhe''s questions as he accompanied them. Even then, Xihe didn''t find him helpful at all. ''Some outside perspective he turned out to be. Just kept regurgitating master''s doctrine,'' she thought to herself. It''ll be rude of her to openly admit it not to mention Qinglong could squash her like a bug. ''It''s not fair. It''s not fair at all.'' Ignorant of her thoughts, Qinglong was deep in contemplation. He just didn''t know what to do anymore. ¡­ Elsewhere, a pair of three legged golden feathered crows leapt around an astroid field. They radiated pure power as they easily smashed apart thick chunk of rock blocking their way and landed on another surface. "This the one?" Di Jun asked Taiyi while morphing into the shape of a human The other golden crow morphed into a young man wearing spectacles. He pulled out a piece of paper and observed the image within. "Should be it," he replied. Di Jun nodded and held his palm down. With a single command, he unleashed waves of concentrated fire like a laser beam. He burnt a hole into the astroid and reached down. Out he pulled a chunk of metal and twirled it in his hand. "Right, let''s go, they''re waiting for us." The two transformed back and flew into a distant star. Di Jun, always the sunny the fellow could not say no to those pitiful creatures in need to aid. They landed in a village near a dead sun. This star was cold and the inhabitants weak. They too were creatures born in the starry skies but had long ago lost their strongest cultivators. Now they were stuck on a cold world. Di Jun heated up the piece of metal until it became a ball of white light. Then he activated his own treasure, the Celestial River Diagram. From it, he formed a simple formation and created an artificial heat source. "There you go," he said. "Though I have to ask, why didn''t just ask us to take you somewhere else?" "We cannot possibly trouble seniors, besides this star is our ancestral home, we cannot leave it," the village elder said. Di Jun nodded. That evening, he celebrated with the villagers as if he were one of them. Drinking, playing, chatting, he was comfortable in getting to know them. His younger brother however stayed out of it. The sun crow Taiyi sat outside on a boulder meditating instead. His icy demeanour acted as a great barrier for others to approach him. He didn''t mind Di Jun hanging out with others even if he personally didn''t enjoy it. Let Di Jun handle that stuff, he''ll support his brother from behind either way. No matter how ludicrous his goals become. "There you are brother," Di Jun strolled up beside him. In his human form, Di Jun carried a sack full of gifts. Taiyi raised and eyebrow and chuckled "Had fun?" "Plenty. They built me a shrine so I''m getting karmic luck from worship now." Taiyi nodded. "How long do you plan to loiter around here? The starry skies doesn''t present much opportunities." ''We wasting time where we should be cultivating the Dao,'' left unsaid. "Hey, it''s always nice to gather some support wherever you are," Di Jun shot back. "You should talk to someone sometime, and no I don''t count." Taiyi grunted in response. Instead, he looked up towards a distant Jianmu tree. The gateway leading from the great wilderness to the starry skies was still open and was the normal way people would travel to the starry skies. Opening gateways through the void was an easy option for them. But the brothers had sensed an opportunity leading them westwards. And what was west but the Jianmu tree. ¡­ Phoenix roost was in a frenzy when Zufeng returned to her palace days ago. The chaotic accusations flung forth by Chongming were met with denial and anger. It was only when Zufeng returned did things ended up calming down. But here, sitting on her throne, the once proud phoenix appeared extremely anxious. She had thrown out all her ministers for the day to not allow them to see her in this state. She swallowed hard even as she bit through her finger nail. "Fuck, how did it go so wrong?" She was torn on what to do. Things had been so simple before. "Sister," Zhuque tried to comfort the sovereign, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Have you any news as to who had done this?" Zufeng asked tiredly. Zhuque could only shake her head. "I don''t want to fight a war, not now of all times," the phoenix growled in frustration holding her head in her hands. She was speaking to no one in particular but even so, Zhuque felt incredibly guilty. ''I should''ve been more careful,'' she told herself. "Sister, they¡­" Zhuque tried to say. But Zufeng released a loud sigh. "I know, I could feel them from a world away," Zufeng sighed. Her mind went back to her eggs hidden deep within the underground volcano. Fighting the dragon was the worst possible outcome. She wasn''t strong enough to pull a victory through and she knew that. She hated Chongming for not catching on what was going on sooner. She hated herself for not being more careful. Above all else, she wanted to tear apart the one responsible for bringing this mess upon her shoulders. "YOU FILTHY FLAT HAIRED BEASTS, ROLL OUT HERE AND FACE JUDGEMENT!" She heard Zulong''s voice thunder from outside. Zhuque was left rambling upon hearing it. Zufeng had no doubt in mind that nobody else could keep their act together in a time like this. In the next instant, the roof of her palace was blown off, smashed away from an irradiating power. Zufeng stood up from her throne and floated up with a resigned look. Eye to eye, she met the murderous form of the Dragon Sovereign. Chapter 126-Rescuing Bi An The boundaries of reality rippled and distorted, before peeling away like the wrappings of a banana. What manifested was a titanic island which floated with a harmonious aura both mesmerising yet daunting. It was as if it it did not belong in this universe and was merely an image projected onto this texture of existence. Yet it was a physical landmass who''s presence can be felt by the entirety of Kailong Chen. It would''ve only been several hours since Zulong departed with what was essentially the east sea''s entire fighting force. What remained were the bare minimum personnel left to run the city and to protect his resting son. So when Yingzhou manifested right above the capital city, it did cause quite a commotion. Yingzhou did not show itself often and this would''ve been the first time in many Yuanhui it has done so so close to the capital. Within the immortal island, a feminine figure gazed down. She took the reins of the phoenix beside her and rode him down, diving into the water and leaving the island behind. Yi Fei''e and her mount Cinnabar made haste, reaching the city in mere moments. Her landing caused the water to ripple and even knocked some servants int he courtyard off their feet. Her presence also wasn''t noticed, the elder Zulong left in charge had already teleported into the courtyard to greet her. "I came as soon as I heard," Yi Fei''e said. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Bi An''s injured state was among the worst possible news for the eldest female disciple of Da Hai. It presented a reality no one wanted to accept. But with the rumours that the phoenix had been so sinister in their dealings, she had to bring Cinnabar to check out the situation. "Lady Yi Fei''e," the dragon elder and current expert that was holding down the fort, Ni Hong, cupped their hands and bowed first. "Greetings, it''s an honour to be in your presence," they said in a voice that was conjoined in male and female tones. "Young master Bi An''s condition is not good. I can lead you to him immediately." The dragon motioned for Yi Fei''e to follow and lead her within the palace complex. They went towards the inner sanctums where security was noticeably higher. Everyone was on edge yet still greeted Yi Fei''e with high reverence. Her mount on the other hand kept his head down. Mounts were only respected if their master was powerful. In ordinary scenarios, no matter how humiliating being a mount to someone was, Cinnabar would still be held in respect simply for being associated with the Yingzhou lineage. But in the current situation, that sentiment towards him had dipped drastically. The glares and distrustful looks he''d received in the way here was very much noticeably, if ignored by his mistress. The once proud phoenix could only dip his head and bear with it for now. Causing trouble was just asking for death. When they entered the chamber Bi An was held in, Yi Fei''e wrinkled her nose. Her flinch was noticed by Ni Hong and they gained a curious look. In reality, the moth could smell a corrupting force that was surrounding Bi An like flies on a dung pile. "The hell," she grimaced stepping forwards. "Aunt!" Yi Fei''e tilted her head in surprise. Ao Guang, Yinglong''s son approached her in surprise. "Guang''er, you did not accompany eldest brother?" She inquired. "No, emperor-uncle told me to stay. Probably for the best, I can''t contribute too much to the fighting anyway," he said looking down. Yinglong''s children could never compare to the dominance of Zulong''s own. Despite being many years older than Bi An, Ao Guang was infinitely inferior in terms of both strength and accomplishments. As a minor Golden Immortal, he could only take up some administrative roles. Even younger dragons like Ni Hong had long surpassed him. "Your Highness, Lady Yi has come to see if prince Bi An''s condition can be improved," Ni Hong said before turning towards Yi Fei''e. "Though I''m afraid we cannot to much. Whatever is wrong with him is outside my understanding." They took a glance at Cinnabar and asked, "Would you know anything lord Cinnabar Phoenix?" "How would I know?" Cinnabar scoffed narrowing his eyes. "I haven''t been part of the avians for the better part of the last several hundred thousand years." "My cousin was hurt in phoenix domain," Ao Guang said glaring back suspiciously. "Despite your presence, much of you avians still have mysterious techniques we aren''t aware of." It was at this moment that Yi Fei''e stepped between them. Her presence acted as a soothing feeling that quelled the irritation Cinnabar felt and warned the two dragons to back off. "If my mount was aware of anything, I would be the first to know," she said. With that said, she sent a warning look towards Ni Hong and Ao Guang. Above all else, Cinnabar was a member of her household. She approached where Bi An was kept. Several high ranking dragons and turtles were present and noticed her approach. "My lady, it''s dangerous." Yi Fei''e nodded but still approached undaunted. She glanced at Bi An''s sedated form and wondered to herself, what could possibly knock a Hunyuan Golden Immortal out of commission like this? Little by little, her eyes gained a celestial lustre. Within her celestial eyes, six stars forming the shape of a spoon manifested. Her skin changed from milky white to almost transparent, like a membrane containing a galaxy. Her innards became identical to a cloudless night sky and moth wings appeared behind her. Both Ni Hong and Ao Guang were awed by the sight. This was because the power Yi Fei''e was showing eclipsed that of even Yinglong or Qinglong. It was as close to one could get to the Dragon Sovereign without being Zulong themselves. However, as opposed to Zulnog, her power was a lot more restrained. It wasn''t ferocious nor was it brutal. It wasn''t imperial nor was it commanding. Rather it was disciplined with many nuances that could not be perceived upon first viewing. "Show yourself, what are you?" Yi Fei''e ironed at towards the happenings within Bi An''s body. Her hand reached out for her nephew''s forehead. THOOM! It was then that a counterattack of smoke emerged. It struck out like a tidal wave intending to penetrate Yi Fei''e. Yet such a puny power could not puncture her body much less damage her. "Aunt!" Ao Guang stepped forwards in worry only to be instantly blown back like a rag doll. If not for elder Ni Hong, who swiftly caught him, he''d be busy making Ao Guang shaped holes through the palace. But as Yi Fei''e extended her index finger, and as it made contact with Bi An''s forehead, her eyes dulled. Her shoulders slacked and her bodily motions stopped. Behind her, the others felt a sinister feeling emerging. ¡­ "Hm?" Yi Fei''e lifted her head in her room. Her bean bag gifted by her master was on the side. Her romance novels scattered around alongside covers of cultivation manuals. Dolls and weapons alike lay in a heap and a portrait of herself hung on the walls. "Fei''e, oh Yi Fei''e, why do you hide all the time?" Her own voice responded to her in a shrill tone. "What are you so scared of?" Yi Fei''e turned around with a curious look. "What?" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "You two faced coward. Why are you so scared of the opinions of others? Embrace your interest," her body double said opening her arms wide. "Oh god you''re naked," Yi Fei''e quickly concluded with a look of appreciation. "Forgot how beautiful I was. Who are you?" "What are you talking about love? I''m you. Except minus all that self restraint. You''re limiting yourself you know, it''s not healthy to bottle up everything. You need to live a little, embrace your desires," she said. Yi Fei''e raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What a wonderfully crafted illusion," she mused rubbing her chin and examined the other person who was an identical recreation of herself. "Illusion?" Her other self spat. "Hardly, I''m merely you but liberated in full as we rightfully should be." "Is that why you''re naked?" Yi Fei''e said straightening herself up. "That does make a lot of sense. But why show yourself to me? In fact, what motivated you to manifest?" "To show you the truth. After all, Yi Fei''e, you''ve been hiding too much about yourself. You''re so scared of what¡­" "Alright, Imma need to stop you there," Yi Fei''e held up her hand in a commanding tone. "First of, I hide nothing about myself. It''s just a bit embarrassing to talk about porn in public so I don''t. And everyone basically knows." "You really think that''s all?" Her other self said. "Don''t fool me Yi Fei''e. I''m talking about a different type of lust." The white moth narrowed her eyes. "Oh, you''re talking about that. Yes, I am a bit prone to holding myself back." "That sword hungers, your body hungers, yet you deny it. Come on, we both know we''re itching to kill something. To test our metal so to speak?" "I don''t deny it, I just lack enemies powerful enough to go all out. All those who can are my brothers and master. None of my sisters compare and everyone else is either unreachable or in hiding," Yi Fei''e sighed. "You''re really bad at this you know," Yi Fei''e said towards her naked self. Then she drew her sword. "You are certainly part of me. Whatever self doubting thoughts that were in the recesses of my mind were drawn out and given form. Too bad for you," she muttered as with a single swing, Yi Fei''e cut the other woman in half. "I''m not ignorant to my own repressed desires. If my mental state was that weak I''d never have reached where I am now," she said bemused. Her sword retracted, she¡­ ¡­ Opened her eyes and gazed down at Bi An. "Nice job nephew, holding your inner demons back," she praised. Her other hand shifted positions and opened Bi An''s eyelid. Within, she observed the clashing energies of Bi An and another individual. "Aunt!" Ao Guang ran forwards after the cold feeling subsided. "What happened with you? Is cousin alright?" "No not approach," Yi Fei''e warned harshly. "Step back else you be infected too." "Mistress, dare I ask what''s going on?" Cinnabar asked. "His body, his very mind is stuck in endless turmoil. Whatever hit him brought his darkest most thoughts to light and birthed them into a complete individual. This individual is now fighting for control of the greater whole. You could say Bi An is warring in himself. Almost like an inner demon." Her explanation was met with alarm. No wonder no one could figure what was wrong with Bi An. He was fine physically, whatever injuries he sustained were likely just reflections of his mental state. It was his mind where the damage was. "As someone who''s extensively studied again cultivation arts curtesy of my mount over there, I can safely say this does not originate from the phoenix. The basic principles are vastly different." "For example," she held out her left hand towards the others. "This ability focuses on attracting the innermost desires of the target. It''s a move that seems to originates from another and revives the individual as one part of a greater whole. It''s like being converted to a drone for a hive? No that''s a bad analogy." Yi Fei''e had never directly encountered this enemy before. But based on its nature and what she examined, the description she came up with did match what she knew of the school of Seven Emotions and Six Desires. Or at least what''s he learned from Da Hai. The west wasn''t exactly accessible to her and the west sea didn''t have direct lineages. Yi Fei''e hardened her touch and leaned closer to Bi An. Her forehead was almost touching Zulong''s sons as she closed her eyes. "I''ll collect Bi An, I have an idea how this all works now." Ao Guang nodded anxiously as Yi Fei''e went still once again. ¡­ Yi Fei''e once again found herself transported into another location. This time, she was at a palace building, one she knew belonged to Bi An located within the east sea. "Bi An!" She called out, her voice riveting across the area. She didn''t have to wait long as a massive explosion occurred above her. Two titans resembling a cross between a tiger and a dragon were struggling against each other. One had ruby like red eyes and darker fur while the other had a normal complexion. "Aunt!" Bi An cried out, narrowly avoiding a tackle from his darker counterpart. "Hmph, calling for others to help? All that time wasted in management when you could be so much more. Son of the dragon my ass," the other chuckled darkly. "I¡­I haven''t wasted my time, managing the empire is important," Bi An replied uneasily. "And yet you fell so far behind even Chao Feng. That kid''s claws would scrape off our flesh in a single hit!" Yi Fei''e narrowed her eyes in anger. In one instant she stood on solid ground, in the next instant she was in front of dark Bi An. Her hand was held out and she stopped the tiger''s charge. "Aunt," Bi An greeted shamefully. "Aunt! Don''t you care for my future? I can''t go on living like this. My growth is forever stunted!" Dark Bi An begged. However, Yi Fei''e was not in the mood to listen. Her middle finger extended in a flick that released from her thumb. What resulted was a slash of cosmic Qi that eviscerated dark Bi An. She then turned towards the real Bi An. "Nephew, you can deal with your inner demons when they''re not threatening to kill you. But for now, let''s return to the real world." "Ah," Bi An stuttered in surprise. He still wasn''t over how quickly Yi Fei''e felt with the imposter. However, he felt something missing within him. Something unresolved within him that was not only present but still very dangerous and far from gone. Like what Yi Fei''e did ultimately accomplished nothing at all. "Yes, I suppose Denglong would be worried about me." Yi Fei''e shook her head. "Even more has happened since then." ¡­ Yi Fei''e opened her eyes staring directly into a flushed Bi An. She chuckled and stood back up. Her arm held out gripping Bi An''s own and heaved him to a sitting position. "Are you well?" She asked. While servants and others entered to fuss around him, Bi An nodded massaging the back of his neck. "Aunt, what really happened?" Ao Guang asked from beside Yi Fei''e. "You said Seven Emotion Six Desires right? Does that mean it''s devil related? But they''re reclusive in their west continent." "Evidently not," Yi Fei''e said shaking her head. "We need to see Zulong urgently. Else I fear a misunderstanding might occur." Chapter 127-Where it Begins Suanni ground his teeth in impatience. His irate aura was beginning to affect the squadron he was standing among even though he did nothing except standing still. "Brother, calm down," Chi Wen said from beside him. "You''re getting to these men." Suanni glanced at the immortals nearby and sighed. Then the oppressive aura lifted. Rather it retreated until it was only a foot away from Suanni. "Surprised you can remain so calm brother," the lion dragon hybrid said. "What makes you think that?" Chi Wen scoffed with a raised eyebrow. "Uncle is distributing the formation banners now. Once he''s done, we''ll follow father and end this once and for all." "And you''ve come to remind me to receive my flag?" Suanni inquired expectingly. "Yes." "So who''s replacing Bi An in the Great Overbearing Nine Songs formation?" "Elder Leishen is taking his place," Chi Wen said which brought a sound of confirmation from Suanni. As of this moment, the imperial army had just reached the South Sea Dragon Palace and met up with Yinglong. They''d came through from a massive tear in spacetime Zulong tore open above the east sea just as Da Hai did many Yuanhui ago. This time, they were leading a full invasion force. One which consisted of millions upon millions of immortals of varying levels. But hundreds of thousands of them were solidly in the Golden Immortal realm. The amount of power here was enough to make the world tremble. To even further this, Zulong brought out a formation long devised for his children to use. It was formed from a nine pointed star each represented by one of his sons and further supported by the conjoined power of numerous lesser immortals. But without Bi An it was undoubtedly weaker than it otherwise should''ve been. Suanni was itching for action. He wasn''t the most gun ho about killing the birds in the beginning but after their good willed negotiations were spurned, all bets were off. The flat haired beasts could die for all he cared. He was just sad that his cousins could not join them. His father had wanted them to remain as administrative heads rather than taking part in the fighting force. Right now, he wondered how scrambled the avians were. Their phoenix leaders should all be rushing back but without Zufeng doing a similar feat like Zulong, it''ll be extremely difficult for them to cross the continent in time. It''s only been a little over a week after all. Yet that small week was the most pain inducing one he''d ever experienced. Zulong had ripped apart reality on a fundamental level to marshal his forces. He was nowhere near as delicate as Da Hai and as such the void was in chaos and untraversable for anyone not already a Chaos Immortal. Furthermore, the newly sealed space was delicate and the slightest disturbance could open a fissure that could lead to a disaster. But fortunately, Phoenix''s Roost was not close to these delicate tears so they should be fine. Suanni accompanied Chi Wen toward Yinglong. They both received tall flags painted with their respective images. Formation flags were not a necessary aspect of using spiritual formations but they were a great assistance to stabilizing and channeling power. "Nephews," Yinglong said with a grim face. "Be careful. Your father is already suffering from this ordeal and it would only hurt him further if you also get hurt. I ask this as your uncle to please stay in the formation and defend our rear." "I take it the strongest elders will be leading as vanguard then? What is Leishen supposed to babysit us?" Suanni scoffed in annoyance. "Yes," Yinglong said cooly. "Leishen is stronger than the eight of you. He may be a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal but his combat prowess is equal to my own. Stay close together and within the formation." The two hesitantly nodded. "Good, now join the others. We''ll be moving out soon." The two nodded and took their stances once again waiting. They silently listened to the conversations around them. "Man I can''t wait. His majesty is finally moving against those filthy birds." "Heavens finally, I''ve been waiting for this for a Yuanhui and a half." "His majesty needs to be more decisive. I''d butcher those birds myself!" "Wipe them out, wipe them out. I can''t wait to start." "Kill, kill, kill. We''ll swim in bird blood!" "Then I''ll eat them baked, then roasted, then raw, then¡­" ''People are so bloodthirsty,'' Suanni thought. He was himself in rightous anger, but it was like these guys were in it for a massacre. Later on, a trumpet stylized in the shape of a dragon headed fish was blown, signaling their flight. ¡­ Far away, watching this once in a lifetime scene of power through the Vast Heavens Mirror. Haotian rubbed his chin in concern. Yaochi who sat beside him scrunched her face and squinted her eyes. "Senior brother, don''t look so glum, they''ve got nothing to do with us so. Master already assured me we won''t get caught up in their business anyways." When Haotian did not respond to her, she turned her gaze his way. "Are you paying attention to me, senior brother? Stop ignoring me," she whined. Haotian merely nodded but otherwise ignored her. "Senior brother! What''s so interesting about them anyway? They''re not our problem," she complained. "Let''s go eat a few of my flat peaches I grew, I''ve got some new breeds ready." "Stop bothering me," Haotian said waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "This is something I have to see." Haotian''s words were steady and conveyed no other emotion. His eyes were frosted and unmoved as he watched Zulong about to go to war. But deep inside though, he had a strong desire to assist. ''My role is to remain by Hongjun''s side and serve him until the while watching over him,'' he reminded himself. His thoughts were concealed deep within the recesses of his mind, detached from his own surface thoughts by Da Hai''s Dao. ''Be safe dragons, I wish you well.'' "Your senior brother is grown up and very serious, naturally he is concerned about major worldly events," Hongjun''s aged voice resonated in both Haotian and Yaochi''s ears. "But Yaochi is also right. Ultimately it is non of our concern, you should take some time to rest your mind. You''ve been doing too much of this deep thinking recently," he lectured. Haotian made a face at his comment. "It''s true, senior brother is nowadays all scrunched faced and rubbing his chin. He''s not smiling anymore and is all moody," Yaochi immediately took this time to complain. Hongjun sighed and shook his head chuckling. "My boy, see? Even she agrees with me." "But wouldn''t this battle erupt a tribulation? I''ve sensed it too you know. The waves of karma is threatening to reach a breaking point. Just one push is all it''ll need. It might''ve been slow but it''s been building up for over a million years now," Haotian argued. At this Hongjun nodded. "Indeed, as such, it''ll be an uncertain event where anything can happen. Divination will be impossible and sensing the Dao to cultivate will be extremely difficult. Everyone will be infected with the bloodlust to fight so it''s better if you both stay inside and not get caught up in that mess." "So as the first disciple under my seat, you should be very careful. Do you understand my boy? I do this under concern for you. I know how benevolent you can be but it''ll be reckless to get involved." The last time a tribulation occurred, the majority of the Chaos Godfiends lucky enough to reincarnate perished. Only a select few survived but those who did went on to become invisible titans of the current era. Hongjun had no doubt in his mind that they were all at the very least Primal Zenith Chaos Golden Immortal. But the war had also been chaotic. If even mighty godfiends, no matter how diminished perished, then it was paramount that Haotian did not get involved. He''d taken countless other disciples before across many Chaos Worlds. But none had impressed him as Haotian had. The boy was respectful and diligent and a natural in cultivating the Dao. He was someone who was worthy to be his disciple and stand below him. That was why Hongjun was willing to grant Haotian his place after he ascended. Truthfully he had never truly panned for this attachment. He was aware of future events in their majority, but he had not intended for things to go as it intended. If not for Luohu, events would''ve turned out very differently. "I¡­" Haotian appeared torn. But he nodded at Hongjun. "Master is wise, disciple was foolish but now I understand." "Good. It may be hypocritical of me to say but I will most likely get involved should a tribulation erupt from this. But I want you to stay and protect Yaochi when I''m gone." Haotian nodded. ''Da Hai is currently gone from this world. I''d need to contact him but I don''t know if he''s occupied or not.'' If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. It was dangerous to contact Da Hai on his end. Da Hai reaching him through his superior cultivation was much safer. ''Would my mission, my purpose come to an end then? If Da Hai returns and concludes his revenge then what should I do? My purpose would effectively be over¡­'' ''Well, I guess I can just follow the path of destiny if things do turn out like that. Lord knows how little influential power the Heavenly Dao actually has.'' Whatever the case, Haotian decided to go along with the flow of things for now. He wasn''t Da Hai and ultimately, Zulong and the rest were strangers to him. He was a clone, not an avatar nor an incarnation. "Hm?" Haotian perked up when he sensed a presence. This was much to the surprise of Hongjun who displayed a pleased look. ''That''s ma boy,'' he secretly cheered. "Sichen, this is a pleasant surprise, welcome to my abode. You should''ve contacted me. I haven''t even prepared any tea," Hongjun greeted politely. ''Sichen? Time demon god Sichen of the four strongest chaos godfiends?'' Haotian was alarmed by his sudden appearance but not overly surprised. It wasn''t a secret that Sichen was in contact with and even chats with Hongjun. "Daoist Hongjun, we have a problem," Sichen immediately said with no pleasantries. "My recent divination attempts have failed. That means it''s close right?" "If even your peering into the future failed then it most likely is," Hongjun said sagely. "The signs are already too strong to ignore." "Very well cricket. But remember, do not engage until we''re fully sure of victory. We don''t want a repeat of last time," Sichen spat in response. "I understand fellow daoist. My life is also on the line here," Hongjun responded sagely. "Don''t worry too much. We''ll all do our parts and you will be able to continue where left off." After that, Sichen merely acknowledged Hongjun before leaving. "Old man destiny, Qiankun and I will be waiting till then," he added before disappearing in a mist of golden dust. ''Qiankun?'' Haotian was alarmed though his face did not show it. ''Qiankun is unreachable unless he contacted them? Jesus Da Hai, your mess is coming back to bite you in the ass.'' "Master," Yaochi called out. "What were you all talking about?" "Master seeks the head of the Devil Ancestor," Haotian answered for the elderly man. "He''s in an alliance to combat him. Should a tribulation occur, they''ll take that chance to do it." "Huh? Tribulation?" "You''ll understand when you ascend further Yaochi," Hongjun said patting the little girl''s head. "Cultivate diligently." "I will master!" "Hey master," Haotian called out. "How good are your chances of fighting the Devil Ancestor?" "Worried?" Hongjun looked touched. Then he chuckled lightly. "That old fool is little more than an intelligent idiot. He''s an annoyance at best truth be told. If not for that six armed pleasure demon he has by his side he wouldn''t get very far." "Listen little Haotian, Luohu on his own may be a skilled fighter. But he''s also childish, incompetent, lazy and self aggrandising. He''s a moralless moron and a talentless hack who only knows how to indulge. Your master can handle him." ''There''s a lot of underlining anger there,'' Haotian mused. His analysis of Hongjun even after all this time was confusing. He knew what Da Hai thought of him and much of his initial views were coloured by it. Da Hai on his own was a stubborn yet caring person. His feelings for Hongjun was like a bottomless ocean in turmoil forever trapped in a violent storm. But Haotian couldn''t help but feel that the sea god was wrong in his assessment. Perhaps it was because despite being a clone, Haotian also contained parts of the fetus who''d become the Jade Emperor or because he''d spent too long away from his creator. But Haotian lacked the deep seeded resentment. Nevertheless, he''ll continue to carry out his purpose. He took one last glance at his Vast Heavens Mirror, at the ensuing argument between two sovereigns. Then he sat back down and continued watching with his master and junior sister. ¡­ Above the skies of Phoenix''s Roost, Zulong was greeted by the emergence of several Great Principle Chaos Immortal and even Primal Origin Chaos Immortal presences. Massive avians who flew into the sky before assuming their humanoid forms. "We greet Dragon Sovereign," Chongming bird, who''d appeared alongside them greeted respectfully. "I understand your purpose but I advise you to pull back. Such a stanch no matter how justified you feel is still unacceptable in our sovereign domain." "Enough with that Chongming," a peacock demon beside him spat. "These scaled beasts dare blame us for something we didn''t cause and march here with an army clearly intending to destroy? And they dare utter such insult to her majesty? I say we teach them a lesson." No sooner did he say that did his chest cave in from a blast of air. The peacock demon spat out mouthfuls of blood and staggered back. Abruptly, he was unable to maintain human form any longer and erupted back into his true form, falling to the ground below. Zulogn motioned his hand for another attack but this time, Chongming stepped in. The chicken like avian released a crest of golden fire that halted Zulong''s fist strike. "Please stop Dragon Sovereign. I swear on my life this is all a misunderstanding. Her majesty intends to fully investigate with you about the traitorous assassin." "What is there to investigate about?" Zulong spat. "My son lies on a bed in a coma. You flat haired beasts were the one''s who put him in that situation to begin with." "You could''ve sent someone other than your son," Zufeng''s voice entered the growling dragon''s ears. Zufeng''s enchanting figure appeared tired. She was escorted by Zhuque and stood in front of her avian elders. "I understand your anger, but I only speak the truth when I say I had every intention of coexistence." For a moment, a look of guilt and regret crossed the dragon''s face. But then it was replaced by fearsome rage. "If you hadn''t suggested it in the first place, Bi An wouldn''t have been caught there." "I am sick and tired of sharing the same sky as you Zufeng," Zulong said. "Every moment of your existence is a threat to my family. Whatever your intentions are, whatever your reasonings are, it clearly isn''t shared by your subjects." The dragons and seafolk behind Zulong nodded in agreement. Their anger manifested in a raging storm cloud blanketing the south continent. Their presence crushing to the extent that lessor lifeforms were stomped to paste. Unknowingly, blinded by anger and a natural disposition to dismiss lower lifeforms. These immortals were killing innocent bystanders. "If she cannot even control her vassals, then can we even trust her word?" Zulong cried out in a thunderous voice. "NO, WE CAN NOT!" The combined voices of Zulong''s army said. "I wanted to believe your words Zufeng. But you are not your empire. And your avians are a threat I cannot ignore anymore," Zulong said with an incline of sadness. Zufeng narrowed her eyes. "If you''re suggesting you want to destroy all I''ve created, then you already know my response to that." She ground her teeth at the stubborn old dragon and her figure lit in Nanming Divine Flames. "Sister!" Zhuque quickly whispered. "Your eggs." "Are in an undisclosed location. Even if I fall they''ll be safe," Zufeng replied back in the same hushed tone. "I have a responsibility, you do too." The Vermillion Bird nodded. "Zhuque, my brother values your existence. Do not interfere and I am willing to spare you," Zulong said surprising many behind him. Yet they dared not question their sovereign. ¡­ "Ah! I love living beings," Emperor Rippling reflection mused in a private room, waiting for other Devil Emperors to arrive. "So much anger, so much self doubts, so much insecurities. Heh!" He closed his eyes and went to sleep. "It is a wonder no one ever tried to weaponise them until now." ¡­ "Grrh, this scaled worm dares insults her highness?" An enraged woodpecker immortal growled. "You are unqualified!" He charged forwards like a missile. In fact, he was only the first among a wave. "His majesty can address you flat haired beasts however he likes!" Was the response from a sunfish. "Die you deceiving fiends!" "KILL!" Zufeng widened her eyes as suddenly, some of her men broke rank. Their charge was like the opening of a flood. All of a sudden, others seeing the beginning of a fight also rushed in for a preemptive strike. Seeing his accusations only confirmed, Zulong scoffed. His men were already responding in kind but he gave the signal anyway. "Exterminate them." Chapter 128-Killing Birds The strength gathered by the combined might of an army of immortals was something seldom seen. Each individual gods in and of themselves, capable of moving mountains and filling seas. Each movement of theirs were masterful techniques honed through thousands of years of experimentation and experience. Yet the world of cultivation was one where each stage of progression significantly amplifies the strength of an individual. While at lower realms, the gap between cultivators could be bridged with superior treasures, techniques, pills, or foundations, this gap that exist between the immortal realms were simply too significant. As one climbed the latter, this gap only gets bigger. Such fantasies as crossing realms to fight a stronger opponent were just that, fantasies. The chasm would only worsen as one moves up. So even if an army of ten thousand Heavenly Immortals were to face a Golden Immortal. The result will be a casualty of ten thousand while the Golden Immortal grand master will walk away with no injuries. So a war between cultivator factions were in actuality a contest of champions. Armies in the conventional sense were pointless beyond showing off one''s charisma or authority. They made for pretty marching props during events but that''s really it. So why did Zulong bring so many immortals of lower realms with him? After all, they''d get slaughtered under the hooked claws of the phoenixes. Realistically, only the top most Great Principle Chaos Immortals should be enough. The answer was formations. Battle formations that interlocked the powers of many and significantly amplifies them into one. A mighty spell diagram that would turn an army of fodder into an ultimate weapon. There were many categories of formations. Defensive formations that used natural resources and treasures lay upon a foundation of significant Primordial Qi. This was always a leyline just like Kailong Chen was. They were unmovable and acted as defensive barriers. They were planned constructs set up beforehand and tied to the commands of a single individual. Battle formations were different however. They were war formations designed for the use of attacking. Unlike defensive formations which didn''t require personnel, battle formations exclusively relied on the many. Many weak come together to fight a strong, that was the underlying principle. So with a battle formation, ten thousand Heavenly Immortals would instead squish the Golden Immortal like a bug. Even dozens, hundreds of Golden Immortals together will be unable to prevail such a force. In the most ancient era, over a hundred Great Unity Golden Immortals interlocked themselves to fight a Great Principle Chaos Immortal. Now in the current era, an army in the billions came as a formation. Alongside their own Great Principle realm and even stronger elders, the dragons pressed hard upon the phoenixes. It was a harrowing sight, when the corpses of many avians fell from the air. Zufeng had wasted time to call upon Phoenix''s Roost''s defensive formation. The manifestation of a gargantuan firebird sang the area with virtue and harmony. It was a siege where reality was ripped asunder. The environment tore apart, lands and forests were uprooted. Mountains shattered and distant oceans kicked up tsunamis. The furious roar of a dragon drowned out the cries of the phoenix as copious amounts of sea water clashed against copious amounts of divine flames. Zulong, blinded by rage, wrestled against both Zufeng and Zhuque. His scales, too tough for their claws to penetrate, too resilient to burn. Yet he also struggled to catch the two with his claws and any damage he felt healed with their nirvana abilities. There was none of the humanoid elegance. One bestial fury in Zulong. His roars were like shockwaves that ruptured the foundations of the cosmos. Zulong thrashed wildly in the sky. His serpentine body was used both for defending and attacking in a flurry of tidal like movements. In his claws gripped two divine treasures, one of which was his pearl while the other was his chain of beads. In other to counter this, Zufeng and her sister drew forth every ounce of the Nanming Divine Flames they could muster. Her own top grade xiantian spiritual treasure, a fan made of tail feathers clashed fiercely against the roaring dragon''s beads. Away from them, Yinglong lead the other supreme elders of the seas in a duel against the avian elders. Their fight was much more lopsided. As despite having a defensive formation present, the four seas brought a formation of their own. Each of Zulong''s eight children floated within, surrounded by countless lesser immortals. Their hardened gazes held a killing glee as more and more Chaos Immortals of the enemy fell. Even their bird like shape did not deter the prince Chao Feng, who himself was birdlike. Chao Feng did not consider himself an avian despite his appearance. He ruthlessly channeled his ninth of the formation into a firestorm that incinerated phoenixes who used fire of their own yet still could not defend properly. The formation formed by the dragons split into rays of cosmic light. Each light embodied one of the nine son''s positions. Each light formed into raging monstrosities of beasts out for blood. They smashed into the barrier around Phoenix''s Roost with a crushing glee. The sky was painted orange as an explosion of fire irradiated from the epicentre of the impact. Thousands of avians within the city perished on the spot while weaker experts just barely held on. Those distant spectators in the other continents could even hear him despite the distance. As the fighting scaled up further and further, even Mt Yujing could feel the shockwaves. "Do you think Luohu planned all this?" Haotian asked Hongjun. The elderly man had no part to play in this event. Sure he may have tried to steer in a certain direction, that much Haotian was sure of. But a sudden eruption of war was beyond his actions. Hongjun contemplated silently. He wondered about the possibility himself. "If I know Luohu, it''s that he can be pretty devious at times. But he''s nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is." "That doesn''t answer my question master." "I wonder as well." ¡­ "WOAH!" Above the south sea, Taiyi and Dijun had to steady themselves in the air. Trying to fly in the great wilderness right now was like trying to fly through a typhoon. Even for the two crows of not insignificant strength, there was still powerful turbulence. "Seems we came at a bad time brother," Taiyi grimaced. "Perhaps we should head back to the stars, Jianmu is right there." He pointed with his wing towards the swaying celestial tree. But his elder brother Dijun shook his head. "No brother, my premonition is telling me we''re needed here," the sun crow said. ¡­ "Heavens! It''s like the world is ending," a woman''s voice echoed the valley where two siblings sat gazing at the horizon. The blue sky had long been painted orange in a fierce radiation of Qi. The two siblings, a brother and sister pair huddled together as waves and waves of diminished power ran through them. Their upper halves were nude humans while their lower halves were that of serpents. Despite that, their power hovered in the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm, not a small feat but by no means top tier. "Don''t worry sister, they won''t reach here. Mt Buzhou is safe from such secular conflicts," the older one, Fuxi said. "That sounds like tempting fate," Nuwa, the younger one, deadpanned. Fuxi looked at her with a disbelieving look. "Come on, Buzhou is a celestial mountain. It''s a holy ground, no one would dare fight here." THOOM! The trees around them swayed as the ground suddenly shook as more Qi of clashing elements washed over them. "Alright then," Nuwa said snakily, accepting Fuxi''s words. ¡­ CRUNCH! While the opening battle between dragons and phoenixes were ongoing. In the jungles at the border of the east and south continents. Liu Er munched on corpses. He looked up in surprise and unconcealed glee. "The dragon-phoenix tribulation is finally starting?" He swallowed the rich chunk of flesh and shuddered in excitement. The digested Dao essence coursed through his body as he danced with joy. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "Finally. Why the hell was everything so damned peaceful. You''d think these scaled bastards and the flat haired dumbasses had some ambition but NOOO! I bet they don''t even know what a real fight is like." He leapt into the sky and landed on a piece of cloud. "Well you know what they say. The mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind. Time for me to collect my due." The six eared monkey took a moment to look eastwards. "3 Purities. I don''t forget ever, you''re next," he growled and pointed towards the direction Kunlun was in. The utter humiliation he''d suffered was too egregious. He''d underestimated the 3 purities. But never again will he do so. Since the tribulation seems to be starting, tons of treasures will become ownerless. Who knows, maybe he''d even be able to nab the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls or the Cosmic Ruler. All things that were legendary back when he read internet novels based on Investiture of the gods. Since he lacked a system of any kind(damn you heaven), he''d need to take risks. But even so, Liu Er adhered to the, "no pain, no gain", philosophy. ¡­ For Zufeng, the worst of all possible scenario was her current reality. She had no luxury to prepare. How on earth was Zulong able to rally an army so fast? How on earth can he catch her flatfooted like this? It''s like he was expecting to come fight her at a moment''s notice. Even if he was wary, his guard shouldn''t be so high as to be ready for all out war at a moment''s notice. ''Look at him, so bestial. None of the elegance befitting of a true sovereign,'' a darker younger voice in her head scoffed. She flapped her wings and released a trail of glitter. This was a spell that interrupted Zulong''s manifestations of glaciers. The two canceled each other out and the dragon moved on to attack her younger sister. ''What''s the point of even reasoning with this buffoon?'' She mentally sighed. ''A primitive creature like him lacks any form of higher thinking we avians posses. So what if the seafolk had so much so called ''advanced technology?'' Just parlour tricks that an immortal could replicate in a far more powerful manner. Zufeng doubted Zulong would be smart enough to make them in the first place. Probably a product of one of those moth fairies they''re always on about. She pecked into Zulong''s spine and quickly retreating, catching a retaliatory scratch by the dragon''s leg. Her blood bled into the sky and melted into droplets of fire that rained at Zulong. But the dragon''s hydrokenesis dispelled any semblance of the attack. Instead, lighting shot out of his mouth and electrocuted her body. She yelped in pain and called upon Phoenix''s Roost''s defence formation to support her. Her Nirvana healing will take care of the rest. On the other side, Zhuque had recovered and attacked the dragon once more. She smiled to know her family would not abandon her. For the sake of her unborn children, Zhuque and herself will fight to the death. She did not like to admit this but she held some reservations about Zhuque in the beginning. She was very close to the Dragon Sovereign''s own brother and that in and of itself called her loyalty into question. But her willingness to fight to the bitter end had warmed her heart greatly. ''Rekindle my ambition. This lowly worm deserves to die for. What right does he have to resist me for so long?'' ''What right does he has to call himself Sovereign before I?'' ''What right?'' ''What right?'' ''I''ll kill him!'' ''I am the only one who is venerable!'' ''I alone am the strongest!'' ''That''s right, why have I been so reserved until now? I''m a coward. I should''ve attacked and gotten I''d of him. He''s nothing before me. I am the daughter of Pangu, inheritor of the Chaos Sky Phoenix. Why did I have to fear? Why did I hold back?'' ''Yes, yes, yes. I would''ve launched a conquest years ago.'' ''I alone!'' ''I alone!'' "What?" Zufeng''s head snapped back as she suddenly felt a bit light headed. She narrowed dodged Zulong''s charge, dropping small feathers in the process. "Sister! Are you alright?" Zhuque asked. "I''m fine, blast him!" She commanded. The two phoenixes united their flame and shot it forth like a canon. Harmonised in Ying-Yang, their flames were not hot. But they possessed a unique power that made them even more dangerous. "GRAH!" Zulong roared in frustration. He blasted out his own attack in the form of a dragon shaped lightning bolt from his mouth. What followed was a clash that ripped apart this side of reality and hurled the pieces into the void. "Even without our rebirth ability, he still has an advantage. He just won''t go down," Zhuque sighed in disappointment. "Other phoenixes should''ve already noticed by now. How long till they get here?" "I''d wager several days up to several weeks. Even a year for the ones in far off places," Zufeng said in disgruntlement. Her fire was greatly diminished even beneath the effects of her defensive formation. "Ram yourselves down!" Zulong suddenly commanded. "Crush this city underfoot!" Zufeng''s eyes widened. "You''re insane, won''t that endanger your down children?" Zulong gritted his teeth. "Hmph, you don''t have to be concerned about that," he said as the formation set up by his army descended in full force rather than attacking with spells. With the stabilised way the formation was constructed, breaking it will be nigh impossible for the avians as they were now. "KILL!" A swarm of voiced announced. Zulong narrowed his eyes at them but dismissed it a second after. "You and I have had our differences," Zulong said. "Do not worry, I will protect the birds after you''re gone after I purge all the ingrates." "You," Zufeng''s glare was venomous. The closing in army smashed into Phoenix''s Roost. The barrier resisted but was being torn apart. Phoenixes and other strong avians fell by the hundreds and eventually thousands. Zulong closed in with a raised claw. But Zufeng met it with her own. They clashed like metallic swords, sending sparks into the air. They sliced and sliced, each time emanating metallic clashing sounds. "GAH!" Zulong''s neck stretched out and bit Zufeng''s exposed nape. He lifted her up and thrashed about with her body, smashing it into Zhuque. "Your majesty!" Chongming called out in distress. But before he could act, Yinglong''s tail dragged him across the sky and onto the earth with a harsh smash. In the rain dragon''s claws lay the corpse of another mighty figure. "COCKAW!" Zufeng cried out trying to rip her way out of Zulong''s grasp. But his stronger fleshy body proved too much for her as once she was in his grasp, the dragon ruthlessly smashed her about. The barrier collapsed and Zulong''s army entered in droves. His sons each sent rays of attacks, supported by numerous others. In seconds, they collapsed the imperial palace into a massive crater. As the destruction was going on, the air rippled. In the turbulent airwaves of the void. A gargantuan moth flew against the rough currents. The aftermath of Zulong''s callous display of power had made the void chaotic like never before. But Yi Fei''e was not the second best disciple beneath Da Hai for nothing. Her thin legs grabbed Bi An''s body firmly and her wings formed a barrier of cosmic starlight. In the hours since he''d awoken, Yi Fei''e nabbed him and flew towards the south continent. This was mainly to help his father and also to find out what was really going on. So as Yi Fei''e finally managed to arrive many hours into the battle. Most of the avians in the capital had already perished. Chaos Immortals died in droves, the avians more so than the seafolk. "Father!" Bi An called out, freeing himself from Yi Fei''e. "Bi An?" Zulong cried in joyful surprise. The sight of his son was so much so that he dropped the prone form of Zufeng from his mouth. Yi Fei''e on the other hand scanned the land around her. Looking at the seafolk, dragons, and avians killing each other. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her pearl glowed a viridescent light. "Just like Bi An," she said in recognition. "But even more subtle." Chapter 129-A Third Party It was like the world had stopped, at least for Zulong. The reappearance of his son healthy and hale sent him into shock followed by a flood of relief. His single minds focus was on his son made him ignore the fact that people were still fighting around him. Not even stray attacks impacting his scales could get his attention off Bi An and Yi Fei''e. Zufeng gasped for air when she was released by her dragon counterpart. Her wingtips acted as arms, raising her huffing body. Already the bite wounds around her slim neck were catching fire, healing off the damage. "Senior brother/Father," Yi Fei''e and Bi An greeted. "What is? You should not be here. Return home to rest," Zulong immediately called out. His anxiousness was made visible, practically oozing off his scaling face. "I¡­Aunty grabbed me and just flew here," Bi An admitted much to his own confusion. He looked at Yi Fei''e contemplatively and thought about the various ins and outs of the current situation. "DIE!" Before anyone could react, a massive phoenix elder flew straight at Bi An. His eyes were blood shot and drool was coated around his snarling beak. "I''ll finish what old crow couldn''t do!" It was a sight that enraged Zulong. Who was this abominable chicken to dare impose death upon his own child? The dragon would''ve slapped the phoenix to death were it not for Yi Fei''e. As she was next to Zulong''s son, Yi Fei''e took action far quicker than either two. With a motion of her fingers, the phoenix, who was at the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm was sliced cleaning in two. His nascent soul was extinguished and his inner cosmos completely collapsed. Only a single strike was needed. "Flat haired beasts truly are the most despicable beasts in the world," Zulong said with a cruel sneer. "Urg!" Zufeng gazed up angrily. She spread her wings with desire to continue her battle. "You insult our kind on baseless assumptions. You scaled ones are clearly too hot headed to think straight," Zufeng retorted. "We were not responsible for what happened to your child. Call off your army this instant." Both sovereigns roared against each other. Just another fight in a sea of battles being engaged. The scale of just the first clash had dwarfed anything that had ever happened in the entire history of the primitive world. Not even the ancient battle of Mt Buzhou could compare to now. Such was the result of years of progress in cultivation has cultivated individuals who''d put yesteryear''s grandmasters to shame. Bloodlust permeated the air like a sickness. Emotions ran wild as the desire to exterminate the enemy hung on the minds of all those present. Bi An''s sudden appearance had done little to nothing to stop this fact. Yi Fei''e grimaced as things start returning to how they were. Her veins popped as she assumed her human guise. She held up her hand, signalling Bi An to stop. Bi An gazed at her in surprise unsure wether he should join the battle or not. "Go join your brothers in the formation, safer for you that way," she said. She then raced forward in a place of white starlight. Yi Fei''e was not an unintelligent person. In fact, Da Hai would dare say she was among the most observant and deductive people he knew. The fact of the matter was, she had been scanning the entire battlefield for a while now. Though less than a minute had actually passed, even seconds were a long time to these immortals. In her mind, no one was really out of character. Nobody from the seas liked the avians, nor did they really liked land dwellers in general. Dragons either treated them with indifference or contempt. Avians in general fell into the contempt category. So it wasn''t out of the question for such hatred to manifest itself in such an environment. However, it was just the speed of which, and suddenness of which that clued Yi Fei''e in to something being amiss. Their attitudes were more extreme then they normally were. It was like the equivalent of going from a mild dislike of someone, to suddenly calling for their public lynching. Possible with enough build-up, but much too rapid under current conditions. Furthermore, going by what happened to Bi An and herself when she entered his mind. The moth was already sure of what had happened. Cultivation was the gateway to many mystical abilities both innate and developed. Yi Fei''e herself developed numerous spells based around the construct if stars and especially the formation of the big dipper constellation. Similarly, Qinglong had a movement technique where he resembled a supercluster and Zulong''s roar had mind bending effects on those with dragon blood. It wasn''t out of the question for some technique out there that can influence one''s emotions. As Zulong and Zufeng squared off against each other, Yi Fei''e descended. In a burst of light, a cosmos manifested pushing both sovereign''s back a step. Radiant dance of stars twirled into a luminescent galaxy, temporarily dissipating the raw power emanating from the two divine beasts. Her power was stretched to the absolute maximum. Yi Fei''e had perfected her Dao all she could ages ago. She stood at the apex of immortal existence, a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal just like Zulong and Zufeng. Her authority on the world superseded of nearly all lifeforms in existence. There was a reason Da Hai trusted her to defend Yingzhou. Her abilities were only inferior to Zulong. "You stand in my way?" Zulong uttered in shock. "Fellow daoist, please move aside," Zufeng demanded. "Senior brother, your majesty. You''ve both been played for fools," Yi Fei''e informed them calmly. "Do not humiliate yourselves any longer." She spread her arms out. Her qi spread with an enormous push. A radiation resembling the explosion of a collapsing world. A force great enough that it threw all avians and scaled creatures off their feat. Even Bi An was blown forwards before he could reach the Great Overbearing Nine Songs formation. Said formation rippled as it felt the moth''s power wash over them. Perhaps if she were to attack it directly, she could even rip it apart on her own. "Brother!" Denglong surged forwards, he caught Bi An in a hug. Then he dragged the newly awakened tiger into the protection of the formation. "What is aunt master doing?" Suanni who followed closely behind snarled. The lion had a look of betrayal, not unthinkable given they''d also been attacked by Yi Fei''e. "Young masters, get back," Leishen called out also reaching them with his serpentine body. "I do not know what''s going on but it seems his majesty is discussing something." The lightning dragon pointed towards the figures of Zulong and Zufeng, both halted in their movements along with Yi Fei''e. Zulong''s eyes were trailing Bi An as this was going on. He only stopped when his son disappeared into the Great Overbearing Nine Songs formation. Just as well cause the battlefield seems to have been frozen in stasis. Groaning sounds were heard everywhere as Yi Fei''e knocked them all down with just enough force to not kill anyone. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Yi Fei''e, explain yourself," Zulong spat. The lack of an affectionate ''junior sister'' was very telling. "Senior brother, no Dragon Sovereign and Phoenix Sovereign. You''ve both been had," Yi Fei''e began. "Haven''t you noticed the sheer bloodthirstiness of everyone here? Even yourselves?" "Yes, ridiculous considering currently¡­" Zulogn gestured around him and spoke sarcastically. "Get to the point." "You''re being encouraged to fight. I can feel it because I felt the same thing in Bi An. Except what happened here was a lot more subtle yet more unnoticeable. Your emotions are being amplified, irationalised. No one is thinking clearly beyond ''I hate you, you must die''." Yi Fei''e swiped her hand, visualising the thoughts of many present including both rulers in the form of straws of qi. "Emotions are also one of the things that can be cultivated. Mental techniques are no strangers to us, even your own roar classifies as one Dragon Sovereign." "Bi An manifested some sort of inner demon. All his self deprecating thoughts, all his insecurities, and all the feelings he suppressed manifested in the form of a monster. I witnessed it myself and even experienced it myself though I managed to overcome it." At this point, Yi Fei''e communed her experiences into the mind of Zulong and watched as his own mind contemplated the days prior. "It''s like an infection, one seed spreading out to others. After experiencing it I can feel similar seeds all over the place. Avians and seafolk, phoenixes and dragons. Their desire for war is being amplified but not outright taking over them as Bi An''s had been." Zulong and Zufeng narrowed their eyes. "Some war hawks have been clamouring," the phoenix sovereign offered her thoughts with slight relief. "I nor most of my own had any desire to fight. I was resigned. But when I¡­when I battled you, my mind was overcome emotions of loathing and dare I say it, arrogance. It was time turned back to my own youth," Zufeng said. "Convenient excuse," Zulong scoffed. "You expect me to believe you were being mind controlled?" "It''s not really mind control," Yi Fei''e retorted before any escalation took place. "You roaring to another dragon would be mind control as you''re enforcing your will upon theirs. This is more akin to amplifying one''s darker thoughts." "And Bi An?" Zulong asked. "The next stage. Actualising those thoughts like one would a Dao fruit. This presumably gives birth to a new entity, a split personality if you will. Bi An was in an internal struggle with this entity as to who may become the dominant personality in control of the body," Yi Fei''e explained. "I know no one who has such a technique. Not even those secluded experts around the world specialise in such spells," Zulong said. "Remember what master said? And what we''ve gathered from the west sea?" Yi Fei''e reminded him. She teleported over the corpse of the phoenix she slayed and played it at Zulong''s feet. Steadily she lifted it up for him to examine. With the corpse left behind, traces of various qi signatures could be observed. Zulong squinted his eyes and scrunched his nose. Put under a lens like this, the corpse did feel more than a regular phoenix. "Doesn''t these traces remind you of the west sea''s early cultivation techniques?" "Who knows what this phoenix would''ve picked up." "I can show you our entire collection," Zufeng spat in indignation. "My scripture emphasises harmony, not wanton excess." The phoenix had been examining the corpse as well. With that in mind, she verdantly denied Zulong''s accusations with anger. "Father!" "Sister!" "Your majesty!" Many arrived during their stand off. From Zulong''s sons and generals to Zufeng''s own. As the two had ceased fighting, they too had momentarily ceased. But this didn''t last long as insults began being hurled. Zulong and Zufeng gazed back at their subordinates as tension between them began building again. They could feel the desire to kill rising again, the hatred between both forces returning in full force. Raw emotions built up rapidly the moment both groups locked eyes. Some of the calmer ones such as Yinglong were looking either expectantly or curiously. It was a bizarre contrast that swung in both extremities but one that was noticeable. "What are we waiting for? These¡­" Whoever was speaking was quickly grabbed by Yi Fei''e. In the next instant, their body was sent into a stasis body where they were analysed on an atomic scale. Then the moth ripped out another seed that dissipated. "There are more on the avian side of things. Would explain why your lot struck first," Yi Fei''e said. "This is what I mean when I say you''ve both been played. Whatever the reason, you''ve both accelerated the negative karma of the world," she said pointing around her. A tacit agreement was created between all three parties. Then the two sovereigns struck. Zulong roared and Zufeng sang. Either way, they attacked their own radical elements, knocking them out instantly. "Yinglong, it seems the west has a personal stake in us. We should go greet those nosy bastards," Zulong said. Simultaneously, he transferred all that he had learned into the minds of his side. That sped things up and they wordlessly obeyed. "Hold on," Zufeng spat. "Do you think you can just walk away after causing so much distraction. Where is my compensation?" The world froze again as Yi Fei''e grimaced. "Phoenix Sovereign, now is not the right time," she advised. "Stay out of this moth, you have no stake in this conflict," Zufeng huffed. "I agree that the devils in the west are suspicious. But you did just invade me and my own. Now you expect to walk away scot free?" "There are far more pressing matters to attend to," Zulong said in denial. "Devils come first, you can wait or you can join us. Yinglong, we have no time to waste." "Is that not too hasty?" Yinglong warned. "Nephew is alright now. We should approach this more carefully." "And I want those punished found. Since these birds are not the root cause then I''ll dig out the devils who attacked my son!" Zulong took to the sky joined by many others and Yi Fei''e. "I apologise for attacking Phoenix Roost. As it is a misunderstanding, will you join me in seeking answers?" "Go to hell!" Zufeng growled. The dragon nodded and promptly flew off, accompanied by his relatively fresh army and those knocked out stored within various devices. "Hotheaded fool," she spat. "Repair my city and get the formation back up." "Your majesty, you just let them go?" Chongming quizzed her from the side. His injuries were pretty severe but he was alive. The same could not be said for the majority of her ministers. "Chongming, look me in the eye and tell me we can beat them," she responded. The divine bird couldn''t say anything and merely sighed. Chapter 130-A Meeting of Devils Strolling into the great hall of Mt Sumeru, the Devil Emperor Rippling Reflection eyed his contemporary emperors. He respected his fellows, all great achievers who climbed high from the gutters that was devil cultivation hierarchy. The ancestral devil Luohu expected only the best of the very best. The rest either became slaves or were killed. Rippling Reflection like many others wished for greatness, the reach the very top of cultivation and achieve the legendary Dao. He crawled from the gutter and played the great game of devil politics and finally emerged at the very peak. Yet still, he was just another tool. For someone like him, for his allies and rivals. They had all shared the same mindset. For all their differences, they all regretted walking the Devilish Dao. They regretted following through with the Path of Seven Emotions and Six Desires. But they were also too deep to leave. When one becomes an exalted deity. When one becomes enlightened to universal truths as biased as they may be. When one transcend the confines of mortality and even immortality to a state that rightfully was beyond the natural laws of the cosmos. When one walked and walked through a path hundreds of thousands of years long. Who would want to give that up? Who would want to start over again? Mt Sumeru was grand. It was a mountain steeped in the powers of the Devilish Dao, bathed in all extremes. Atop it held Luohu''s cave abode as well as a circular palace for Devil Emperors to meet and socialise. The palace reassembled a stupa, a style of building not native to the primitive world. It was a treasure constructed by the Demon King Mara. Luohu was already present, he sat upon a lounge at the far end of the room. His position was lazy and bored but his eyes had a sharpness to them. Rippling Reflection did not enter alone, he came along with others such as Intoxicated Dream, All Devouring, Primeval Flame etc. While the rest of the world squabbled and fought, the west continent continued to accumulate. Several hundred Great Devil Emperors that entered was the result of such accumulation. The palace was large and designed to accomodate all kinds of creatures. They were all just expected to sit on cushions on the floor like beginner disciples did in front of lecturers. Only the likes of Mara, Hundun, Taotie, and Qiong Qi had the authority to sit on raised seats. Rippling Reflection took his seat at a circular cushion on the floor along with all the others. It was a humiliating thing, for a Great Devil Emperor such as him to sit on the floor of all places. He locked eyes with the faceless Hundun for a few moments before breaking contact and returned to a peaceful expression. "We greet honoured ancestor!" The united voices of several hundred Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal figures riveted throughout the chamber. It drowned the former stillness in a cloud of hazy mist. A mist that condensed the qi of countless cultivated definitions that the end result of pure chaos. Clashing disorder of countless clashing philosophies. Should any lessor being enter the stupa right now, they would go insane followed by combusting into ash. But the true leaders of the west, Luohu''s inner circle was unbothered. Well unbothered save for Qiong Qi and Taotie. Unlike the other three they were still Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. Both had returned to their peak and then some but still paled in comparison to the others who''d transcended onto the path of Wuji. As such they felt stressed under the collective pressure. It didn''t help that many emperors had grudges against these two and did not withheld one wit of their bloodlust. "All right kiddies that''s enough!" Luohu''s words were held yet his mouth did not move in sync. Rather he blew away the cloud of qi with ease. Instantly shattering whatever affects they may''ve had. Rippling Reflection was instantly reminded of the vast differences that existed between them. He did not show his fear of the ancestor. He kept his heart steady and his mind secure allowing nothing to leak beyond a face of respect. "Marvellous improvement," Luohu complimented. Though his expression was ultimately a little disappointed. His origins in the Chaos Sea saw the rise of three thousand Primal Zenith ChaosImmortals. Yet he was only able to raise barely only this much, not even a thousand. It was simply unfair. He did not consider that the three thousand Chaos Godfiends were all destined individuals of monstrous talent and perseverance. A society that constantly experimented and mostly stayed away from each other preferring not to wage bloody wars against each other. Aspects that cannot easily be replicated. "Now then, to business." The Devil Ancestor sat upright and folded his fingers against each other below his chin. "I''m sure you''ve all been itching for action against the rest of the world. Rest assured I feel the same way too. I''ve spent the last ten yuanhui accumulating an unshakable foundation waiting to crush Hongjun once and for all. I believe the time has come." "The eastern world and four seas are places surrounded by tribal conflicts and the wars of two empires. All while the old codger watches. Not long ago the negative karma accumulated over the years had even skyrocketed signalling the appearance of a major confrontation. I''d say its probably time the world drives itself into a tribulation." "Tribulation?" Someone muttered. It was the Primeval Water Devil Emperor of the five Elemental Devil Emperors. This group took inspirations from the Dao of Five Elements once wielded but he ancient Ancestor of Fire Clouds. They were generally referred to as Primeval followed by one of the wuxing elements followed by devil emperor but they did have personal names. Though no one cared enough to call them such. "Yes tribulation," Luohu said in a ''obviously'' tone. "But ancestor, won''t tribulation spell doom for us as well?" Luohu felt the urge to slap the interrupter over the head. "Tribulations are as much dangers as they are opportunities. The last one should''ve told you such, oh right none of you were born back then." He was of course referring to Shenni''s attempt to destroy all creation. Tribulations were times when negative karma overcome and consume all things in creation. This leads to a period of time were the future is muddled, divine protection from the Heavenly Dao ceases, natural disasters occur by the dozens every day. Comprehension in the Dao become near impossible and anything could happen. Basically the groundwork''s for potential apocalypses. In Norse mythology, the event known was ragnarock would be considered one. In Greece, two such events could occur during the Titanomachy and Gigantomachy. In the primitive world, negative karma was right around the necessary line to start one. This was the danger of living in a Chaos World. Those existing in the Chaos Sea are unbothered by such events. But those within a universe, a Chaos World can be pulled in and unable to escape. In the past, a Chaos World''s existence was limited to Heavenly Immortals. But Pangu''s creation housed beings far superior to that. Luohu predicts that this is probably the second time in history that Golden Immortals, Great Unity Golden Immortals, Chaos Immortals and similar level existences would participate in one. First being Shenni''s war. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "I can tell it''s already near so let me warn you now. Don''t bother using divination, you''ll only see static." Luohu leaned forward and stared expectingly. "Devil sects are ready at any time. You all should muster your legions from your vassal sects and regroup on Mt¡­hm?" It wasn''t subtle in the slightest. The ground was vibrating and began so as Luohu was talking. The Devil Ancestor stared at Mara in confusion. His advisor shrugged. Luohu pondered in confusion before ordering one of the Devil Emperors out. "You there, find out who''s causing the disturbance!" Though he did not address that person by name, said devil obeyed obediently and left soon after. He leaned back and rubbed his chin in thought. ''What''s going on?'' Mt Sumeru as of the current moment was pretty isolated as it was in a summit with all the top leaders of the devils. The celestial mountain was not meant to be disturbed by anyone. It was an enormous structure that was resistant to pretty much anything. Mere shaking of the ground wasn''t actually something to worry about but it was something that warranted investigation. Perhaps it was residue from the dragons and phoenixes fighting each other? Luohu could see it. Both the Dragon Sovereign and the Phoenix Sovereign were impressive in their own right. Although Luohu had no personal contact with them, he could feel their power even from his bastion in the west. I is calculation, they would be superior than even the remaining members of the former four evils aside from Hundun of course. "While that guy gets back," Luohu began speaking again with an almost dismissive tone. ''Doesn''t even remember Omni Devouring''s name,'' Rippling Reflection thought with contempt. He sat relaxed as Luohu went on a spiel about something. It honestly was not important. The only real vent information was that they needed to prepare an invasion force. A task easily done. In the cultivation world, when a superior being told you something, you listen and obey no exceptions. Why would you not when the difference in strength was so great? Rippling Reflection considered his options. Luohu''s cultivation was fairly mysterious overall. What is known however was that none of the current Devil Emperors could surpass him. They''ve also figured out based on their connection with each other that Luohu was also closing in on true enlightenment. As Luohu was concluding his orders, the stupa shook violently. Dozens of emperors narrowed their eyes and Luohu''s mouth twisted in anger. Hundun tiled his hooded head while Mara slightly turned his in anticipation. Mt Sumeru suffered a tremor the likes of which none had ever seen. Luohu got off his lounge with his arms behind his back. "Someone just crashed into my mountain," he said. He motioned the others to follow as he exited the stupa towards Sumeru''s surface. Normally the mountain was filled with vast greenery and majestic rock formations. An oasis in the otherwise dry cracked lands surrounding the mountain. What greeted Luohu''s sights was instead a massive creature groaning in pain. It was a gigantic mass of mouths covering a ball of flesh. The creature was steaming having collapsed an entire wing of the mountain. "Omni Devouring!" Someone yelped in shock. Luohu raised his eyebrows and said, "That''s the bloke I sent out correct?" The Devil Ancestor starred into the horizon. There a titanic formation was moving for them fast. A formation that had laid waste to the western countryside. The equivalent of a dragon continuously spewing fire in a straight path. "What gall," Luohu spat. "DEVIL FUCKERS! COME OUT AND DIE!" The voice who roared was a voice Luohu recognised in an instant. An army of sea creatures commanded by dragons zoomed across the land with haste. They had previously attacked the mass of mouths that was Devil Emperor Omni Devouring and in a single shot sent him flying. "Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal, Dragon Sovereign Zulong," Rippling Reflection muttered expectantly. Zulong''s power had not disappointed one bit. In fact it was something amazing to behold. Previously, he had thought he can rank with him among the top of the Devil Emperors. But the reality was startlingly different. Zulong would without a doubt overwhelm any of the Great Devil Emperors. Even a dozen would not compare to the dragon in the slightest. "What the hell is that?" One of the emperors mumbled in equal amazement. ''Unfair, so unfair,'' Rippling Reflection thought. ''With my talent, If I did not stagnate I would be the same.'' His thoughts were filled with regret yet also admiration and ambition. Staring into Zulong''s bloodlust filled eyes he nodded in satisfaction though he also tensed, taking a step back. ''Forget it, forget it. Survival comes first right now.'' "Dragon Sovereign, this is a surprise?" Luohu said as Zulong came to a pause with his troops. Counting the would take ages but the formation encapsulating their power could not be denied. "I thought you were somewhere else. I take it you have an explanation for me?" "Explanation?" Zulong growled. "Explanation? You want my explanation?" He roared indignantly, releasing his serpentine body into the air. He thrashed about as enormous quantities of auspicious clouds manifested not existence. Though rather than auspicious, these clouds should be renamed ominous. "You give me an explanation Luohu!" He roared to high heavens. The already cracked soil ripped apart even more and rain started pouring. "Uncivilised animals," Luohu scoffed. "I take the time to be polite and you scaled beast growl about." Zulong was joined my many others, Primal Zenith ChaosImmortals belonging to the dragons. Even Primal Origin Chaos Immortals who have experience fighting Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals stood outside the formation. Flanked by Leishen, Yinglong, and Jiang Koilong Zulong created an imposing lineup. However, the dragon''s number of experts on par with Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals were still decisively lesser than the devils. And this was not by a small margin. However, the dragons did have the advantage of having caught the devils flat footed without any enhancement formations so to speak. Their members were also worth more in individual combat ability. "Luohu, you''ll pay for what you did to my son. For tricking me into attacking the south. For making a fool of the dragons. For being an honourless cur." "Huh?" Luohu was caught off guard. He looked at Zulong strangely and pondered wether he somehow found out he was gonna invade soon and just found an excuse to have a preemptive attack. But clearly that wasn''t the case as today was the first time he was sharing this information. "I don''t know what to say," Luohu sighed. "You beasts barge into my home, attack my property and demand me? What arrogance, what cheek. Did your master not teach you etiquette? Well that is to be expected considering its that bumbling barbarian of a snake we''re talking about". "And now you cause me of random things I''m innocent of?" He scoffed. "I honestly do not understand what you''re talking about young man." "Enough! I will not suffer from you again," roared Zulong feeling indignation from the condescending tone spewing from Luohu''s voice. The jab at Da Hai did not help either. For what its worth the dragons and sea creatures took this as a sign to attack. Chapter 131-Too Confident To describe Zulong''s attack was to describe the onslaught of a typhoon. All the fury, the humiliation, the anxiety, the rage boiled into a series of claw strikes that aimed to annihilate Mt Sumeru in its entirety. Throughout his entire life, Zulong can remember very few instances where he''d actually felt like this. Not even when he and Da Hai had fallen out the first time had he been filled with such wrath. Caution was thrown to the wind as soon as he dared to enter the west continent. He didn''t care about how strong the devils were assumed to be. He didn''t care how much his master warned him of them. He just knew that they were dangerous and that they hurt his son. So when Zulong attacked, everyone else also attacked as one. Where Zulong entered with a ferocious claw strike. Yinglong, Leishen, and Jiang Koilong followed suit with their own arts. Supreme spell techniques formed from the clouds, rain, lighting, and thunder forming to a hail of deadly poisonous water and spears of lighting. These dragonic elders were only second to Zulong. Each of them were ancient and experienced having lived since the earliest days of Zulong''s rule. Among all the immortals present, they held some of the highest seniority. Each capable of being emperors in their own right. Yi Fei''e had also joined the fray. As she was Da Hai''s most senior female disciple as well as a recognised custodian of Yingzhou, she had an example to show. So the great moth displayed her own technique. A flurry of fire and stars and clouds condensed from seawater. Yi Fei''e was a master of astronomy having studied under Wangshu and an expert in sword combat. She learned hydrokenetic spells from Da Hai as well as forms of cultivation dating back to the era of chaos godfiends. Combined with all she''d managed to wrangle out of her mount Cinnabar Phoenix, she was an imposing opponent. That was why her sword swing formed from the union of three created an apocalyptic manifestation that terrified even the strongest minds. There was one of the elegance, non of the beauty, non of the wisdom. The current Yi Fei''e only represented death. Others like Colossal Shark ancestor, the Primordial Turtle King who was also Zulong''s father in law followed suit. The ancient life forms from the eastern,and southern oceans conglomerated with younger dragons and experts. Their arts were nowhere near as refined as the disciples of Da Hai nor the top dog bigwigs of the dragons. But they were impressive nevertheless. In the years leading up to this moment, the empire of the seas had also accumulated massively. Though they clashed against smaller factions and suffered deaths here and there, they had grown substantially overall. The existence of the Overbearing Nine Songs formation represented an advancement in formation crafting and that was just one aspect of development. Since Bi An had joined his brothers, the others reluctantly allowed him to assume Leishen''s former position. With him added to the picture, the battle formation manifested the image of a celestial dragon. Scores of soldiers formed the arms and legs of the creature while the nine princes stood in a line dotted along the dragonic body. They were ordered from oldest to youngest, from Qi Niu to Chao Feng. A childish friendly dragon at the head and a bird like creature at the tail. Their combined power tied together millions upon millions of individuals for both offensive and defensive means. A team effort raised to heavenly heights. For a battle formation to work, participating individuals needed to harmonise themselves perfectly. With each of the nine flags and princes present, this formation that was tailored to them worked better then it otherwise should. So when their father began his assault, no words needed to be spoken for the celestial dragon to attack on its own. It''s attack was one of a powerful roar, one based upon Zulong''s own commanding voice. A heavenly sound based attack that shot a torpedo''s like air blast tearing across the sky. Mt Sumeru shook, its trees trembled and uprooted, its rocks collapsed before the might of the seas. An assault that could easily carve out chunks of the primitive world with casual ease. Yet who were they fighting exactly? If one were to consider overall numbers, the devils upon Mt Sumeru were massively overwhelmed. They numbered in hundreds whereas the sea creatures numbered in the hundred millions. It wasn''t even funny how puny they looked. But here''s the thing, battle between cultivators often had nothing to do with appearances. For a giant to fight an ant, even if the proverbial giant was the size of an insect while the proverbial ant was the size of a planet. The giant would still one shot the ant and walk away with no difficulties. These Great Devil Emperors were not just anybody. In terms of power, they were worth more than the totality of all devils in existence sans themselves. Each and everyone of them were mighty figures in their own right and supreme existences. In the instant the offence was launched, no devils put up shields. They instead launched their own offensive. They met Zulong''s forces head on with a flurry of their own spells and techniques. Claws, blades, chains, tendrils, fire, water, esoteric special attacks. These were all thrown out casually. And they worked. They worked well. More then well in fact. They not only countered the seafolk cultivators, they pushed them back. They pushed the ancestral sharks, dolphins, sunfishes, catfishes, stingrays, turtles, mosasaur, they pushed them all back. In a single clash of while light explosion, reality in a billion kilometre radius sundered. Like glass, shards of space fell upon the western earth. A sight Luohu felt annoyed at. The skies were covered in dark clouds, red lighting emanated from the heavens, and the air had a deathly miasma to it. Luohu uncrossed his arms and walked forwards with a serious look. "GAH!" The likes of Colossal Shark and Mosasaur Ancestors nursed bleeding wounds upon their body. Others like Yinglong and Qinglong hovered midair with a serious look. Conversely, multiple devils suffered gashes. Sword cuts, burn marks, detached limbs and melted flesh littered their bodies. Emperor Rippling Reflection was on one knee with both arms outstretched. In his hands were claw blades attach to gauntlets he wore. Its blades barely stopping the attack of a distant Yi Fei''e. His attempts had saved the life''s of several emperors and dozens of others from being savaged. "This one''s strong," Yi Fei''e muttered retracting her sword. "Senior brother!" She called out having examined the injuries of their army after the initial clash. "Bastards," Zulong flew in the air growling. His gigantic form having been halted by the blades of Hundun. His attack did not even merit Luohu taking action? This was an insult of the highest level. "The manipulative schemer hiding behind others, how typical," Zulong goaded. His attempts were not out of any real attempt at goading, just words spewing from frustration and rage. But they actually had an unintended affect. "Hiding?" Luohu was instantly enraged. "Who''s hiding!" He swung his right arm, producing the God Killing Spear in his grip. "Wait brother," Mara chided resting his palm on Luohu''s shoulder. "A mere dragon does not warrant the ancestor of the School of Seven Emotion Six Desires to move. Save your strength for Hongjun, Hundun is enough. Besides, let''s see what our Devil Emperors can do first." After calming him, Luohu stabbed his spear into the earth while Hundun confronted Zulong. A super ancient life form predating the current universe and the ancient sovereign who had ruled the world very soon after its inception. From a third person perspective, o he would assume Hundun would hold the complete advantage. Chaos godfiends from the era of chaos constantly competed with each other. They constantly experimented to perfect their Dao and in the process of doing so, improve their abilities. Hundun was the head of the four evils, a subordinate to Chaos Demon Ape. He was no stranger to combat. Yet even after unleashing his true form, a massive skeletal figure with no face and six arms each wielding great axes, he could find no advantage against Zulong. Sure he knocked some scales off and deflected the dragon''s claws, but it was an uphill battle for him. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Your Dao does not have the edge of that which is without limit," Hundun said clashing against Zulong''s claws. "I guess it is complete and refined, but its nothing special. I can count cities worth of immortals with better Dao then you." "Hmph!" Zulong ignored Hundun''s chatter, his tail slapped aside the godfiends. Following that he opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of lightning. The beam was like plasma as it cut through the air and whatever defensive barriers Hundun managed to put up, slicing into his side. "Impressive nevertheless, very impressive Dragon Sovereign," Hundun complimented. His injuries recovered as if they were not there in the first place and he floated back from the dragon. "Though I think you might want to worry about something else." "Hm?" Zulong''s long neck winded back and he starred at the Overbearing Nine Songs formation. The army led by his sons was being besieged by over a hundred Devil Emperors and could barely fight back. "Fall back, protect the formation!" He commanded immediately. His command though was seldom obeyed as people had their own opponents to worry about. Yi Fei''e was brawling against no less then fifteen Devil Emperors at once. His brothers each fighting a dozen and others were overwhelmed by their opponents. What''s more, while the Overbearing Nine Songs formation held stable, it was like a castle being besieged and unable to fight back. It was a sight Zulong could not tear his eyes away from nor could he stop himself from worrying. "Invader trash, die!" A Great Devil Emperor came barreling towards Zulong after his skirmish with Hundun. They resembled a man with a large fish head with rows of sharp teeth. "I came from the west sea and have not been back for aeons because you took it over. It was supposed to be Ancestor Luohu''s domain." He swung a large harpoon weapon towards Zulong''s head. The dragon was momentarily reminded of the ancient godfiends who proclaimed himself emperor of the fours seas that he had killed very early on. Perhaps there was some familial relation? PAH! The Devil Emperor did not get much word in as his face was grabbed by Zulong''s claw. In the next moment said claw glowed with a hideous black light as veins budged out of Zulong''s flesh. Then the nine digits of Zulong''s claw clenched, crushing the head of the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. "Oh crap this ain''t good," Qiong Qi said, cringing at the sight of the first death. "Lord Luohu, we might have to stop things before they get out of hand. That dragon is clearly stronger than your average Primal Zenith realm expert." As Zulong unleashed waves clouds, these auspicious clouds washed over an army of Devil Emperors forcing them away like a tidal wave of ferocious thunderstorm clouds. Multiple dragon elders rallied to Zulong''s roar and unleashed simultaneous attacks of their own. No less than five dragons at the Primal Zenith realm struck Devil Emperors of lesser renown. Their attacks resembled the brilliant lights from celestial coral reefs from the East Sea. Zulong also joined in, striking out with an arc of electricity. "We''re fine father, the one''s who attacked us were small fry. Worry about the stronger threats," Qi Niu called out. His head was covered by beads of sweat. "Your majesty, small fry among Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals are still Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals! Please be careful," one of the dragon elders on Zulong''s side counseled. Zulong nodded in agreement. "Son, take your brothers and¡­" Zulong stopped himself in thought. He looked at the much fatigued Bi An and his eyes flashed in anger. He snarled looking back, locking eyes with a confused, annoyed, yet also amused Luohu. Truthfully speaking, Luohu was very much annoyed at Zulong. It was the same feeling an older authoritative figure will have towards a young man making a mess of his space. But if he had to give Zulong anything, he did make a cool scene to watch. "Change of plans," Zulong said. He directly entered the forehead of the Overbearing Nine Songs formations. Within, he manifested a celestial lotus throne and sat upon it. "Brothers, join me!" Although tied up by their own battles, Yinglong and Qinglong nodded towards each other. A moment of coordination either, their broke away from their opponents through a burst of misty clouds. Qinglong transformed into a bridge of stars and whipped himself around sending multiple Devil Emperors in the direction of Yi Fei''e. "Junior sister, please forgive us," the azure dragon said. "No need senior brothers. Cinnabar and I can handle it," she replied mounting on her phoenix. She had already brought out her treasures as well as a manifestation of a galaxy behind her head. Using her abilities she distracted the devils while the two dragons made for Zulong. "What''s the plan brother?" Yinglong asked. "We take over the formation and transform it. Remember master''s lectures? About the three?" Zulong said. His brothers nodded and sat themselves upon lower thrones. Together they resembled an image of the three throned elders. It has long been said that three was a special number. An auspicious divine symbol that represented harmony between two extremes. The third element which combines to beget all things. Within the cultivation world, three superpowers pulling their forces together can do amazing things. The three dragons were born from Pangu''s yang qi. They possessed the inheritance of the father god''s masculinity. At the same time they carried the image of the Chaos Sky Dragon. Trained by Da Hai and blessed by the Heavenly Dao they could never have been ordinary figures. Combined with the synchronised nature of the nine dragon children, supported by the presence of millions upon millions of immortals. The Overbearing Nine Songs formation changed. The celestial dragon transformed into the shape of a gargantuan axe. An axe formed from the distant memory of Pangu''s splitting the heavens. Qiu Niu and his brothers gasped in awe at what their father and uncles did. The amount of mastery between them were larger than the immensity of heaven and earth. Zulong eclipsed his brothers in raw strength, Qinglong and Yinglong were greater in enlightenment. But Qinglong especially was a master of formation crafting. He directed the primordial qi coursing through them into a combined assault. "Out of the way all of you!" He commanded the sea and dragon elders. "This is for Bi An you fuckers," Zulong spat without care of imperial etiquette. Luohu looked up stupefied. "What kind of formation is that?" Mara said from beside him. But Luohu had already moved. As the divine axe formed of cosmic light slammed down, Luohu''s spear tip met its edge. Blade against blade. A single Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal against the three imperial dragon brothers, their princes, and their army of fodder. Yi Fei''e had to shield her eyes. Rippling Reflection felt his heart race even as he struggled to retain his footing. The Primeval Elemental Devil Emperors grabbed hold of each other. Leishen and Jiang Koilong held onto their clouds struggling not to be blown away. The power of the strike was so great that it ultimately struck Mt Sumeru. In its assault, the great mountain was split in two. Right down the middle, a giantgash that reached into the earth appeared. What''s more, the front face of the mountain collapsed into rubble. Even the stupa the devils had met in collapsed into ruin. Then the celestial dragon reappeared, its tenants exhausted from that strike. even Zulong felt fatigued from the mental strain of harmonizing like that. But they had struck true. Luohu landed on the rubble. His feet touched stone and his face forever stuck in an undignified snarl. "You come into my home. Accuse me of false crime. Then you level my mountain?" His face darkened and his hair swayed. Four elongated shapes appeared around him forming a four pointed formation. "Since when did a few backwater animals get so confident?" "RISE, IMMORTAL EXTERMINATION FOUR SWORDS!" Chapter 132-The Tribulation Begins "Oh dear," Hongjun murmured to himself stroking his beard. The scene from Haotian''s mirror depicted a sight that was the furthest thing from ideal. "Oh dear indeed." "Master?" Haotian said gulping no small amounts of fear. "It''s starting isn''t it." "What no! It can''t be, don''t be silly senior brother," Yaochi said attempting to dissuade his line of thought. Only, Hongjun did nothing to deny it. "When immortals carelessly fight, living beings are easily caught in between," Haotian reasoned. "Worlds are shattered, existence is threatened. Look sister, the clouds of tribulations have formed. The lighting, its not divine purple." "You are right," Hongjun said turning around. "Stay here, don''t go anywhere until I get back." Then he stepped off of Mt Yujing and disappeared leaving a concerned Haotian and a confused Yaochi. For Haotian, this was a moment in history that he was going to witness first hand. He couldn''t help but feel a little excited. He felt a little guilty at that. Although he didn''t know the dragons nor their extended family personally, he still felt a connection with them. Unfortunately, his importance in this event was ultimately a minor spectator. ¡­ Before Zulong''s very eyes, it manifested. It manifested almost instantly yet also appeared to last an eternity. A long transformation of splendour and magnificence the likes of which he had never seen. Zulong wasn''t young anymore, he had been around long enough to see some amazing sights. He witnessed Ao''s prescience first hand, the frigid cold of the pit within the North Sea, the first time the four symbols gathered as one. He had also saw Da Hai plummeting the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle into the Sea Eye first hand. Suffice to say, Zulong wasn''t surprised by the power of a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. He regularly sparred with one and even though his Dao realm was incomparable, he could be considered in the same ballpark as one if only combat prowess is considered. But when Luohu called out that name, that name which shook the world past present and future. A name Zulong recognised from Da Hai''s warnings. Yet a name and an appearance which shook his resolve all the same. Four pointed extremities rose into this world, rising like the blooming of a lotus flower. They spun smoothly and elegantly. Yet there was a haunting magnificence to them as Luohu stepped in the centre. The devil''s face was one of visible rage. The smashed remains of Mt Sumeru lay behind him crumbling even now. With that as the background, the Immortal Slaying Sword rose to his right, the Immortal Trapping Sword rose on his left, the Immortal Slaughtering at his front, and the Immortal Ending Sword at his back. They hovered and circulated around him, projecting gargantuan images of themselves across the distance. The Immortal Extermination Formation was that formed was so large that it visible around the world. It casually dwarfed the army of the east and south sea as well as the other massive true forms of the various dragons and seafolk. One has to understand that these beings after assuming their true forms were thousands of kilometres in size. Yet they were still nothing but specks in both physical size and presence before Luohu. "What the fuck? It''s just one man!" Someone uttered. No one could tell who cause they were all muttering variations of the same thing. A sense of dread permeated Zulong''s skull. His pupils shrank as the edge of the Immortal Slaying Sword brushed against his line of sight. Luohu smirked at the response. "Magnificent aren''t they, the true works of art of a genuine chaos godfiend," he said offhandedly. He waved his arms around showcasing the formation to everyone, devils, dragons, and seafolk alike. "Creatures of the sea, dragons of the world, devils of my lineage," he addressed them. "What made any of you think you were in the same level as I?" He starred at some members of his lineage, they subsequently shrank before his gaze. Then he looked at Zulong''s group who also flinched. "You indigenous life forms think you''re all so high and mighty. But you''re just scavengers picking food scraps off the tables of your betters long gone. My people, my race," Luohu sighed with nostalgia. Mara and the three evils nodded in the distance. The resident devils play their game with the hopes of usurping Luohu one day. This was an open secret, a regrettable byproduct of devil cultivation. If the Great Devil Emperors couldn''t figure out why they''re not advancing then they really are idiots. But is was also a risk that didn''t warrant much attention. After all, what can fleas do against a mountain. It was the same principle that Zulong and Zufeng ruled with albeit to a much lesser extent. They were so powerful that nothing can really go against them. Their only rivals were either family or longtime friends. Luohu was filled with pride when he mentioned the godfiends. Though he never cared for them as individuals, as a whole he like Hongjun loved the civilisation dearly. This pride emanated throughout the Immortal Extermination Formation and vibrated the air to a terrifying degree. Each word was like a thunderstorm, each step was like earthquakes. Luohu lazily waved around his hand in grandeur. "Zulong was it? I''ll admit you have some ability, and you certainly have balls. But you offended those who you SHOULDN''T!" ¡­ "Zulong, let we warn you why you must be weary of the west continent and the Devilish Dao." "This again master? You say it every time we meet up for tea. It''s honestly getting tedious." "How could I not when I see you ostracising west continent imagery from the west sea." "Big brother is right master, besides didn''t you slap that Luohu weasel''s sorry hide into the horizon years back?" "Quit right Qinglong. I''d say they''re scared of the outside world all holed up in their corner. If master don''t have to face the rejection from the Heavenly Dao, he''d be history. Why don''t I do yo a favour and gift his head to you master?" "Hai, what did I say about growing overconfident Zulong." "And what did I say about not having faith in me master?" "You''re Gui Daiyu culls some of your reckless tendencies." "Heh, she''s a good woman. You could do with one yourself, one to cull your turtling habits." "Ahahahahaha, perhaps. But Zulong, remember what I said about the Immortal Extermination Four Swords?" "That it is a formation that requires at least four saints to break? What even are saints anyway. You say they''re the apex life forms but am I not a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal? Are you not above even that?" "It''s a formation that requires four masters of equal rank to the user. I could sense Luohu gaining benefits from my own breakthrough. I failed to kill him then and he''ll only grow stronger. You must develop a counter." "But master, is that formation according to you also defensive by nature. It stops me from harming him but cannot stop one from leaving. It cannot harm one within it. It''s functionally a giant turtle shell." "Well¡­yes you are right about that. I suppose I do worry too much, but I can''t help it. You three are my greatest legacy in this heaven and earth." "Haha, cheers to that. Brothers!" ¡­ Where was his confidence now? Was he just that reckless and stupid in the end? They say old habits die hard. So what if you think you outgrow them and that you''ve moved on. Ultimately they''re part of your intrinsic personality. They''d always remain to a certain capacity even if you suppress it. "Zulong!" Qinglong''s cry broke the ancestral dragon out of his musing. His eyes raised as a quartet of swords formed a single beam of light. It was in the shape of a sword, a blade designed to split the heavens and cleave the earth. An unnatural sight of killing intent and raw power. A statement in the world that displayed ultimate dominance. Luohu was acting as if he was the headsman about begin an execution. ''Immortal Extermination Four Swords,'' Zulong thought bitterly. He chuckled to himself before sighing. "Brothers, children, friends, are you with me?" "WE ARE YOUR MAJESTY!" Zulong glared at the oncoming slash. "Just one devil is incomparable to the might of the vast seas!" He boasted. The Overbearing Nine Songs formation swelled in size, growing to match the Immortal Extermination formation. The sight was like two spinning galaxies clashing against each other, one resembling a spinning flower and the other a coiled dragon riding the waves. The dragon sang through nine voices, manifesting the glory of a million year old empire. At this point it couldn''t even be called Over Bearing Nine songs anymore. That formation was formed with the princes in mind. When the trinity of Zulong, Yinglong, and Qinglong took command they channeled their inherited Yang Qi of Pangu''s throughout the formation. They combined their strongest accomplishments in martial pursuits to create an overwhelming force of nature. The Devil Emperors retreated and watched on. Some in awe, some in contemplation, some in anxiety, but all were in acknowledgement of Luohu''s power. The devil at the top could do whatever he wanted, eat, drink, sleep, fuck, it doesn''t matter. Luohu didn''t deign to use his spear for there was no need. He lifted one finger and called upon the might of the Immortal Ending Sword. Then he shifted his index commanding the sword to strike. To counteract this, Zulong put the full brunt of his battle formation forwards. The coiling dragon transformed into a Great Wall spanning millions of kilometres. It resembled a steady serpent winding across the sky. But just as sudden. A portal opened up in the sky. "WAIT LUOHU, STAY YOUR HAND!" It was Hongjun arriving in the nick of time. For someone like him, travelling within the primitive world was as easy as blinking. Even if he left Yujing moment''s prior he can cross continents in short order. He even had the Taiji Painting ready. But ultimately he was too late to stop anything. The Immortal Ending Sword stabbed into the stone bricks of the wall knocking down particles. Zulong and the others grunted but held firm. The dragon appeared unbreakable in the face of Luohu''s assault. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "To further defences, brothers put your scales into it!" Zulong commanded. At the same time he too called upon his bodily scales. He projected them into the wall transforming it from a wall of bricks to a wall of golden scales. Along with him, yellow scales with feathery wings transformed into tall towers along the wall. they gathered up auras of auspicious clouds. Azure scales lined the top of the wall. Qinglong''s scales carried with them the manifestation of the cosmos. Luohu gritted his teeth. The fact that his strike was failing to pierce the defences the three dragons put up was humiliating. And he counted only three cause the power distribution in total was over ninety percent from the three dragons. The formation might as well be irrelevant aside from giving extra boost to them. "Okay, so I underestimated again," he admitted with no small indignation. He glanced upwards and saw a worried Hongjun who had just arrived. "Hmph, these dragons are important for the tribulations was it? Well the Qilin was already killed and no harm was done. Since they chose to fight me instead of the avians then I''ll do the world a favour." With another motion of his fingers, he called upon the other three swords in his disposal. The Immortal Ending Sword retreated and joined the other swords before striking again. This time they did so as four pillars of sword light. Qinglong''s eyes widened as the sword struck into the scales. As the most enlightened member of the brothers he realised it first. "Zulong! He''s striking at the gaps!" The four pillars piled their way into the wall and began shifting. The Overbearing Nine Songs formation was shaking and flickering. Scales fell off it as if crumbling. "Senior brothers!" Yi Fei''e cried out. She retrieved her sword and pulled her reigns ordering Cinnabar Phoenix forwards. She cried out as she swung with all her might at the sword beams. CLANG! Her blade bounced off much to her shock. Even after several successive strikes she couldn''t do anything. "That woman is being foolish, ancestor''s power is unquestionable," Emperor Rippling Reflection said scoffing at her attempts. The other Devil Emperors observing couldn''t help but agree. It was not just Yi Fei''e, other immortals tried to stop the attack. The results were a lot more mixed. For while Yi Fei''e got out unscathed, some like this clownfish was cut to bits. Another cultivator attempted to assassinate Luohu from the back only to immediately disintegrate upon stepping into the formation. Luohu scoffed. "Unless you''re a similar level of existence like that dragon over there or yours truly. Then its foolishness to walk in. But then again, what can I expect from you lot." "Us lot destroyed your beloved mountain before you can do anything about it!" Zulong responded having heard Luohu''s words. He flared up a roar in a desperate gambit. His lungs swelled and his mouth opened wide. His cry ruptured the heavens turning the stormy sky gold and black. Purple lightning manifested from the heavens and struck down along with an army of celestial soldiers. Qinglong and Yinglong nodded and attacked as well. The former''s came in the form of the Jupiter Star that manifested before the wall. The latter came in the form of a ferocious thunderstorm. Even the princes attempted to use arts of their own to supplement their father and uncles. They attacked in the form of nine sheets of music. But ultimately, they did little to dissuade the swords. Luohu ripped into the Overbearing Nine Songs formation. Then he tore it apart completely. The formation crumbled in an explosion of light. The backlash sent anyone who wasn''t in the Da Luo Golden Immortal range tumbling, some even dying from the backlash. Hundreds of thousands of immortals died on the spot unable to withstand the force of the strike. Zulong spat out a mouthful of blood. He glared up at Luohu who gave him a look. Luohu attacked with the Immortal Slaughtering Sword hoping to end Zulong once and for all. The sword crashed down from the formation and met the Pangu''s Banner head on. Zulong scoffed as Hongjun appeared to block the strike. The flag pole was held in both hands like a bo staff. "What are you doing here?" Hongjun looked back with an exasperated look. "Whatever grievances your lineage has with me exist only between your master and I. Today I am your ally." "Hongjun you meddling old coot, who are you to interfere in my business?" Luohu called out arrogantly. He swaggered up to the old immortal with the other swords ready. "I''ll interfere when your battle is threatening the stability of the world," Hongjun said. "I cannot let you murder the Dragon Sovereign." "Murder? He murdered one of my emperors and destroyed my home!" "Only because you instigated a war between dragons and avians." "This again? I had nothing to do with that. You people blaming me for everything?" Luohu roared. He attacked without hesitation with the four swords. The blow was so great that even Hongjun grunted in pain and was knocked back. "Screw you!" Luohu spat in anger. He stabbed at Hongjun who immediately used the Taiji Painting to block that strike. But still, the vibration from the attack uprooted the land around them both. Above them, the sky rumbled and the aura of death appeared in the world. Both combatants narrowed their gazes at the sky. The Heavenly Dao was crying. Red lightning bore down across the world. Terrifying yin attribute wind ripped across the land. The seas rose in tsunamis. Volcanos erupted in geysers of hot magma. The Jianmu tree shook and the stars moved in erratic ways. "It''s even fiercer then last time," Primordial Turtle King said after getting to his feat. "Only I guess it''s scaled to all the improvements we''ve made." "Am I correct to assume this is the start of a tribulation father-in-law?" Zulong asked him. The turtle nodded grimly. "I remember when it last happened. The Eight Direction Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord shielded us back then and went out soon afterwards. The conflict didn''t take long to end. But I have a feeling this''ll last much longer." ¡­ Distantly, a brother sister pair was playing with a weird rock. "Nuwa, you still playing with that rock? Come help me practise my song," Fuxi complained. "But brother, your music is boring." "What? Why I outta¡­" They both felt the disasters simultaneously. Both serpentine human hybrids winced as a cold feeling shot down their spines. In another location in the east, a six eared macaque only smiled. ¡­ Hongjun gulped. The tribulation started without his involvement. He''d have to scramble to get ready, he did not feel like fighting Luohu to the death now. "Let''s call it a day, both sides are exhausted," he offered Luohu. The devil raised an eyebrow. "Exhausted?" He chuckled. Then he exploded in power again. "You may run Hongjun." With the Immortal Extermination Formation, he easily forced back Hongjun like it was nothing. The old man was thrown through the sky, only landing in Zulong''s claw. He steadied himself and said. "Many thanks Dragon Sovereign." Zulong grunted in displeasure. "I hate to admit it but he is beyond me." "I have friends but they are too far away right now. We need to regroup, the seas alone are not enough to fight the devils." Zulong scanned the Devil Emperors, at Mara and the three evils, then at Luohu himself. He nodded wordlessly. By now, Luohu had already retrieved the God Killing Spear. He felt kinda stupid for not attacking sooner. Because if he could''ve so easily beat back Hongjun, then he shouldn''t have been weary for so long. He should''ve long been capable of an overwhelming victory like he wanted. He could claim Pangu''s physique as his own. "Today you lot can finally die!" He attacked with a thrust. His swords shot out beams of light that merged into his black spear. It was an attack more then capable of killing himself if he was the target. "Heavenly Dao, I need some time and we stand no chance without you. Please, as your friend, advisor, and humble servant help us this one time!" Hongjun begged towards the sky. And so it did. Luohu''s strike was met with resistance from an illusionary figure, one that groaned in pain. Even the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao could not hold forever. "Retreat, retreat to the west sea!" Zulong ordered everyone. The reason was because the west sea was not only well fortified against any eastern invasion but also held the rest of the immortal experts Zulong did not bring. His army would be stronger there then anywhere else. Hongjun followed after Zulong as waves of light shot through the sky. These were the Immortals who retrieved the weaker men and women. "Harass them," Mara ordered. He jumped into the sky while Luohu was distracted. He was soon followed by numerous Devil Emperors. "This is not the right time fellow daoists," Hongjun said with a sigh. He waved the Pangu''s Banner bringing forth a cloud of Chaos Sword Qi. With his power, he disintegrated three Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals at once, shocking the others to a stop. But Mara kept going, he directly clashed against Zulong. "Fuck off, I''ll deal with you later," the dragon slammed his tail into the forearm block of the demon king pushing him down. "You''ll only be delaying the inevitable Dragon Sovereign," Mara said shaking his head. "Let me give you some advice since it''ll be a shame if a dazzling figure like you died. My brother Luohu is after the body left behind by Pangu. His physique matter but the rest of you don''t. He''ll refine this world and destroy it in the process before achieving Dao realm." "He''s quick to forget and doesn''t care for you once his goal is accomplished. Take your nation and flee into the chaos sea while you can. Meet with your master, adventure, I don''t care which. Just don''t get in the way yeah?" His words were met with silence as by then the surviving immortals had already retreated. But he didn''t doubt Zulong heard him. Days later, while resting in the west sea. A message appeared in the sky of rumbling clouds. Luohu had declared war on the entire world. Chapter 132-Anticipation for the End of the World The mood in the West Sea Dragon Palace could only be described with one word, depressing. Zulong sat in silence on the western throne while those who had retreated nursed their wounds. The kingdom below the waves were all in all experiencing a period of turbulence. Even though no news have been released from the imperial court, the average civilians can sense something was wrong. One does not have a fight as big as what just happened without that happening. Zulong was only thankful that no one of importance died. Now that his head was a lot clearer, he couldn''t help but want to bash his skull against something hard for his lack of emotional control. Now based in the west sea, he finally felt somewhat normal again. "Your majesty," a soft spoken voice called out to him. It was the main castellan of the west sea Chenghuang. Chenghuang was one of the strongest members of the empire but couldn''t make it to Zulong''s former war arrangements. "Speak," Zulong said with a tone of tiredness. "Xuanwu, Baihu arrived. Qinglong with them." The innate god was as Laconian as ever. Zulong would find it strange if he wasn''t. "And our guest?" The white haired Chenghuang shrugged. "Well. Wants see you." "And you''ve been blocking him." Chenghuang nodded. Zulong leaned back and sighed. "There''s no need for that. Let him come as he wishes." "Thank you for permitting me your majesty," Hongjun said immediately appearing in the throne hall. This was much to both Zulong and Chenghuang''s irritation. "I''m surprised you didn''t barge in sooner," Zulong jabbed. "Contrary to what you''ve been sold, I''m not an impolite man. I am a guest here and I follow your rules and I will address you with the correct curtesy you deserve," Hongjun explained. He settled himself quite well in his purple robes. His friendly vibes were so intoxicating that Zulong almost wanted to say his master had the wrong read on him. "I''m sure you can imagine how bad things already are," Hongjun said. "What do you know of Luohu?" Zulong considered his answer. For all intents and purposes Hongjun was supposed to be his enemy. But he had also aided him in his retreat. That was not to say they were friends, their attitudes were pretty hostile until now. But the average soldier who weren''t too knowledgeable thought of him as an ally. Ever since they took up residence in the west sea, Hongjun''s presence had been a point of pressure for him. Knowing all he knows, Zulong couldn''t just turn the old man away. Fighting Luohu had awoken him to the sad reality. Even a million years didn''t bridge that gap. "He was your friend," Zulong began. "Then you became enemies. You have clashing ideologies which led to your current situation. He is the Devil Ancestor who governs one section of the primitive world as one of the three great powers. He down all outside contact with the west continent for over a million years and only now showed his fangs. He and you alike are hated by my master. We are enemies." "Quit a lot," Hongjun admitted. "Yes we were allies once, even friends. But Luohu had always been the sort to think of himself as the top. It was an uneven partnership one he kept trying to exploit at multiple points." Hongjun had a look of annoyance on his face. Yet it also had some nostalgia. Zulong silently wondered what the chaos period was like. But he didn''t dwell on it for long, bygone history was irrelevant information. "But I digress. Luohu''s improvements are comparable to my own. He commands the strongest army in the world." "Strongest? Doubt sea''s strength?" Chenghuang asked sounding almost offended. "The strongest faction in the world," Hongjun emphasized once again. "You can confirm can''t you Dragon Sovereign?" "Hundreds of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals, that''s not counting lesser experts. Then there is also that formation," Zulong said nodding grimly. "That is correct, the Immortal Extermination Four Swords are his biggest success and our highest priority. It is an invincible formation that requires¡­" "Four cultivators of similar existence to himself to break," they said in unison. Hongjun widened his eyes slightly at Zulong. But his surprise was quickly covered up and he returned to his passive expression. It was also then that the doors were pushed open and Qinglong stepped in along with a few others. Among them were Yinglong, Yi Fei''e, Xuanwu, and Baihu. They cupped their hands and greeted Zulong then turned uneasily towards Hongjun. "Stop that, Hongjun is a guest of ours," Zulong said in assurance. He then turned his attention back to Zulong, "Back to the topic at hand." "I am aware of that formation''s weaknesses. It is stable because it is layer out and anchored down with four points of extreme power. It does not require much resources and can be transported easily. It requires no other personnel other than the one user and was strong in both offense and defense. In order to destabilize and break it, the swords need to be taken out of the equation. But if one is attacked, the other three will interfere. The four needs to be struck simultaneously." At the same time, the offensive prowess of the swords are extremely high. At this point in time only beings at the same power range of Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals like Luohu are able to withstand the swords'' assault. This is why we''ll need four individuals to break it." When Zulong finished, the mood turned a lot more serious. Those who haven''t heard the full details of what the dragons encountered grimaced at the prospects. They all had the same thought in their mind. Zulong was the only one who can consider himself to be on that scale of existence. Yi Fei''e, Qinglong and Yinglong might just qualify but non of them were comparable to the eldest dragon. "I have known about that trump card of his for a while now," Hongjun said in confidence. "Do not worry, I have procured the aid of such individuals. They are ancient esteemed masters from the chaos godfiends who have all achieved the stage of Wuji in abilities and I must thank your master for showing us all the way." "That''s all well and good, but would Luohu not interfere with you four and fight you guys as well?" Baihu interrupted. "Your worry is not without reason but ultimately irrelevant. There are Chaos Demon God, Sichen, masters Qiankun and Yingyang along with myself. We''ll need the aid of you all to distract Luohu''s followers while we deal with the primary threat. Is that agreeable?" Qinglong bristled at his tone, as did Chenghuang and Baihu. They all had their own pride and to be commanded like such wasn''t agreeable to them. But Yi Fei''e, Yinglong and Xuanwu held them back from acting. Zulong took notice of this quickly. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "We''ll have to discuss among ourselves, give us some room?" Zulong said signalling for Hongjun to leave. The elderly immortal frowned slightly but did so anyway. "Alright Zulong what the hell?" As soon as Hongjun left Qinglong unleashed. To see his seemingly being so friendly to the Hongjun was fury inducing for someone taught to hate him. Qinglong marched up to beneath Zulong''s frown and met his eyes in indignation. "As much as I agree with you, we need him right now," Zulong said. "The tribulation has begun and we have already been dragged into it. Running isn''t an option, we need to fight." "And we need Hongjun?" "Eldest brother is right," Yinglong said. "With the Immortal Extermination formation in play, we cannot handle something like that. We''ll leave that to him and take care of the rest of the devils. I believe this is the smartest option." "And the most pragmatic," Xuanwu added. "I can''t claim to have a personal stake in this conflict between your parties, but my own master is trapped in the primitive world and I am a minister in this empire. I will take the most optimal option to ensure all our safeties. With that said letting him deal with the biggest threat is for the best." "Hmph, I always wanted to tear those lofty devils off their pedestal," Baihu began sharing. "I personally don''t care how we do it. Brother Zulong, whatever you think best I''ll follow. You haven''t led us astray so far." "You two? I can''t believe this brothers. Won''t we be betraying master''s wishes? Hongjun killed our uncle master!" The uncle master referred to here was Huoyun the long deceased Daoist Fire Cloud and God of the Five Flements. "Technically speaking Luohu killed our uncle master," Yi Fei''e said for the first time. "Even though master admits that Hongjun was the one who was behind injuring Huoyun, Luohu pursued and killed him." "Who''s side are you on? They''re both responsible. I say we stay out of it for now and let them quarrel it out. I heard that Mara''s words as well. Luohu may just ignore us," Qinglong argued back. "Just pointing out facts." "Brother enough," Zulong said with a sigh. "I am in full agreement with you." Qinglong''s face lit up. The Azure Dragon swallowed hard as he realised there was a ''but'' coming. "We cannot justify ever allying with Hongjun. But that doesn''t mean we''re enemies, at least for now. He''ll deal with Luohu''s Immortal Extermination Formation that much is guaranteed. We too will have to fight the rest of devils. They are a threat to my people and my lands, and I will never give them up." "Stubborn," Yi Fei''e humphed. "It''ll be a corporation that just happens to be against the same enemy. Anyway, I think we should focus on mustering our our forces first. I can collect my sisters and see if I can find some goodwill among the east continent and the rest of the East Sea." "The north sea doesn''t have as much as the others," Xuanwu said. "The waters may have not be death chilling but our development is still slower then yours. I predict maybe 30 billion immortal soldiers." This number was counting immortals starting from True Immortal all the way up to Da Luo Golden Immortals. The only population of each preceding stage was exponentially higher. Those who had not passed the tribulation were not mentioned. In the way the dragon''s empire functioned, mortals didn''t really exist. Everyone could fight to some extent. It was just that the disparity in strength was so high that those who had not become immortals were not even considered. They were kept back in the cities and operated machinery or whatever businesses they had. "West sea, 90 billion, everyone considered," Chenghuang said simply. "East and West sea if we squeeze out absolutely everyone comes to around 200 billion," Zulong finished. "Well we don''t have enough of formation flags for all of them nowhere near close. And without formations, these immortals are practically worthless against the hundreds of Devil Emperors." The group went back to discussing for several days before eventually, the announcement came. In the sky, movements of heavenly bodies disappeared as stormy red lightning filled the sky. The waters that were already turbulent to begin with once again became a fierce storm. Across the world, everyone watched as Luohu announced his intentions. The Devil Ancestor''s words spread across all corners of creation. "I am a kind individual so I''ll give you all a warning. I am going to refine Pangu''s chaos world so flee this primitive world while you can." In these short sentences everything changed. Because he had also inadvertently announced where he''ll appear. To refine the universe in this day and age, there was only one location where this can be done. That was Mt Buzhou. Mt Buzhou was Pangu''s spine. At the top lay the remnants of his brain which contained the purest essence of the Heavenly Dao. At the bottom led to the pit formed from his belly button. Somewhere within was his heart which had transformed into a temple. That temple was the heart of the world. When Pangu split heaven from earth, his very flesh became the world, his eyes the sun and moon. His spine a pillar which supported and stabilised creation. His brain contained that which governed the world. His heart contained the formations in which all things were built on as well as the last traces of his very being. The origin point which also served as a focal point where Luohu can conduct his ritual. With it, he''ll absorb Pangu''s very essence and command the primitive world to return to Pangu. But in this case, they will return to Luohu. The reaction from all living beings in this world became chaotic. Golden Immortals and above all considered running away. But many who were attached to their homes rejected such notion. "Well, Luohu is many things. But I never said he was smart," Hongjun said to the ocean higher-ups in the aftermath. "He just made an enemy of the entire world. Worse, he dragged the entire world into an obligated war against himself." "Whatever the case, if made everyone an ally," Zulong said. "Marshal all four seas, we head for Mt Buzhou." In the south continent, in already rebuilt halls of Phoenix''s Roost, Zufeng screeched in rage. "Fuck it call everyone, head for Mt Buzhou." While all deities in the world made their way to the central continent, twelve living beings inside Mt Buzhou starred at each other in silence. "We are so fucked," Di Jiang said. Chapter 133-Before the Siege Several thousand years ago, closer to ten thousand, twelve beings of power crawled their way out of twelve blood pools in a secret location on Mt Buzhou. Just outside the Pangu Temple, there sat twelve pools of blood, the remaining blood essence of Pangu that had not transformed into natural geological features. They were extremely potent that even the slightest droplet could be cultivated into a top tier divine body resistant to all manner of physical and magical attacks. It was within this deep part of Mt Buzhou that the twelve innate gods were born. All posses the supernatural power to command the natural order at their finger tips, that was to say the ability the command the myriad Dao Laws of the primitive world. In addition, they were born with extremely tough bodies surpassing anything this world has ever seen. These deities ordered themselves from oldest to youngest where the eldest brother led the group. First was Di Jiang. He resembled a fat sack of blubbery flesh. He had six legs all resembling human hands, four feathery wings and no face. Were it not for his chunkier stature, he could pass as a relative to Hundun. Di Jiang commanded the powers of space. The second was named Zhu Jiuying. He had the face of an ancient old man with while black hair. But everything below the neck was that of a dragons. His left eye was a fiery ball similar to the sun while his left eye was a place silver like the moon. He controlled the powers of time. These two were extinguished because they emerged long before the rest of the siblings. They hence possessed the highest authority. After them came a set of five. Xuangming who controlled the powers of rain resembled an armoured behemoth of a beast with a woman''s face. Spikes grew over it''s shell similar to that of a tortoise while her thick legs were furred. Jizi resembled a bird with a human face. Snakes grew from both his ears and his talons the former being green and the latter being red. He was born with command over the powers of lightning. Qianliang commanded the powers of thunder. He had the body of a lanky human with the head of a tiger. A snake was perpetually in his grew from his mouth and his limbs ended in hoofs. Tianwu was next and he was a massive tiger with eight human heads and ten tails. Midway through its torso, it also had two extra sets of limbs resembling human hands only with long claws. Tianwu cut an imposing figure as he commanded the powers of wind. Finally, Shebishi was a strange one. He constantly emitted an aura of death with pale skin and a stinky musk not dissimilar to that of a corpse. His face was human like but with massive dog like ears complete with green snakes growing out of them and a single horn on his snout. His body was like a bestial feline and he brought with him the power of the storm. The next set of five was born last but in theory possessed even greater power. They were decisively less bestial and appeared more refined with a humanoid appearance. First came Jumang and he was a handsome man with skin as green as the leaves of a tree. He admitted an aura of renewal and plant life grew around him. Upon his back were the wings of a bird and blow his feat were clouds that resembled the shape of dragons. He controlled the primeval element of wood and represented spring. Rushou was next and he was gruffer looking. His body was very muscular and coated in golden metallic scales. He too had wings like Jumang and controlled the primeval element of metal and represented Autumn. Gonggong surpassed all but the most powerful in strength and had the upper body of a pitch black scaly human with blue pythons wrapped around his arms. His lower half was a sea serpent with no legs. This man controlled the primeval element of water and represented the winter. Finally was Zhurong, the most hotheaded brother. A man with charcoal like skin and burning eyes. All the hair on his body resembled dancing flames and the air around him was perpetually boiling. As expected, he represented summer and controlled the primeval element of fire. But the final and youngest sibling was a woman named Houtu. Houtu was humanoid yet also strange. She was like Gonggong in that her top was a woman and the bottom a serpent. Yet she possessed seven arms all of which extended from her back. But her face was undeniably beautiful which cultivated in an alluring yet mystical image. Houtu comanded the primeval element of earth and surpassed the other elemental gods in strength. These twelve individuals were born with authority. At birth, their strength individually was enough to overwhelm Da Luo Golden Immortals. Yet they weren''t cultivators, at least not in the traditional sense. They all lacked the spiritual constructs within one''s body as well as the Nascent Soul. As such the crucial aspect of essence was missing from themselves, something which was concerning to Di Jiang. Without the power of essence, they could not sense the Dao nor could they infer deeper meanings in the world. They could not cultivate the Dao like normal lifeforms. They could not divination the future, they could not infer information from heaven and earth, they couldn''t even manifest magical abilities if they didn''t pertain to their specific domains. Even then, these abilities weren''t so much magic as they were commands to nature to do something. If they were to theoretically leave the primitive world, they would be as helpless as anyone. "I wasn''t dreaming right? We all heard that?" Di Jiang asked nervously. He was med with eleven decisive nods. "Oh what do we have to afraid of?" Zhurong growled in anger. "Let whoever this Luohu is come. We''ll beat him over the head." "Moron," Zhu Jiuying sneered. "Your recklessness will be the death of you one day. Don''t you know that a being who can make the entire world tremble is no small figure?" "So what? I can make earthquakes by stomping. Our wether siblings can make a storm equally as big," Zhurong argued back. This scene was not an uncommon one. The twelve were not deep thinkers and relatively simple minded. That wasn''t to say they were stupid, they just preferred simplicity and living with nature as just another part of the ecosystem. They were neither ambitious nor warmongering. "Di Jiang, why did you say we were fucked?" Jumang asked. "Us twelve can''t possibly stand that little of a chance." Di Jiang chuckled. "You know Jiuyin and I were born years before you lot. He and I explored father god''s temple for fun back then. Some records left within showed us some information from father god''s memories. There we found monstrously powerful beings that predate this world that father god built for us. Luohu is supposedly an extremely dangerous figure." "We cannot take this threat lightly. The descriptions Jiuyin and I read say he is a world ending catastrophe. We must fight to defend Mt Buzhou and our home." "Aye!" The others responded. They followed Di Jiang''s lead. If Di Jiang says this is the way, then this is probably the way. Unless Zhu Jiuyin refutes of course. The twelve brothers were many things, but above all else they were loyal to each other. ¡­ While second set of Pangu''s descendants were freaking out, the rest of the world hadn''t been idle. When Luohu''s blatant threat was announced, everyone was scared. But may also felt slighted. It was as if the devil didn''t take them seriously at all. As far as these experts who had little if any interaction with the western world was concerned, Luohu was an up-jumped nobody throwing his weight around. So when Hongjun, a figure they respected returned to the east continent and released an invitation, they gladly accepted. What they didn''t expect was the amazing force of dragons, seafolk, phoenixes, and avian tribes of all kind. It was an alliance that seemingly came out of nowhere but one that was a reality as the Chongming bird and Yinglong made landfall in the central continent at near the same time. The two camps remained seperate but cordial with each other. As of right now, majority of the people who showed by to fight the devils sat in three camps. Dragons, phoenixes, and east continent clans. As for the East Sea; there was an argument ensuing. "WHAT?" Suanni roared at his father. His fiery mane floated in the water making him resemble a spiralling sun. His brothers beside him, Yazi, Chi Wen, Chaofeng etc were all enraged. "We have made a final decision, you will stay here in the East Sea and manage the capital," Zulong said in his imperial voice. "But father!" "The decision is final, this is a command from your sovereign ruler, do not disobey." Seeing Zulong''s expression, even Qiu Niu felt a little peeved. "Father, you led us into the West Continent, why are you denying us the chance to fight with you now?" Qiu Niu asked standing his ground. "Even mother and grandfather is travelling with you and they are much better at managing us." "With most of our high end experts gone, we need strong trustworthy men to defend Kailong Chen." "Enough excuses Zulong. Children, please obey your father," Gui Daiyu said bluntly in Zulong''s defence. "We just want you all to stay safe." "Your mother is right Qiu Niu. My judgement was compromised by rage and I made a mistake and you all nearly payed the price," Zulong admitted. "I will not allow that chance again. Kailong Chen has already been prepped. As a last resort, it will launch itself into he chaos sea." The princes were speechless. "You want us to¡­to abandon you?" "I want the rest of you to stay safe and this is final. Master is in the chaos sea, with luck you''ll run into him soon." "Qiu Niu, this is only a last resort if your father and I don''t return," Gui Daiyu added with reassurance. "But we do need you all to defend Kailong Chen." "We can''t leave even if we wanted to right?" Qiu Niu said bitterly. "You''ve done something tot he city''s formation." He sighed turning towards his siblings. There were a few dark looks between them. "Fine, we will protect Kailong Chen. You''ll have nothing to worry about mother, father." Zulong and Gui Daiyu both left after that. It wasn''t a rowdy affair, just two beams of light shooting into the sky to meat up with everyone else who had the strength to fight Luohu and not be reduced to canon fodder. Luohu''s initial battle with him had damaged the formation flags of the Overbearing Nine Songs Formation. As a result the formerly stable battle formation could not be repaired in time. It was part of the few which could harness enough energy to battle Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals on short notice. "I told you bluntly telling them wouldconvince them," Gui Daiyu said. "I thought playing into their senses of duties as filial sons would be easier. But you''re right, non of them are stupid," Zulong chuckled. "Let''s go wife, we shan''t keep the others waiting. Being the faster of the two, Zulong grabbed Gu Daiyu and flew with transcended speed. He transformed into a golden black shooting star which made landfall in the arid Central Continent after several days. "You didn''t break reality to teleport this time?" To Zulong''s surprise, the first person he saw was Zufeng. The Phoenix had made it ahead of him and was already recovered from their previous scuffle. "Zufeng," Zulong greeted awkwardly. "You are willing to coordinate with us?" "Common enemies of this kind calls for desperate measures," the Phoenix Sovereign said looking over. "Greetings Dragon Empress." Her greeting to the woman was not much warmer then Zulong''s but it was a bit better. "I am here on request on fellow daoist Hongjun''s request as well as the safety of my own. Your brother made camp that way," she gestured towards an area on the eastern foot of Mt Buzhou. "But for now, I am your ally." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Zulong nodded and led his wife away. He was thankful the encounter didn''t last long. As he left, he noticed Hongjun sitting on an elevated rock. He was silently cultivating. Close to him were four others. Three of them looked humanoid while the last one didn''t even bother. The hulking figure just looked like an amalgamation of beasts, eyes, tails, and mouths. Zulong barely acknowledged them before continuing on his way. ¡­ Whereas Zulong was meeting up with Yinglong, Qinglong had already arrived in the Central Continent. The difference is that he was sitting upon one of Mt Buzhou''s cliffs facing the seafolk/dragon camp. With him were the rest of the four symbols. "Sad to say," he began. "It took a literal doomsday event to see those two joining up." Zhuque looked over and nodded. "Mhm, though it could''ve worked if the devils hadn''t implicated us. This war was started by them and we were all dragged into it." Qinglong frowned at the mention of devils. "Don''t speak of those scumbags sister. Makes me sick." "I told you they''ll strike sooner or later," Baihu scoffed. "Back when I lived in the west, scheming and backstabbing was the name of the game. Cultivation was like government positions, someone needs to get out of the way before someone else can move up." "One wonders why anyone would agree to that type of cultivation system," Zhuque said. "I mean I knew why, but why didn''t they get out when they realised?" "Would you leave everything you know and all the power you''ve built to start over?" Baihu asked. "You did," Xuanwu chimed in. "His starting was as a Golden Immortal. You can hardly compare them," Qinglong said shaking his head. He observed as more and more immortals gathered up on Mt Buzhou''s foothills. "Heavens its like the entire world is preparing to fight. Was it like this last time as well?" No one answered him for they too were wondering what the last tribulation was like. Few ever spoke of it and those who survived were few and far between. They wondered how many of this era would perish from this one. "Hm?" Qinglong''s gaze took him to a scuffle going on where some immortals appeared to be having an argument. Seeing no one going to intervene he grew irritated. "Come on really? At this time?" He got up and disappeared in a stream of starlight. ¡­ Di Jun and Taiyi arrived together along with a contingent from the West Sea. They were among the rare starfolk who arrived which made them stand out. What was more fantastic were their power as Great Principle Chaos Immortals. They ranked very high even among them. However, some incidences did occur due to Taiyi. He and Dijun were only reporting their names to a dragon officer when nearby immortals heard him speak. The Golden Crow in the shape of a glasses wearing man was quiet and reserved. So he more or less ignored a lion immortal''s sneering. "Who does he think he is? The Dragon Sovereign?" But while Taiyi didn''t pay it any mind, his elder brother however did. Di Jun''s boots dug into the dirt as his head snapped towards the burly lion. "What did you just say?" "Only speaking the truth," the lion replied. "You think you have the right to call yourself Taiyi of all things? You must think very highly of yourself." Taiyi himself shrugged; but Di Jun disagreed. "Why shouldn''t he? My brother will stand as the strongest in the world. His talent is second to none even myself. He can claim whatever name he wants." he boasted. The reason an argument started was because of a name. What did Taiyi mean? This name meant Grand One. A title that would imply one''s stature as the most supreme existence. A title that the lion and some silent others felt was inappropriate on this stranger from nowhere. "What''s going on?" Off to the side, Tongtian looked over lowering her stick of meat. Having arrived with her brothers with the East Continent volunteers, she was near the area where Di Jun and Taiyi arrived. "Nothing much sister," Yuanshi said holding an arm out. "Just a few beasts of fur and scales with some ability squabbling over a name. That bird in human shape was arrogant enough to claim himself Grand One as a name." "Meh, your name is primordial beginnings and elder brother''s is Grand Supreme," she said shrugging. The two decided it wasn''t their problem and just stuck around to watch. At some point Taishang had also walked over. Di Jun and the lion argued to the point where their auras erupted. A Da Luo Golden Immortal''s fiery aura resembling that of the sun surrounded Di Jun while the lion''s Primal Origin Chaos Immortal aura did not lose out one bit and appeared even larger. But it also can''t be accurate to say Di Jun was pushed back. It was certainly a surprise to the old lion when Di Jun kept up with him. "Okay this is getting a little heated, lets stop shall we?" At some point Taiyi also grew a bit annoyed. He walked through the pressure of both his brother and the lion like it was nothing. "Talking is useless. If you question my ability that much and are unwilling to reason then why don''t you try me?" He said calmly taking his place in front of Di Jun. "What?" The lion sneered. "I am a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal who''s listened to Great Emperor Baihu sermons in the past. Your Dao fruit hasn''t even changed out of a generic one." "Guys please stop, we really don''t need disharmony at a time like this." "Is that so?" Taiyi said stroking his chin. Then his inner universe changed. Like a blazing sun, his Dao fruit exploded in radiant light. The sound of a turning clock was heard by all and the ringing of a bell ended the gesture. For Taiyi had directly become a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal in an instant. In the next instant, his casual pressure eclipsed the lion. Yet he didn''t do anything beyond that. It was as if he was bored and simply humoured the lion immortal. "Told you," Di Jun scoffed. "Now apologize to my little brother." The lion immortal felt embarrassed but he didn''t feel that he was wrong. "Even so, you''re walking on too many eggshells with a name as arrogant as that." "I said stop it!" Qinglong''s clap was shift and light. But it shut down all three auras in an instant. All of a sudden, nothing supernatural happened anymore. The group was like three quarrelling mortals without a hint of cultivation to their name. ''What the?'' Taiyi was shocked to see the black robed young man appear so suddenly. He hadn''t even noticed Qinglong''s approach until now and he knew his senses were insanely sharp. He was always confident in his power, he knew he was stronger then the already powerful Di Jun. so he never felt the need to flaunt it. But Qinglong outclassed him so much that it felt as if he were a tiny chick in front of an almighty dragon. What''s more, he felt like he was familiar with this aura. "Elder Azure Dragon," the lion bowed and apologized immediately. He didn''t even hesitate even when Qinglong lectured him on harassing others, especially at this inappropriate time. Then he turned his attention to the two brothers. "I would like to say I''m happy that strangers are willing to fight with us. But I should warn you that causing such a commotion is a problem." Di Jun shuffled uneasily but with a nudge from Taiyi the two said their apologies. "It''s a small matter senior, defending our homeland is our responsibility as is any other''s," Di Jun said. They felt a certain kinship with the dragon even though this was the first time they met. They left the meeting on amicable terms. It was also here in the camp that Qinglong took notice as more and more people arrived. He saw three uniquely powerful siblings who were only observing a distance away. There was a boisterous man drinking with a red robed daoist who smelled like water vapour and a white robed daoist who smelled of the earth. There was a man who stunk like polluted water. sharpening his swords and a bit further from him was a small macaque with six ears eyeing him. That monkey looked ferocious despite his small size. Qinglong couldn''t help but feel a bit put off by the way that monkey was staring at the man''s swords. "What''s wrong with him?" He murmured before turning away. Zhuque, Baihu, and Xuanwu had also joined him at Mt Buzhou''s base not long after. "Ok you three, what are you looking at?" Baihu called out to the three siblings. The Three Pure One''s were surprised to be called out. "Just admiring seniors strength," Taishang said. "This one is called Taiqing, these are my brother Yujing and sister Shangqing." Yuanshi and Tongtian looked at him a bit oddly but played along. Qinglong squinted his eyes. These three were remarkably familiar to him and he couldn''t quite tell why. What''s more, his attention stopped at the woman. "You," he said pointing at her. "Me?" Tongtian said startled pointing at herself. Yuanshi raised an eyebrow and shifted a little closer to her. "Yes you¡­you¡­are you related to Star Lord Wangshu?" Qinglong asked. "Wangshu? I''ve never encountered that name before but it does sound strangely familiar," she said humming in thought. "We are genuine descendants of Pangu," Yuanshi said proudly interrupting. Taishang closed his eyes and sucked in a long breath. Suddenly Yuanshi felt like he was in trouble yet he didn''t know why. "I see," Qinglong said. "You''re innate gods of this generation then. I was one before you. I inherited from Pangu''s Yang Qi." "And I from his Ying Qi," Zhuque added. "Not sure on these two though," she said pointing at Xuanwu and Baihu. "Parts of the father god, doesn''t that make us related?" Tongtian said smiling. "Related?" Yuanshi frowned a little at her words. "Though we came from a similar source, we are fundamentally different beings. Us siblings came from father god''s mighty Nascent Soul." At this Qinglong acknowledged that this Yuqing''s starting point was superior to his own. The Nascent Soul was far better then a sliver of Pangu''s Qi. "Senior brother!" Qinglong was interrupted when another arrival announced herself or rather themselves. He looked up to find the figures of Changxi and Xihe arriving. "What in the actual f¡­what are you two dong here?" He screeched. "What do you mean? We''re here to defend our home," Changxi answered before Xihe could speak. "We were afraid that we wouldn''t make it before Luohu attacks. Don''t worry senior brother, we can look after ourselves." "You''re only a Great Unity Golden Immortal," Yuanshi said after taking one look at Xihe. His words made her grit her teeth and look away in shame. "That''s right, Xihe you being here is hazardous for yourself," Qinglong said. "There are other Great Unity Golden Immortals here as well. I''ll stay away from the core fighting," she defended her position. She shrank away when Qinglong gave her a death glare. Powerless to resist, Xihe was sucked into Qinglong''s sleeve startling Changxi. Before she can react, he did the same to her trapping both sisters in a pocket universe he created on the underside of his sleeve. The commotion drew some attention as well but Qinglong did not care. He walked away from the area followed closely by his friends. He felt that this day was just getting worst and worst for him. In the west side of Mt Buzhou, a monsoon of thunderclouds descended. Chapter 134-Siege of Mt Buzhou From beginning till now, the amount of experts gathered on Mt Buzhou''s foothills were terrifying. Anyone of some renown to complete unknowns but still held strong abilities arrived in force. An act that pleased Hongjun greatly. Wether it was out of duty and respect for him words or necessity, they heightened the chances of overcoming the tribulation. Hongjun could already see those who should already be paving the way for a new era. The dragons, phoenixes, and devils had long overstayed their welcome. He''d preferred it if they''d all just retired. Luohu arrived with much fanfare. Similar to during the first tribulation eons ago, Luohu arrived came with an army of his best. Only this time, this army was composed of true monsters. The appearance of the devils marked an intimidating sight that was daunting for even the bravest of hearts to face. They were like an ever expanding force. A series of rolling clouds that blotted out the sky eith every step they took. Every major devil figure, Great Emperors, elders, sect masters, rogue cultivators had all arrived. Luohu stood at the very front on top of a giant twelve petaled black lotus. In his right hand was a long pitch black spear and surrounding him were four spinning swords. Mara stood right next to him barehanded except a bow on one of his six hands and a quiver strapped to his back. Zulong met Luohu''s eyes defiantly. The Devil Ancestor only chuckled before turning his full attention to Hongjun. It was then that he truly felt shocked. It wasn''t Hongjun but rather the people who came with him. "Qiankun and Yingyang, I remember you two from the last tribulation. But Sichen? Time god Sichen? How have you been. It''s been too long since I''ve last saw you!" He exclaimed. Those who were defending Mt Buzhou were startled to learn that some guy who accompanied Hongjun turned out to be such a big deal. Even Zulong and Zufeng were shocked upon hearing Luohu treat this man with such notice. Sichen was tall and had the skin texture of sand emitting bronze light. His face constantly changed from young and old. On his back were ten feathery wings. "Good old Destiny Demon God," Luohu greeted next. "I''m surprise someone of your exalted stature deign to greet us with your presence. I''m more surprise you''d lower yourself to help my former brother." The monstrous amalgamation of mouths and eyes scoffed. "Luohu, surrender and bare your neck. This is your only chance," Destiny Demon God said. His voice was like the screech of a ten thousand different species of animals talking at once. It was horrifying to hear and even high level immortals on the primitive world''s defence did not appreciate him speaking. But those like Zulong, Zufeng, Qinglong, Yi Fei''e etc all realise one thing. This Destiny Demon god was powerful. "Damn, wouldn''t even give us any breathing room," Qinglong cursed admits the banter. It felt surreal to not be the main character of an event, especially when he looked at Zulong. The more senior stood on the side with a completely serious expression. ''It''s almost likely this is just one big performance for these guys to show off. Just hen you think you''ve reached the peak, more powerful bigwigs unveil themselves,'' he thought bitterly. Looking at Zulong, Qinglong secretly made a promise to get out of this alive and reach an even higher peak. Their master was still not in the primitive world and though Zulong did not like asking Da Hai for help, he did need it at a time like this. Too bad communication within the Chaos Sea was so muddled. "And you all, you all showed up!" Luohu gestured towards Zulong''s group, Zufeng''s group, and the parties from the unaffiliated forces. "Well I guess you can stay as I refine heaven and earth." "Luohu," someone demanded. It turned out to be Chenghuang of all people. The soft spoken foxlike creature stood among a group of pale as snow humanoids with flowing white hair. The famed White Clan from the West Sea. "You have np heart, destroying home that all share?" ''I think that''s the most articulate he''s spoken ever,'' Qinglong was secretly amazed. Even during their short stay in the West Sea earlier he was very composed. Goes to show how field up people become when their homeland is threatened. Zulong felt much the same. He could not and will not run. The primitive world was his everything and he will die defending it. Even the chaos godfiends who''d long grown accustomed to the primitive world did not wish to see it go. "Luohu, last time you aided us in the preservation of the primitive world. Why destroy it now?" A mysterious special old man, Qiankun spoke. His expression was one of irritation and anger. "Does it matter what he''s reasoning is?" Zulong sniped. He glared darkly at Luohu with a ferocious look in his eye. "You played everyone in the world, killed my uncle master. You tried to assassinate my son. Then you make a blatant threat on the world. Is it any wonder at all?" "So with all due respect master Qiankun. Let''s stop the talking and kill him already," he concluded. This speech though simple invigorated all lifeforms against the devils. Even the devils under Luohu was shaken. Wether this was due to an unconscious use of Zulong''s dragon roar ability or just natural charisma didn''t matter. Because the words were agreed upon by many. "How many times must I tell you that I didn''t¡­you know what screw it," Luohu said. "Rise, Immor¡­" A massive tidal wave erupted into the air without warning. It cut off Luohu''s words and scattered his vanguard as they were all washed away by violent currents. Zulong have the devil no chance in already ordered his attack. In perfect tandem, Nanming Divine Flames surfed the waves striking directly at multiple Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal Great Emperor devils. Luohu growled in annoyance as Sichen and Destiny Demon God jumped after him as well. There was little coordination between Hongjun, Zulong, nor Zufeng but they had a tacit agreement. As such, the Dragon Sovereign accompanied by some of the oceans strongest experts began cultivating a tidal wave that worked to crush anyone in their way. Simultaneously, Zufeng''s avians rained down hurricane and fire like no tomorrow. Despite composing of opposing elements, the dragons and phoenixes worked surprisingly well. They were like two complementary pieces of a machine. This was hardly surprising to Hongjun, they each represented the Yin and Yang. their ancestors came from both halves of Pangu''s qi. Already, devils suffered from injuries. The five elemental devils formed a pentagram and activated their own mechanisms. They dispersed nearby water creating an opening for their fellows. This was when Rippling Reflection led a strike force into Zulong''s forces. Wild fighting began as Yi Fei''e riding on top of Cinnebar Phoenix clashed against the devils leading various ocean elders. Her sisters accompanied her as well forming a stellar moth that met another giant in battle. Things were getting chaotic and hard to handle. As Yi Fei''e clashed blades with Rippling Relfection Emperor, Zulong and Zufeng met Mara in combat. Luohu preferred fighting alone hence overall command was given to the demon king. As Zulong and Zufeng were the strongest threats, Mara confronted them himself. Qinglong swam through the water after assuming his true form; taking sharp notice of the Immortal Extermination Formation forming high above them. He squinted his eyes and witnessed Hongjun stepping into it along with Sichen, Destiny Demon God, Qiankun, and Yingyang. He silently wished for their mutual destruction and swerved around. Let Hongjun deal with Luohu. His own target, a growls Qiong Qi who had already noticed his approach. Qinglong had only heard of Qiong Qi from stories. This creature was a chaos godfiend who once followed the Demon Ape. He was a tiger with the muscular build of a bull and mighty wings. In more prehistoric times, Qiong Qi performed many atrocities in the North Continent. As someone who''d witnessed first hand the condition the north was left in, Qinglong felt compelled to exterminate this pest. It was not just him, Xuanwu had also opted to join him. "Qiong Qi of the four evils, you must pay for your crimes," the black tortoise said. Both his heads snapped at the tiger blasting frigid wind at him. Though this did not seem to hinder the winged tiger at all. Qiong Qi brushed aside the cool air standing within a pool of filthy water. His teeth seemed to elongate into sabers as he pounced. "You ants!" Qiong Qi leapt into action. His bulky physique wrestled against Qinglong even as Xuanwu''s beak bit into his side. Yet his body was like iron as he not only withstood those attacks but also summoned muddy water to tear them both off. The slap of this tiger rattled Xuanwu and staggered Qinglong. "What does a few spoiled kids know of combat?" Qiong Qi chuckled. He was quickly silenced by a retaliatory slap curtesy of Qinglong''s long tail. This threw him from his feet and he crashed into his own pool of filthy water. "Having trouble?" Taowu asked his brother arriving with Hundun. Qinglong frowned even as he regained his balance. But he was soon pleased when Zhuque and Baihu also arrived. "You jumped in ahead of us!" Baihu snapped at Xuanwu and Qinglong. "Sorry, we got too excited," Qinglong said. "Four Symbols I take it?" Hundun said an amused tone. "What a fitting matchup." "I''ll say," Zhuque said. "Though you three are missing a member aren''t you." At this Hundun just laughed. "Unfortunately we are," he said. "But fortunately we aren''t," he added cryptically. As soon as he said that a cauldron appeared in his arms. This cauldron was bronze with an emerald sheen. On it was an antique carving of a face made of squarish shapes. The Four Symbols Divine Beasts perked up at the sight. They all felt the cauldron''s presence and all came to similar conclusions. Wordlessly, the cauldron resonated with Qiong Qi, Taowu, and Hundun and a faint image manifested out of it. The ghostly image howled and nearby immortals looked over in nervousness. They felt as if portions of themselves were being swallowed by the cauldron as if the damn thing was an uncontrollable glutton feasting on what it was not suppose to. Qinglong grunted before blasting a flurry of lightning at it. It successfully connected with the metallic exterior. However, it was not enough to do major damage. After all, Qinglong was testing the grounds. Around him, Zhuque shed her human form becoming a majestic fire bird. Her feathers sent bright sparkles and her cries were healing songs that counteracted the cauldron''s effects. Baihu assumed his true form as a metallic white tiger. Each hair follicle of his fur were like reflective steel blades. In his mouth gripped a sharpened sword. "Heh, though he died long ago. Taotie is still with us in spirit," Hundun said casually. He drew six hatchets and pointed them at the divine beasts. "I always wanted to test the so called Four Symbols." "Please," he said almost mockingly. At least it seemed that way to Qinglong. But Hundun''s voice indicated nothing. He was like a void, expressing no complex emotion, no complex desire, no true self interest. It made Qinglong wonder what was Hundun''s deal. Far away, Zulong brawled against Mara. Alongside him Zufeng also brawled headlong against the six armed demon king. Mara''s white hair fluttered and his white pupils were like stars in the black that was his sclera. "Should''ve taken my warning Dragon Sovereign. Yet you still continue to parrot that lie and interfere in my brother''s plans," he sighed dancing through the clouds. He was closely followed by the winding body of Zulong and the much smaller yet gargantuan body of Zufeng. "And you Phoenix Sovereign. Seems brother Luohu''s goodwill is being squandered left and right." Though despite his talking, Zulong and Zufeng largely ignored him and attacked individually. They were simultaneously two opposing masses of rainbow, golden and black lights that had no coordination yet somehow made it difficult for Mara to overcome. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The demon king had to draw bladed weaponry to avoid Zulong''s claws and warp space to avoid Zufeng''s flames. But he had no true difficulty surviving the battle. He dodged Zulong''s crushing claw grips and repelled Zufeng''s talons. For an old experienced warrior who''d lived cycles of combat, it wasn''t something difficult. Though he too had to admit, Zulong''s attacks were terrifying to behold. His gripping strength could even crush unsuspecting chaos worlds to nothingness. This was why he''d taken care to not be caught in them as even a body as strong as his own will not walk out of that in one piece. Overtime, their dance became one of clashing elements. A flurry of blows admits a sea of water and fire, thunder and lightning. It was one of the few instances where Zulong truly felt pressured. His scales chipped with every retaliatory blow Mara dealt, his own emotions seem to be on the verge of going rampant from just interacting with the demon king. Was it some sort of devil art? Something similar to what compromised so many avians and seafolk and what infected Bi An? The last thought invigorated him and just cemented the urge to exterminate the Devilish Dao. As such he desperately tried to kill Mara. If he could he can rejoin the other battles and kill as many lesser devils as he can. Powerhouses like him, his brothers and Zufeng can slaughter lesser beings with sometimes terrifying ease. If they were released from these battles, the amount of damage they''d be able to do would be staggering. So the devils checked them with their own bigwigs. Zulong and Zufeng were held back by Mara. The Four Symbols Divine Beasts fought the Four Evils, outliers like Yi Fei''e faced the coordination of some of the strongest Devil Great Emperors. All the while the Immortal Extermination Formation took form. The streaming energies of myriad blades were the environment in which Hongjun, Sichen, Destiny Demon God, Qiankun, and Yinyang traversed. They and Luohu were the true figures of importance of today. The outside world, those who chose not to partake such as Haotian and Yaochi. They observed the history changing events from safe distances. Haotian in particular watched with unrest. His hands fidgeting the whole time. ¡­ Nuwa didn''t know what was going on with the world anymore. Things were so simple for a long time. A long time that she didn''t even bother counting the days. Just simple singing and dancing with her beloved elder brother in the forests of Mt Buzhou. The snake woman was currently holding her head beneath a barrier of boulders bound together by mechanisms Fuxi built. Speaking of Fuxi, he was right beside her hiding. Seriously, why was everyone so interested in little old Buzhou? Nuwa wasn''t inept by any means, she easily recognised the sheer power of hundreds of thousands of power beings that started brawling right outside Buzhou. Scratch that, some fighting had already spilled onto the lowlands of Buzhou. And she wanted nothing to do with any of that. Fuxi and her were not fighters. They were just them. They liked playing, singing, drawing, dancing, stone skipping, and building forts with rocks. Not whatever death match other immortals insisted on having. In fact, they weren''t even aware of others besides themselves until recently. Nuwa gulped as the soil beneath her trembled, her slender fingers reached for a five coloured rock. She massaged its surface and prayed to heaven. This rock had come into her possession some time ago. Finding it pretty, Nuwa decided to keep it as a good luck charm. It also helped that it was a powerful natural formation of heaven and earth only possible in a spiritually dense location like Mt Buzhou. As lighting roared, wind howled, fire scorched, and earth overturned. Nuwa tucked her tail tighter into her body, fully in the shade of Fuxi''s earthly barrier. "You know I don''t think this will hold," Nuwa blurted out. "Maybe we should run." "Right through the active warzone?" Fuxi gave her an incredulous look. He sighed and tried to give her a reassuring look. "Look, big bro here''s work is second to none. My defensive barrier won''t break from just a little ruffling." And that was exactly when it broke. Fuxi had constructed their shared forte in a cave, one part of a much larger network of caves in Mt Buzhou. It blended in with the background and kept out the fighting. But now all of a sudden, a figure had burst out of the ground right alongside the cave wall. There were actually multiple figures that came through. Though not from any attack by anyone. No devils were close to their hiding spot yet. Neither were any immortals. These beings who barrelled through had no quality that indicated cultivation at all but rather an energy that Nuwa nor Fuxi could put their finger on. What''s more, this figure who barged in was a muscular brute with charcoal skin and fiery eyes. He saw her feral position and immediately turned hostile. "You! You think you can just come in here and destroy Mt Buzhou?" Zhurrong snarled. He immediately formed a ring of fire around his fist in an attempt to punch. Luckily for him Nuwa was not only a skilled dancer but also much faster. She easily rolled out of the way while he destroyed Fuxi''s fortifications. "What the? Are you insane?" Fuxi screamed. Now that his hiding formation came crashing down, they were now exposed to the fierce fighting outside. Within moments, a beautiful fox like creature with horns swerved near them with what appeared to be a dark raven in his mouth. The fox rammed the raven into the mountain before tearing its head off with a snarl. "Tho¡­those are the aura of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals!" Fuxi uttered in awe. His inherent knowledge of heaven and earth filled his brain with the necessary information; but even still being in the presence of one was another thing entirely. On paper, Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals and Great Principle Chaos Immortals are the same type of existence, being of the same realm. But the magnitude of differences between them was unimaginably diverse. The charcoal skinned man was wide eyes when he saw the fighting. He was temporarily frozen and unprepared for Nuwa''s revenge slap. This slap subsequently sent him flying into another half sea snake half man creature, Gonggong. "We live here!" Nuwa snarled back pointing below her legless body. "Why on earth would we want to destroy Mt Buzhou?" "You live here?" A gruff voice said. The various newcomers opened a way for an ugly sag of flesh and wings. "How come we''ve never seen you before?" Nuwa was taken aback by its appearance. But she nevertheless answered, "Who knows? Buzhou is a big place." The now numbered twelved entities nodded in understanding. How the fat sack thing managed to nod with no face or any head for that matter was beyond her. Suddenly, the ground shook again as the headless corpse of a dragon crashed nearby. A monkey with a crocodile''s head landed nearby and beat its chest in victory. This pair was much weaker being only Da Luo Golden Immortals. "Invasive pests!" One of the twelve, a woman with seven hands on her back no less, jumped up. In the blink of an eye, Houtu took the monkey crocodile''s head clean off its body using her teeth. She spat out the head and watched in satisfaction as the body collapsed. "You killed brother Er!" Another devil, a large bull charged down from the sky. Nuwa, Fuxi, and the twelve strangers jumped out of the way as the bull landed. The dust kicked up became a storm and quickly formed a hurricane that the bull shot at them. The sack, Di Jiang grunted in annoyance. He quickly charged through it and grabbed hold of the bull''s horns. Using his great strength, he wrestled the bull around and threw it into the air. This was when Jumang and Rushou hit the bull simultaneously with their fists. This was when Nuwa''s divine sense went haywire. It was like she was sensing part of the Heavenly Dao in play. Like complete manifestations of the Dao Law of Wood and Metal had appeared here. But that should be impossible as those were part of the core of the primitive world. "What are you?" Fuxi uttered in shock. "We are genuine authentic descendents of the father god Pangu," Di Jiang announced. By now, their presence was fully noticed. Even as the devil bull got onto its feat, seafolk, avians, dragons, and devils alike had their eyes on them. The fox creature from earlier landed near them and glared at the bull. The bull snarled and changed targets for the fox creature. However, mid charge it stopped and changed directions. Then it changed directions again. Then its head turned dizzily and it staggered around in confusion. This was when the fox creature struck. Before the bull had a chance to fully react, the fox''s tail hair shot through the air and impaled the bull through its eye. The trail of blood marred the otherwise soft beautiful fur of the fox. "You. Enemies? Allies?" Chenghuang inquired. "Buzhou. Destroy or save?" "We live on Buzhou! Of course we won''t destroy it!" Nuwa immediately said. Fuxi nodded furiously beside her. The twelve behind her grunted as well. "Then join. Fight. Devils enemies," Chenghuang said pointing at the ones with similar aura to the bull and monkey crocodile. Nuwa and Fuxi nodded uneasily but the twelve turned their heads in confusion. "Which ones are the devils?" Zhu Jiuying asked before any of his hotheaded siblings could open their mouths. Chenghuang widened his eyes in some surprise. From a single glance he could tell these twelve beings did not posses a nascent soul. Yet they were certainly not mortal beings and Chenghuang found this disturbing. His blood soaked tail shrunk into his body and a beautiful man with flowing white hair and pale skin with red make up appeared. "Devils kill you. Not devils ignore you," Chenghuang said. It was the best way of describing it that he thought of. Logically speaking, seafolk, avians, and East Continent Cultivators should only attack devil cultivators because they recognise their rather distinct aura through their divine sense. The devils meanwhile are attacking to get to Mt Buzhou, slaughtering any in their way. So even if these twelve can''t tell the difference, they shouldn''t be targeted by the side trying to save the mountain. The twelve took a second to talk with each other. But Di Jiang chose to heed Chenghuang''s words. "Brothers, attack the vile devils who dare attack the father god!" His roaring command echoed through this side of the battlefield irritating many devils including Great Emperors. They immediately jumped into the air going after the devils utilising the power of nature. This left Nuwa, Fuxi and Chenghuang. "Uh¡­thank you senior for your aid. My sister and I will go now," Fuxi cupped his hands graciously then tried to urge Nuwa to leave. "Home threatened. Not fight?" Chenghuang asked. Fuxi and Nuwa looked at each other. "With all due respect, we''re just some small fries. What can we do to change this battle?" "All. Small. Big. Matter," Chenghuang said. He turned around and rejoined the chaos in the sky just in time for another corpse to fall out of said chaos. Nuwa rubbed her rainbow stone nervously. "He kinda does have a point." Fuxi turned to give her an exasperated look. "And what do you think you can accomplish? We''re Da Luo Golden Immortals now. There are tens of thousands of Da Luo Golden Immortals up there at least. And those are the small fries. You''ll be killed." "But if Buzhou blows up, won''t we all be killed?" "But you''ve never been in a fight before sister. You don''t know what you''re doing!" "Well no time like the present." And like that, two more numbers were added to the defense of Buzhou. Chapter 135-Battle of Ancients ''This was the life. This was the rush. The level of adrenaline coursing through his bestial veins felt incredible. Sloshes of blood, guts, Dao essence washed over him. His normally well groomed fur was already covered in red filth yet he did not give a crap.'' His cudgel, the defective thing it may be but it was simple to use and wonderfully satisfying. It smashed through the skulls of numerous devils all the while his divine ears picked up malicious movements around him.'' Liu Er found himself loving the battle brought on by the devil''s crazed ambitions. As a man of the twenty first century, such violence was heavily frowned upon. You''d be condemned as some sort of psychopath, a maniac that belongs in jail. Years of repressed anger and frustrations that was discouraged from being unleashed. Yet in the primitive world, he had none of those restrictions. He was a virtual god of war relishing in the bloodbath. These devils were not weak in ability. But Liu Er''s physical abilities were so great that he could bypass their spell attacks and strike their comparatively weak flesh. Among the anti-devil forces, he was probably one of the strongest physical bodies present baring some of the dragons. However, the joy of battle was secondary in Liu Er''s mind. As a man who''d read countless internet novels, he would like to say he knew his way around these events. Previously, he had already identified some famous figures in the anti-devil forces. He couldn''t help but take notice of the famous weapons they already sported. While the future Three Pure Ones were still fighting bare handed, Minghe had no hesitation showing off Abi and Yuantu. This was a man Liu Er was intimately familiar with. Minghe was a pretty pathetic figure, always copying others and never reaping the same benefits. He saw Nuwa creating humans so he created the Blood Fiend race. He saw the Three Pure Ones creating sects so he created the Blood Sect. He joined up with the Netherworld but failed to gain any real benefits. Minghe was unworthy of the three top grade xiantian spiritual treasure he was born with in his opinion. Minghe was fighting in a bloodlusted craze. This frantic man was the manifestation of the Blood Sea, Pangu''s belly button. The collective sin that has gathered there was incredible and resulted in a man dedicated to bloodshed. His swords Abi and Yuantu danced with blood. His 12th Grade Red Lotus carried him like a scooter across the battlefield. Out of anyone in the war, Liu Er kept his eyes on him. In case anything happens, sticking close to Minghe could easily net him huge rewards. Liu Er had also identified the likes of the Primordial Suppression Immortal Zhen Yuanzi and Red Cloud Ancestor daoist Hongyun. The former wore a star hat and fought using a Ginseng Tree treasure while the latter assumed the form of a massive cloud that engulfed his allies and opponents. He supposed both were doing better then expected. Liu Er knew both weren''t particularly strong warriors. Zhen Yuanzi only knew how to be bullied around by a junior in Sun Wukong and Hongyun was literally the dumbest person he''d ever read about. His would be killer Kunpeng was present somewhere as well. Liu Er lost track of foul demon a while ago and didn''t bother checking. Kunpeng wasn''t noteworthy all things considered, he was cunning but only knew how to run. Unfortunately he could not identify Jieyin nor Zhunti anywhere. But he supposed that was logical. The two bald donkeys in the west were cowards in his mind. They only knew how to beg and cry to the Dao Ancestor and only received pity from the Heavenly Dao. Those two were probably hiding waiting to con some poor bloke. Then there was Eastern Sovereign Taiyi. That Chaos Bell on his hip was so jaw dropping lay magnificent that Liu Er could hardly take his eyes off of it. He always saw Taiyi as a pretty stupid individual. Always a follower and never surpassing Di Jun despite posses a chaos rank spiritual treasure of all things. He doubt the bird even knew how to properly use the bell. Di Jun of course was showing off the Celestial River Diagram. Dumb bird needed Fuxi''s help to even start using it to its full potential. Another wasted treasure that would be better served in his hand. But Liu Er''s eyes widened as he observed Di Jun fight. While the golden crow was cornered by several Great Principle Chaos Immortal devils, he retracted the Celestial River Diagram. Instead, he brought out a new treasure, a circular bladed wheel moulded like the sun. "What is that?" Liu Er gasped. He grunted in pain as a devil scraped him on the shoulder. Annoyed, he grabbed the devil and threw it away with his titanic strength. "Sun Chakram! Strike!" Di Jun chanted. His chakram became a fiery wheel of death as devils burned whenever they got near. ''Sun Chakram? Why haven''t I heard of that before? What is it?'' He was thoroughly confused. So much so that he stopped fighting all together, retreating to get a better look at the distant Di Jun. For newcomers of little renown, Di Jun and Taiyi were doing very well. They weren''t at the centre of the fighting where the major powerhouses were but they were still holding back and killing many powerful devils. Di Jun fought with his magical powers and his treasures while Taiyi hadn''t drawn the Chaos Bell even once. "Hey, what are you dong just standing there?" Liu Er turned his head in irritation. The man who spoke to him was a hulk of a man commanding a legion of electricity. He had three eyes and a traditional Chinese beard. He held a bar mace and looked pretty menacing. He whipped the blunt weapon around casting massive waves of electricity followed by roaring sound. However, Liu Er couldn''t quite identify him. Since he was probably an unimportant immortal the monkey deign to ignore him. "This is a battle, help for crying out loud," the bar mace wielding man scoffed before riding his lighting away to do battle elsewhere. Liu Er snorted in annoyance, he would probably be another casualty before long. Not far from the monkey, a dragon was already cut down. Another man was bisected by a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal devil. The bisected man reverted to his true form of a lobster and plummeted in death. Liu Er licked his lips and went in for the offensive. The devil wielded an axe and battled against his cudgel. Liu Er knew instantly that his weapon was inferior. His cudgel was only a crude bar of metal barely ranking in with low tier xiantian spiritual treasures. He was never an expert on higher mysteries so he only ever used it as a bludgeoning tool. The pig cultivator he got it from seemed to be able to do more but he was so pathetic that he died in one punch so Liu Er never put much thought into it. The two traded blows fiercely and despite only being a normal Great Principle Chaos Immortal, Liu Er forced the devil into a stressful situation. The monkey smirked as he drove the devil back. He only needed one good hit to pulverize the enemy. His physical strength alone was already far superior than even some Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. The devil was clearly frustrated. In any direction he struck Liu Er struck back. His devil art spells that he tried to use was also ineffective against the one track minded Liu Er. "DIE!" Liu Er screeched. His strikes became more wild and more powerful. He his cudgel struck with the force to implode stars. Its chipping structure could barely hold on to Liu Er''s striking power. He was so powerful that the force of his strikes disturbed thousands of devils around them. Many were blown back as unintentional victims of his assault. Just like this, a path was cut open in the devil lines. An unwarranted side effect of Liu Er mindlessly chasing one person but a beneficial one nevertheless. Even when the devil retreated further in, Liu Er stubbornly pursued. No enemy bar three had ever escaped from him in the past and refuse to increase that number any further. Anyone who fights him dies, period. No chance of them coming back for revenge or whatever nonsense. The devil frantically looked around, but then he smiled softly. "Well fought monkey," he admitted when their weapons clashed again. This time, the enemy devil''s axe quaked under the pressure. This devil was an expert on a Dao relating to wind but that could not harm Liu Er''s flesh. But his cudgel was another story. Because said cudgel disintegrated soon afterwards. Liu Er''s pupils squinted in anger. He threw aside the cudgel and lunged at the devil. But his enemy''s quick thinking allowed him to strike the six eared macaque on the shoulder sending him downwards. "Emperor Pit Eater, this one''s been killing swaths of our left flank!" The devil yelled something out that Liu Er was too pissed off to comprehend. Liu Er crashed into the ground where comparatively less fighting was taking place. He quickly got to his feet and summersaulted into the air. His nails lengthened into claws and his fangs elongated. He prepared his stomach for another mean. Even though the axe wielding devil saw him coming, he was still startled by the speed in which Liu Er came at him. His axe generated a realm tearing air wave that Liu Er easily jumped over. The monkey then enveloped the axe head in his jaw. "You barbarian!" The devil growled as his high rank xiantian spiritual treasure suffered cracks everywhere. Even though it was on the low end of high rank, it was still leagues better then what ordinary cultivators could get their hands on. But Liu Er still chewed it to pieces. He swallowed the metal and grunted holding his stomach. The Devil Dao Law of Slicing Airwave began assimilating into his body. He felt somewhat closer to the Devilish Dao in terms of his comprehension. "Incredible, even the best devouring arts in the west is incomparable to yours," a haunting voice said. Liu Er turned around and caught eyes of a mighty Devil Emperor. It was a monster with stubby legs and arms. It''s entire body was its head and it was one gigantic mouth with many eyes. In its right arm was a dead phoenix which it promptly put into its mouth and swallowed. "You seem like a talented person. Say why don''t you join the Devilish Dao and become my disciple. Ancestor Luohu already plans to take all of us into the chaos so you''ll be safe," Pit Eater said. "Liu Er answers to NO ONE!" The macaque screamed. All his life he buckled under the expectations of others. He lived a life of frustration and repression. In this new life he swore to never be brought down that low again. Why would he ever accept an offer from a sect as hierarchical like the Devilish Dao. "Strange Binding Rope!" The devil called out. His high rank xiantian spiritual treasure manifested tightly around the reckless monkey. Liu Er suddenly found himself very flustered. He suddenly felt extremely panicked. Glancing around, he noticed that he had penetrated deep into devil lines. No, rather he was led into enemy lines and now was surrounded by predominantly devils. From here, he could even feel the distant ripples of more powerful clashing immortals. He drank in the air of changing qi. He could feel his lungs burning from a filthy scent before sucking in a breath of pleasant springtime. All this was to say his body was experiencing chaotic feelings. He starred at Pit Eater''s many eyes in fear. Deep down he felt extremely unwilling. He did not come here to die. He came here to loot. He didn''t spend thousands of years tearing his way through millions of bodies just to die pathetically here to some no name devil who didn''t even go down in the history books. But fortunately or maybe even unfortunately, his end never came. A massive seal had smashed into the devil army and upturned many warriors. Its attack was quick and ruthless, instantly smashing hundreds of injured Chaos Immortals. "Overturning Heaven Seal!" The middle aged man wielding the top rank xiantian spiritual treasure commanded. It was Yuanshi who previously fought barehanded. Liu Er felt an ocean of envy. Just from the name he recognized the treasure. It was the same one that was also the strongest treasure under the future Lord of Broad Accomplishment''s arsenal. Liu Er didn''t think highly of the Jade Clear Lineage but he did know they had interesting weapons. However, he found it strange Yuanshi had it already. Didn''t he find it in Hongjun''s Treasure Sealing Cliff? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Another person, a woman also appeared by Yuanshi''s side, Tongtian held a fish drum. The woman looked incredibly beautiful as well as deadly in Liu Er''s eyes. She was dazzling even as she beat the drum creating a vortex of sword qi that cut apart several dozen devils who surrounded her. Taishang also appeared alongside them wielding his infamous horsetail whisk that summoned wild turbulent special energy that washed away his enemies. With the Overturning Heaven Seal unleashed, Yuanshi drew a long jade scepter and smashed it into the head of a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal devil killing him instantly. While Liu Er had cut a path into the devils, others had followed. The Three Pure Ones took advantage of the confusion to massacre scores of devils. The Three Pure Ones were unleashing all their power. In a bid to take advantage of the situation, their most powerful weapons were unleashed. Tongtian stopped beating her drum and drew a simple jade sword. The three coordinated an attack followed closely by many East Continent and seafolk immortals. "Wait a second, Three Treasure Jade Ruyi? Qingping Sword? Primordial Fish Drum? Void Refining Whisk?" Liu Er listed off the weapons even as Pit Eater looked on in shock. "Did the 12th ranked Green Lotus already sprout? Dammit!" Liu Er cursed his luck for missing that event. He could''ve sworn it would come latter? Transmigrators like him really lived an unfair life. He cursed the Three Pure Ones for driving him away from Kunlun. Pit Eater had forgotten Liu Er in the confusion. He charged for the Three Pure Ones like a madman. In the ensuing battle, even a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal like Pit Eater was swarmed. The teamwork of the Three Pure Ones ended him and they moved on. All the while Liu Er watched jealously. Because following the Three Pure Ones were more future famous figures. The hook nosed dummy looking Kun Peng. Mr naive Hongyun, his bestie Zhenyuanzi. Di Jun and Taiyi along with a paired man and woman wielding a cane and a mirror respectively. "Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu," Liu Er muttered bitterly. "It doesn''t make sense. Why do they already have top grade xiantian spiritual treasures. Why is life so unfair?" ¡­ On the other side of the battlefield, Yi Fei''e struggled in an encirclement. A battered Rippling Reflection had managed to hold on for reinforcements to arrive. And by were they annoyances. Cinnabar Phoenix shifted midair, taking Yi Fei''e away from a tornado of mystical fire. He flew high to avoid distortions to space and cloudy spears. It was a chase that both immortals took care to not be hit. If Yi Fei''e had one flaw, it was the strength of her flesh. Despite having dragons for brothers, her physical strength was nothing special. Not even Da Hai could teach her what she had no interest in. Despite that, her usage of sword and stars far outstripped any devil. In her battle against Rippling Reflection, she was unaffected by his mind tricks and easily dispatched his comrades. The wrinkly devil could only save his own skin before the Elemental Devil Emperors arrived to relieve him. With them came scores of Devil Emperors on the scale of Primal Zenith. Some daoist Never-Full, Elephant Swallower, Paper Lampray or some combination. Yi Fei''e had no time to remember their names. She grunted as her sword had to intercept a paper puppet. She quickly cleaved apart the construct and encouraged Cinnabar to shoot for a paper wielding devil. The phoenix happily obliged and shot forth in a trail of fire. "Hm?" The paper wielding daoist was flustered when Yi Fei''e suddenly zeroed in on him. Her sword was lit up in starlight and poised for a stab. "NO!" He cried, building a paper turtle shell from sheets he kept in his pocket universe. But how could paper stop Yi Fei''e. This was why other devils appeared to stop her as well. Yi Fei''e was extremely powerful, this the devils knew from their previous encounter. That was why they sent only the peak of Primal Zenith experts to fight her. The paper devil was aided by a whip wielding devil and a monstrous bat devil. The two help push paper devil out of the way just in time to be slashed but not suffer fatal damage. It was here that the Five Elemental Devil Emperors attacked. "I am the Devil of Glorious Flames!" "I am the Devil of Glacial Water!" "I am the Devil of Aged Steel!" "I am the Devil of Cyclic Earth!" "I am the Devil of Luminous Wood!" """""DIE!""""" Yi Fei''e frowned deeply. A constellation of six stars manifested on the back of her neck and shoulders forming a scarf that led from the underside of one arm to the other. It arched behind her back to block the combined attack. "GAH!" Yi Fei''e fell off of Cinnabar Phoenix and tumbled through the air where she was assaulted by the five again. She gritted her teeth and placed both palms together. "Most Bright of the All Heaven! Illuminate the Cosmos!" She unleashed her Great Brilliance Pearl gifted to her long ago by Da Hai. The treasure acted as a sun blinding all devils around her. This allowed her to stab the Devil of Cyclic Earth in the stomach and tear out of his right side. "Stellar Dragon Claw!" Her left hand transformed into an azure claw similar to Qinglong. This palm strike impacted the Devil of Cyclic Earth who transformed into a golem of rock and soil. Even then more then eighty percent of is body was pulverized. "Tough fucker aren''t you," Yi Fei''e gasped. She then moved to the Devil of Aged Steel cutting him across the face and kicking the Devil of Glorious Flames away. By then Cinnabar had rejoined her having shrugged off paper devil and his allies. Her trusted mount reached her just in time for her to grab his reigns and lift herself onto his back once more. The two struggled to fly as the bat shaped devil screamed ferociously at them. "Don''t let her get her bearings!" Rippling Reflection commanded from way back. "Kill her before it''s too late!" Yi Fei''e gripped the sides of her head in pain. Cinnabar Phoenix tried to sing to counteract the sonic attack but only ended up screeching. The moth glared at the bat. Said devil was helped by half a dozen others she had nearly killed previously. The problem with being fighting groups was that they can save each other and rest before reinterring the battle. Yi Fei''e and Cinnabar were by themselves. She couldn''t bring her sisters into battle with her cause they were too weak and other experts had to fight other strong devils. "NOW!" The bat looked gleeful. The six others with him supported him with their own devil qi. By harnessing the seven emotion six desires into his ever expanding lungs, his attack became a hundred times then they were ordinarily. They had to concentrate a lot just to corner Yi Fei''e. The bat could''ve died several times simply because his flesh was the weakest in the group. If Yi Fei''e touched him once he''d be dead. They were so focused in their assault in fact that they missed a lone woman sneaking up behind them. As the bat screamed, the Elemental Devils who''d suffered wounds began helping each other up. Other healthier devils like the paper wielder began closing in for a decisive attack. Their excitement grew until¡­ PAH! The bat''s soft head snapped forwards. The back of his skull cracked open. The other devils looked over behind him in absolute shock. Nuwa stood behind the bat awkwardly holding a palm sized five colored stone like a child being caught stealing candy. Said stone was coated in a thick layer of blood. Blood belonging to the now deceased bat devil. For a moment there was silence. Outside fighting became white noise. Even Emperor Rippling Reflection was startled. The first and only thought coursing through their mind was, ''How did a simple rock manage to kill a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal?'' "HAIYAH!" Yi Fei''e on the other hand took this opportunity to immediately behead all the devils that had surrounded her including all six who supported the bat and multiple others who were near her. This quick killing startled the rest of the devils into action. The decisive action was so quick that even the devils were surprised. Rippling Reflection immediately upon realizing his advantage was lost immediately transformed into a shade and faded away. The Five Elemental Devils took this chance to also use various escape techniques to transform into streams of elements that flew off. Yi Fei''e grunted in pain and grasped her forehead feeling the remnants of a headache. She then met Nuwa''s eyes. "Awfully brave," her mount Cinnabar said. "Based on my observation you''re only a recently obtained the Great Principle." "Oh um," Nuwa stammered nervously. She had only seen a chance and took it. This was the first action she saw upon flying into the sky. "I got lucky I guess." Yi Fei''e narrowed her eyes at the statement. She looked around and noticed the chaos of the battlefield and wondered how likely that was. "NUWA!" Fuxi''s desperate voice yelled out across towards them. The snake man was mid chase, running away from a devil who held a gourd in hand. Fuxi''s only means of defense was his guqin instrument. "Brother!" Nuwa screamed. As an immortal, Fuxi on his own was not good at offense. Hence he was in true life threatening danger. If he and Nuwa were to have a fist fight Nuwa will kick his ass near effortlessly. "Hmph," Yi Fei''e tapped Cinnabar''s neck with the tip of her foot. The phoenix obeyed and shot out a blaze of fire. The much stronger phoenix burned the devil before he could retreat reducing the Great Principle Chaos Immortal to ashes. "I can tell you''re young and inexperienced but it is foolish to approach Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals in mid combat," she lectured Nuwa who could only look away in embarrassment. "However, I am thankful for your actions. Were it not for you who knows what might have happened to me." She glanced at the stone in Nuwa''s hands. "That stone, what is it?" "Hm? Oh this is just something I found playing in the mountains one day," Nuwa answered readily pointing at one of the features of Mt Buzhou. "Mountains?" Yi Fei''e said raising an eyebrow. "You live here? On Mt Buzhou?" Nuwa nodded while helping Fuxi steady himself. "I see," Yi Fe''e said sheathing her sword then shook her head. "You two are talented individuals. I suggest retreating to the mountain outskirts. See that two headed rainbow dragon? That''s Hong and he''s here to fight but also to protect promising young talents who came here against advice. Stay near him, he''ll recognize my scent on you two." She flicked her wrist and small particles of white snow mo,entrails flowed between them. The battleground rippled again afterwards. The three looked down and witnessed twelve individuals wildly swinging their way into the battle. They were some of the strangest amalgamation of characters she''d ever seen. "Aren''t those the so called authentic Pangu descendants? What reckless animals," Fuxi said with a disdain filled scoff. "Come on sister, let''s retreat." "Wait," Yi Fei''e called out. "Cinnabar, escort them." "My lady?" The phoenix gasped in shock. "But what about you?" "You really think I need your protection?" Yi Fei''e asked him frankly. "It''s the least I can do for you two siblings for saving my life. Cinnabar, be a good bird and give them my protection." Cinnabar looked reluctant but ultimately accepted. He spread his wings and took both half snake immortals into his talons. "Why mistress?" "Just a hunch. We''re gonna need them," she said shrugging. "Go, I''ll be fine." She shooed away the phoenix and turned her attention back to the battlefield. "Hm, sisters are fine for now. Zulong and Zufeng are in a statement with that six armed devil. Is he even a devil? Doesn''t feel like one. Yinglong is fine. Qinglong?" She glanced at the centre of the battlefield. It was currently an ocean of water avoided by even Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. The warmth of the universe felt cold. Primordial qi felt dead and the ghastly feelings of chaos was amuck. Signs of star power also permeated the ocean in the sky. Yi Fei''e frowned and began approaching the ocean. Above her, the Immortal Extermination Formation only grew darker. Chapter 136-Battle of Ancients II The family of twelve primordial gods were like a storm of terror. Devils, powerful devils quickly found themselves completely unable to injure them. The skin of these newcomers were unbelievable and even the high rank xiantian spiritual treasures failed to puncture their skin. These devils, these Primal Origin Chaos Immortals were the ones who folded beneath their punches instead. Comparing the combat techniques of the twelve and any other immortal was like comparing an uneducated peasant to a refined scholar. They had little finesse and wildly attacked like a pack of wild animals. But their strength cannot be denied, not even their strange powers. For whatever reason, no devil were able to counter them at all. Zhu Jiuying could easily reverse time and force escaping devils back into his massive jaw. Zhurong''s fire could not be extinguished no matter what. Rushou''s metallic projectiles could not be stopped. "Brothers! Teach these would be invaders a lesson," Di Jiang roared in triumphant laughter. His meaty hand crushed the head of a Primal Origin Immortal devil crow and tossed it aside. He then gripped hold of space and pulled. The sudden action cracked into the fabric of reality itself and shifted the geographic locations of over a hundred devils. Di Jiang in one motion forced these devils into disorientation as well as moving right in front of his sister Houtu. "Thank you brother!" Houtu cried out gleefully. Her cutesy voice was a stark difference from her eldritch appearance. Her seven arms grabbed unsuspecting devils and smashed them into pillars of raised earth. The twelve towered over the battlefield. Each of them grew to sizes measuring to about a hundred and eight thousand kilometers tall. They were literally the biggest lifeforms on the battlefield in this moment "Hey watch it!" A dragon called out. "You''ll pull us into your blast zone!" However, Di Jiang and the others ignored him. He did not put the sea dwelling scaled creature in his eye at all. "Who''s side are you on?" Because the twelve descendants of Pangu did not care about wether you''re devil or immortal. Though they targeted devils, they didn''t care if immortal cultivators got in the way. He casually swatted the much smaller dragon again without care. "Zhurong, burn that tree devil down. It''s face sickens me," Xuangming cheered. "No problem sister." "Hey Houtu, check out easily they pop. These devils have such weak bodies." "No kidding. Is this all cultivation can accomplish?" Many avians, furred and scaled creatures felt insulted. Under any other scenario they would''ve been tempted to teach these arrogant people a lesson. Di Jiang''s massive frame clamped down on multiple devils at once. His body jiggled as he chuckled. With another flap of his wings he generated cosmic winds that tore apart the flesh of others. His stubby legs walked across the battlefield with loud thuds causing earthquakes wherever he went. Despite their size though, they ultimately covered a very small area of the battle. But it was enough for Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals to start taking notice. One such devil was one named Emperor Frolicking Raven. He had wondered away from the centre of the fighting in search of easier prey. "Blubbery creature, humble yourself," the demonic bird said. His presence drove people into dopamine driven highs. However this didn''t affect the twelve primordial gods much. The Raven grew to a titanic size equally large as the twelve and roared. "Blubbery? You insult my brother?" Zhurong was the first to respond. He leapt into the air and kicked down in a spear of primordial fire. This act surprised the devil who crossed his wings. BOOM! Zhurong had failed to touch the raven was was thrown onto his back. He screamed in pain as Frolicking Raven''s beak launched forwards to take a chunk out of his shoulder. "What is this? Pure Dao essence of the Law of Fire," he said in wonder. "I have not felt this since my time as a Heavenly Immortal." He had good reason to be shocked. utilization of Dao Laws to cultivate became obsolete once someone crosses the great gulf between Heavenly Immortals and Golden Immortals. In the cultivation world, there existed two major barriers called the two tribulations. First was the Immortal Tribulation that existed between Human Immortal and True Immortal. Second was the Golden Immortal Tribulation that existed between Heavenly Immortals and Golden Immortals. During the True, Profound, and Heavenly Immortal realms a cultivator harnessed the power of the universe''s existing Dao Laws to cultivate into their inner cosmos. This acted to evolve their immortal physiques to transcendent states and enlighten their minds into a broader spectrum of reality. Dao Laws were themselves natural physics that controlled the logic of the universe. There existed three levels of such Dao Laws. The hundred and eight thousand Lessor Daos that allowed for Human Immortals to invoke Immortal Tribulation. The three thousand Great Daos that heightened an Immortal''s understanding. Then there were twelve Supreme Daos that were the true core of the universe. Of these twelve, only five were needed to cross into the Heavenly Immortal realm. These five were the five elements which corresponded to the Wuxing fire, water, wood, metal, and earth. Of course it was also possible to use the five Dao Laws that corresponded to the phenomena of weather but this was rarer and considered less effective than the Wuxing five elements. The final two were extremely rare esoteric powers that few ever touched. However, when someone crossed into the Golden Immortals these Dao Laws became obsolete. A Golden Immortal had already broken free of the Heavenly Dao and attained eternity. Their lifespans were no longer limited and they were free to create their own Daos by sensing into the secrets of the wider chaos sea''s Grand Dao''s make up. This was why Frolicking Raven was so surprised to see the Law of Fire be used again. Even more so when it actually managed to burn him. He looked at his charred feathers and quickly tore them off. "This shouldn''t be possible. The Law of Fire is a fundamental organ for the Heavenly Dao. If it is missing it''ll be total collapse of all existence. How do you have it?" He demanded to know. "Filth like you have no right to know!" Di Jiang responded in retaliation. His fist punched through space and struck directly into the Prmal Zenith Chaos Immortal''s abdomen. "OOF!" Frolicking Raven felt rattled. He glared at Di Jiang at breathed out a large cloud of smoke. "Brother be careful," Zhu Jiuying called out. The torch dragon with a human head attempted to reverse time by blinking his starry eyes. However, Frolicking Raven resisted the attempt and chuckled. "My Dao is complete, equal in authority to the Heavenly Dao," he boasted. His smoke condensed into sky goddess'' head and began singing in a sonorous voice. Under its affects, the twelve suddenly felt very pressured. Jumang, Rushou, Tianwu and Shebishi all cringed in discomfort. "Enough of your annoying voice!" They called out. The four charged at the raven who proceeded to take flight. By using his speed, Frolicking Raven bypassed them and clawed into their backs. He dragged Jumang and Tianwu into the body of Houtu pushing her into the ground with a loud thud. Di Jiang reached out with his meaty palms. The force of chaos bent space into a massive palm that grabbed towards Frolicking Raven. "Your abilities are so strange yet so familiar. All brute force and no finesse," Frolicking Raven opening laughed. "I was dealing with these tactics since hatching from my mother''s egg." He teleported in a flash of pink energy and into the sky. "Your flesh will be useful for experimentation," he said. As an ancient devil who climbed to his current position, any small inch counts. By studying these twelve, he may find a way to break out of his current bottleneck. The same bottleneck all Devil Great Emperors faced. As his thoughts filled with greedy thoughts, tendrils of horsetail hair filled the sky. They wrapped around Frolicking Raven like a ball of spindles. All of these tendrils connected to a handle held by an elderly man standing even higher in the air. It was Grand Clear Taishang wielding he Void Refining Whisk. "I must thank you friends for distracting this bird. Getting close to him was difficult with his mental powers," Taishang thanked Di Jiang. "Now brother, sister." "Aye!" Yuanshi and Tongtian appeared on Taishang''s side. They each had the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi and Qingping Sword in hand. Yuanshi extended his Ruyi created a blunt force construct and struck the side of Frolicking Raven''s head. Tongtian meanwhile stabbed right through the bird''s heart. "Trapped and killed by mere Primal Origin Chaos Immortals?" Frolicking Raven''s last words were one of shock and unwillingness. His body crumbled into dust beneath the spatial force of Taishang''s whisk. "Cheh! Kill stealer," Zhurong spat. Not just him, a majority of the twelve felt that way as well. Only Houtu didn''t feel much towards the Three Pure Ones. "What? You should be on your knees thanking my brother," Yuanshi demanded pointing his scepter at Zhurong. "If it weren''t for us you lot will be dead." "That''s right, you ungrateful," an indignant Tongtian joined in the chatter. Taishang on the other hand didn''t seem to mind. He appeared completely indifferent to Zhurong''s words. "Never mind that. You three, why do I smell the Father God''s scent on you?" Gonggong on the other hand demanded. "That''s right, how can you come across so similar to the Father God, you must''ve stolen something belonging to him," Jizi added. "Stolen? We should be asking you that. We three are orthodox descendent of Great God Pangu," Yuanshi boasted with pride. "It is you who claim descend where there is none." "What?" The likes of Qiangliang, Xuangming, Shebishi, Rushou, Houtu etc looked like he was about to pounce. They felt Yuanshi''s words were an infringement upon their heritage. "Apologize for insulting the Father God this instant!" Di Jiang demanded. To lend credence to his words, he flapped his wings threateningly. The twelve looked like they were about ready to fight. "Oh for fucks sake." An ancient voice echoed through the sky. A thunderstorm zapped its way cross the two parties. Lightning skirted into the distance roasting weak Great Principle Chaos Immortal and Great Unity Golden Immortal devils. The skull of a massive dragon filled up the sky and roared. From within a lightning dragon several thousand kilometers long flew down. It was one of the grand elders of the dragons, specifically the one who supported pure blood dragons Leishen. "Fucking audacity of these children," Leishen scolded. "Do you have any idea where you are? If you have time for chatter then you have time to fight! My fellows are dying out there." His presence sent a cowering chill down the spines of both parties. It was then that they''d taken notice of their surroundings and of the new devil corpses that lay on the ground. Both parties suddenly felt very embarrassed. "What are you waiting for? Go and FIGHT!" Leishen roared. He struck the ground with his lightning and sent them all into the air. He soon left to rejoin the wider battlefield. "Leishen huh?" Liu Er who skulked around looting the corpses murmured. "Wonder what treasures he has on him." ¡­ Taiyi swung the Chaos Bell like a battering ram. The hard bronze surface of the clock broke open the skulls of countless devils sending their corpses to the ground. A group of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal devils tried to sneak attack. They numbered three in total. Taiyi did not feel like dealing with them. Hence he shook the Chaos Clock causing it to ring. Suddenly, two devils moved back in time completely against their will. Their movements shifted and seconds of their movements were reversed leaving their sole companion at the tender mercies of Taiyi. "What the hell is this? High grade? Top grade? No we''re of the same realm, even top grade xiantian spiritual treasures shouldn''t be able to do this!" The devils cried. The human shaped Golden Crow looked coldly at the devil. He unleashed a spear made of Pure Yang Sun Fire and burnt the devil to death in one attack. His next attack created a miniature sun which he blasted into the remaining two devils who were stuck desperately trying to resist the time reversal. Taiyi was a silent storm of power. A complete nobody from nowhere managed to give experienced devils a thrashing the likes of which they never expected. In fact, Taiyi might as well be the strongest solo combatant on the battlefield who wasn''t an ancient established powerhouse. "Brother, little help here?" Di Jun''s voiced reached Taiyi''s ears and that was all the words he needed. While Di Jun was locking in combat using his Sun Chakram against a female devil. Taiyi flew in and obliterated the devil''s flesh in a single hit. Before the devil''s Nascent Soul could escape, Taiyi brutally burnt her by converting his yang based flames into yin based soul fire killing her. "Thank you," Di Jun said. "You took a bad hit to your side. You shouldn''t fight here," Taiyi warned. "Heh, why should I be worried? I have you to watch my back," Di Jun said boldly smirking back. Taiyi sighed but followed that up with a chuckle. "Di Jun, things are starting to look up. A large part of the devil''s main offensive has been killed. Even the commanding Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals are falling to the dragons and phoenixes." "Three of them were because of you little bro," Di Jun said slapping Taiyi lightly on the back. During the chaotic fighting, Taiyi had slain many devils including Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal Great Emperors. This act did not go unnoticed. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Distantly, they watched the winged dragon Yinglong do battle against a female devil. Yinglong chased Empress Intoxicating Dream slinging clouds at her like no tomorrow. The yellow scaled dragon had a long red gash on the base of his neck which looked sickening. Some feathers on his wings were also missing. "Let''s join him, he may need our help," Di Jun said. "Might be a little too high level for us," Taiyi said shaking his head. He looked desperately for calmer parts of fighting. "How about there by the ground? Seafolk, avians, and furred beasts from the North and East Continent alike are suffering major casualties. With the dragons and phoenixes distracted high up, the weaker ones on the ground lack strong support." "You''re right," Di Jun nodded at Taiyi''s sagely advice. "Pity these native creatures are not as impressive as those born into the dragon and phoenix clans. Even us innate gods have a much better foundation." Di Jun frowned as a lion got trampled by a devil''s foot. He quickly descended with the Sun Chakram and Celestial River Diagram followed closely by his younger brother Taiyi and the Chaos Bell. ¡­ Yinglong was breathing heavily. His female opponent looked back at growled in frustration. "Just why own''t you let up?" Empress Intoxicating Dream screamed. Her nails lengthened into projectiles and shot out of her hands. Yinglong halted and coiled his body. His lungs expanded and he roared. His cry broke the attack with the force of his violent scream. He then lunged for the woman fangs barred. "Empress, I''ll save you," multiple male devils chased after Yinglong. A particularly strong devil with large hammer like arms smashed Yinglong across the jaw. "Gah!" Yinglong''s had swerved to the left. He glared at the devil and raised his right claw catching the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal devil in his claw. "Thank you little ape," Intoxicating Dream blew a kiss at the devil and flew off. Yinglong''s wings were the next to come under assault. A devil stabbed into them with his spear and another crocodile bit into his back. Buts of his yellow scales cascaded to the ground as a result. The ape in Yinglong''s claw was also holding his crushing grip back. "Don''t even think about touching the empress!" They chanted in unison. Yinglong grew frustrated. He lifted his right claw and unleashed a fierce Nine Clawed Killing. His digits became enclosing meteors causing the ape to scream as his muscles strained. "My faith in the empress is eternal, you will never win!" The devil laughed. "I think my master mentioned your kind in afterthought once," Yinglong grunted admits the pain of his back being attacked. He raised his left claw and sued Nine Clawed Killing on that one as well. "Noble devils?" "Fucking Simps!" PAH! Yinglong smashed both claws together at once. The only thing left of the ape was a pool of gore which smeared his claws. "Don''t let brother Ma''s sacrifice be in vein¡­GAH!" The crocodile called out. But his body was penetrated by the tip of Yinglong''s tail. The dragon threw him into the side of the mountain and began dealing with the rest. Despite that Yinglong felt tired. Left in command of the overall forces alongside Chongming bird, he had suffered many injuries from dozens to hundreds of Devil Emperors. Unfortunately, he''d only been able to kill a fraction of the ones who attacked him. Catching and killing Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals decisively was difficult especially when there were so many of them. His dragonic physique had even suffered corrupting damage from Empress Intoxicating Dream resulting in a stinking neck wound. "Where did she go?" Yinglong looked around in search for the woman. She had displayed remarkable strength leading Yinglong to believe she was someone of great importance. As such she became a priority for elimination. In the distance, Yinglong spotted her. In fact, someone else had intercepted her. Intoxicating Dream was locked in combat with his sister-in-law Gui Daiyu. "No, Gui Daiyu is not strong enough to overcome a devil of that strength," Yinglong moved his titanic body on a bed of auspicious clouds. He immediately gave his all to chase after them. As it stood, he was right. Gui Daiyu spat out a mouthful of blood when Intoxicating Dream broke past her defences and hit her in the jugular. "I know you, you''re the Dragon Sovereign''s wife consort? Well killing you can surely break his spirit," she said. "My husband is made of sterner materials. Killing me will only invigorate him," Gui Daiyu grunted. She transformed into a sturdy turtle shell as Intoxicating Dream pierced at her with her nails. CLING! Gui Daiyu screamed in pain from within the the shell. Despite physically tanking the attack, she felt her spirit weaken. ''What''s going on with me?'' She thought while struggling. She was almost knocked into her true form. "No man nor woman can ever resist me. This natural to cower," the Devil Empress said. "Stay away from my daughter!" Primordial Turtle King roared. The elderly Primal Zenith powerhouse charged for the devil. He shoulder tackled the devil away from Gui Daiyi then attempted to strike her with his hammer. "Hmph!" Empress Intoxicating Dream held back the hammer with both arms and dug her foot into the air as if they were solid ground. "I met you not long ago did I not? When your ilk so rudely invaded our lands," she said unhanding her right hand. SCHINK! PLAH! "GU!" the Turtle King looked down at his own chest where the devil pierced his body. He suddenly felt very sick and his mighty physique grew pale. "FATHER!" Gui Daiyu yelled getting to her feet. "Spirit Drain," Intoxicating Dream smirked. The annoying thing about the Dragonic Dao was that it was scary good at resisting all manner of damage including drain techniques that she favored. What''s more dragonic qi cultivated by dragons were fundamentally incompatible with her own devil qi. She could certainly harm them but draining them was difficult. This was because she had never encountered a dragon in combat like this before. Ordinary beings can be converted readily enough and she had experimented enough to know this. But dragons almost always stayed in their seas and never entered the west. With constant scrutinizing border patrols, obtaining a sample was difficult. But for Primordial Turtle King who had never cultivated the Dragonic Dao, it was significantly easier to absorb his energy and convert it into her own. "AH," the Turtle King grew extremely pale and weak as if all his blood was drained. "Yes, now di¡­what?" Intoxicating barely got out another word when she was lifted by a fist of auspicious clouds. She flew into the sky right into the claw of Yinglong. The dragon was kicking himself for not being faster. ''Always second best, always a step too slow,'' he mentally berated himself. Without mercy he chomped down on the female devil biting her in half. But as if anticipating this, her Nascent Soul flew out of her defunct lower body. She unleashed an echoing scream that disorientated Yinglong''s ears forcing him to roar in pain. "I''m not leaving without a kill," she said running for the weakened Turtle King. She was like a blitzing lightning bolt, instantly penetrating the old king''s body blowing a hole through him. "You bitch!" Gui Daiyu screamed in horror. She immediately picked up her father''s hammer and swung it at the devil. "Dreaming Intoxication Spirit Escape!" The devil cried before the hammer hit. She was converted into a mass of sickly greenish stream that attempted to fly away. "NO!" Yinglong flying after her. "Too slow old dragon," Intoxicating Dream said triumphantly. But her triumph was short lived as a cage of spindles surrounded her. The newcomer Taishang attempted to trap her in a distorted field. "Greetings, my name is Taiqing. I hope we can get along," the old man said amicably. "You think this can keep me here?" Intoxicating Dream said arrogantly. "You youngins think too highly of yourselves." "If he can''t then I will!" Leishen roared. With his command, a cage of pure lightning confined her even as she tore apart Taishang''s cage with relative ease. Leishen though was another beast entirely. He was not Yinglong but he was still among the dragon''s best alongside Jiang Koilong and rainbow dragon Hong. She had seen him early on during the fighting and was only confident in defeating him at peak condition. "Take this!" Yuanshi roared jumping in with bravado. His scepter was however caught in her hand. "What did I say about youngins?" She spat punching Yuanshi square in the face sending him flying with a black eye and a bloody nose. "Cloud Trapping Gate!" Yinglong yelled upon arrival. Intoxicating Dream only had enough time to look up before a paifang gate made of auspicious clouds fell from the sky. It impacted her spirit body and trapped her into the earth below. "OOF!" She cried landing roughly on the ground right in front of Gui Daiyu. "You killed my father," the ocean empress said lifting her hammer. "To be fair I killed a lot of people. This is war princess not a play fight," Intoxicating Dream said calmly. Those were the last words she spoke of before Gui Daiyu extinguished her spirit. In a small corner of Mt Buzhou, a resting Rippling Reflection looked up in alarm. ¡°Sister Intoxicating Dream is dead? So soon¡±. "Finally," Yinglong said slumping his shoulders withdrawing into a human form. Leishen was very quick to support him also assuming his human form. The Three Pure Ones also landed though they were slightly more awkward. They felt somewhat embarrassed by their poor performance as well as awe at the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. Gui Daiyu was a woman on the brink of tears. The Primordial Turtle King''s deceased body had no movement, no indication of any life whatsoever. His Nascent Soul was extinguished alongside his body without a chance to escape. She shared a look with Leishen and Yinglong, and sighed. "You, Taiqing was it?" Gui Daiyu asked between gasping breaths, pointing at Taishang. "You held back the devil who murdered my father. I''ll see you rewarded properly. Come to the East Sea Dragon Palace when things settle down." "Brother are you alright?" She then turned towards Yinglong with worry. "I''ll be fine, just some flesh wounds from a few small fry," he said brushing off her words. "More importantly, elder brother and younger brother''s situations aren''t ideal. I''ll help Zulong next." "In your condition your majesty?" Leishen ize gasped in shock. "You''ve sustained heavy damaged from many assaults, its best you head for elder Hong. His rainbow dragon light can aid in your recovery." "Leishen is right Yinglong, you don''t look at all," Gui Daiyu said in agreement. She gazed up and met Zulong''s eyes for a split second. Her husband just as quickly went back to fighting Mara dodging his arrows. Zulong must''ve seen them but was too preoccupied to do anything. Just how strong was Mara to keep both him and Zufeng tied up like this? "I don''t wish to lose more family, this is a command from your empress. Seek medical treatment immediately," she said firmly. "That would take me out of the fighting. I am one of the strongest fighters around even in this condition. You need me," Yinglong retorted rejecting her command. "I am rejoining the battle." Gui Daiyu sighed looking away. "You dragons and your pride," she sad bitterly. "Seems sister Yi Fei''e had broken out of her encirclement. She''s heading for the centre of the battlefield." Yinglong looked over in the same direction. "Four Evils, I have heard of them from master. In the past they were reduced to Three Evils." "Evidentially not," Gui Daiyu said. "Four Evils? Pardon me seniors but who are these creatures?" Taishang politely asked. Although they didn''t say it, Tongtian and Yuanshi looked interested as well. Both Gui Daiyu and Yinglong noticed a slight similarity between Tongtian and their aunt Wangshu as well as their similar scent and qi signature. "The Four Evils according to ancient legends originates from four chaos godfiends," Yinglong explained. "They were once upon a time, the Chaos Demon Ape''s strongest lieutenants just under Beast King Shenni." "Shenni? Is that not the name of the previous threat to the great wilderness?" "Yes, the very same Shenni. These four Hundun, Taotie, Qiong Qi, Taowu cultivated Daos that represented the worst in living beings. They are incapable of distinguishing good from evil and always seek to aid those with the darkest of intentions. Or so the legends say. In ancient times they joined the Devilish Dao abandoning Shenni when he was at death''s door. They''ve been inactive in the world ever since. I cannot really speak as to their true intentions. Not even my master knows." "Your master? You speak of the Eight Directions Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord?" Tongtian couldn''t help but ask with a voice of admiration. "Us siblings heard many legends in the East Continent, of how he saved the world from the Sea Eye using a Divine Needle. My Fish Drum was engraved with that story in the chaos godfiend''s language." "Is it?" Yinglong raised an eyebrow curiously. He supposed it wasn''t a surprise. If Tongtian found that fish drum in the East Continent then there was a good chance it came from the East Sea proper. Of all places, tales of Da Hai was very common there. Yinglong straightened his back and turned his attention back towards the overall battle. It was good news that they were winning. The Devil forces was significantly less powerful then when they first started out. "The sea in the sky," Leishen commented. "Let''s go there, it seems his majesty Qinglong and the other Symbols are emerging." Yinglong looked over and nodded. His brother and his friends had finally surfaced from the dirty ocean. Chapter 137-Clash of Four Symbols In the primordial realms, in the most ancient era of the primitive world, the world was born incomplete. It took generations of deities before it transformed into a fully functioning complete universe. In the most ancient era, the Four Symbols Divine Beasts were physical representations of the four cardinal directions, representations of the four most high constellations. Divine beasts with the combined potential that surpasses all beings in the world. One day, be they dragon, phoenix, devil, or some form of primordial god. They must all bow down and respect the authority of these heavenly creatures. For they are as much heavenly creatures as they are part of heaven. "Or at least that is what I infer from from my own findings and friend Da Hai," Ao the great tortoise godfiend in the furthest edges of the North Sea murmured. Even his murmuring carried with it a voice that pushed waves as high as several hundred kilometers into the air. The island turtle subtly shifted his mass and moved its titanic head upwards. "Curse this existence of mine. Curse you Hongjun you damn cricket." Ao''s entire existence was a curse especially because he remembered what life was before. Nowadays his only interactions with the world was through his disciple Xuanwu. "Little Wu, you and your friends must be careful. Luohu cannot be underestimated," Ao said to an audience of none. He closed his eyes and prayed to Grand Dao. The Four Symbols, just what were they exactly? They weren''t innate gods in the most conventional of sense. There was a special purpose to them. Qinglong was born in the east in control of the the wood element, the star of Jupiter, as well as ruler ship of springtime. Zhuque was born in the south in control of the fire element, the star of Mars, as well as ruler ship of summer. Baihu was born in the west in control of the metal element, the star of Venus, as well as ruler ship over Autumn. Finally, Xuanwu was born in the frigid north in control of the water element, the star of Mercury, as well as ruler ship over winter. These four had a unique divine functions to them innately. But what did that mean? ¡­ Qinglong swam through a filthy ocean in disgust. He swam in he form of supercluster shaped energy being clashing repeatedly with a similarly gigantic Hundun. The head of the four evils held the Taotie Cauldron firmly in four of his hands. He sucked in any foreign spells thrown at him and even attempted to consume Qinglong whole. Zhuque fought beside him in a giantess form with avian wings. In that form she wielded the legendary Kunwu sword a top grad xiantian spiritual treasure. Behind her was already the manifestation of Mars burning up excess amounts of water. She descended towards Hundun attempting to strike him down with the Kunwu sword. Clang! Hundun blocked her strike with the Taotie cauldron. His spare hands swung his hatchets towards Zhuque. This forced her to retreat back to a safe distance unwilling to allow herself to be hit. "This isn''t working, we can''t reach him," she informed Qinglong. "I know, let me think," Qinglong said feeling frustrated. He didn''t know how long they''ve been trapped in here with the Four Evils. Despite his star power, Qinglong couldn''t land any decisive bows on Hundun up til now. Baihu was off in the distance wrestling with Qiong Qi. Both mighty tigers slapped each other around but it was clear Qiong Qi held a distinct strength advantage. While the White Tiger was fierce and powerful, the winged tiger was built like bull. It was almost comical how buffed Qiong Qi was and this reflected in his physical strength. He managed to tear apart Baihu''s daoist magical arts and landed a critical blow across Baihu''s face. The White Tiger''s sword held in his tail scraped across Qiong Qi''s thick muscle as Baihu retreated. Comparatively though, Xuanwu did much better against Taowu. The Black Tortoise severely wounded Taowu by freezing his front limbs and bit the godfiend''s tongue with his serpent headed tail. Taowu released glitter bombs but these were ineffective against the ice cold air Xuanwu breathed out. "AH! Fucker, Qiong Qi help me!" "Help yourself," Qiong Qi roared back. Baihu had returned after recovering quickly from that blow and returned in the form of an iron drill. He pushed Qiong Qi upwards lifting him onto his hind legs. This was where Qinglong chose to swim down striking Qiong Qi''s bull like body with the Jupiter Star. The wooden celestial body transformed into a brilliant light that exploded in Qiong Qi''s face while simultaneously filling Baihu''s body with the fresh air of springtime. "Interesting," Hundun said moving over. "Nope, stay for a moment," Zhuque demanded. She swung the Kunwu sword in a fiery blaze at Hundun. "Your swordplay is very lacking," Hundun said dismissively. The swung the cauldron that pushed both Zhuque and the Kunwu sword away. "Awfully stupid to use a weapon you''re not use to." Zhuque took a minute to think. She quickly transformed into her true form and began singing. Her harmonious song was distrusted Hundun''s thoughts. Suddenly he felt dizzy and backed off. Zhuque''s movements was disrupted in the water hence she was much slower, however she still attempted to swipe at Hundun with her blazing talons. CLANG! Her talons scraped off of the Taotie Cauldron and her flames were sucked into the cauldron. Zhuque used the treasure as a foothold to jump over Hundun. She reassumed her human form with the Kunwu sword aimed right for stabbing. "Die!" She roared stabbing at Hundun''s body. CLANG! Hundun blocked that as well with a pair of hatchets that suddenly faded into existence. "Like I said, lacking," he lectured her as if he were an old teacher and she a young student. "You''re probably right," Zhuque responded in agreement much to Hundun''s surprise. "Baihu catch," Zhuque screeched. She suddenly unleashed a screeching chirp at Hundun. Hundun being a master of spacetime sent the echoing sound into a spatial barrier in his hand. Zhuque then blasted him with a stream of Nanming Divine Flames. This time Hundun raised his hands to block. While this was going on, Zhuque tossed the Kunwu sword away. It sailed through the filthy water right into Baihu''s open jaw. For his part, Baihu caught the Kunwu sword''s handle and proceeded to stab it into Qiong Qi''s shoulder. The winged feline roared having experiencing sudden extreme pain. He jerked away hurling strong currents of dirty water at Baihu. Qinglong having witnessed this transformed his claws into azure alouds. He arrested Baihu protectively within them and swam away from the impact of the currents. After he did so the currents swirled until they created a bubble within the ocean where the pressure was enough to crush even Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals to meat paste. "Qiong Qi''s concentration is breaking. But sister Zhuque cannot hold Hundun for long," Baihu informed Qinglong. The dragon nodded grimly. "Unfortunately my brother holds the only top rank xiantian spiritual treasure that can deal with this filthy ocean. Unfortunately, he didn''t give them to me. All I have on hand are some high rank xiantian spiritual treasures. None of them are useful at all," Qinglong said regrettably. There was a reason he was fighting barehanded. His true form was so powerful that it alone was a contender for a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure, perhaps even superior. The use of treasures as such did not supplement his combat potential that much. Qinglong''s eyes suddenly snapped towards the edge of the ocean. He felt the presence of Yi Fei''e and met her gaze. He shook his head and sent a mental message across. Qiong Qi''s dirty water will only weaken her. It''s corrosive effects tears away at one''s physique and Dao. The Four Symbols resists it because of their unique heavenly innate abilities. Yi Fei''e comparatively had more secular origins. Despite her powers, she''ll only be a liability. Qiong Qi only managed to use this ability to its fullest when supported by the other evils and when restored to his peak such as now. In order for them to fight in this environment, the Four Symbols had maintain their own inner balance. They couldn''t even connect with each other and use the Four Symbols Formation. "That woman, the moth girl?" Hundun, Taowu, and Qiong Qi witnessed her as well. "Wasn''t your protege supposed to be keeping her busy?" Taowu asked Hundun. The faceless godfiend nodded. "Evidentially she got past him. Oh well." "You don''t care about your fellow devil?" Zhuque asked with mockingly. "I thought individuals within the same groups shared comrade. Or is the loyalty to one''s fellows in the West Continent so weak?" "Well we''re not exactly devils," Hundun retorted in good humor. "If he lives he lives, he dies he dies. So what if we''re both part of the same faction? It''s just the natural order of things," He shrugged with an, ''oh well'', gesture that all four divine beasts appeared slightly disturbed. "Besides, I''m a chaos godfiend. Your progenitor." "The world have birth to us not you relics," Xuanwu spat. He brought both his heads together in for a snarl. His beak snapped forwards in a gargantuan bite. "Hmph," Qiong Qi snorted. She leapt forwards and used his wings to halt the upper part of Xuanwu''s beak. His lower limbs slapped at his lower beak. But Xuanwu''s snake head also charged in biting Qiong Qi in the abdomen and dragged him through his own water. Meanwhile, Qinglong met Yi Fei''e''s gaze again. To his surprise she retrieved a bottle from her sleeve. She proceeded to drink its contents before stopping and dousing herself with the rest of its contents. ''I understand,'' Qinglong nodded. Without warning he immediately lunged for Hundun. "Barbaric. And to think your master considers himself a chaos godfiend," Hundun arched his fist back and punched Qinglong''s snout. What followed were two titans clashing against each ferociously. Zhuque tackled Taowu''s feline frame through the waves pecking at his flesh. Baihu jumped for Hundun like a spinning top. The Kunwu sword met the Taotie Cauldron''s surface and both treasures generated sparkles against each other. The Kunwu sword was once wielded by Ancestor Kunwu who unfortunately passed away in the most ancient Shenni war. It was an extremely powerful sword on par with even the best of top rank xiantian spiritual treasures. Even then, its sharp edge began dulling when up against defensive power of the Taotie Cauldron. ''It''s almost like its eating away pieces of the Kunwu sword,'' Baihu realized after a few clashes. He clawed at Hundun while Qinglong clawed at his front. Both divine beasts manifested their respective stars and used them to attack Hundun. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Oh please, only someone like your master is qualified to fight me," Hundun chuckled as if humoring the two. His power increased again and one of his hands gripped Qinglong''s throat. He manifested three ghostly hatchets and cut into Qinglong''s side causing the dragon to roar in pain. His faceless head emanated a vortex of chaotic darkness. It disorientated Baihu and left him vulnerable for Hundun jab him with his finger. "Chaos Finger," he announced stabbing into Baihu''s forehead. "Gui!" Baihu spat out a mouthful of blood and fell back. "Damn it," Xuanwu having witnessed both his brothers be injured slapped at Qiong Qi with a glacier. He then tucked himself into his shell and attempted to spin away. "Where do you think you''re going?" Qiong Qi spat holding tightly onto Xuanwu''s shell. The tortoise was like a spinning saw grinding against the tiger''s muscular paws. Qiong Qi instead elongated his teeth into two tusks. "Take this!" He roared stabbing down puncturing Xuanwu''s shell and into his back. However he did not come out of it unscathed. Xuanwu used this sudden connection to freeze part of Qiong Qi''s face with gasses he released from his back. The two tied each other down just like Zhuque was being tied down by Taowu. The Vermillion Bird and the human faced cat was tussling in a brutal combat filled with fire. Qinglong swiped at Hundun''s hand digging into it. Hundun flinched away as the Azure Dragon shot a blast of lighting into his face. "Senior brother, senior brother. Let us help you!" Within Qinglong''s pocket universe, Chang Xi and Xihe called out urgently. Their cries fell on death ears though as Qinglong refused to let them out. If he did, their deaths were a certainty. Qinglong roared in admits the water. His cry caused many currents to begin forming, converging to his location and into a single blast of pressure right into Hundun. Hundun held out the Taotie Cauldron and felt himself be pushed back by the attack. "You know this isn''t hurting me right?" Hundun asked curiously. The Taotie Cauldron was sucking in the pressure effortlessly. Soon it would redirect an attack back at Qinglong. "We need to destroy that Cauldron. It''s absorbing everything I throw out," Qinglong said during the chaos. He rushed forwards transforming into a mass of Yang qi. He shot out like an arrow born of the fire of the Solar Star. "The Celestial Path of the Sun Rahu!" Qinglong roared. "The Hidden Path of the Moon Ketu!" Yi Fei''e responded as a mass of shadow. Hundun''s eyes widened when a sharp pain riveted his body. Yi Fei''e had stabbed him through the chest without him noticing. It wasn''t a fatal strike but it did distract him long enough for the moth to drag the Taotie Cauldron away from his grip. "Foolish girl," he mentally called for the cauldron to return to him only for the Cauldron to pass through him. "Pellucid Divine Water?" He cried in shock. It had been ages since he''d seen it in action. So long that he''d almost forgotten it. Yi Fei''e in another layer of reality attacked the Cauldron fiercely. She stabbed her sword into it only for it to bounce off. "It''s useless, its a top rank xiantian spiritual treasure. You really think you can break it that easily?" Hundun taunted after fending off Qinglong. "Soon you''ll fade into this reality again and I''ll show you why you should''ve stayed out of this fight." "Heh," Yi Fei''e smirked. Then her skin cracked in lines of pulsating energy. "What? You''re self destructing?" Hundun was completely taken aback. "You''re really willing to commit suicide just to take destroy a single treasure?" He starred back at a very calm Qinglong and snorted. "What was that about carrying for your fellows again? Isn''t she your junior sister?" "Do it!" Qinglong commanded and Yi Fei''e obliged. She jumped into the Taotie Cauldron and detonated herself. The explosion was without sound and did not harm any of the Three Evils and Four Symbols. It had taken place in another area of reality and the explosion while visible, only served to pass through them like some sort of virtual reality hologram. "What an insane woman," Qiong Qi and Taowu were shocked. They were both impressed as well as disdainful of her actions. Baihu, Xuanwu, and Zhuque too were horrified by Yi Fei''e''s actions and Qinglong''s disregard for them. At the same time they felt very emotional that she was willing to make such a big sacrifice for them. The explosion of qi soon subsided as if nothing had happened. The Taotie Cauldron showed itself again. However this time it was left in five pieces. Though not completely destroyed, it had shattered into fractions of its former self. But what was more shocking was the centre of the former cauldron. Within there was a coluorless corpse of a moth. This confused Hundun, Qiong Qi, Taowu, and even Xuanwu, Baihu, and Zhuque. When an immortal exploded, they left no corpse. So why did Yi Fei''e leave one? The corpse of the giant moth hovered in the ocean slowly fading into reality. In the water it rotated exposing its back and the long crack that showcased the interior. The moth carcass was empty. "A shell? Molted skin?" Qiong Qi''s eyes widened as he sensed danger. But it was too late, in the precious seconds that he wasted being stunned, an aurora borealis had formed around his body. It was here that Yi Fei''e jammed her sword into his throat. The Yi Fei''e that reappeared appeared incredibly weakened. She was dressed in an azure kingfisher garment and had a trail of blood leaking from her lip down to her chin. Her eyes had a hateful look that glared into the stunned Qiong Qi. "This is, no it''s different but familiar," Zhuque murmured in realization. "Of course, she tamed one of ours as a mount. But this application is completely different." "A molting bomb attack?" Hundun realized as Qiong Qi clasped his throat. "No," he turned towards Qiong Qi with urgency. But this time Qinglong entrapped his body with his serpentine body. "Sorry, I''m afraid I can''t let you," Qinglong spat. "Just you?" Hundun scoffed. He elbowed Qinglong''s body several times and tore the dragon off of him before swinging him by the tail. "YAH!" Xuanwu took advantage of Yi Fei''e''s sneak attack and formed an icicle spear. The Black Tortoise of the cold north jammed the ice spear right into the thrashing Qiong Qi''s forehead. As a result Qiong Qi''s concentration was broken. The filthy ocean that surrounded them began falling and disintegrating. Qiong Qi roared in pain. He pet Xuanwu''s glare with his own and attacked with a blast of water from his mouth. Xuanwu''s response was to bite the water with his beak and freeze it with by creating Pure Yin Pale Water. The water closely associated with death sent a horrifying feeling into Qiong Qi''s soul. "Attacks! Kill him!" "No! Stay your hand!" Zhuque scratched into Taowu''s eye and shifted her wings sending a storm of flame arrows towards Hundun hoping to slow him down. Meanwhile she also grappled with Taowu halting him from any actions. Baihu had long since abandoned Hundun. He charged for Qiong Qi''s entrapped form with the Kunwu sword in hand. His metallic tiger physique transformed into a white haired humanoid Dao body who rode the wind. "Piercing White Tiger Strike!" He chanted. The Kunwu sword glowed with metallic light and the form of the Venus Star appeared on the base of the hilt. Seeing this Qiong Qi grew desperate. He vomited compiles amounts of nauseous gas from his bloodied mouth. His body thrashed knocking aside Yi Fei''e as if she was a rag doll. Unfortunetly for him, Xuanwu was physically much more impressive than Yi Fei''e. His snake headed tail wrapped around Qiong Qi''s body and bit into his wing. Xuanwu pressed his entire weight onto the tiger forcing him to meet Bai Hu''s oncoming attack. Bai Hu proceeded to stab Qiong Qi through his body right through his Nascent Soul fatally injuring him. Qiong Qi''s cries echoed through the sky. The filthy ocean completely broke down, evaporating under the heat of Zhuque''s flames now that Qiong Qi cannot keep it together. Qinglong''s form emerged from the water finally becoming visible to the outside world once more. The cultivators in defense of Mt Buzhou cheered upon seeing the Four Symbols while the devils despaired upon seeing Qiong Qi''s dying form. "Fitting," Xuanwu said. "Today another of the Four Evils who terrorized the North Continent and Sea dies." The tortoise''s supernatural beautiful human form reappeared watching Qiong Qi''s fall. "No brother Qiong Qi!" Taowu screamed. His bloodied tongue slapped Zhuque''s body and he attempted to get away. But the Vermillion Bird''s talons were too sharp and dug into his flesh causing him more grief. "Well shit," Hundun murmured watching Qiong Qi descend as a corpse. He could feel the attention of both Luohu and Mara land on him and he suddenly felt a bit awkward. He gathered up the broken pieces of the Taotie Cauldron and said, "This is really unfortunate indeed." "Is that all you have to say for your brother in arm''s death?" Qinglong asked him a bit put off by his nonchalance. Hundun did not answer him. Rather he reached for Taowu and Zhuque. Seeing this, Qinglong, Baihu, and Xuanwu chased after him. They felt their qi combine again and so they merged their techniques. All of a sudden three superclusters made for Taowu filled with killing intent. Hundun could feel himself frowning even though he had no face to show it. He charged on all six limbs and flapped his wings. He broke through the chaos and teleported to Taowu''s side. Using his mastery as a Limitless Supreme Immortal he punched out meeting the three divine beast''s attack with his own. The corresponding impact knocked both him and Taowu back a great distance. His fist was bloody and mangled. "Terrifying when you all do that," he said. His divine sense looked around and spotted Emperor Rippling Reflection skulking about in the battlefield. "Luohu, any minute now. We''re all counting on you," he shouted into the sky. "I know," Luohu''s equally loud voice responded in kind. This caused the Four Symbols Divine Beasts to all look up and observe the Immortal Extermination Formation. It was there they saw a depressive sight. Because within the Immortal Extermination Formation, Luohu was clashing spear against flagpole with Hongjun. But Sichen was missing an arm, Qiankun was very pale, Destiny Demon God appeared injured and ancestor Yingyang had already died. Chapter 138-Luohu Wins Within the Immortal Extermination Formation, Hongjun gasped for breath. He held the Pangu Banner firmly in his hands in an all out dual against Luohu''s God Killing Spear. Both of these treasures were extremely potent offensive based treasures. But as the Pangu Banner was a chaos rank spiritual treasure, a step beyond even xiantian spiritual treasures, one would expect it to win a clash. After all, a chaos rank spiritual treasure bore the purest essence of primordial chaos originating from the Grand Dao within the chaos sea. In comparison, a xiantian spiritual treasure no matter what rank only came into being through the powers of energies clashing and mixing together. These items were born complete just like innate gods hence the descriptive term xiantian. But whereas the God Killing Spear was a melee combat weapon, the Pangu banner was a channeling type treasure. The Pangu Banner was an offensive monster by way of generating Chaotic Sword Qi rather then its ability to beat someone to death. As such the in a clash, the God Killing Spear was able to stand against it. What''s more, Luohu also had the powers of the Immortal Extermination Formation and his own Dao as support. He pressured Hongjun who was in unfamiliar territory. The two titans were wordless in their struggle. They only communicated through looks and regarded one another with varying degrees of disgust. Luohu''s strikes were precise and designed to kill Hongjun as quickly as possible. His spear stabbed and jabbed and rarely acted in any defense. Meanwhile, Hongjun could not retreat to a safe distance to properly utilize the Pangu Banner. The Taiji Painting was being saved as a trump card. It wasn''t an offensive treasure and the formation could not muster up enough concentrated firepower to harm them so it was kept in reserve. His chaos ranked Jade Fortune Disc was not meant for battling either. Hongjun felt incredibly pressured. He silently cursed the other godfiends that had accompanied him. What use were they? Off in the distance, a second Luohu battled against the Destiny Demon God. Another Luohu who tore his way free of Luohu''s true body and arrested the 12th ranked Black Lotus and Destruction Mill. Two additional treasures the latter of which was chaos ranked to battle the most ancient godfiend. In a stunning display, the Destiny Demon God was unable to properly deal with the Immortal Extermination Formation. While it ultimately could not harm him, it pressured him and made it difficult to defeat this second Luohu. Luohu also had numerous tricks in his repertoire. He summed natural phenomenas, spawned stars and manipulated spacetime to combat both Qiankun and Sichen. His mastery of such mysteries was on a scale that impressed Hongjun. Hongjun knew these were techniques that Luohu was never talented in nor dedicated time to learn. He was obsessive in purely slaughtering arts and dedicated no time to esoteric techniques. But against Sichen, he showed a level of understanding towards time that the time god found himself laid bare. Qiankun for all his mastery over space also could not overcome Luohu''s powers. He attempted to distrust the Immortal Trapping Sword but the sword qi within the formation manifested defensive measures against him. He realized the formation was much better optimized than he''d been lead on and just four immortals of the same rank working together simply wasn''t enough. Hongjun and Destiny Demon God were distracted already leaving himself, Sichen, and Yinyang. Between the three of them, the four swords were an annoyance of the utmost. Hence Sichen changed targets for Luohu. But the aforementioned reasons were why he found no success and was instead knocked back. Despite achieving the state of the limitless principle Wuji, Sichen was like an insect in front of Luohu. He could not believe the sheer gap between them. Hongjun had never displayed that sort of pressure before yet was able to dual Luohu within the Immortal Extermination Formation. It made him feel depressed inside. Destiny Demon God was another figure who found himself embarrassed. A junior like Luohu was rivaling him. Worse, Luohu was rivaling him with only a fraction of himself. He could sense that the avatar he fought was a part of Luohu''s cultivation. A second body formed from the second embraced principle of the Devilish Dao, the six desires. As such, this avatar was called the Avatar of Six Desires. It was an accompanying piece of Luohu''s Avatar of Seven Emotions. Unfortunately, Da Hai destroyed that a long time ago. The avatars Luohu and Hongjun made were formed from cut out concepts of themselves. They were naturally much better then any ordinary avatar. But over the years, only Luohu managed to keep one and it was paying off. Destiny Demon God''s fists defied the concept of destiny. He etched the reality of victory into his punches creating a destiny in which he can only see victory. But before his very eyes, Luohu cut apart that route to his fortune and forced him to fight head on. His many mouths fired blasts that wold ordinarily tear the world asunder. But the Immortal Extermination Formation was so firm that he could not harm Luohu in the slightest. Not even Hongjun could do so. After a period of uncertain stalemate, that was when the worse happened. With Hongjun and Destiny Demon God firmly distracted, Luohu directed his swords to entrap the weakest link. Yinyang. Like the others, Yinyang had his origins as a chaos godfiend. He was an expert in harnessing power form the balance of yin and yang able to resist any outside chances on his person. However, in terms of notoriety he was severely lacking. This was not because he was lowkey like Hongjun or Luohu. Yinyang wasn''t remarkable even among the three thousand elite godfiends. Even now, he was unremarkable. This was why when the Immortal Trapping sword suddenly encircled him, he was unable to escape in time. He deployed a barrier by combining the forces of yin and yang. His form shifted to an androgynous one somewhere in between masculine and feminine. But the circular could not resist two swords as the Immortal Slaying Sword joined the Immortal Trapping Sword in its assault. They punctured through his barrier and stabbed into his body. Immediately, humongous amounts of slicing force was pumped into his helpless body. Nothing Qiankun and Sichen did was able to save him. Yinyang exploded into mist within seconds. This was shocking for Qiankun and Sichen. The Immortal Extermination Formation was not supposed to have this much offensive power. It''s primary function was supposed to be how unbreakable it was. Had Hongjun miscalculated? Lied even? Free from their struggle, both swords attacked Sichen. From an outside perspective, it appeared that the perfectly circular formation was bending into a crescent shape. But from the inside, Sichen was desperately blocking multiple swords assaulting him at once. A Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal could only resist so much and Sichen could not slow down the swords one bit. Even with Qiankun''s assistance, he suffered wounds. Sichen''s right arm was lost and many feathers from his wings fell. The god of time was rendered speechless at the turn of events. His previous bravado seemed to have disappeared. Hongjun glanced over in urgency. His purple aura exploded as he tried to overwhelm Luohu. But Luohu''s own multi coloured aura balanced things out. Luohu smirked knowingly. If Luohu still had the avatars formed from his corpses then he would be in serious trouble. But thankfully, Da Hai had solved that problem for him. CLING! CLANG! The sounds of the God Killing Spear and the Pangu Banner clashing riveted through the formation. The incredibly stable air within the formation pulsated with each impact. The flag of the Pangu Banner fluttered in the fierce struggle. Hongjun felt powerless. Where was promised victory? Why was Luohu being so obstinate? He knew he could win but just how? At this point, Qiankun was contemplating leaving. He could escape and Luohu wouldn''t be able to stop him. Should he run? He had promised Hongjun his aid but had not made an oath to it. The air around them riveted and there seemed to be an external pressure that brutally collided with the Immortal Extermination Formation. For Luohu gazed down but for a moment. What met his sight was a displeasing image. The ocean keeping the Four Symbols Divine Beasts had failed. They had noticed how the battle on his end was going. Distantly, Luohu heard Hundun say something to him. "I know," he grunted back whilst he kept clashing against Hongjun. The old man''s melee skills were somewhat lacking in comparison to his own. This was good. Luohu reached back and pulled the Destruction Mill to his person. His avatar will be fine with only the Black Lotus for support. Grabbing hold of the mill, Luohu unleashed raw energy gathered from the collapse of universes right into Hongjun. This was an aim at a kill shot. But as if anticipating this, the Taiji Painting appeared to absorb the attack. Luohu frowned cursing his own impulsiveness. Hongjun had cleared some distance and had launched a cloud of Chaotic Sword Qi. Unfortunately for Hongjun, the cloud was instantly attacked and ripped apart by the formation. Luohu smirked at the automated defense of the formation. As long as he was within it he would never be defeated. ¡­ "Brothers, sister, I am going to regret saying this but I think we need aid them up there," Qinglong was the first to suggest the idea. He instantly grimaced when he felt Yinglong and Yi Fei''e''s gaze land on him. "If Hongjun falls, our chances of defeating Luohu drops dramatically. Think about it, elder brother is unable to overcome Mara. And Hundun was manhandling us," he said. Luckily for him, Hundun was floating and observing him. The godfiend looked as if he was observing which option Qinglong would choose. "You," Yi Fei''e grunted weakly. She quickly dropped to her knees only supported by Gui Daiyu. "This is a betrayal. But ultimately. Go for it." Yinglong nodded in agreement. "You''re going to unleash your symbol power yes? Like back then when we encountered Si Hai for the first time?" Qinglong nodded. "Good luck brother." As such, Qinglong, Zhuque, Baihu, and Xuanwu odder towards each other and gathered up. Qinglong stood on the right, Zhuque at the back, Baihu on the left, Xuanwu in the front. This fulfilled the compass of the four cardinal directions. "Dong, Nan, Xi, Bei, Chun, Xia, Qiu, Dong, Mu, Huo, Jin, Shui. Rise Four Symbols Divine Formation!" Four circular stars manifested corresponding to the four directions. Jupiter in the east, Mars in the south, Venus in west, Mercury in the north. The four seasons blew in each direction and a diagram of the starry sky appeared within a circular disc. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. They resembled a circular star chart from primeval days detailing the starry skies before its evolution. Four giant constellation formed from twenty four others manifested within. Seven constellations on each quadrant. An oppressive pressure permeated through Mt Buzhou causing all living beings to look up in at the sky. Their gazes fell into one of reverence and all beings felt the distinct urge to not only kowtow, but to pray. Zulong, Zufeng, and Mara stopped their danced and glanced over at the formation taking form. A nostalgic look filled Zulong''s eyes as a distant memory from over a million years ago came to mind. "I have not seen that since then," he realized. In that moment, Zulong came to an epiphany. He wanted to apologize to Qinglong for always keeping him, Xuanwu, and Baihu apart from Zhuque. After all, how could such beautiful perfection ever be separated? He felt that he finally understood why Qinglong was so desperate. "What is this?" Zufeng found herself murmuring. Everyone down below from the twelve primordial gods, Di Jun and Taiyi, Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu, Lei Zu, Fuxi, Nuwa, and the Three Pure Ones. They gazed up and felt divine might for the first time. Even Liu Er was struck by how beautiful the Four Symbols Divine Formation was. It felt perfect, harmonious in a way he couldn''t describe. He desperately reached out in a grasping motion but found only air in his palms. "Brothers, sister, let''s do this," Qinglong urged. """Yes!""" Then the formation rose into the sky to meet the Immortal Extermination Formation. The two spinning discs were like two separate universes clashing against tone another. Luohu saw this and flew into a furry. His Immortal Extermination Four Swords vibrated in the pressure. Hongjun smiled at the ongoing. The two glared at one another resentfully. In the distance, Destiny Demon God punched the 12 ranked Black Lotus into the Avatar of Seven Emotion''s body. The avatar grunted and was thrown back towards Luohu who promptly reassured it into his form. Surrounded on three sides, Luohu grimaced. "Ha, ha, ha," Destiny Demon God panted. His sickly yellow eyes bore into Luohu and he announced, "Never before have I been so thoroughly humiliated. Luohu you''ll learn respect today." "This coming from the man who doesn''t even realize how irrelevant he became," Luohu scoffed waving Destiny Demon God off. Even Hongjun for all his differences felt inclined to agree. "You four are really making life hard for me you know that," Luohu said towards Qinglong and the rest. "It is to be expected Devil Ancestor. Now lay down your life, your madness has been going on for long enough," Qinglong replied for the Four Symbols. Their combined formation rammed and pushed the Immortal Extermination Formation higher into the air. However no penetration was observed. These two were like to boulders pushing each other. "Hmph, useless. Both our formations are defensive from the outside and more offensive on the inside. It''s like two turtle shells pushing against each other," Luohu said disdainfully. He quickly brought up the God Killing Spear to shoot a blast of fire at Hongjun and Destiny Demon God. "I''ll show you just who it is you''re messing with." Something seems to have overcome Luohu. Suddenly he entered a maddened frenzy. He attacked both Hongjun and the Destiny Demon God like a rampaging bull. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! His spear tip smashed into Hongjun''s flag pole and his painting. It cut into the Destiny Demon God''s flesh and nearly took his head at one point. Int he meanwhile, his four swords pointed downwards and met four Chinese characters in a clash. The sky was lit in mysterious lights. In all directions, streams of aurora borealis manifested along with clouds of sword qi. Crimson lightning, purple lightning, rainbow coloured rays of light. The primitive world rumbled and shook. Across the world, an earthquake impacted the land. In the starry skies, planets collided with each other. In the underworld, the Blood Sea churned wildly kicking up gargantuan waves. Both Houtu of the twelve primordial gods and Minghe of the innate gods suddenly felt the urge to vomit. Minghe especially felt uncomfortable because of the changes in the Blood Sea. "Insane, they''re rocking all creation with this stunt," he managed to get out before puking. "The primitive world, it''s still not developed enough to handle clashes such as this," Yinglong said grimly. "What''s more, the Heavenly Dao is out of commission, nowhere in sight to stabilize things." Up above, Luohu raised his spear with both hands. Both his feet were planted on the 12 ranked Black Lotus as he swung into the Pangu Banner. CLANG! Hongjun grunted as he was suddenly thrown back. His eyes widened as he stared into Luohu''s own. Luohu''s eyes seemed to be lit ablaze. They were like twin suns burning at their absolute brightest. "Are you that desperate? To warrant burning your own Nascent Soul for fuel?" Hongjun cannot believe the sheer arrogance and audacity of Luohu. Burning one''s Nascent Soul can give a tremendous power boost, but it''ll also permanently harm one''s foundation. Potentially it could even be fatal. "Don''t matter once I refine my new body," Luohu laughed. "If you wanted a proper godfiend physique, you should''ve worked harder instead of relying on the Dao of others," Destiny Demon God spat. He charged reassembling a bulked up gorilla. "Destiny Demon God wait a moment," Hongjun called out. But it was too late as Luohu dipped his spear into the heart of the Black Lotus and slashed out in an inky wave. The attack cut across the godfiend''s stomach forcing him to a halt. Luohu then cocked his fist and threw a haymaker into the much larger Destiny Demon God''s face sending him tumbling out of the Immortal Extermination Formation. "Hongjun, please kindly die," Luohu said almost gleefully. His brutal harassment was enough to force Hongjun into a desperate back burner. Both Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals flew across the interior of the formation constantly clashing against each other. But while Hongjun was sustaining more and more injuries, Luohu was seemingly fine. Luohu cackled like a madman. He chased Hongjun down with many powerful attacks that constantly cleared up waves of sword qi. Hongjun could not retaliate and could only take the beating head on. "YAH!" Luohu roared smashing the bottom of the spear into Hongjun''s body after having the spear tip scrape off the Pangu Banner. The hit was so hard that a thunder crack was heard across the entire Central Continent. Hongjun cried out and for the first time in ever, cracks appeared all over his body. The image of a burly old faded away. The form of a gargantuan cricket tumbled across the formation interior. Hongjun had been beaten into his true form. The cricket Hongjun screeched. Utilizing abilities he had never used before, he assaulted Luohu''s senses. Luohu roared and unleashed a breath of qi into Hongjun''s body. The Taiji Painting barely had time to manifest to block that. FOOM! The Immortal Extermination Formation rumbled. Luohu dropped to one knee and huffed for breaths. "Unbelievable," he said looking at the Four Symbols. A unified spear had formed to continuously ram the Immortal Extermination Formation. It was an utter annoyance of the highest order. He unsteadily got to his feet and looked towards the distant Mt Buzhou. "Finally I can reach my goal. Hey my swords, keep these annoyances busy for a while yeah?" Luohu called out to the Immortal Extermination Four Swords. He dragged the spear with him and retrieved the other treasures. on the surface of Mt Buzhou, the Destiny Demon God got up groggily. He had landed on the side of the celestial mountain in a thundering impact. It was so strong that Mt Buzhou wouldn''t stop shaking. The war between devils and immortals was only getting more violent. From Luohu''s performance, the devils were invigorated. They ferocious attacked the immortals in a bid to clear a path for their ancestor. Their resolve was almost fanatical. Destiny Demon God reached up and grabbed the side of the mountain. He could not believe the position he was in. He had finally broken through the Wuji limit, why was he in such a pathetic state? He was first of three thousand, why was he here broken and injured. "Destiny Demon God!" Luohu roared out. The godfiend looked up and spotted the Devil Ancestor. The devil had leapt out of the protection of the Immortal Extermination Formation. Said formation pushed down on the Four Symbols keeping them tied down beneath the pressure. Luohu on the other hand skydived right for Destiny Demon God. He held his spear above his head and moved like meteor about to impact the earth. "Sayonara!" Zulong, Zufeng glanced over witnessing Luohu''s movements. Feeling panicked, they tried to rush for him. "Oh no you don''t," Mara though grabbed hold of Zulong''s lengthy body and Zufeng''s wing with multiple hands. "Can''t let you interfere now of all times." Hundun''s presence tied down Leize completely and utterly. Bother immortals were too busy fighting their counterpart devils. Those who were free were too slow to rise into the sky in time. The likes of Yuanshi, Di Jun, Di Jiang, and Nuwa watched on in fascination. Even Liu Er was shocked at Luohu''s triumph. The Destiny Demon God roared jumping into the sky. He arced his arm back for one massive swing. STAB! The God Killing Spear punctured the godfiend''s chest, his fist completely missing Luohu''s body. The devil carried the godfiend with him in his momentum. The two smashed down right into Mt Buzhou. ¡­ "Oh no," Ao said slightly turning his head. It took all his might to see the ongoing down south. He sniffed the air and contemplated. "Looks like the time has come after all. Earlier then expected¡­ no, rather it''s probably right on time." ¡­ Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Avalanches of rockslides followed by rock listens. Collapsing cliffs and falling rocks. Explosions of dirt an the uprooting of countless greenery. The mountains of sediments that reached into the sky, they tumbled down. A hole into the vast starry skies was openly visible, one very different than the one opened by the Jianmu tree. The sky ruptured. Lightning manifested violently. Tears in reality opened. Natural disasters attacked the great wilderness without warning. A golden orb appeared in the centre of the cosmos. And a dreaded feeling filled everyone''s hearts. The twelve descendants of Pangu gasped in horror. Nuwa and Fuxi openly cried in tears. Mt Buzhou was collapsing. Chapter 139-Mt Buzhou Collapse As the central world suffered a catastrophic incident, Ao the gargantuan island turtle could only watch in resignation. His titanic eyes gazed sideways sensing the arrival of a new individual. "What are you doing here young one?" He said shaking the seas around him. The newly arrived individual was a middle aged Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal of substantial power. He had dragon antlers above his head though they were not as pronounced. His robes resembled that of a Chinese emperor and he wore a crown above his head. Faint traces of karma surrounded him like a shield. "I didn''t want to come. The Heavenly Dao suddenly disappeared and I¡­I was concerned. Then suddenly I could not sense Buzhou anymore," he said towards the turtle. "Great Ao, I have been shown some things by the Heavenly Dao in the past. Has Gonggong collapsed the celestial mountain?" "No, time has not moved that quickly. But the results are the same." The imperially dressed man nodded. "Then I apologize. In the wake of such a disaster. As no one else is anywhere near close to your location. I must kill you." The phrase was said with weight. The middle aged man held out his palm and gathered energy. "I understand," Ao said. "My disciple Xuanwu will be sad. But he''ll understand as well. Do what you must Qilin Sovereign." ¡­ In the wake of millions of tons of falling rock, a body lay in pieces. The Destiny Demon God, master of the Dao of Destiny, promised victory in every battle he ever fought in lay scattered across a forming valley. His severed head starred up at the decaying celestial mountain in disbelief. His mouth less pale face made coughing sounds and his yellow eyes dimmed continuously. Towards him, Luohu trudged along. The Devil Ancestor was panting heavily and specs of golden Dao essence leaked from his body. He had paid a heavy price to deal a blow that powerful. But he was content in knowing it had worked. He briefly looked back and chuckled. His Immortal Extermination Formation and the Four Symbols Formation were still clashing against one another. The battleground between the two were huge. Now that he himself had exited said formation, he was far more vulnerable as well. However the damage was already done. Hongjun had been knocked aside with heavy injuries. Sichen and Yinyang lay dead. Qiankun had skulked off somewhere int he confusion. Where he didn''t know, but he didn''t care much. Qiankun was always better at running then fighting. He heard the distant roaring of dragons and cries of phoenixes. It was natural the leaders of both factions were distressed. But there was nothing they could do, he had already won. "Gah!" Luohu gripped his chest in pain. The damaged suffered by his Nascent Soul will be extremely difficult to heal off. He dragged his spear along as he walked through a pathway that seemingly manifested himself for him and him alone. Around him, Mt Buzhou disintegrated in pieces. The air around him felt lighter and lighter. The suppression of the Central Continent now felt a smidgen of what it once was. The God Killing Spear skirted across the soil digging into the ground as it pulled along. Destiny Demon God''s head rolled his eyes over at the sound. "Unbelievable," the ancient godfiend managed to cough out. "You always were full of yourself. For what it''s worth, I will miss you," Luohu said in a manner not dissimilar to a man greeting an old acquaintance. "I always did admire those at the top. Respected those who did as they wished and lived however they desired." "As a godfiend should. All prices are worth it to pursue the Dao," Destiny Demon God finished for him. "Devil Ancestor Luohu. Who would''ve guessed the Chaos Cricket''s little pet turned out to exemplify what it meant to be a godfiend." At these words, Luohu''s face turned sour. "I am no one''s pet," he snarled. "We were partners, fellow daoists who pursued the Dao together as companions. But our paths differed and we split." His voice carried some regret but ultimately Luohu smiled at the memory. He will miss those days but like many things, they should remain in the past. It was his future that was far more important. RUMBLE! Luohu and Destiny Demon God''s eyes drifted up. Falling trees, soil, plant life, stone and sediments continued to fall. As they did so, the path they both were on remained floating in the form of a narrow bridge. It was almost magical. Around them, violet light leaked from within the collapsed mountain. The light was gaseous but illuminating. One look within contained myriads of Dao Laws. Any unprepared creature who looked upon them would''ve gone mad. "Our entire civilization. Fed to the meat grinder by some hairy monkey," Destiny Demon God said. "That monkey was the closest thing to the ultimate goal Tai Chu spoke about. Even closer to true enlightenment then Tai Chu had been. Rather, it is more accurate to say he had already attained that enlightenment," Luohu said. "¡­" Destiny Demon God was silent. He remained so as a purple circular orb began manifesting within the clouds of gas. But then he spoke again. "Then why did he not take the final step?" "Who knows, it''s not like it matters anymore," Luohu told him. The devil admired the sight of the Primitive World''s core for a time. By now, Mt Buzhou had collapsed much of its surface into itself. While its peak remained, the foundation it stood upon was being eroded by gravity. The panic had set in. Hundreds of thousands of immortals were stressed beyond belief. They despaired at the sight of Buzhou''s collapse. Each piece of the celestial mountain was precious. They were extraordinarily dense with primordial qi and utterly crushed any immortal that was unlucky enough to touch them. At the same time, the wind blowing in the sky howled loudly like a plug was being pulled out releasing pressure long suppressed. It was as if the very sky was crying. Destiny Demon God watched all this even as Luohu pulled up his spear. It''s tip was inches from his eye when he spoke again. "Our gathered work, hahaha! Good luck in your path fellow daoist. May you achieve the Dao where we all failed." SCHINK! Then he died. Luohu nodded after he accomplished the deed. ''Unlike a certain serpent, he at least knew what courtesy was,'' he thought. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Wait Luohu! Do not do this." "Still alive Hongjun?" Luohu spoke back almost amused. Among the rubble, a green cricket crawled out carrying the Pangu Banner in one of its legs. It took a few breaths before restoring himself into his burly elderly man guise again. Hongjun looked utterly miserable, his hair was disheveled and his body bled everywhere. "Luohu, refining the entire world just for a strong body is not worth it. What can that accomplish beyond better combat prowess. There is still time old friend. You can repair the pillar holding up the sky and you''ll be rewarded greatly by the Heavenly Dao. The heavenly Dao holds many secrets to attaining Dao realm, you know this!" "And who says I need Pangu''s table scraps?" Luohu snorted arrogantly. "Look at yourself. You so desperately chasing after someone else''s work resulted in this." He gestured at Hongjun''s physique and laughed. Hongjun gritted his teeth and glared. He rose up to his feet and stood stabbing the Pangu Banner into the earth for support. "This coming from the man stealing the work of countless indigenous lifeforms," he taunted. He couldn''t resist it. It was not smart to taunt Luohu but he just couldn''t hold the snip back. CLANG! he was unprepared for Luohu''s sudden swing. Luckily for him, the Pangu Banner was capable of resisting the blow and Hongjun landed squarely on his back. The elderly immortal spat out a mouthful of blood which quickly dissolved into Dao essence. "Please watch old friend," Luohu spat the last two words out. "As I refine your precious Primitive World." He reached out for the purple orb with anticipation. Using his fingers, he gestured for it to fly forwards. "Stop this Luohu!" Hongjun called out again getting to his feet. He quickly managed a spell that transformed into a flood of cloud animals that charged at Luohu. The Devil Ancestor grunted before releasing the 12th ranked Black Lotus. Said lotus spun and sliced through the animals like they were paper. It instead shot out a ray of pure destructive energy in a long continuous beam. "Taiji Painting to me!" Hongjun quickly unleashed the painting of two coloured swirls. It was a desperate measure to block the attack, an action he struggled to do in his incredibly weakened state. With Hongjun distracted, Luohu reached out with both hands dropping the God Killing Spear. He chanted many verses in the language of the chaos godfiends and focused. ¡­ Outside, Gui Daiyu, Leize, Yi Fei''e and many others gathered in the sky. The devils were beginning to group up having seen their ancestor''s victory. They attempted to hover around the collapsing mountain guarding it with vigor. "The sky," Gui Daiyu uttered in fear. "It''s screaming." "Worse," Yinglong coughed a response. "Look closer sister-in-law. It''s falling." Many dragon and phoenix elders looked in shock. Yinglong was right, the sky had suffered a severe blow. Mt Buzhou''s peak had collapsed half of its original mass and was still continuing to collapse. This exposed a strange substance that started leaking from the sky. "This smells familiar," the sudden voice of Di Jun caught everyone''s attention. The innate god sniffed the air before gasping in shock. "This smells like the qi around the Solar Star!" He cried in shock. "Solar Star, our home," Taiyi responded with worry. He slowly raised the Chaos Bell and began ringing it. Some sort of strange energy started pulling at Mt Buzhou''s pieces. But strangely it did nothing. "Don''t bother little friend," Yinglong cried out from the front. "Mt Buzhou is a celestial construct more transcendent than anything in the world. Time reversal would not work on it. Not unless you completely and utterly surpass the Primitive World in strength." "Surpass the world. Is that even possible?" Taiyi muttered. "Cheh, Luohu is doing it right now," Liu Er said gesturing at the distance. His tone was one of chastising with a large splash of condescension. A tone Taiyi glared at him for. Truthfully, Liu Er was very worried. He wasn''t sure if he could survive in the Chaos Sea. This wacky world allowed for people to reach Hunyuan Wuji Luo Jin Xian and yet still not be considered saints. According to his knowledge, Hunyuan Golden Immortal should be what the strongest fighters were at. In comparison to his knowledge Fairy Wonderland, Da Luo Jin Xian, Hunyuan Jin Xian, Hunyuan Da Luo Jin Xian, and Hunyuan Wuji Luo Jin Xian were all different realms and not variations of the same realm. Hunyuan Jin Xian were known as Saint-to-be and Hunyuan Da Luo Jin Xian was supposed to be the level of a Saint of the Great Dao. But this world had thrown that fact out the window. Even he wasn''t sure what was what anymore. "Why are you fuckers staring for?" Zhurrong yelled. The twelve had just joined in from further back. They looked incredibly enraged by Buzhou''s collapse and even more stressed. "Big brother, we should use that immediately!" "Yes big brother, kill that fucking devil for this sin!" "The brunt man is right," Gui Daiyu said. "Luohu needs to be killed no matter what. Do not let him get close to the Primitive World''s core. KILL!" "KILL!" "KILL!" "KILL!" Dragons, phoenixes, immortals alike charged. They were in a maddened frenzy to break the devil''s line. "For Luohu!" "To Victory!" "KILL!" Hundun and Taowu led the fry. Immediately, a giant firebird resembling a chicken, a Leize engulfed in electricity, a three headed bird, and a dragon who was once a mere carp met the former in combat This group of fighters contained not only Chongming Bird who was one of Zufeng''s lieutenants, but also Leize and Jiang Koilong. They bit, clawed, tore, and spat out spell arts in all directions. Hundun humored them and fought in an almost playful manner. Taowu on the other hand found himself confronted by Di Jiang and his family of twelve. These twelve mighty individuals were trying to charge but Taowu had them in his sights. The human faced feline was still grieving after just witnessing Qiong Qi''s brutal death and was itching to vent his rage. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Yinglong despite his injured state still ran forward to fight. Gui Daiyu and Yi Fei''e flew alongside him. It was even more chaotic then before as now rubble constantly rained down upon them. Yet it was also this frenzy that allowed some to break through the blockade. Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang managed to step onto the bridge. The three descendants of Pangu immediately unleashed conjoined attacks at Luohu who still had his back turned. "Hm?" Luohu immediately stopped his refinement and grabbed the God Killing Spear. His counter was swift and deadly. The Three Pure One''s combined attack was cleaved apart. "That¡­that was on par with a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal at least," Luohu said eyes wide in appreciation. He launched black projectiles that sailed past Yuanshi and into Tongtian''s body. "GAH!" The only female of the group keeled back. "Sister!" Yuanshi cried. He swung his scepter at Luohu along with Taishang who launched a fist art. As impressive as they were, Luohu blocked them and slapped Yuanshi aside. He kicked Taishang who just managed to pull out a pagoda to block the hit. "You sure are rich in treasures," Luohu said. "You guys, you are Pangu''s Nascent Soul transformed correct? I can feel it." "Unhand them!" Tongtian cried charging with the Qingping Sword in hand. Her strike was blocked by Luohu''s palm though it managed to cut into him drawing blood. She was quickly grabbed in a choke slam and forced onto the floor. BOOM! The sudden force send a series of cracks on the platform beginning its destruction too. Hongjun saw this and jumped into action. "Juniors, aid me push this back!" He said. It seems only Taishang got the memo as Yuanshi desperately attacked Luohu screaming, "Let my sister go!" Again and again. Taishang unleashed the Heaven and Earth Exquisite Pagoda. It combined with the Taiji Painting to form an explosion of heavenly and earthly energies that finally freed Hongjun. "You have surprising coordination with the Taiji Painting. My thanks," Hongjun said smiling at Taishang. "Luohu!" Hongjun suddenly leapt right up to Luohu. He slammed the Pangu Banner into the unsuspecting devil''s abdomen forcing him to release Tongtian. Yuanshi quickly caught his sister and helped her steady herself. "DIE DEVIL!" A hundred dragons and avians managed to sneak through the blockade and charged. Luohu starred back and snarled. He slammed his spear into the air generating a wreath of pole arms. The attack skewered dozens of dragons and avians. "You''ll pay for that!" Gui Daiyu screamed charging in with a warhammer. Not far behind her, Yinglong swallowed a Devil Great Emperor and digested the screaming devil in his stomach. He and Yi Fei''e spared whatever energy they had to unleash qi blasts at the devil. Feeling overwhelmed, Luohu attacked in all directions. He unleashed the Destruction Mill and forced it to spit out destructive lights. Those struck felt their skin beginning to peel off their flesh. "Screw you all!" Luohu snarled in anger. He charged for the purple core desperately chasing after it. He worked around and stabbed those trying to reach him and made examples by beheading dragons and phoenixes alike. Mighty figures fell before him in simple blows like they were nothing. In Luohu''s hands, Mosasaur Ancestor and Plesiosaur Ancestor met their demise. Zufeng''s ancient advisor Yu met his demise. Numerous first generation innate creatures of both land and sea met their demise. "ARGH!" Luohu spat out blood and retreated desperately. Hongjun had found him again and struck him with Chaotic Sword QI. "Where the fuck are you all?" He cried for his devil subordinates. But even as some Devil Emperors came to help him, the dragonic elder Hong intercepted them. This rainbow scaled dragon, a conjoined twin sharing the same body with his twin sister Ni, released the power of two very strong Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals at once. Head and tail, two dragon heads one end male and one end female attacked ferociously. Instead, it was Liu Er who had stolen a halberd who charged forward for Luohu''s head. "The God Killing Spear and the 12th ranked Black Lotus are mine!" He used as his war cry. SCHINK! "YAGH!" CRACK! Luohu was struck in his shoulder and bled. Liu Er took this moment to punch Luohu in the face. But Luohu caught the fist in between his teeth and palmed the macaque''s abdomen. The blow created an explosion of silver and black. The monkey crashed into Mt Buzhou''s walls causing even more rubble to fall down. Luohu gazed at his own palms and grunted. The monkey physical offenses was nothing special. He barely knew how to use complex magical techniques. But he had to give credit where it was due and the monkey''s flesh was absurdly tough. Luohu barely had time to calm down as Minghe, Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, Kun Peng, and Yuanshi all rushed in. They attacked in a flurry of blows directly at the Devil Ancestor in a desperate bid to kill him. But it was like children swinging pool noodles at an adult. Luohu counterattacked with so much force that they were all frown back with heavy injuries. Minghe had to transform into a bundle of crimson water to barely survive Luohu''s kick. "Luohu, bullying juniors now?" Hongjun jumped in supported by a few phoenixes. They clashed flag pole against spear in quick succession before a phoenix pecked into Luohu''s shoulder. "Fucking bird!" Luohu screamed grabbing the phoenix in his hand. This bird was a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal elder of the Avian Empire. But even so, its neck was snapped like a twig in Luohu''s hands. It''s body was unfortunetly used as a battering ram that cut through the purple mist and into Mt Buzhou''s surface further exploding it from within. "Run! Don''t let the rubble hit you!" Buzhou''s collapse became even more vicious. The heavens groaned and the earth shook beneath the pressure. Luohu gasped for breath after a furious assault and met Hongjun''s urgently worried eyes. The two clashing formations outside were moving closer and closer to the ground. Why? Because the sky had descended by a great amount Droplets of starry water leaked from the heavens. Mt Buzhou''s peak was gone. Like the plug of a sink, its disappearance opened a floodgate of disasters. Starry liquid poured through from the heavens crashing into the earth below. This disrupted the fighting causing both sides to move in frantic motions. Thankfully, no stars nor planets had fallen through yet. Di Jun and Taiyi who fought side by side against dozens of devils instantly recognized that on the other side of the hole lay the Starry Skies. Not just them, Qinglong and the two goddesses within his pocket dimension recognized the same. As this was going on, the Four Symbols felt not just the force of the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, but also the full weight of the heavens. Their bodies glowed in four different coloured lights and quickly hooked onto one another in the form of chains to stabilize themselves. The starry water had even washed onto Buzhou itself. Sediments were carried far and wide and the suppression of the Central Continent became almost non existent. The barren cracked wastelands surrounding Buzhou became an ocean of water that were reminiscent of the night sky. This caused Luohu to look up in worry. He had not expected to be delayed for so long. He should''ve refined the Primitive World''s core by now to begin the transformation process. The falling sky had become an issue. It was only the formations in the sky keeping it back. Making a quick decision, Luohu bolted for the Primitive World''s core. He swung his fingers and called for the Immortal Extermination Four Swords. As he did so, Tongtian''s figure broke through the rain of rubble. "HAIYAH!" Tongtian cried bravely jumping for Luohu. She beat the Fish Drum creating a wave of water that washed towards the devil. "This is for my throat!" Luohu had to only swing his spear to cut through the wave and block the Qingping Sword. "When will you insects learn?" He clawed at Tongtian''s face and kicked her into Mt Buzhou''s interior. He cursed his own weakened state, burning his Nascent Soul was turning out to not be such a smart decision after all. "Luohu you insane bastard. You''ll bring the sky down on us all!" Hongjun''s distant voice was heard by the devil who only chuckled. The Immortal Exterminated Four Swords descended around Luohu. "Not so old friend. The four beasts can deal with that," he said waving it off. He pointed his fingers and sent the newly acquired four swords into formation once more. As the formation began taking form again, he grabbed hold of his prize. Even as Hongjun ran through and towards Luohu again, even as he began battling the four swords again, Luohu did not stop nor look back. Speaking of Qinglong and the rest, they screamed in agony. The sudden disappearance of the four swords above them forced the sky onto their shoulders. As such they moved even further towards the earth. "Brothers, sisters. Please hold on!" He begged. His muscles felt extremely strained and his eyes bulged. He felt he was being crushed. He panted heavily and looked down at his claw. "Run you two, this is no place for you anymore." "Senior brother!" Chang Xi and Xihe cried out in frantic worry as they were suddenly expelled into the open world outside the formation. "Your senior brother is right girls," Zhuque cried out from within the formation. "Flee into the Chaos Sea if you have to, we cannot hold the sky for long." The roars of a dragon and a phoenix thundered in the background. Zulong and Zufeng both roared and sang desperately hoping to stop the flood and the fall. Mara still fought them with zeal but even he wasn''t too pleased with the events. Luohu was taking too long. The water and the sediments were getting in the way. If they aren''t gonna be crushed by the sky, then the sea levels will rise to a point there they''ll all be engulfed. Mara withdrew his bow and arrow and shot at Zufeng and Zulong. His arrows burned with the power of rage and cut through their supernatural defense. This distracted them from going towards Buzhou''s centre. "Killing you two is turning out to be a lot harder than I thought," the demon king groaned. Between Zulong''s scales and Zufeng''s healing fire, it wasn''t easy to do damage to them. He drew another arrow and focused. "Nilotpala Maranam," he said before firing. The arrow flew in a soft blue light. It trailed across the sky and reached for Zulong''s head. But it''s tip harbored so much power that Zulong felt an extreme sense of danger. "Not good," he breathed a wide mouthful of lightning directly into the arrow. The blow didn''t stop the arrow though and it continued to cut through. "It''s hopeless dragon, I did warn you," Mara said with pitying gaze. The arrow continued to sail for Zulong who swerved his head. But the arrow followed and closed in. Then missed and sailed past Zulong dissipating in the distance "What?" Mara was stunned still. In the distance four pillars were thrown into the Four Symbols Formation and a four legged figure landed beside Zulong and Zufeng. "Who the?" Zufeng was confused, so was Zulong. A qilin with power equal to them stood in the air. But though they did not recognize this qilin, they felt he was familiar. "You are not Zulin," Zulong concluded. "Who are you?" "I didn''t want to come. Our place in the Great Wilderness was over," the qilin said. "I am the Qilin Sovereign and head of all furred beasts on land. I am the same qilin that narrowly avoided death last time. You killed my father Dragon Sovereign." "I see," Zulong nodded along. But in truth he still didn''t know this qilin''s name. "You are dangerously late." "Another arrival?" Mara frowned at the newly arrived Qilin Sovereign. "I am Qi An, the Qilin Sovereign Demon King of the Sixth Heaven." Qi An announced. "I''m here to lend aid. I thought you all had it handled but I was wrong. Let me fix that by allying with you my fellow sovereigns." Zufeng scoffed. A relatively junior member of their generation had placed himself on equal terms to her and Zulong in status. But ultimately she did not care. One more hand was greatly appreciated. "What are your suggestions then qilin?" Zufeng asked. "I just gave the Four Symbols the help they need. Now we go stop Luohu." "You really think I''d let you three go?" Mara chuckled. In response Qi An blasted him full of karma. Chapter 140-The Qilin Sovereign’s Aid Karma was a mysterious thing. It was an energy seldom understood even by enlightened immortals. The Qilin Clan above all others had an understanding that was far above others. Their natural ability allowed them to sense and follow the flow of karma. To them karmic luck came in three forms. Those of good luck was the first kind where an individual or place had the potential to encounter great fortune. Those of bad luck defined an individual or place with the potential for terrible happenings. The third kind only defined those with the potential to achieve great things. Good or evil, beneficial or detrimental didn''t matter. Just the potential to perform great things. Both the first kind originates from karmic merit and as such necessitate merit outs deeds to be gained. The opposite is true to negative karmic luck. But there was another method of sensing karma. That was an ability that Qi An figured out during his long journey to succeeding his deceased father. By sensing karma of an individual or place, he could perceive great events that happened in the past of an individual. In another motion he could use karma to bring that event into the present to force it upon the victim once again. Normally this move was ineffective against those who had not had a battle in a long time. After all, how could an injury you suffered as a weaker immortal affect your current far stronger physique? Qi An also had to pay a heavy price in the form of his own stored up karmic luck. But sometimes, in some cases. This move can call upon an event that affects the individual strongly even know. So before the eyes of the three sovereigns. As the blast of karma passed through the confused Mara. FOOM! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Qi An, Zulong, and Zufeng shielded their eyes with their various appendages. They all had to retreat to safety so as to not be burned. Because Mara, their great adversary who wasn''t faced even by the three sovereign''s alliance had spontaneously combusted. His sudden screams of pain caused the greatest of nightmares. They were a hundred times more haunting then even the most haunting of ghosts. The strong air of despair and fear erupted from the azure flames. The flames were the most beautiful and also the most deadly the three had ever seen. It was wholly unlike that legendary Nanming Divine Flames that Zufeng wielded or even the Pure Yang Sun Fire that existed in the Solar Star. It was another existence entirely. Not even Qi An was sure what he had brought into existence. He was shocked that Mara had suffered an attack like this and still stood before them today. By his estimation, his strength back when he encountered this fire would''ve been far weaker then he was now. The fire that blazed a distance away from his face and the qilin felt his lips dry. The phoenix felt heat the likes of which she''d never felt before. The dragon knew he would not be able to use any hydro kinetic techniques. It was as if they all witnessed something with the capabilities to burn all existence to ash. Within the torrent of azure flames, Mara''s arms gripped his body desperately clawing for salvation. His three eyes frantically looked in all directions. Eventually he landed in a glare towards the three far off sovereigns. ¡­ A memory came to him. A memory of utter helplessness. A memory of despair. A memory of nothing except the pain of being burned alive. Time and time again. Over and over again. Cycles of cycles. The same events playing themselves out. All so another pair could have their happily ever after. It was painful, it was rage inducing. Time and time again he suffered. Time and time again he died. Resurrected in a perverted cycle to be sacrificed again. The worst part was. He wasn''t even aware of it. At least not back then. But he found a way. He escaped. Eventually. When he extended his heavenly hand. ¡­ "You¡­you all! AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH" Mara screeched admits the flames surrounding his charred body. "I''ll remember this. I survived this once and I will again." His voice was course and barely legible through he veil of fire. It was hard to tell wether he was screaming incoherently or speaking coherently. But even so, his words were heard with clarity. The fire, it burned so hot and Mara was in so much pain. If anyone attacked him he''d be killed instantly. But thankfully the thing threatening his life was also protecting him. Any attack that neared him also burned to ash. Any individuals who neared him also threatened to burn to ash. This was proven when a devil tried to approach him to ''help''. The result was a pile of ash that fluttered into the fierce wind that was still ongoing from Mt Buzhou''s collapse. But the area surrounding Mara''s immediate vicinity was devoid of all that chaos. It was as if any semblance of anything was burned. It was a testament to Mara''s abilities that he was still in one piece. Yet even still, he bore through the pain to give the three a venomous glare. "YYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH¡­You made me remember¡­NNNNNNNNRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH¡­You made me experience it again." It appears tear droplets may''ve leaked from his eyes in the form of vapor. But in the flames surrounding his body it was hard to tell what was what. Even Zulong wasn''t sure despite his keen vision. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Qilin Sovereign Qi An. I will remember this." His voice was faint in the crackling flames. Barely registering in Qi An''s ear Then the deity on fire shot into the sky into another place unknown. He left behind a trail of flames that still burned hot even as he left. A trail of fire that seemed to tear into the fabric of realty into a colourless colourful beyond. "Chaos," Zulong said in amazement. "What was that? It burned straight through the chaos," he asked with a somewhat frightened tone even as the small gap tried to mend itself. Zufeng stepped forward and activated her Nanming Divine Flames. With Buzhou''s collapse reality became unstable. The tear would inevitably get worse. As such she shot out a trail of fire of her own to stabilize the wound. "I do not know," Qi An said. "I witnessed an event. One of death and complete destruction. So I brought it out. Costed me a lot though, far more than I realize." "How much?" Zulong asked. "Enough so that I am not able to affect causality for the foreseeable future. No more of that ''you missed'' my father liked doing." Zulong grunted in annoyance at the memory. He quickly turned around and looked towards the falling sky. "Zufeng, your Nanming Divine Flames are among the most stabilize substances in existence. Can you seal the hole in the sky? Water that holds the stars in place from the Starry Skies is pouring through." "I can try." "Wait no fellow daoist," Qi An cried out. "The Devil Ancestor is far more urgent. We need to kill him before he can try anything." Zulong appeared incredibly conflicted. On one hand his youngest brother is being crushed by the sky barely able to hold on. Starry waters was pouring through not just drowning but also killing countless lifeforms who could not withstand the pressure of those waters. But on the other hand, he found his wife, his brother, his subordinates and citizens challenging Luohu and his devils to a death match. VOOM! Just then, the Immortal Extermination Four Swords reemerged once again. The four blades sliced through the middle of the mountain rubble alerting the three. "I''ve given the Four Symbols Divine Beasts a means to hold back the sky. They do not need your help nor mine. Quickly we must defeat the Devil Ancestor while he''s weakened," Qi An urged. Zufeng starred towards the Four Symbols Formation beside Zulong. She made out the southern constellations that formed the Vermillion Bird and sighed. It seemed the Vermillion Bird constellation was singing within the formation, an action that meant something to the Phoenix Sovereign. "I understand," Zufeng said. "I trust you sister." "Just like that?" Zulong accused. "Look to the eastern portion Zulong. What does the Azure Dragon constellation tell you," she retorted. Zulong snapped towards where she gestured. He met the Azure Dragon Constellation, through it and into the eyes of Qinglong. "This is your choice? You''re fine on your own?" He asked aloud. "Who do you think I am brother?" Qinglong responded with a chuckle. "Don''t play mother hen on me now. Master has that covered. Do your part in finishing this threat and I''ll do mine." Zulong was silent for a second. His serpentine neck turned to face Qi An, Zufeng, then at what remained of Mt Buzhou. "Alright then. Let''s do this." The three descended unperturbed by any devil. ¡­ Within the sky, four individuals stood solemnly. Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu each held a pillar in their hands. But while the first three held them normally, Xuanwu hugged his and cried openly. "Woo woo woo!" He cried clinging onto his pillar. He clung to it tightly unwilling to ever let go. "It''s unfair, so unfair. Why?" "It''s that bastard Luohu who forced this," Baihu spat. He gripped his pillar hard with veins popping. "Stop that, you''re gonna break it," Xuanwu monetarily broke out of his mourning to chastise his fellow Divine Beast. "Oh right sorry," Baihu quickly apologized hastily. He carefully held the pillar as if it was th most precious treasure in the world. "Hai, brothers please. We were given this chance to strengthen the formation. Let''s incorporate the pillars now," he said while grimacing as the formation dipped even further. "GRRRH!" He grunted. The others shared in his discomfort. "But what if we damage it?" Xuanwu cried admits the strain. "Would you really want senior Ao''s sacrifice to end like this?" Qinglong raised his voice and yelled. "Come on we''re on a time crunch. At once all of us." "Qinglong is right Xuanwu," Zhuque said holding up her pillar. "Together, we need to hold the sky back." "We also need to plug that hole in the sky. Without Buzhou fulfilling the role of a plug as well as a pillar, the Starry Skies will leak through even if the sky doesn''t fall," Qinglong reasoned. The others knew he was right but even then the grim reality of the situation was hard to swallow. Xuanwu looked at his pillar and reminisced on the past. He knew the dragons wasn''t close to Ao at all and seldom visited. But his master was special to him. "That qilin was the one who killed him wasn''t he." "I''d assume so, he delivered it to us and we know senior Ao can hardly do the deed himself," Qinglong answered not particularly liking where this conversation was going. "Forget it, let''s get this over with," Xuanwu said releasing his pillar. The four pillars shot through into the air in four directions. The uneasy four symbols moved with them to the four edges of the formations. With this action done, the four pillars lengthen and expanded. They expanded until the top touched the formation ceiling and the bottom touched the bottom. They resembled marble pillars which held up the cosmos separating heaven from earth just as Mt Buzhou did for the Starry Skies and the Great Wilderness. At least Mt Buzhou did. But with the support of the four pillars, the Four Symbols Formation entered a super charged state. All of a sudden, the rapidly descending sky slowed to a crawl. A massive dust cloud was kicked up that spread across the entire world. Clouds gathered around the formation like the eye of a hurricane. """"NNNNNNNRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHL!"""" The four immortals within gritted their teeth and manifested the full might of their star power. They held up the sky refusing to allow it to fall. To them, heaven shall not meet the earth on this day. But while the descent of the sky slowed, that did not resolve other damages destroying Buzhou wrought. Despite the four of their best efforts, water which submerged the stars continued to pour. Special cracks continued to appear across the sky. Qinglong and the others came to a unanimous decision to help in any way that they can. But by concentrating all their power to pushing up, they could not do much regarding other damages. They knew they could stabilize things, but not without allowing the sky to descend again. "Come on!" Xuanwu roared. "Was my master''s life not enough?" The Black Tortoise was more furious then he had ever been. Both his heads cried in anger and unleashed sub zero winds out of the formation. He used their shared power to attempt to freeze cracks appearing in the sky and any water that came through. But in doing so, the formation began loosing strength. Some cracks were sealed but many only reopened again from the force of water. Aside from the northern side, the others suffered much of the pressure disturbing the harmonized state the formation had reached. This naturally enraged Qinglong. "Stop Xuanwu, you''re diverting too much power!" Qinglong cried out urgently. The strain toughened despite the pillars. "We''ve finally stabilized things a little. Let''s push the sky up a bit before anything else." "What use is pushing the sky when heavenly water keeps leaking through and drown everyone? Crush everyone? What about the violent winds caused by the pressure?" "It''ll by us more time to come up with a solution." Xuanwu gritted his teeth knowing Qinglong was right. He redirected his power towards his pillar to stabilize the sky again. When the sky stopped tilting again. ¡­ "Curse these devil fucks!" Zhurong cursed tossing the charred corpse of a Great Unity Golden Immortal devil to the wayside. The fire god looked around and breathed a wall of flames that succeeded in forcing another squad to retreat. Across him, Gonggong and Jumang smashed a devil to bits. Rushou, Shebishi, Xuanming and the others were busy taking care of business. The family of twelve primordial gods were no longer enjoying themselves as the initial rush of combat had been. Their current disposition was much more somber, much more quieter compared to earlier. They focused on clearing out devil stragglers which managed to pave the way for others to move for Luohu. This was under advise from Zhu Jiuying and Houtu of course. Even if others like Zhurong and Gonggong preferred otherwise, Di Jiang had agreed with the former two. And what Di Jiang said was law no matter their personal opinions. Hence the twelve cut through a swath of devil forces. Their natural manipulation of the environment and supernaturally tough bodies gave them the edge in close combat as well as allowing them to close the distances. Storms of fire, lightning, streams of wind and water. Many devils were unprepared for such ferocity the twelve showed. The site of Buzhou''s rubble only gave them more motivation. The twelve felt utterly useless. They had fought and they had killed yet they failed to save Buzhou. They didn''t even know if their birthplace, the Pangu Temple have survived the collapse or not. It was an anxious feeling that distracted Di Jiang above all others. Only Di Jiang and Houtu was outside of combat. But the former stood by himself outside the action while the latter was off doing her own thing.. The eldest descendent of Pangu''s blood uneasily looked into the sky. "What''s wrong brother? Why are you not helping?" Houtu shouted after killing another devil. "Hm?" Di Jiang turned to face his youngest sister. "I said why aren''t you helping brother?" "Houtu? You''re¡­you''re saving people?" The confusion in Di Jiang''s voice was paramount. Houtu who returned held an island over her head. An island which carried hundreds of roughed up unconscious immortals. "It would be a shame if they lost their lives," she said bitterly. "So much had already died that I¡­I just." She shook her head and gave Di Jiang a look. "But that is unimportant. If you won''t fight brother then help me get these people to safety." Di Jiang shook his head. "Leave them, they''ll only be a hindrance." "Eldest brother is right Houtu," Zhu Jiuying chimed in. "Your strength is needed to kill some of those stronger devils." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Houtu frowned. She raised one of her seven hands and heaved a pillar of soil into the air. It shot through the starry water already present on the ground and into the island holding it well above sea level. However, the pillar she erected was quickly being eastern way by the force of the starry water. "This water is so strong. It grinds away at the earth with such ease. Gonggong, can you help me?" Gonggong who was busy squeezing a devil to death glanced over. "Busy right now sister. Argh my eye!" He wrestled with the devil and tumbled out of her sight once again. His greater size didn''t seem to help him and he soon summoned up water from vapor in the environment. Houtu frowned and kept trying to strengthen her pillar. Her singleminded pursuit nearly made her a vulnerable target were it not for Di Jiang catching a wasp devil in his meaty hands and crushing it. "Why do you care about them so much?" "Why shouldn''t I?" The ground shook as another large shower of starry water fell onto the earth. The impact created a crater and sent tons of sediments and water into the sky. Di Jiang witnessing this, punched out and blew a portion of the wave away. "This much force from just the environment of the stars? How do these lesser beings possibly reside there?" He wondered aloud. "By being adapted to it," Di Jun''s voice was heard by them. He sounded almost insulted. The golden crow had burned thousands of devils to ash and landed near the twelve taking a quick breather. "What do you want hairy beast?" Zhurong quickly demanded. He flared himself up like a peacock puffing its feathers. His fire blew hot even to Di Jun who was born in the Solar Star. "Hmph," Di Jun grunted after the rather hostile exchange. "My brother and I are planning to tackle the larger forces keeping some of the dragon elders busy. This would free up room for them to help in the battle in the centre. Your great strength will be appreciated." He was rather matter of fact and still appeared amicable despite Zhurong''s hostility. Though he found the twelve a bit insulting, he didn''t pay it much heed. The stars had many isolationist communities that reacted the same way back when he and Taiyi adventured there. Speaking of, Taiyi was very melancholy in his fighting. Witnessing his own home spill through cracks and causing so much damage was not a good way to be reunited to one''s homeland. Despite the smell of the Solar Star''s presence being closer than ever, this was not good news. As such, Taiyi fought ferociously. His bell was in hand and sent streams of starry tendrils. His targets were were several devils hanging of a titanic crimson dragon. Using his powers, he ripped the devils off of the elder much their chagrin. The dragon thanked the crow and headed away. Taiyi then embroiled himself in more fighting before Di Jun found him. "How were the arrogant sack of shits," he asked unfiltered. "Not too cooperative. But reasonable enough," Di Jun shrugged. "Didn''t stay long for an answer. You looked like you needed help." Taiyi grunted negatively. Di Jun always had an approachable aura about him. Maybe he could get the twelve to stop rampaging and coordinate with them. Taiyi certainly wasn''t gonna stop him. His elder brother seems to have it in his mind to be the next Dragon Sovereign or something like that. But for the twelve, they gathered around each other to discuss something. "It''s clear things aren''t working," Di Jiang said. "I''ve been thinking. We should use that." "That?" "That what?" "Our hidden ace," Zhu Jiuying scolded. "What else could that be?" "''""""""Oh!"""""""" ¡­ Luohu was not having a good day anymore. He was having a horrendous day. The worst day in his life even. Despite that he tried his best to ignore the situation Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An joined the all out brawl without hesitation. Though they were weakened from fighting Mara for so long, they were still in good enough condition to brave he Immortal Extermination Formation. They barely had a time to greet their loved ones before entering the battle. Despite Gui Daiyu''s call out, Zulong did not respond beyond a small acknowledgement. They completely upstaged everyone else by reversing the tide against Luohu much more then anyone previous. They were a godsend for all the fighters being brutalized by Luohu. Everyone from the newest generation of innate gods to the elder dragons could only stare in awe on their leader''s performance. Sure, Qi An was a stranger to them but his power became unquestionable in their minds. The qilin performed as equally as the dragon and phoenix did. All three utilized extremely advanced combat martial arts to combat Luohu. For Luohu, they were a pressure factor even with his formation reactivated around him. His blades individually were simply not strong enough even when bolstered by each other. It seems like history was repeating itself again as four powerful individuals faced him within the Immortal Extermination Formation. Claw incoming? Blocked by sword qi. Talons coming? Blocked by sword qi. Hoofs incoming? Also blocked by sword qi. Dragon, phoenix, and qilin, who would''ve guessed. The world''s three opposing powers working together against little old him. Hongjun was with them to boot. Altogether they were a much harder opponent than the alliance of the chaos godfiends had been. Any one of the sovereigns were stronger then Yinyang despite having a comparatively lower comprehension. Their attacks surpassed even Sichen''s in potency closing in on Hongjun''s and himself. All this included meant one thing. They had the potential to break the Immortal Extermination Formation. With all three attacking him head on, it was hard to focus on anyone. Their defenses were also so high that he could not damage them one bit. Not without stopping his actions and directly attacking them with his spear. The core of the Primitive World was in his hands now and he was too close to ever stop. "Luohu!" Zulong''s commanding roar boomed throughout the formation. He led the charge with Zufeng and Qi An. Others were left outside the formation either assaulting it or fighting devils coming to his aid. Unluckily for him, his trusted brother Mara had long retreated. "Where is Hundun when you need him?" He grumbled. He knew the godfiend was still present and fighting but evidentially he wasn''t fighting hard enough. He wondered if Hundun really was so tied up? The constant noises from the three sovereigns disturbed him. The harassment from Hongjun disturbed him. The fighters outside disturbed him. He couldn''t focus, he couldn''t stay calm. His grip on the core strengthened. "EOUGH!" He roared. "Don''t you all see? It''s pointless, I''ve already won. Retreat and I may spare you." "You''re not fooling anyone Luohu!" Zulong spat within a storm of attacks. "I''ll kill you for what you''ve done!" "For the last time, I did not hurt your son!" Luohu roared back. "You can blame me for many things but do NOT blame me for things I''ve never done." "Denial won''t help you Luohu," Hongjun said. "You''re finished." Hongjun was struggling despite his bravado. It wasn''t to a point where his life was immediately in danger but it was a tough struggle to stay in the fight. Under any other situation he would''ve long retreated. Luohu tried to filter through the core in his hands. The purple mist around him swirled as he worked. Around him, a strong barrier of swords manifested cutting him off from the rest of the world. But some disturbance still reached "Hm?" He then felt the a strong pressure descend upon the Great Wilderness. This was not not the same as the pressure from the falling sky nor the waters from the Starry Skies. This was something else entirely. It felt not dissimilar to the avatar of the Heavenly Dao he fought and killed. In fact, it carried many aspects of the natural world itself. He starred outside his formation and instantly noticed a monumentally large giant rise up. The giant stretched hundreds of thousands of kilometers into the sky. He was an extremely hairy man wearing nothing except a loin cloth. He was so large in fact that under the current circumstances, he could only crawl. If he had stood, he would''ve had to bend his back so as to not collide with the sky. "LUOHU!" The giant demanded with an outstretched hand. "Pangu?" The devil was startled beyond belief. He and Hongjun instantly recognized the giant. It was a one to one interpretation as the Pangu God that felled the godfiends. If the giant wasn''t slightly transparent allowing one to see twelve interconnected energy points through it, then they would''ve thought the creator god had returned. "No it''s a fake, a mirage," Luohu said in denial. "They unleashed the Pangu Genesis Formation," Hongjun said in amazement. His eyes glimmered in both anticipation and wonder. "Pangu Genesis? Speak what you know old man," Zufeng demanded. "How do you know what that is?" "It looks just like Pangu," Qi An couldn''t help but comment. Even Zulong gasped when the giant appeared. He vaguely recognized it but even then, he was amazed by the formation that formed from just twelve individuals. ROAR! The Pangu giant roared and lifted its right palm. It was completely unharmed even as thousands upon thousands of devils launched attacks at it. Unfazed, it slammed the Immortal Extermination Formation with all its might. "Heavens! When I asked them I didn''t expect this," Di Jun gasped in shock. Liu Er, who dug himself out of the rubble starred at the formation in acknowledgement. "Jesus," he said. "As impressive as the stories say." Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang all recognized the giant in a single glance. They each looked at one another wondering as to the origins of the giant and the twelve who formed it. Was it possible they stole some of their inheritance from Pangu? Or was it something else entirely. The Pangu giant''s blow was great and it shock the very foundations of the world. Everyone, even Luohu grunted beneath the force of it. As the giant lifted its palm, it discovered it had suffered some cuts while the formation lay intact. "Do not think just because you lot achieved his form that you have his power," Luohu taunted with the core in hand. "Ultimately, you twelve are still small fries grasping at the table of your betters." The Pangu gaint made a face. It pulled its hand back and made a gripping motion. Off in the distance, Nuwa and Fuxi who rode in Cinnabar''s claw watched. The former especially was wriggling. "What are you doing Nuwa?" Fuxi practically screamed at her. "Getting a closer look," she screamed back. The air turbulence made her voice faint but still understandable. "Are you insane?" Fuxi couldn''t help but question. Cinnabar felt Nuwa''s squirming. He looked down and screeched, "Girl hold still. I''m trying to keep you safe here." "Oh we''re far away enough from the fighting," Nuwa said retrieving her favoured stone. She licked her lips and bonked the phoenix''s talon. "Gah! Crazy woman," Cinnabar abruptly released Nuwa into open air. "SISTER!" Fuxi screamed squirming from Cinnabar''s grasp. "Ah screw this," the phoenix said. "My lady needs me more then you two ungrateful brats." He dropped Fuxi and flew away leaving the younger innate god to chase after his fearless sister. It was like a switch has flipped, Nuwa once unleashed was almost giddy at witnessing violent displays of power. The Pangu giant''s lifted hand grabbed hold of a forming handle. From this handle formed an axe. An axe that manifested terrifying power. "Oh?" Luohu looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Together!" Di Jiang commanded. "All our might in one blow. Let''s shatter this devil for good." Di Jiang''s command was met with eleven other agreements. Channeling all of their Pangu blood into one attack, they ordered the Pangu Genesis Formation to strike down. Spacetime distorted and a booming sound was heard. It was as if Pangu stood in the Chaos Sea again, striking at reality to split yin from yang, heaven from earth. The auspicious event that was Heaven Opening appeared to be reenacted by the Pangu Genesis Formation today. Luohu immediately lifted his arms up. BOOM! The Immortal Extermination Formation shook. It withstood the full blow of the strike without fear nor flaw. Luohu roared angrily holding up the attack with one and. "I am the Devil Ancestor, a Dao realm candidate. Just who do you think you are?" "Attack him now!" Zulong said. "Tear his formation apart. Reach him at all costs!" He, Zufeng, Hongjun and Qi An attacked in unison. Zulong unleashed his Dragon Pearl and smashed into the streams of swords. He directly attacked the formation hoping to disrupt its harmony and shatter it. Zulin pulled up a scroll in his mouth and spat out a series of fire and wind. Zufeng unleashed a treasure shaped like a pair of bracelets on her talons, she unleashed waves upon waves of fire. Hongjun naturally attacked with the Pangu banner. FOOM! The outside fighters witnessed the attack and Luohu''s fierce resistance. They struggled to stay still and not be blown away by the aftershocks. Admits the chaos, the formation Luohu was so proud of was flickering. Luohu''s figure was revealed with one hand pushing up and another holding on to the Primitive World''s core. The Three Pure Ones were the closest and the first to notice this. Yuanshi gulped realizing his chance. He immediately pulled up the Three Treasures jade Ruyi and threw the scepter with all his might. The treasure flew quickly like a rocket. It did not escape Luohu''s notice but the Devil Ancestor was too distracted by everything else. "Wait no! Stop!" His hand jerked in pain as the jade scepter smacked into his palm. The core flew out of his hand and he jumped for it in desperation. But without his pushback, the four swords surrounding him caved under the pressure. BOOM! The core flew into the sky as the Immortal Extermination Formation exploded in a series of brilliant light. It was not torn apart from within like its most famous legend said, but it was defeated and collapsed from an assault from all directions. The Pangu giant landed on all fours panting. Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An flew out of the explosion all sporting heavy injuries. The three stared at the Three Pure Ones and Yuanshi in particular gratefully. Liu Er stared at Yuanshi''s back muttering, "Him of all people?" Hongjun emerged from the explosion heavily injured looking nearly dead. His grip on the Pangu Banner was loose and only the Taiji Painting protected him. He caught eye of the core floating in the distance but had to pant and could not pursue. It was enough for other experts to shield the core with their own bodies. Led by Gui Daiyu, many immortals began forming a blockade. This was the scene Luohu witnessed as he emerged sporting equally as many injuries. "It''s finally over," Gui Daiyu muttered. "Now we can focus on restoring the sky." Luohu could not believe his eyes. His golden opportunity ruined. He staggered to his feet snarling. The dragons, phoenixes, avians, seafolk, beasts, innate gods and Hongjun were so joyful in their victory now were they? Luohu was furious. So furious in fact that a maddened look came into his eye. "This isn''t over until I say it is woman!" His scream was followed by an explosion of power. He was on his last legs but still pushed his hands forward summoning his spear. "Die with the precious world you so love," he roared throwing the God Killing Spear. But he did not throw it at any of the fighters near him. Instead, he threw it up top. High into the sky right for the heavens above. His spear lined itself with cracks and transformed into an arrow of malicious energy. An attack that struck the already fragile sky. An attacked that sent waves of recoil into the Four Symbols Formation. "What happened?" Zhuque couldn''t believe her eyes. "What did he just do?" Baihu demanded. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Xuanwu cried. "Luohu you fucker, our hard work!" Qinglong felt like crying in despair. The God Killing Spear disappeared within the explosive attack. The sky completely and utterly shattered and water fell through like a wave whose floodgate just opened. Chapter 141-Pangu Holds the Sky, Nuwa Mends the Heavens, Dawn of a New Sky As a final send off for giving him so much trouble, Luohu showcased his extreme pettiness. He willingly sacrificed his precious spear to strike out at the Primitive World itself. An action so horrifying that it dwarfed any action he''d previously taken. The sky in its entirety shattered to trillions of pieces. The entirety of the Starry Skies was exposed. Furthermore, without the barrier that was the sky holding it back, it practically merged into the Great Wilderness proper. In the precious seconds after the attack landed, who knew how many had already lost their lives. For the average inhabitants of the Great Wilderness, they were not immortals. Despite immortals numbering easily in the hundred billions, that was still a drop in the ocean to how many called the five continents and four seas their home. For these creatures, the aftershocks of such a destructive event, the pools of heavy water and the pressure of being exposed to the greater void between realms, it was a death sentence. For Luohu''s actions broke the barrier shielding the Great Wilderness from the violent spatial currents that existed between different dimensions within the Primitive World as well. "AAAAHHHH!" Gui Daiyu, Yinglong, and Yi Fei''e and the rest shielded themselves from the sudden blowback. Zulong quickly maneuvered his body to protect them. Those weaker like Minghe, Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun etc were thrown off their feet helplessly. The Pangu giant screamed in furry at Luohu''s despicable actions. Even his devil followers shuddered in fear at what Luohu just did. Did he not care about refining the Primitive World anymore? Was he so insane to just directly end all existence? The collapse of the sky and it spilling its contents into the earth will destroy them both. Since the core was located within the Great Wilderness the Primitive World can kiss itself goodbye. What''s more everyone was already so injured, how many could survive the ensuing backlash. "DAMN YOU LUOHU!" The Pangu giant screamed with the voice of twelve furious deities. The giant was hit forest by the waves and slammed head first into the soil. "Hold the formation brothers and sisters," Di Jiang commanded with no small amount of fear in his voice. "If we don''t we''ll be crushed by the pressure too!" Qi An leapt into the air pushing tons of water back. But stars and planets were also raining from the sky. The Qilin Sovereign watched in horror as a blazing celestial construct closed in. The massive Solar Star, the source of all light in the cosmos became a burning executioner for them all. Nuwa and Fuxi being nearby used extraordinary means to shield themselves. Fuxi immediately threw out a mini formation but Nuwa held out her treasured rock. Miraculously, the two held on with minimal effort surprising the two. Nuwa in particular sent a grin to her rainbow rock. But this did not deter the damage. Nuwa and Fuxi avoided many of the chaos but they were not the sole participants nor the land below. In the moments that followed Luohu''s destruction of the sky meteors, planetoids, and starry water rained uncontrollably. The sheer chaos of it all was like that of a tsunami hitting an unsuspecting city. No one enjoyed this sight. Especially with the close proximity of the Solar Star. That celestial body would eventually fall into the earth guaranteeing an explosion that would destroy everything. Not even Taiyi nor Di Jun were happy to see their birthplace like this. The two crows felt their own teeth grinding against each other. Around them, their devil opponents fled in terror. Neither crows had even pursued. But in the distance Di Jun noticed something. A pair of women were struggling in the turbulence. The flight of much stronger devils had brushed past them sending an attack to kick the two out of the way. "Di Jun where are you going?" Taiyi couldn''t help but yell when Di Jun immediately went to their side. Di Jun unleashed the Celestial River Diagram as a shield and hurled the Sun Chakram at one of the devils who attacked the women. The devil barely had time to react when the chakram sliced into his forehead killing them. "Come on, I got you," Di Jun cried out at one of the women. Specifically it was a weaker one who was only a Taiyi Golden Immortal. This made Di Jun wonder why someone who wasn''t even considered a mighty figure was even doing at a place like this. The other stronger one was sending out moon light was a means to fight against natural disasters around her. But when Di Jun showed up for aid, a plane told came through the Starry Skies. The sun crow gasped and held onto the woman''s hand. His other hand transformed into a wing and hurled columns of fire at the planetoid. "Heavens, I have to always save you don''t I?" came Taiyi''s exasperated voice. The younger golden crow rang his Chaos Bell sending ripples of power into the air. This immediately shattered the planetoid into a thousand pieces sending them down like a meteor shower. "You alight?" Di Jun asked the staggered woman. She was dressed in yellow and wore a tiara on her hair. Said hair was very frazzled and messy now. It seems she noticed as she suddenly appeared very bashful. "Yes I''m fine thank you," she said. "The turbulence is so violent that my sister and I were caught up accidentally." "Good, that is good that you''re fine. I am called Di Jun. Di Jun of the Solar Star," Di Jun puffed up his chest and said proudly. He resembled a male peacock spreading out all his tail feathers. "Um, my name is Xihe. Xihe of the Lunar Star," Xihe said. "Chang Xi of the Lunar star," the other woman said after arriving. "Thank you for your aid. I''m not sure how we sisters would''ve survived that by ourselves." "Speaking of, why did you two choose to come here? If you''re not even able to resist the pressure of the current situation then you should''ve retreated," Taiyi chastised. "What?" Chang Xi said sounding offended. "You''re a Great Principle Chaos Immortal and she a little Great Unity Golden Immortal who could barely defend yourselves. I don''t recognize you from the camp nor the fighting so you must''ve wondered in later on. This isn''t some garden tea party get together, it''s an all out war." "And you know so much about those who choose to fight here? Who are you to question my ability?" "I do question the sanity of those who try to get themselves killed." "I''m sorry for my brother, he''s a bit blunt and his standards of measurements are a bit skewed," Di Jun said to Xihe. "The situation has also been very stressful for us and he''s just venting. Please pay him no mind." "I can tell¡­you can let go of my hand now by the way." "Oh sorry." ¡­ In the far West Sea, the White Clan who safeguarded the Jianmu tree stood monumentally still. The celestial tree that was so commonly used as a gateway towards the Starry Skies had suffered a monumental set back. CRACK! To the shock and horror of these pale skinned snow coloured hair individuals, the bark of the Jianmu tree cracked. Splinters of wood spilled out in a cloud forcing them to shut their eyes. The tree''s very foundations crumbled beneath the weight of the sky. Then Luohu struck and it became worse. Jianmu was buried beneath first hit of water. Another planet old crashed into the sea and another one hit the isle itself. The White Clan immediately retreated fearing for their own lives. However, many also lost it in the process of trying to survive. Before their very sights, the Jianmu tree disappeared within a hail of meteor showers and deadly starry water. As for the tree, it could no longer maintain it''s stable position. It toppled over and its energy signature faded away. No one knows if it had been destroyed or not. The thing''s defenses was comparable to a defensive top grade xiantian spiritual treasure. But even then its survival was in doubt. ¡­ As chaos rapidly spread, the Four Symbols made a rapid decision. Despite disaster already underway, they were determined to salvage things. Since the sky was smashed apart and no longer repairable, it''ll need to be reconstructed. What better way than a formation born from star power itself? The four of them innately possessed celestial power originating from the Starry Skies. They represented not only the seasons but also the wuxing five elements as well as their corresponding planets. Together they were comparable to the Immortal Extermination Formation that was nigh indestructible. Hence under Qinglong''s command, the four of them spread out in four directions. Along with them, they stretched out the Four Symbols Formation to its widest possible corners. The diagram transformed into an imitation of the sky, shifting its former chaotic sight to that of the night sky. Countless starry spots appeared within the formation turned sky as if they were the heavens themselves. Like that, the disc shaped diagram of the Starry Skies expanded rapidly. And like a net, it began catching the Starry Skies within it''s barrier. This transformation essentially made it so that the Four Symbols Formation took the former sky''s place as the sky and the new barrier that separated the Great Wilderness and the Starry Skies. Wind turbulence however did not cease. Rather they picked up even rapidly turning as strong as the strongest of void spatial currents.. The world, especially the Central Continent was practically assaulted by a never ending storm constantly being ripped apart in all directions. Even with the Four Symbols above trying to manifest a new sky for the heavens, the ground below still suffered irreversible damage. Bearing the entirety of the Starry Skies, the formation resembled a giant fishing net catching its prey. It''s centre bent in a convex way with the centre of the circle nearly reaching the ground itself. "Bear the weight, send it back up," Qinglong said. "Right, combine our strengthens, strengthen the formation," Zhuque encouraged. The four sent the pillars down below them, expanding and growing them into gargantuan constructs on the four corners of the world. Together, they descended simultaneously like the legs of a giant tortoise making landfall. They smashed into the ground stabilizing the balance of the formation and began trying to push them back up. At this point, Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An regained their bearing. In their massive true forms they looked up at the Four Symbols Formation desperately holding back the sky. In the distance they also saw the four pillars holding up the sky. "Those pillars," Zulong commented unwinding his body releasing Gui Daiyu and the others. "The ''help'' you gave them? They''re Ao''s legs aren''t they." Qi An nodded unsure of Zulong''s reaction. He wasn''t too aware of their relationship but he did know Xuanwu was a trusted advisor to the dragons. Xuanwu was a disciple of Ao so their relationship couldn''t be that simple. Instead Zulon just sighed. "How much power can you two muster?" He asked Zufeng and Qi An. "You two still good?" "Do I look like I''m in good condition," Zufeng grumbled. She gestured at all her lost features, her bleeding talons, her bloodied and bruised body. "But I digress. You want us to help the Four Symbols right? Well you already know my answer." "Pushing up the new sky? There are flaws to this plan," Qi An said. "This new sky is formed by the Four Symbols Formation. But it''s just that, a formation. It cannot last forever unless the four of them are willing to hold up the sky forever. I suggest we immediately evacuate all our relatives and head for the Chaos Sea. At this point the Primitive World is lost anyway." Zulong and Zufeng looked at him in consideration. "You suggest we abandon all we''ve built on this world?" Gui Daiyu said from below them having left Zulong''s protection. She was accompanied by many surviving dragon and sea clan elders. "If¡­if we do so, would we not be spitting in the face of all our people?" "We can always rebuild in another location. Your majesty it''ll be wise to hear this counsel." "True, if we retreat to the Chaos Sea. Although it isn''t familiar environment we''d at least have a chance." "But how will we produce more Golden Immortals then?" Once that last question was brought up the elders began debating again. Golden Immortals reabsorbed their true soul from the chaos world they originate from. When a creature is born, if they are not an innate god, a part of their being will not be with them. Their true soul exists within the river of souls that was contained within the Primitive World as an unremovable fundamental part of its foundation. For Heavenly Immortals, the Primitive World itself was an invaluable resource. Should the Primitive World meet its end, those who had not achieved Golden Immortal ream and eternal life will never be able to do so. ''My sons already have eternity anyways. As do my nephews,'' Zulong contemplated meeting Yinglong''s eyes. There was some hesitation on the younger brother but Zulong could see a slight nod in agreement. Indeed, their master would ultimately value their lives above the Primitive World''s as well. Perhaps it would be wiser to escape with the dragon and sea clan and meet up with him in the Chaos Sea. But Zulong had only been to fringe spaces in the Chaos Sea, he could not navigate it anywhere near as skillfully as Da Hai could. "Luohu," Zufeng spat. "That fucking rat forcing me into this situation." She flapped her wings to take flight. Her follower Chongming was still off somewhere presumably still locked in combat with Hundun. "You all ungrateful fuckers!" The army of immortals stared over towards the being who just yelled. It was the Pangu Genesis Formation who had cried out in a union of twelve different voices. "Have you no respect? No love? No appreciation? No loyalty to the world the father god gave you all?" The twelve chastised. The dragons, phoenixes, and many others felt twelve disdainful gazes being sent their way. "It is not a matter of loyalty," one of the dragons argued. "Can you not see the state the world is in? We all have our own responsibility to attend to as well." "Frivolous arguments," the Pangu giant spat. "The Primitive World of our father''s creation is worth anything. Even our own lives." Under Di Jiang''s command and Houtu''s encouragement. The giant rose on its hands. It slammed them into the starry water beneath it and pushed up with all its might the ground shook with each of its movements that formed craters in the soil. The giant rose up until it was on its knees and gazed up. "Father god pushed up the sky for seventeen thousand years permanently separating heaven from earth. What is this compared to that?" It rose onto one knee and touched the night sky formed by the Four Symbols Formation with its back. The impact of the hit sent waves of pressure down the giant''s shoulders. suddenly Di Jiang no longer felt that confident. But the twelve did not feel like giving up. Houtu in particular screamed and pushed with all her might. Under her example, the rest also pushed with everything they had. The Pangu giant lifted its arms and grabbed hold of the night sky. It''s left palm landed somewhere between the Azure Dragon constellation and its right hand in the White Tiger constellation. "NNNNRRRRRGGGGHHHH!" The giant began pushing up. This raised the attention and gratitude of the Four Symbols Divine Beasts within. The shocking scene of the giant actually managing it was a boost to moral. "Amazing," Nuwa murmured holding tightly to her stone. "I wish I could do more." Instead she turned her attention to the watery wasteland below her. With a snort she released the stone and began using it to absorb the starry water below. Seeing this, Fuxi sighed and began following in her footsteps with his own magic arts. "You twelve really want to help?" Qinglong couldn''t help but ask. "I can''t help but remember how wild and uncooperative you were just now." "Shut up dragon!" Zhurong shouted back. "How would you know being in that formation for so long." "I have eyes burned man," Qinglong quipped back. "Whatever, help us distribute the weight. The barrier we formed is able to block the sky back without leakage. But our support is not enough." "We''re trying seniors," Houtu said. The Pangu giant combined with the four pillars at the corners of the world both strained themselves to rise into the sky. As they did so three streams of light circulated them. Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An arrived to send their powers to stabilize the sky. The Pangu giant looked over and smiled. Steadily it got onto its second feet and raised its body. "Ni Hong!" Zulong roared towards the earth. "I''m going to help in pushing back the sky. Defend us from any invaders." "No invaders here your majesty. It seems the devils fled in the confusion," the conjoined twin dragons said. He was half right. Luohu had disappeared along with most devils. But a few particularly bloodthirsty devils actually stayed behind to watch the ongoing. Among them was Rippling Reflection who hid behind Buzhou''s rubble in the form of a dragonfly. Zulong nodded accepting the response. He turned his attention back to aiding the Pangu giant. But it was also then that Yinglong felt Zulong''s mind brush past his own. The winged dragon looked up at his distant elder brother almost hesitantly. But after a few moments he nodded and quickly retreated from the Central Continent. Given his injured state most of the immortals payed him no mind. He was most likely ordered to retreat and recover given his special status in Zulong''s eyes. As for Rippling Reflection, the Great Devil Emperor was content to watch how they would save the world. After all, this wasn''t a true solution, merely an attempt at delaying the inevitable. Which was why Zulong was also sending Qinglong secret messages. "Listen brother, after the sky is sufficiently pushed back retreat with me. Gui Daiyu is heading back the Kailong Chen as we speak to collect my sons and others to collect our nephews. Then we make for the Chaos Sea. Time will be a bit tight but it''ll be fine," he said calmly. Qinglong was speechless. "What the fuck Zulong?" He practically roared, in fact he nearly did so out loud. "You seriously suggesting that?" "Think logically brother, whatever we manage to accomplish with the sky is ultimately temporary. Your formation cannot last forever. You and your fellow divine beasts can maybe stay in place for another yuanhui or so but eventually you''ll have to rest. If not physically then mentally." "But what of the Primitive World? What of the quintillions of lifeforms living on it?" "¡­" "¡­" "Listen to your brother Qinglong, I know what''s best." On the outside, the three parties continued to expand their power. To further support them, the great immortals below over to clear out the water. They may be a danger to weaker individuals, but strong Golden Immortals were enough to resist and move them without too much issue. Those born into the stars as their natural environment such as Di Jun and Taiyi were invaluable to the relief attempts. It was lucky for them too as no devils tried to harass them in these attempts. Secretly though, many furious immortals wished for devils to have remained for they wished to to vent their frustrations on them. Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang utilized their immortal might so swallow large amounts of stellar water into various containment materials. They were aided by those such as Lei Zu, Minghe, ZHen Yuanzi, Hongyun, even Kun Peng. Only Liu Er did not use supernatural methods. The six eared macaque instead used his great strength to dig out wells and divert the heavenly waters into them. It was not as effective as the others but at least he was seen doing something. As he did so he couldn''t help but take looks at Xihe, Changxi, Tongtian and various other goddesses and enjoy the eye candy. It was good to him too as Liu Er managed to track down many treasures dropped by devil and immortals alike that were scattered on the ground. In the midst of this, Chongming, Jiang Koilong, and Leize returned and reported to Gui Daiyu. "Apologies your majesty," the two dragons sad. "We were held up." "I saw you fighting Hundun with several other elders. What happened?" She asked. The two dragon elders shook their heads. Ultimately they were unable to protect their kin and the other dragons were killed by Hundun. But Hundun himself fled after the sky broke apart. It would seem from start to finish he was not taking them seriously nor even trying. ''Could this Hundun be not committed to the devils at all?'' Gui Daiyu couldn''t help but think. She resolved to discuss this with Zulong at a later date. She looked upwards at the standing Pangu giant. It had managed to rise up to its full height now with arms bent. It was only a matter of time before it stretched the full length of its arms. The sight caused a triumphant mood within those clearing the starry flood. They secretly wondered if this was what Pangu looked like during the earliest periods to the Primitive World, during those short seventeen thousand years. It was in that time that Pangu lived his final moments of life watching the world come into being. Those most familiar with Pangu like the Three Pure Ones wondered what Pangu would''ve thought of all this. The three were also disappointed with themselves that they were not the ones replicating Pangu like this. They were born of his Nascent Soul, his very essence of life and understanding into the Dao. Stolen novel; please report. Within the imitation of the sky, Qinglong was silent. He along with Zhuque was silent for a while. Though they continued to maintain the new barrier and strengthen the pillars in the four corners of the world, their moods were noticeably down. This was nigh unnoticeable from the outside world but within the formation where all four were connected, Xuanwu and Baihu both felt it. The two grew increasingly concerned with the former two. But Qinglong also had a look of disappointment. From his position in the night sky, he could see the three sovereigns giving their all to help the Pangu giant push up the sky. He sighed and closed his eyes. The four pillars at the four corners of the world shone with brilliant light. They grew rapidly turning both thick and tall like rising pistons. They eased the pressure on the Pangu giant''s shoulders with increasing speed. With that, four light beams converged from the four corners within the Central Continent. Xuanwu gasped in shock as the faint image of a standing turtle rose up on a clearing on the ground. The turtle bore a striking resemblance to Ao the gargantuan turtle. Except this time he was much smaller, about as large as Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An. The three all took notice of the turtle and raised an eyebrow. The mirage didn''t seem sentient and merely stood there as a byproduct. It yawned lazily and grinned in a jolly yet dumb way. But there was an unmistakable kindness in his eyes. "You," Hongjun also took notice of the turtle. He stood unsteadily on his feet and starred right at the image of Ao with nostalgia. "Always the one with the greatest defense," he murmured. "Even in that state you cultivated your body till this degree? I wonder if the Qilin Sovereign kept your shell or not." His words generated no response from the turtle. This much Hongjun expected. It was still a pity however, Ao was once a member of the three thousand greatest chaos godfiends. A bonafide powerhouse if a lowkey one. But destiny saw a very important role for him to fulfill and Hongjun had to oblige. The elderly daoist sighed and sat back down unable to remain on his feet. He chuckled pitifully at his current state and was just happy he was being ignored. He couldn''t afford any scrutiny anyway. All around him, enormous amounts of primordial qi gathered towards the new sky. An amount that was sucking the world dry as unbelievable as that sounds. Zulong glanced suspiciously at the flowing of qi. "All this effort?" He couldn''t help but murmur in doubt. In the sky, Qinglong opened his eyes. He met the gazes of his fellow Four Symbols and wore a wry smile. "Hey guys," he began. "You know what I''m thinking?" Zhuque outright laughed at his question. Baihu cracked his neck and Xuanwu appeared resolved. "A million years," Baihu began. "Heh, putting down wars and rebellions. Shutting down dissenting elements and watching the West Continent. What a time to be alive.." "A million years safe guarding the North Sea," Xuanwu said to Qinglong. "Worth it I''d say. I lived with my master and got to watch so many lifeforms grow and mature. Now they can finally stand on their own two feet without risk of extinction. So much has changed from the karmically sinful ice cold wasteland from years back." "They''re gonna be furious," Zhuque said to Qinglong. "You and I have had our differences but many things we share. Our hardhead siblings being top among them. You know Qinglong, I''m glad I met you guys. Phoenix''s Roost is so stuffy with so much politics and management work." "Can''t deny that sister," Qinglong chuckled. "Kailong Chen is worse. So many territory disputes and who owns what treasure. Sometimes I just want to slap the next shark or whale who complains to me about anything. And don''t get me started on the arrangements for the Sea Eye. If only master never introduced paper." "So that''s were that came from? I never knew." The four continued chatting for a while. They shared personal thoughts, often scathing opinions about certain individuals. They shared stories they''ve told a million times again and again. They shared laughs and they shared emotion. Eventually they calmed down. Then they began to truly work. The Pangu giant noticed it first being the closest. Di Jiang and the others all glanced up feeling a tingly feeling in their backs. The dent in the new sky was now con existent aside from a small vortex at the very centre. A hole that was not dissimilar to the old one. "CHANGE!" The four immortals within cried out. "Pangu Genesis Formation, I''m gonna have to request for you to hold your position," Qinglong asked much to the giant''s confusion. "We''re gonna come up with something a little more permanent you get me?" "You," Di Jiang was a little speechless. As someone intimately connected with one of the fundamental Dao Laws of the Primitive World''s existence, he was privy to some truths. Even the grouchy Zhurong was quiet upon hearing the Azure Dragon''s words. He only nodded in respect alongside his fellow brothers and sisters. Houtu began shedding a few tears even. "Oh what selfless living beings you are woo," she cried. in her heart she wished to learn by their example thoroughly. But Zulong and Zufeng were also present and they knew that something was wrong. Despite not coordinating, they moved in unison. It made Zulong wonder if Zufeng had sent a similar message as he had. "Qinglong, what do you think you''re doing?" Zulong called out with a flash of anger. The Formation up top had stated crystallizing. It not only stabilized, it was also beginning to feel more and more like a part of the natural world. This sent red flags all over Zulong and Zufeng. Could their siblings actually want to merge into the Primitive World? "Ah brother," Qinglong said sending back through a mental message. "Looks like you''ve caught me." "Obey me this instant. End the formation and retreat with him now, Yinglong should be closing in on the East Sea." "But what of the South Sea? Or the West Sea or even the North Sea? What of the continents?" "What matters is you!" "I don''t think so Zulong." Qinglong shook his head. "I don''t want everything you''ve built to be washed away. I don''t want the home we were born to to explode in fire and frenzy. I don''t really want to see all this end. Don''t you find the Primitive World beautiful at all brother?" "I have, I always have," the Azure Dragon continued whimsically. "I think it''s cause of my star power. This symbol within me connects me to the world a lot closer then either you or Yinglong ever were. I''m sorry I''ve disappointed you." "Qinglong I order you to STOP!" Zulong roared in the real world flying up alongside a shrieking Zufeng. "You two cease this at once," Qi An moved to intercept the dragon and phoenix. The qilin immediately kicked the dragon in the head and created ethereal ropes to drag Zufeng town by her talon. "Unhand me!" Zufeng screeched blasting fire into Qi An''s face. "Hey sis, be sure to tell my nephews only good stories about me yeah?" Zhuque cried out. "As your reigning sovereign I order you to stop Zhuque!" The Phoenix Sovereign instead demanded. BOOM! But the four refused to listen, instead the sky suddenly shook followed a loud noise and a purple coloured rubble that surged through it. The formation''s boundaries disappeared completely into the horizon and the Four Symbols roared in unison. Seeing this, Zulong exploded with power with all he had left. "Out of my way or I''ll kill you just as I did your father!" He clawed into Qi An''s forehead. "Oh how the situation has reversed," Qi An gritted his teeth and tanked the hit with his antlers. He aimed to lock Zulong in place with all his might. He met Zulong''s gaze and felt both terrified and small. He was reminded of the murderous pressure Zulong gave off when last they met. He would never forget that experience and could not suppress shudders. Zufeng flapped her wings and tried to fly past him. She succeeded in gaining altitude and neared the epicenter of the sky. The vortex spun wildly with her presence. "Can''t let you do that," the Pangu giant roared. It chose to blow out a gust of wind from its massive bearded mouth right into the phoenix. But when that didn''t work he shifted one hand and swiped at her instead. "Gah!" Zufeng was staggered falling back by the impact. Her peak suffered a chip as damage and she glared hatefully at the formation. Her body exploded in flames and she prepared to attack. "Stop sister this is my will," Zhuque said sounding disappointed. "I understand you. But please think of your eggs, they need you more than me." "I need both of you," Zufeng cried instead. "Who can I assuredly trust if not you? Who can I always count on if not you?" "Please safe your strength sister, you still need to recover," Zhuque chastised and began singing. Her song from within the sky formation was like a wave of harmonious soothing tunes. It made Zufeng loose strength great shocking her as to Zhuque''s sudden show of strength. Zulong glanced up and broke free of Qi An''s grasp. But Qinglong had seen this and already acted. Wooden gates fell from the sky twelve in total. The slammed down on Zulong''s long body as a way to pin him to the ground. But Zulong was undeterred. He clawed at the gates around his body unleashing waves of power. His strikes cut into the wood and he destroyed several at once. But the lose of momentum was enough for the Qilin Sovereign to circle back and nail him with his long antlers. Zulong roared refusing to give up trying to break free. The furious civil war between them drew the attention of Gui Daiyu. The empress gasped at the sudden turn of events. The dragons around her were unsure what to do. They had only heard bits and pieces but based on the changes of the Four Symbols Formation sky imitation, they can hazard a good enough guess. "Zulong," Gui Daiyu cried out. "Perhaps what Qinglong wants is for the best?" She tried. "Otherwise the Primitive World will really be gone. What of our empire then?" She too was ultimately unwilling to give everything up. She grew up in the East Sea and was raised within its warm waters. She could not bear to see it gone. Another purple shockwave sent an unbearable pressure down to the earth again. All three sovereigns released an ''oof'' and fell onto the ground with a thud. All three raised their heads again at the sky. The constellations of the four divine beasts were glowing brighter and brighter. Instead, the individual lights of the beasts themselves at the four extreme corners of the world were growing fainter and fainter. The seven constellations that collectively formed twenty eight all glowed with such intensity that they were mini suns in and of themselves The Pangu giant however, was gritting its teeth as the night sky swirled. The vortex above its head widened like a gapping maw. This was a stark contrast to the other four sides. "What''s the matter?" Xuanwu couldn''t help but ask. "Why is the ritual not continuing? Aren''t we a natural fit?" "The centre piece," Qinglong said in realization. "The yellow coloured Saturn Star''s Earth Element is missing. We cannot join as the Five Elements without it." "Fuck!" Baihu roared in frustration. "Back then when we first used this, your brother acted as the centre. But now we don''t have one." The skybox was formed from the Four Symbols Formation that united four of the five elements. The five represented harmony that stabilized all creation within the Primitive World. But when the formation began merging into the world and transformed into a part of its foundation, it was missing one of its key pieces. As such an empty hole manifested in the centre of the night sky. A phenomena that was inevitable without the final piece. If this continued, their plans would fail. There may even be a backlash that breaks their formation and releases the Starry Skies. This change was noticed by all. All the innate gods, cultivators, dragons and phoenixes saw the middle portion open up like a pit. They all shared a unanimous gulp. Why was hope so fleeting? Nuwa and Fuxi were among those closest to the epicenter. Floating in the sky, the duo felt a rush of complex emotions. Nuwa especially was both frustrated and furious. Though she had enjoyed the adrenaline of the action previously, she also cursed the devils for upending her peaceful existence. But for an ordinary Great Principle Chaos Immortal, there was little she could contribute to the greater scope of the conflict. But within Nuwa''s hands, her rainbow coloured rock glowed. This glow caught her attention so she held it up and starred straight into it with wonder. Then she lifted it above her head angling it at the hole in the sky. It seemed to fit perfectly. "Strange," she muttered. The rock glowed in five colour total red, black, white, azure, and yellow. The former four were in shades suspiciously like the the ones shone through the constellation of the Four Symbols Divine Beats. "Nuwa what are you doing?" Fuxi asked from beside her. "My rock it''s," she began before falling into a state of contemplation. The formation in the sky had nearly completely transformed into the new sky. But the formation of the central pit had also ironically opened up a new whole for starry water to pour through. The Pangu giant was the first to suffer that as it was beset by what appeared to be a quick flowing waterfall. It groaned and the skin textures of its body started ripping and scraping off. It''s roared in furry and the twelve beings who made up its body all cried out in unison. Its arms emitted light in twelve different shades and stood proudly on its legs. Using its great strength, it tried to resist being washed away. The stone in Nuwa''s hands only glowed more and more. At some point it glowed to a point where others began noticing it. It''s energy began transforming as well. Nuwa noticed that it felt remarkably similar to the energy that''s coming from the sky. "Where did you find that anyway?" Fuxi suddenly asked. "Uh, I was out playing one day and just stumbled upon it. It was close to a slope that led from Mt Buzhou''s summit," she said before widening her eyes at the implications. Without warning she took off in a blaze of five coloured light. Her action startled many who were paying attention and caught the eyes of those who weren''t. Nuwa had transformed into a massive golden scaled serpent with a woman''s head. This was her true form and the rock previously in her hand was clenched in her teeth held securely between her sets of fangs. Her transformation sent a burst of power through her veins boosting her speed. She slithered upwards and swam against the wind currents with surprising ease cutting her way directly towards the pit in the sky. "Nuwa what reckless actions are you intending now?" Fuxi roared chasing after her. Far below, Rippling Reflection saw this scene with an odd glint in his eyes. He was the only devil who remained but the scene of Nuwa rising up to the sky fascinated him for whatever reason. Suddenly he felt a strange urge. "Hm," he thought rubbing his chin. "Yes I can use this. This conflict cannot die today. I''ll sacrifice this body then." In a split second decision, he emerged from his hiding place shooting up into the sky. It was sudden and unexpected. This combined with his high cultivation realm made it that he was quickly gaining on Nuwa. Not only that, despite being heavily injured courtesy of Yi Fei''e, he was still capable of great speed. "Stop him!" Yuanshi cried out after spotting the shadow of Rippling Reflection taking off. Needing no other warnings, powerful dragons like Leize and Ni Hong rose to catch the speeding devil within their maws. But they were a step too late. It seemed as if the devil will catch and knock Nuwa off her course. ¡­ Liu Er was another individual who noticed Nuwa before she''d even taken off. The six eared macaque had just finished digging another lake that managed to clear up the ground when he saw Nuwa take on her true form. It was a bit shocking to him how hideous she looked as compared to her beautiful form as a humanoid woman. Liu Er was more used to her portrayal in popular earth media as this hot Chinese maiden. Where did this torch dragon wannabe come from? Wasn''t only her lower half supposed to be serpentine? "Wait that rock." He immediately got to his feet and felt like kicking himself. "Of course, Buzhou broke down so Nuwa must mend the heavens. Fucking hell why are events happening so rapidly, so fucking unfair. How the hell am I supposed to prepare for that?" Making a split second decision of his own, Liu Er leapt into the sky with as much strength as he could muster. The ground exploded beneath him as he rocketed himself into the sky. There wasn''t a fancy display of magical abilities nor any special technique, just pure raw brutish physical strength. Liu Er reached out his right hand at a grasping position. He hoped to reach Nuwa and pry the stone from her teeth and use it himself to mend the heavens. He had read about how much she was rewarded from this deed and thought it''ll benefit him more. Nuwa was after all pretty useless in the myths. She made humanity but quickly abandoned it choosing to join the Demon heavenly Court. She was at fault for causing the Investiture of the Gods tribulation and she did nothing to shield humanity despite making them. Instead she shielded the last demon prince and lived isolated outside the Great Wilderness. It disgusted Liu Er and he swore that when Nuwa made the same mistake in the future, he''ll take over as the god protector of mankind. Gleefully, he salivated at the potential possibilities. His fingers stretched out deviously and he smirked exposing his fangs. Who knows, perhaps he could even grab the Wise Monkey inheritance while he was at it. After all, Sun Wukong was said to have been born from a piece of this stone that fell to the earth. He inherited one fourth of the Chaos Demon Ape''s physique jus like himself. Perhaps it was already there within the rock and he could grab it before anyone notices. "Mine," he hissed closing in on the goddess. Nuwa bent her neck down slightly looking at Liu Er. Or was she looking over him? Liu Er couldn''t really tell. What he could tell was that she was smiling? Why was she smiling? "Thank you fellow daoist," she said to Liu Er. Thank him? What? BOOM! "OOF!" Liu Er was suddenly thrown off course. He was hit by the other individual aiming for Nuwa, Rippling Reflection devil. The two had coincidentally been heading towards each other at an acute angle. Both aiming for Nuwa and both impacting each other instead. Nuwa had clearly misunderstood the situation but that was of no importance. What mattered was that Liu Er and Rippling Reflection both fell from the sky spiraling as they went. The devil was quickly swallowed by Leize and electrocuted his body within his mouth and digested him within. The monkey on the other hand was caught by Jiang Koilong. "There you go, thank you for your aid," the first ascendant dragon praised. "Wha¡­bu¡­huh?" Liu Er could only stammer out. In the sky, Nuwa assumed her regular human form holding the stone in her hands after avoiding the waterfall. She held it up to the whole but hesitated slightly. An insight had entered her mind and she realized something. "Seniors," she began. "Is this really alright?" "We made our piece with it already little girl," the four beasts answered her in unison. "Do it. Do it before out hardheaded siblings catches up to you." Nuwa gulped thinking of Zulong and Zufeng. "Alright then. Here I go. HAIYAH!" She pressed the stone into the hole with all her might. The sudden action sent shockwaves through the night sky. The Pangu Genesis Formation screamed in pain even as the water stopped hitting it. Its body disintegrated and twelve individuals fell from the sky. Five coloured rippled through the starry night and Nuwa fell down as well. She landed upon the hard scaled claws of a gargantuan dragon, Zulong. The glanced up tiredly and only saw the complex feeling gaze of Zulong meeting her back. In the sky, the formation completely disappeared. Everything was back to normal as if nothing had happened. A single trail of light fell from landing somewhere in the east but otherwise, the new sky resembled the old. The only difference was that when one looked at the sky now, they noticed four distinct constellations that were hard to miss. In the distant south, a massive molten magma pillar formed decorated in flames and singing birds. The the west, a golden white coloured metal pillar formed decorated with swords and tigers. In the north, an ice pillar with carvings of a tortoise and snake appeared anchoring the world where Ao once was. In the Far East, a wooden pillar with dragonic sculpting appeared fully visible to all who looked. The only thing was, the life signs of the Four Symbols Divine Beasts have all disappeared. Chapter 142-The Worlds Lament A???????????????h????????????????,??????????????? ?????????????t???????????????????h?????????????a?????????????t?????????????¡¯??????s??????????????? ?????????????a???????????? ????????b??i???????????t????????? ?????????t?????????????????r???????????????o???????????u???????b????????l???????i????????n?????????g???????????,?????????????¡±????????? ????????? ??????????????????? ??????????????¡°?????????A????????t???????????????? ???????????t????????????h????????????e?????????????? ?????????s?????????????p?????????????????e?????????e??????d????????????? ???????????????h????????e??????????????¡¯?????????????????s??????? ????????????????t???????????????????r????????a??????????????v???????????e???????????????l????????????i?????n??????????????????g???????????????,?????????????? ????????????????h???????????e??????????????? ?????????????????w??????????????????o?????????????n?????????????¡¯????????t????????????? ????????b?????????????????e???????????? ?????????b?????????????????a?????????????c?????????????k??????????? ????????u??????????????n????????????????t?????i????????????l???????????????????? ???????????l????????????o????????????????n?????????????g???????? ?????????????????a????????????f???????????t??????????????e????r??????????????????? ??????????????t??????????h????????e??????? ???????????????w?????????????a????????????????r????????????????? ???????????????e???????????????n???????????????d?????????????????s????????.?????????????????¡±????????????????? ???????? ???????????¡°???????????????T??????????s??????????????k????????????? ?????????????t?????????????s???????????????k????????????¡±??????? ??????????? ????????¡°?????W???????????e??????????????l?????????l???????????????.??????¡±?????????????????? ?????????????? ?????????????????¡°????????????????I????????? ??????????s???????????u?????????p???????????????p????????????o???????s??????e??????????????? ????????????????I??????????????? ?????????c??????a???????n???????????? ??????????????h??????????????e????l???????p?????????????? ????????????o???????????u???????????????t????????????? ??????????a????????? ??????????????????b???????????i????????????t????????.???????????????¡±???????????? ??????????????? ?????????¡°??????A????????????f????????t??????????????e???????????????r???????????????? ????????????a?????????l??????????????l????????? ????????I????????? ?????????????d??????????????????i???????????????????d???????? ???????????????s????????????????e?????????????n????????t????????? ???????t???????????h???a?????????????t?????????? ??????????t?????????????h???????i?????????????n????????????g??????? ?????????????i????????n?????????????????t???????o??????????? ??????????t?????????????h??????????????e??????????????? ???????????P???????????????r????????????i?????????m?????????i??????????t???????????i???????????v???????????????e?????????????????? ?????W??????????????o???????????????r?????????????l???????????????d?????????????.?????????????¡±????????????? ???????????????? ???????¡°??????????????Y????????????????e????????????a??????????????????h??????? ??????????t????????h????????????i???????????n?????????????????k????????????i??????????????n?????????g???????????? ???????????b??????????????a?????????c??????????????k??????????? ??????????????i??????????t??????????¡¯?????????s?????????????? ?????????????n?????????o????????????t????????????????? ???????????a????????????????s?????????? ???????????f????????????u?????????n????????????n???????????????????y??????????????? ????????????a??????????s?????????? ?????????I???????????? ????????t??????????????h?????????????????o?????????u?????????????????g??????????????h??????????????t????????? ?????????????i???????????t???????????¡¯????????????????l????????l????????????? ??????????b???????????e???????????.??????????????¡±????????????? ?????????? ??????????????¡°????????O?????????h????????? ???????????????w????????????e????l???????????l??????????????.?????????????¡±??????????? ??? ????????¡°?????????????D??????????????o??????????????? ???m???????????e??????????? ????????????????a???????????????? ??????????????????f????????a??????????????v???????o???????????????u??????????r??????????????? ???????????a???????????n????????????d?????????? ??????k??????i???????????l??????????l?????????? ?????????L???????????????u??????????o??????????h?????????u???????????? ????????f????????o?????r????????????? ????????????????m??????????????????e?????????????? ?????????D??????a????????? ???????????H?????????????????a????????i????????????¡±????????? ??????????? ????????¡°???????????????S????????????o??????????? ????????????o???????????f????????????f??????????? ????????????y??????????????????o???????????u??????????? ?????????g?????????o?????????? ???????????m????????????y??????????????? ?????????i???n??????????f???????????e??????????r???????????????i???????????????????o????????????????r???????? ????????????s??????????????p?????????????a??????????w??????????n????????? ¡­ In the East Continent, Haotian stood on Mt Yujing¡¯s peak. He had already sent Yaochi back inside Zixiao Palace to prepare. Now he waited standing back straight with his hands behind his back. His childish appearance resembled an extremely diligent scholarly student who was too stiff for his own good. From above him, purple clouds rolled across the sky. They moved neither fast nor slow but there was a haggard quality to them. Haotian was unsure what to feel at the moment. He could be happy like his origin, but he was also concerned for Hongjun¡¯s situation. ¡°Haotian, good boy,¡± Hongjun said as he landed ruffling Haotian¡¯s head. The lad did not turn him away and merely greeted his master back. His grave expression unfortunately, was also noticed by Hongjun. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching from the Vast Sky Mirror,¡± Hongjun sighed shaking his head. ¡°Well what did you think?¡± ¡°That this is far from over,¡± Haotian replied steadily. ¡°I don¡¯t think either you nor Luohu can go out and fight anytime soon. I cannot observe the West Continent but I calculate their losses to be higher then ours. Though the presence of Hundun offsets things by a lot.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Hongjun said. ¡°Hundun from start to finish wasn¡¯t trying too hard. His cultivation was only slightly inferior to Luohu¡¯s and my own.¡± ¡°That much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s extremely hard to notice. I wouldn¡¯t have if not for the Jade Fortune Disc,¡± the elderly daoist said holding out his hand releasing a small circular plate floating in his palm. Just as quickly as it appeared, it retreated into his sleeve. ¡°That was,¡± Haotian was momentarily lost for words. The disc was extremely beautiful yet something felt off about it. It was covered in coats of rust and elements of it was clearly missing judging by its aura. ¡°A treasure I attained. You don¡¯t have to think to deeply about it, ah cough, cough!¡± Hongjun hunched over and Haotian reached up to support him. The boyish immortal helped the elderly man into Zixiao place step by step. Along the way he asked, ¡°What is to be done from now on?¡± Hongjun didn¡¯t answer him, at least not immediately. He had a serious expression on his face as if he was really giving it deep thought. At various points in time he looked at Haotian when he thought he wasn¡¯t looking. Yaochi greeted them at Zixiao Palace¡¯s back entrance and ushered them in. When the young girl urgently went to retrieve healing pills, Hongjun addressed Haotian again. ¡°My dear boy, what¡¯s most important now is to not get involved anymore.¡± His words startled Haotian. So much so that the normally serious poker faced Haotian let out a soft gasp. Haotian sent questioning looks to Hongjun even while supporting him. Yaochi returned shortly with pills and handed them to Hongjun. She was quickly sent off again to prepare some tea for Hongjun. Hence once again the girl scuttled off. ¡°Master, what are you planning?¡± Haotian asked bluntly but quickly added. ¡°If I may ask of course.¡± ¡°Look at me boy,¡± Hongjun gestured to himself as they continued to walk through the hallways. ¡°I am in no condition to fight right now. As such I will be sealing Zixiao Palace for the moment. We won¡¯t get involved with the fighting until the war dies down a bit. Then I can finish off Luohu, hopefully the Heavenly Dao will recover enough by then.¡± ¡°What happened to the Heavenly Dao?¡± Haotian couldn¡¯t help but find himself asking as they sat down in a room where Yaochi would soon arrive with some herbal tea. Hongjun popped a few pills into his mouth and released a few breaths trying to absorb the effects. ¡°It¡¯s avatar was blown to smithereens as I¡¯m sure you already know. It¡¯s consciousness as a consequence was thrown off its feet so to speak and before it could fully get its bearings back massive incidents happened one after another. Suffice to say, this Primitive World¡¯s will is too weak to be a participant right now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hongjun narrowed his eyes scrutinizing Haotian. His piercing eyes emitted no light yet felt as if they were stars barreling into Haotian¡¯s very being. Sometimes it made the younger immortal have certain doubts. Haotian was already hundreds of thousands of years old despite his looks. He had been cultivating for a tremendously long amount of time. Yet in all that time, he hardly ever left Mt Yujing. It was only when he acted as Hongjun¡¯s messenger to some clans in the East Continent were he spotted. But all in all his notoriety was virtually a complete unknown. Haotian would say he was content with it. He was a filial person, he listened to Hongjun¡¯s instructions as if they were gospel. He had never disobeyed Hongjun in his life and nor does he intend to. He never disagreed with him nor does he contradict him. But sometimes. Sometimes he felt urges. They were not from his progenitor, that much he knew. He obeyed Da Hai just the same as he would Hongjun. ¡°You want to participate don¡¯t you?¡± Hongjun asked sounding almost amused. ¡°Am I that transparent?¡± ¡°Hardly, your poker face is so good I sometimes question if you feel anything at all. It¡¯s your questions, they make it obvious. Haha, at times like this I remember that you¡¯re still just a child. Listen Haotian, you are too kind for your own good. But these are just a few ordinary lifeforms. It¡¯s not worth the risk for you to waste your life on theirs.¡± Haotian licked his lips uncharacteristically. He was silent while Hongjun continued to absorb the effects of his pills. Eventually Yaochi came back and made tea for the both of them. The three sat around a table with Haotian beside an awkward feeling Yaochi. The childish looking girl was wondering what deep thoughts her senior brother must be thinking now. ¡°Master,¡± Haotian suddenly said. ¡°Is it not in our best interest to endear ourselves to the countless lifeforms that will one day be under you? When you¡­¡± he took a look at Yaochi suddenly unsure wether he should continue. Hongjun raised an eyebrow and nonchalantly said, ¡°Keep going.¡± ¡°When you become the Dao Ancestor for real,¡± Haotian finished. ¡°Child,¡± Hongjun said chuckling and ruffled Haotian¡¯s head. ¡°They¡¯re just going to transform into souls and reincarnate naturally. Their true souls can never be touched. There is no need to worry about them.¡± ¡°I feel that the natural reincarnation process is breaking down as we speak,¡± Haotian argued. ¡°The flood, the shockwaves, the falling stars. The Primitive World is being overloaded.¡± ¡°They can wait. A proper reincarnation mechanism will be created eventually. Trust in me my dear boy, things will turn out for the best. You should keep safe and don¡¯t interfere when open fighting begins,¡± Hongjun said in a sagely manner, as if he was the one and sole truth in the world. Haotian nodded. He sat with Hongjun for a time until the elderly immortal eventually left him alone. Hongjun was ultimately too injured still and retreated for secluded cultivation. He left instructions for himself and Yaochi to take care of Zixiao Palace and to protect it until his return. They were simple commands and the same one¡¯s they received every time Hongjun left. This was uncommon but still happened as Hongjun lost all his avatars that could perform tasks for him. As the days went by, Haotian noticed something. He looked out a window of the grand Zixiao Palace and openly frowned. ¡°It¡¯s raining,¡± he commented. ¡­ Three weeks later, the West continent was in a state of extreme distress. Ever since the appearance of the new sky, hundreds of thousands had retreated to find a land assaulted by many disasters. It was so bad that a good sixty percent of the population had already perished. It was only thanks to the efforts of acceptably strong cultivators that remained the so many lessor devils managed to survive. Yet still, this number was much better than other areas of the world due to how high the strong to weak ratio was. But moral was generally down. They devils of the west considered prior events a crippling lost on their front. Many of their top brass were lost to the fighting and even many promising juniors who were poised to take their place. Within devil hierarchy, only so many Primal Zenith, Primal Origin, and Great Principle Chaos Immortals and so on could exist at any given time. When one perishes, another could assume the former¡¯s place with relative ease. However this did take time and depended on the talent of individuals. Luohu¡¯s establishment allowed for the existence of numerous such experts. But because so many died and their replacements too, it was difficult to restore expert numbers above a certain point. Many who could reach such heights but were previously held back by the lack of a position have now ascended. Others meanwhile were furiously cultivating to not let this chance slip through their grasp. Within the confines of Mt Sumeru or at least what was left of it, in the pouring rain Taowu furiously banged the doors to Luohu¡¯s cave abode. ¡°Luohu you coward, get out here this instant!¡± He demanded. Taowu at this moment in time looked incredibly frazzled. His eyes were bloodshot red, his robes were disorganized, and his power permeated the grounds unrestricted. This member of the Four Evils struck the door with all his strength get they did not budge. ¡°Come out you coward, answer me! We¡¯re you seriously trying to kill all of us without accomplishing your ¡®goal¡¯ huh? I demand answers, this silence is not how our partnership works!¡± Yet Taowu¡¯s pestering netted him no answers. This infuriated the godfiend who despite his unsealed injuries roared and attacked with a wave of fire. His current unhinged state was one shared by some among the devils. Luohu had seemingly given up and callously chosen to destroy all existence. As if all their efforts had been for nothing. As if Luohu threw away all their aid in an act of spite without accomplishing anything he¡¯d promised. What¡¯s more the Four Evils payed for these events with another sacrifice of their own. Qiong Qi the winged tiger had also fallen in the fighting, this combined with the destruction of the Taotie Cauldron brought out a great amount of hatred from Taowu. ¡°Enough.¡± Taowu swerved around and caught sight of an approaching Hundun. His face instantly soured and his lips grimaced into a grown. ¡°You have some nerve to show up in front of me ¡®brother¡¯.¡± He spat the last word letting it linger in the air. ¡°Luohu is nursing his injuries at the moment. He won¡¯t be seeing anyone for the foreseeable future,¡± he faceless godfiend said calmly as if Taowu had not just disrespected him. In the confusion leading up to the new sky and the implanting of four pillars arose the world, Luohu had slipped away. At his level, no one could catch him even of they¡¯d noticed him. The chaos and the subsequent dries of anguish from the two Sovereigns had been enough to cover for the devil¡¯s retreat. After doing so, Luohu left no instructions and retreated. Mara has gone into hiding leaving Taowu and Hundun as the most senior leaders present. Even many sect¡¯s upper echelons were cut down leading to a few short struggles of power in the opened vacuum. But most knew this was only the beginning and they needed to stop fighting. So new sect leaders were quickly chosen and defenses were being shored up. With no word from Luohu, the entirety of the West Continent was on edge, frantic, and anxious to the extreme. ¡°After al that and he hides,¡± Taowu said softly. Then he kicked Luohu¡¯s door with thunderous force. The sound of the impact traveled for millions of kilometers disturbing the clouds. ¡°Are you going to keep throwing a tantrum or will you help me in finishing Mirage Peak¡¯s sect defenses,¡± Hundun asked calmly. ¡°Come Taowu, make yourself useful.¡± ¡°Screw that,¡± the godfiend spat. ¡°I trusted you, trusted you for millions of years. Qiong Qi and Taotie and me! But you just keep leading us into these terrible positions. Do you want us Four Evils to go extinct? Don¡¯t you want to avenge our brothers at all?¡± Taowu¡¯s intentions were rather simple. He wanted to continue the fight immediately. The dragons, phoenixes, and others had just retreated from the Central Continent. Zulong took his people and commanded them back home likely to marshal more troops. Word has it that Chenghuang and Leize were spotted in the West and South Seas respectively. Jiang Koilong was speculated to have gone north based on the former¡¯s sightings. Zufeng and Chongming were doing the same int he South Continent. The East Continent hadn¡¯t sent any news but there was undoubtedly a lot of movement there. They had suffered plenty of losses and even the Four Symbols who were among the strongest had all perished. This was great news to the devils who had seen how they¡¯d managed to fight off their Four Evils and even rival the Immortal Extermination Formation with Luohu inside. But the devils had also suffered many losses equal to their enemies. Many of their most famed Great Devil Emperors were killed in action and others were still missing having not reported in. Family and friends of those who died all had murderous intentions towards the outside world while others were anxious for the counter attack. Taowu fell into the category of wishing for vengeful action to be taken. Unfortunetly for him, Hundun didn¡¯t seem that enthusiastic. Luohu and Mara, their strongest were also unavailable. Without them, Hundun was the only one who cold fight off the Dragon Sovereign and Phoenix Sovereign. Hundun starred right into Taowu in such a way that it was unnerving to him. Taowu leaned back and took in a few breaths of air before turning away from Hundun. He was reminded of the gap that existed between them hence backed down slightly. But he was still unwilling to give up on his position. The Four Evils as an entity had existed long before the Primitive World¡¯s conception. Long before Pangu awakened from his secluded cultivation, the four of them travelled as a pack. They battled and improved and eventually worked under the mighty Chaos Demon Ape alongside Shenni. They greatly admired the godfiend who specialized in war and he in turn taught them many things. Yet ultimately, even the Demon Ape was powerless before Pangu¡¯s axe. So when Hundun rallied them to Shenni¡¯s banner, they accepted whole heartedly. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. When Shenni failed, Luohu was the next best candidate. So despite Hundun¡¯s dodgy methods and withholding of information, they trusted him enough. But now, they¡¯ve lost two members and the faceless godfiend didn¡¯t seem to even care. It greatly angered Taowu. ¡°Fine then, you if you won¡¯t do something I will.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll only weaken our position,¡± Hundun warned. ¡°Well at least I¡¯d be able to accomplish something,¡± Taowu spat before storming off. He rode the clouds and manifested his true form above the sky of the West Continent. ¡®This all started with Luohu¡¯s ambition to refine the world, but it truly started because those scaled snakes ambushed our meeting. And brother Taotie was originally slain by that woman who is also part of their group.¡¯ For all his bravado he knew storming the East Sea Dragon Palace alone was suicide even for a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal as strong as him. So he issued a decree. ¡°The dragons of the East Sea humiliated our West Continent, destroyed Mt Sumeru and now is undoubtably going to invade us. Luohu is unwilling to retaliate after a single lost. He failed to bring you victory as promised. Instead, he and Mara hides." ¡°Mark my words, they will be coming for the rest of you. War has already been declared. You saw how quickly the outsiders can organize, how strong that organization was. Many of our friends and fellows were slain brutally. So many of our defenders and comrades. My own brother died but a short time ago." ¡°We need to disrupt that before its too late. Follow me and crush their base of commands before they can organize themselves again. Follow me an avenge your fallen kill!¡± Hundun watched Taowu¡¯s speech wordlessly. He gave nothing away and only gave a brief glimpse into Luohu¡¯s cave adobe. He surmised that the Ancestral Devil was not doing well in there. Luohu¡¯s hotheaded decision had endeared himself to no one. Great Devil Emperors from all over we¡¯re calling his ability into question now no matter how strong a front he pulled up. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he may even be dethroned and his position taken by another. The loss of the God Killing Spear definitely hurt. It was the stem of the original 36th ranked Chaos Green Lotus, an immensely powerful artifact that was on par with the Pangu Axe. Its loss definitely hurt Luohu more than most. Luohu¡¯s current position however was still very stable. While in theory many would question his ability, in practice no one actually dared. Because Luohu was already so powerful that anyone who tried is getting killed and replaced. Luohu may¡¯ve suffered a lot, but he still had the Immortal Extermination Four Swords. He still had a chaos ranked spiritual treasure in the Destruction Mill and his prized 12 PetalsBlack Lotus. He was still a Limitless Supreme Immortal. Feeling Luohu through the spiderweb of connections through the Devilish Dao, Hundun knew Luohu had a very high attainment. The man was a possible candidate for ascension into the Dao realm, this he was very sure of. At the same time, Hundun knew Taowu¡¯s words resonated with many and they in turn would likely follow him. After all, Taowu was a constant mentor figure in the lives countless devils for many Yuanhui. Hundun didn¡¯t stop to ponder how much more damaged the vitality of the west will be hurt by this makeshift counter offensive. Ultimately it played to his interests as well. Hundun gazed down at his body ignoring the departing Taowu, let him do what he wants for the Four Evils are finished anyway. He had other plans to attend to. But as he walked away, he looked at the sky again. ¡°Three weeks,¡± he murmured. ¡°It¡¯s just normal water. Yet it still hasn¡¯t stopped raining.¡± ¡­ The waters around Kailong Chen was calm. The waves were smooth and not even the pouring rain stirred much movement. The people in the cities however did not go about their daily lives. Instead they were anxious. An army was being prepared. One composed of anyone who was willing to fight. One composed of anyone who was willing to exterminate the devils to the very last man. The cities beneath the seas were well defended and did not suffer much. The rural places of the seabed were also far enough removed that they did not suffer damages at all. Thankfully they did not live on land else they would¡¯ve faced the full wrath of the collapsed sky box. But in truth, people were mourning. So many had died at the hands of the devils. Ancestors from every major clan had perished. Rising talents and many dragons who were famed and accomplished had met their end. Even the dragon¡¯s own protector saint had died. The battle they took part in had begun being known as the battle for Mt Buzhou that shattered the heavens or simply the Heaven Shattering Battler. In the finale of the battle, Zulong left emptily. His sons welcomed home a father who appeared broken. He locked himself inside his own room unwilling to see anyone leaving only a command. ¡°Make me a new army,¡± he said. Hence Gui Daiyu obliged. Yinglong was too injured to participate and her sons were kept under house arrest by herself. The empress didn¡¯t even have time to mourn her father and got to work amassing soldiers, weapons, and formation flags. The scale of events was mind boggling. East, West, North, and South Seas all had to contribute. Everyone who was a member of the empire had to contribute. The devils had already proven themselves willing to end all existence, hence everyone had to fight. Gui Daiyu also invited all the innate gods who distinguished themselves in the Heavens Shattering Battle. The Three Pure Ones, Leizu, Minghe, Zhen Yuanzi, etc had chosen to come. Though some like Di Jun, Taiyi, and Kun Peng accepted Zu Feng¡¯s invite instead. Something about birds gravitating to each other. Xihe was a bit reluctant to see Di Jun go but still followed Chang Xi to the East Sea Dragon Palace. The innate gods were recognized as far more powerful then most realized and were treated to their own chambers. This came with the expectation they would join the dragons in battle however. But for the time being, they collectively chose to join in paying their respect for the deceased. Even now, three weeks later the atmosphere of mourning permeated the palace. Every servant, every minister mourned somberly for Qinglong. Xuanwu and Baihu also received similar treatment while Zhuque received more on the continent. As a collective, the four earned themselves a ton of admiration. Few would be so willing to give up their everything to become eternally a part of the world. It was a sincere altruistic act of selflessness that transformed the Four Symbols Divine Beasts into the sky which stabilizes the Great Wilderness. An act which cemented them in the memory of all living beings. As in corresponding to this, their images were visible in the night sky connected by twenty four constellations. This was why Zulong always stood at his room¡¯s balcony. He had been there for weeks on end staring blankly into the sky. No one dared to disrupt him trusting him to show himself once the war began in earnest. Apart from him, when she was on break Gui Daiyu sat beneath a tree planted in the palace courtyard. She sat starring into an artwork of her late father the Primordial Turtle King. ¡°Hmph, what a Karen. Man¡¯s been dead for three weeks. Get over it,¡± Liu Er muttered below his breath watching the mourning empress from a distance. He chewed on a basket of peaches served to him by the servants and lay sideways on a bench. He didn¡¯t intent for it to be heard by anyone and made sure to keep his voice down. However, someone did. A man dressed in red robes decorated in clouds swam over with a look of disgust. ¡°Fellow daoist, with all due respect her majesty¡¯s only remaining parent had just died. Please show some respect,¡± Hongyun said politely. This red robed man was Ancestor Hongyun of the third generation of innate gods. He was born within Fire Cloud Cave as a Golden Immortal and traveled across the East Continent eventually attaining great power. He was among the few who survived the intense struggle against Luohu and came out of it fully in tact. He was also quite famous in the stories Liu Er was familiar with. That was to say. If Liu Er had low value opinions about every member of his generation, he had outright negative values about Hongyun. Because he considered Hongyun to be the biggest mentally deficient retard to have ever lived in the Primitive World past present and future. Upon seeing and recognizing Hongyun, Liu Er¡¯s face scrunched up in disdain. He quickly turned away and hid it. ¡®The classical nice guy,¡¯ he thought in disgust. ¡®It¡¯s a miracle this retard even lived this long. He doesn¡¯t even have the excuse of being a woman like Tongtian to explain his actions.¡¯ Hongyun was famous for one action and one action only. He was a naive idiot who was too nice to people and ended up offending a bunch of people which ended with him dead. When Hongjun became the first Saint of Heaven, he preached three times to three thousand guests in his Zixiao Palace. There he laid out six mats for those who would become his disciples. They were also at the very front of the chamber and had the most benefits. The original people who obtained these were Yuanshi, Tongtian, Laozi or Taishang in this version of events, Nuwa, Hongyun, and Kun Peng. But when Zhunti arrived, he debased himself and cried like a baby. This humiliating act stirred the heartstring of Hongyun who graciously moved out of the way for Zhunti. Zhunti then harassed Kun Peng into leaving his seat for his brother Jieyin. Afterwards the two bald donkeys from the west became in name disciples of Hongjun and was granted Grandmist Violet Qi necessary to become a Saint of Heaven. Curiously enough Hongyun also received the seventh and final one by pure chance. Kun Peng blamed Hongyun for forcing him to leave which resulted in him and others hunting the Red Cloud Ancestor down relentlessly. Ultimately the immortal perished in a suicidal explosion and the Grandmist Violet Qi was taken back by Hongjun. As for the original Liu Er? He was caught trying to listen in on the lecture without permission and blacklisted by everyone. He was forced to cultivate his own path without guidance and took until the Journey to the West tribulation where Buddhism moved eastward to achieve Saint to Be realm. At least that was how the original story should go. Liu Er as such paid Hongyun¡¯s words no heed. After all, he was a dead man walking and hence not worth listening to. The only thing worth a mention was his Nine-Nine Soulscatter Gourd. Liu Er doubt he had it now but it was something he was looking forward to obtain. ¡°I speak only facts fellow daoist,¡± Liu Er said with false politeness. ¡°We are all stressed to march for war. We can¡¯t afford our leaders being distracted by such disturbances.¡± Hongyun couldn¡¯t stop himself from agreeing with this rhetoric. But even so he still disliked Liu Er¡¯s words and mannerisms. The only thing as bad as this had been Yuanshi¡¯s insufferable, ¡®I¡¯m better then you¡¯ attitude. ¡°Hey Hongyun,¡± a straw hat wearing youngster ran up. It was his longtime friend Zhen Yuanzi. ¡°Elder Leize contacted me. He has procured some high grade xiantian spiritual treasures for our reward. You should come look.¡± ¡°Ah finally, I was wondering when.¡± Liu Er listened in and frowned before standing up. Gui Daiyu had said they would be rewarded handsomely but he never expected them to be so stingy with the rewards. He fought Luohu for crying out loud and they couldn¡¯t even give him a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure? He idly wondered about pulling a Sun Wukong and just take the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle for his own use but quickly squashed that thought. In his opinion, the needle was just a useless low grade piece of copper incomparable to an actual xiantian spiritual treasure. It was probably a tool of much lower ranking. Legends did say it was just a ruler Yu the Great used to measure water levels with. So pretty much worthless garbage with too grand a name. Thinking about the reward distribution still made his blood boil. The world even without the Heavenly Dao naturally gifted Nuwa a great amount of merit for her act of plugging a piece of rock. Her understanding on the Dao strengthened and she fell into a cultivation coma. She was being kept safe by the grateful dragons and Fuxi and was already promised a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure to compensate her. Leize¡¯s open biases towards scaled creatures were full on display in Liu Er¡¯s opinion. They all performed their part, they should get equal treatment. It wasn¡¯t just him though, Yuanshi felt the same way. As the one who knocked the Heavenly Dao¡¯s core out of Luohu¡¯s hands he felt he was entitled to greater rewards then a set of high grade xiantian spiritual treasure. But Gui Daiyu made some reasonings that top grade xiantian spiritual treasures were extremely rare and even they had very few. Liu Er didn¡¯t believe that for one second. The dragons were famous for their wealth, they can definitely afford it. FOOM! ¡°Hm?¡± Liu Er looked around him having felt a sudden tremor. ¡°Feel that?¡± He blurted out. ¡°Of course,¡± Zhen Yuanzi answered floating up. he starred up towards the ocean surface with a look of anger. Gui Daiyu had put away her painting and sneered towards the surface. Her hands tightened into a solid fist and veins bulged out. ¡°The audacity of you!¡± She roared. As soon as she did so the water submerging the city evaporated. On second it was there, the next it wasn¡¯t. All those prescient who were used to the city¡¯s luminescent lighting was suddenly dragged out and exposed to the open sunlight. Rain water instantly dropped to the ocean floor and walls of water parted exposing the area in its entirety. Zulong glanced over for the first time in days noticing the rain. ¡°It¡¯s raining,¡± he said. The titanic figure of Taowu covered the city in his shadow. His humanoid face and long swishing red tongue hung in the air. His feline body arched with both front paws up. ¡°The gall!¡± ¡°Fucking devils!¡± ¡°Bloodthirsty scum all of them!¡± Taowu floated in the air encompassed by over a hundred thousand devils of lower power levels. Three Great Emperors had come followed by a hundred Chaos Immortals. Below them were thousands of Taiyi Golden Immortals and regular Golden Immortals. The vast majority was composed of immortals who had not attained eternity yet. ¡°Such a meager force and yet you dare!¡± Gui Daiyu snarled. She meant what she said, what Taowu brought was pitiful. Luohu had brought hundreds of thousands of Great Principle Chaos Immortal level fighters to battle, this was nothing compared to that. ¡°Enough! You¡¯ll all pay for murdering my brother. Especially you woman!¡± Taowu pointed past Gui Daiyu at someone taking their rest in the palace. This prompted Yi Fei¡¯e to open her window and jump out into the air with a sneer. She was very much still injured and unsteady on her feet. Cinnabar Phoenix was quick at her side encouraging her to move back. But she stubbornly held on ¡°You want me? Come get me!¡± She manifested her sword and pointed it up at Taowu. ¡°Your brother deserved what he got,¡± she taunted. ¡°GRR!¡± Taowu unable to hold back his rage unleashed a blast of glittering fire. ¡°Qinglong, I big brother was useless,¡± Zulong said softly walking up towards the blast. ¡°I dedicate these sacrifices to you.¡± ¡°Sacrifice dragon? You should know your place,¡± Taowu spat mid attack. ¡°Now die for me!¡± ¡°ROAR!¡± Zulong shifted into his true form and in one breath, obliterated Taowu¡¯s attack with his own air blast. His golden form moved haggardly through the air yet his gaze carried with it the promise of death. ¡°Stay back,¡± he said almost lazily towards the people below him. Zulong moved like a drunken man unsteady on his feet. It was uncaring and inelegant unbefitting of an imperial monarch such as himself. He didn¡¯t even bother dodging attacks thrown his way just letting weak devils bounce off himself. Only Taowu was in his sights. ¡°Four Evils are the opposite of my brother¡¯s Four Symbols right? So as big brother I¡¯ll destroy you and Qinglong can rest easy right?¡± He said sounding almost desperate. ¡°Hmph,¡± Taowu snorted moving in for an attack. But then Zulong¡¯s eyes widened. He starred past Taowu and stopped his movements. He dipped his neck and sighed in shame unable to continue looking up. ¡°Barring your neck?¡± Taowu was confused but he did not let the advantage go unused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so useless,¡± Zulong said. ¡°As you should be!¡± Taowu said. ¡°No, as you should be,¡± Da Hai said to Taowu. ¡°What?¡± In alarm, Taowu twisted his body around only to see a face he hadn¡¯t seen in years. His face starred right into the tiny form of Da Hai looking right back at him emotionlessly. The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword was already raised above his head in his right arm. Said sword was emitting tons of gas which coated its metallic surface. SCHINK! ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®When did he?¡¯ Taowu split cleanly into two pieces. Straight down the middle of his face down to the rest of his body, two halves fell from the sky. ¡°Da Hai?¡± Taowu¡¯s dying voice called out in complete shock. ¡°What are?¡± Da Hai stepped forward and raised his palm. He expressionlessly manifested two snake heads from his hair sending them down. In one move he crushed Taowu¡¯s remains in his jaws and unleashed fire to reduce the former godfiend to nothingness. Da Hai sighed tiredly. His shoulders sagged after killing Taowu. His eyes trailed towards the shocked devils who were too stunned to make a movement. Suddenly they panicked feeling something wrong. Then they all disintegrated leaving only the Devil Emperors behind. ¡°Who is this guy?¡± The three Great Principle Chaos Immortals questioned with terror. Da Hai walked forward reaching their location without them reacting. He swung his sword a few times before they could even register what was going on. His blade was coated in a thick layer of Chaotic Sword Qi, it easily sliced through their bodies killing them. In the rain, Da Hai just looked depressed. ¡°Master,¡± Zulong greeted approaching him in downcast. ¡°I failed.¡± ¡°Master!¡± Yi Fei¡¯e hurried into the air despite her condition. She looked utterly apologetic and could bare get any words out. Her sisters followed closely behind all in various states of distress. ¡°Master,¡± Yinglong emerged from the palace looking equally haggard. His condition was the worse of anyone here. Da Hai gave them all a look of relief. ¡°Qinglong?¡± he asked with small measures hope in his voice. The silence he received was haunting to his ears. Chapter 143-Welcome Home Da Hai In the far eastern corners of the Great Wilderness. In the space lying beyond the East Sea stood a tall pillar. It sat upon an island atop peaceful waves. It was made of an unknown material that resembled wood carved to resemble scales. Engravings of dragons were visible all around the pillar and minor carvings of stars were also present. Below the pillar, over a dozen individuals stood silently while a single man sat in front. Da Hai had his eyes closed standing at the front. He was dressed in white notepad of black and so were Zulong, Yinglong, Yi Fei¡¯e and her sisters, Gui Daiyu and the rest of Zulong¡¯s family. ¡°Disciple,¡± Da Hai muttered after a period of silence. His relaxed palms gripped themselves tightly before releasing again. Then they hardened into a grip before releasing. This cycle went on for hours, days even and no one even spoke a word. No one interrupted Da Hai. More weeks had gone by since Taowu and his petty petty forces were slain. The West Continent had no news but Da Hai did not expect anything from them. ¡°Oh Qinglong,¡± Da Hai finally said after half a year of silence. ¡°Why did you have to do this to yourself?¡± ¡°It was my failure,¡± Zulong interrupted. ¡°I was incompetent as a ruler and more so as a brother.¡± ¡°No you¡¯re wrong father,¡± Bi An said. ¡°I was the one responsible for starting this whole mess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, you are blameless brother. I was the strongest and I failed to protect you. The original sin lies with me,¡± Denglong said stopping Bi An¡¯s speech. ¡°Grandmaster, it was my duty to look out for threats during the peace talks. I could¡¯ve prevented everything but I failed.¡± ¡°Peace talks?¡± Da Hai asked. ¡°Zufeng sent me a letter some time ago. We agreed for a conference of sorts to hopefully put our differences aside. We were both tired from so many years of aggression. But during the talks¡­¡± Zulong began speaking with deep regret. As he described the events leading up to the battle at Mt Buzhou, the shattering of the heavens, when the Starry Skies crashed into the Great Wilderness, and when the Four Symbols sacrificed themselves to become the new sky. Da Hai¡¯s lips curved downwards more and more. He looked westwards with an ugly expression. ¡°That explains why my re-entry had no resistance. Fucking Heavenly Dao, fat load of good you were getting taken out like that so early.¡± His mocking words did not receive a response. Da Hai doubted the tantrum throwing child had even heard him. Yinglong gritted his teeth in anger. He was still heavily injured even now all these months later yet he could no longer control himself. ¡°Damn it just why? Why did you have to give yourself up like that? Why couldn¡¯t you¡¯ve just been a good boy and listened as you were told?¡± ¡°Oh Mt Buzhou how could you just break like that. Pangu was your spine truly so brittle? I guess that fits given your defeatist attitude when you made the Primitive World,¡± Yinglong spat. Zulong and the others were scandalized when they heard Yinglong¡¯s harsh criticism to the creator god. But their brother/uncle did not seem concerned about his words at all. ¡°Qinglong, why did I ignore you for so long? Why did I always side against you? What I wouldn¡¯t give to have you back. Damn the Primitive World¡¯s worthless sky. I¡¯ll tear you outta there myself.¡± ¡°Qinglong, I¡¯m sorry I failed you,¡± Zulong added with his own thoughts. ¡°I was not good enough of a brother. Why didn¡¯t you listen and obey? Why sacrifice your form and soul for people you don¡¯t even know?¡± PAH! But Da Hai struck them both in the face sending them flying. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± He roared ¡°Do not dismiss your brother¡¯s sacrifice anymore. He made his choice and no matter how much I despise it I will stand by it just as I stood by you Zulong. Qinglong sacrificed himself for the betterment of the Primtive World,¡± Da Hai said regretfully. He took a deep breath and pulled his arms back behind him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he can be separated from it. Listen you two, let the past be bygones. Qinglong made his choice. But his death has meaning and always will. He is the immortal pillar that holds up the sky. We as his family must do everything in our power to preserve him do you understand?¡± ¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡± ¡°I cannot allow my disciple¡¯s death be in vain. I cannot let it go unanswered either. I see you two are already well into preparing another fight. That is good. I was not here last time. That is my failure. Neither of you are to blame for Qinglong¡¯s death. It is I that was negligent and did not predict Luohu¡¯s move. i was complacent,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°So we will take the fight to the west. And I will stop at nothing until Luohu¡¯s corpse lies at my feat,¡± Da Hai announced. ¡°Qinglong¡¯s death would be worth it. He can¡¯t have died for nothing this I swear,¡± he mumbled after the fact. ¡°Senior brother was a truly kind individual,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e said. ¡°I do not know if I would¡¯ve been as selfless as him. To give up everything so all living beings could have a better tomorrow. I am truly honoured to have been able to call him brother.¡± ¡°Brother-in-law was truly something else. Selfless beyond all others,¡± Gui Daiyu sighed and bowed towards the Eastern Pillar. Her sons, Zulong, Yinglong, Yi Fei¡¯e and her sisters all payed their respects to Qinglong once more. Da Hai did the same and for many more days they gave their final farewells to the fallen kin. Eventually, it was time to go. Gui Daiyu was preparing to arm the powerhouses who fought for them and accepted their invite to stay in the East Sea prior to Da Hai¡¯s return. But she had to postpone to accompany them here. But Da Hai volunteered to do so in her stead which she ultimately complied. When they were about to leave they also encountered another sight. Twelve figures moved towards the pillar both flying and swimming. Zulong and the others recognized them as the twelve siblings who made the Pangu Genesis Formation. ¡°This is where they¡¯ve gone?¡± Yinglong muttered. Da Hai released a small gasp. ¡°So they¡¯re here. The twelve Primordial Gods of the Wu Clan. I¡¯d recognize their shape anywhere.¡± ¡°So its true then? They really are born of Pangu¡¯s blood?¡± Gui Daiyu asked. ¡°As authentic as they claim yes,¡± Da Hai answered. The twelve approached the group and stopped before reaching them. ¡°Greetings,¡± Di Jiang said. ¡°We are here to pay our respects to the fallen hero. I see you¡¯ve come to do the same?¡± ¡°Your actions are appreciated,¡± Zulong said. ¡°We would see you twelve rewarded for aiding my brother so. But you rejected our invite.¡± ¡°Your wife invited us,¡± Zhurrong corrected to Zulong¡¯s narrowing eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right and we wouldn¡¯t have accepted anyway. What would you care anyway? You tried to run from the Primitive World unlike brave Azure Dragon. Now he was a true hero!¡± Gonggong added. ¡°You¡­¡± Zulong was stunned by their audacity. It greatly angered him when they essentially called his feelings into question. ¡°You question my love for my own brother?¡± His power exploded out pushing the waves to such an extent that a tsunami formed. It shocked the twelve just how oppressive Zulong was towards them and even their supernaturally tough bodies felt restrained under the dragon¡¯s pressure. ¡°As expected of the Wu Clan. You really have a mouth on you. Zhurrong and Gonggong I suppose?¡± Da Hai asked but his tone was anything but friendly. ¡°Wu? What¡¯s that?¡± Shebishi muttered. ¡°That is correct,¡± Di Jiang quickly said in a mediating tone. ¡°Forgive them they are impulsive and prone to outbursts. We only wish to pay our respects and build a shrine for hero Qinglong. We¡¯ve done so for the other three heroes already. Even got some help from a boy in the South Pole.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Da Hai stroked his beard before scoffing. ¡°Do as you wish. I expect you would be fighting the devils as well?¡± ¡°Of course, you can count on it,¡± the twelve of them said. ¡°Do as you wish. Build a proper shrine for my disciple and join the army once you¡¯re done,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°Oh and a piece of advice for the future. You Wu really should think before you speak. Authentic Pangu inheritance wont save you from everything.¡± He left with Zulong and the others no longer caring for the twelve. Zhurrong and Gonggong had unknowingly offended Da Hai as well and he did not feel like interacting with any of them anytime soon. While he knew his promises and his expectations, that did not overcome his first impressions. ¡°Who was that?¡± Zhurrong couldn¡¯t help but ask after Da Hai left. Many of his siblings shrugged but some didn¡¯t. ¡°Someone important. Did you not see how quickly the Dragon Sovereign differed to him?¡± Zhu Jiuying scolded the fire god slapping him upside the head with his tail. ¡°Utter moron!¡± ¡­ The primeval powers of the Five Elements flowed through her, enlightening her in deep understanding. The concept of creation filled her mind and remade her entire being. Every piece of scale and hair on her transformed again and again in a chaotic scene. Yet the result was always a piece of creation that became ever more perfect. Nuwa did not know how long she had been in this state. She could not escape from it nor had she any desire to. She felt joy at the astounding progress she felt she was making. As a Great Principle Chaos Immortal, it had been difficult to improve her Dao of song and dance after condensing her Dao fruit. However, the moment she shoved the Five Coloured Stone into the hole in the sky, she fell into an epiphany. The distant memory of Pangu creating the universe which she lived in came into her mind. They assaulted her senses so thoroughly until she was completely immersed within the pool of knowledge. In the beginning she felt her cultivation collapse entirely. Her Dao shattered and she felt herself deteriorate back to the beginning where even the primordial unity she formed looked unstable. But it was from there that she was reborn. Her tree sprouted with new life giving energy. The mirages of billions unique species of animals sat upon her tree merging into a singular point. This point eventually birthed a new Dao fruit, one an order of magnitudes more powerful then her last. It was so strong in fact that aberrations formed on it the moment it was created. Nuwa felt her strength rise to such an extent that the old her would¡¯ve been nothing more then an insect to her current self. Even the exalted dragon elders she¡¯d met may not be entirely her match. Her enlightened state continued on for a time. Archaic images of the first lifeforms in the Great Wilderness made for wonderful entertainment. Watching as the chaos godfiend reincarnated into the first generation of innate gods was fascinating. How these beings who had essentially become natural laws and concepts managed to preserve themselves and merge with objects of the physical world. Their complete takeover and absorption of primordial qi allowed them to shape their bodies and return to life albeit in a greatly weakened state. There were once hundreds of them who had managed this process. Yet it was saddening that less then ten survived into the current era. But beyond that, she¡¯d also witnessed the ancestors for all the innate creature clans who were born in the earliest time periods of the Early Heavens. At a time where the Heavenly Dao wasn¡¯t even complete. A time where creation was still undergoing its processes. In fact to a certain extent creation was still continuing. Nuwa herself felt a deep connection to this idea. When she opened her eyes for the first time in a while, it was to an dark room. She shat upon a cushion submerged in water. In fact, she herself was thousands of kilometers below the surface. She quickly panicked at the unfamiliar location before calming down after getting her grip. Her form was her true self having reverted in her deep cultivation. Hence she unwound her scaly body and licked her lips with her forked tongue. Every breath she took blew bubbles around her which fascinated her hence she began playing with them. That was also when the door opened and an unfamiliar maid stepped through. ¡°Oh, my lady is awake,¡± the maid said. Nuwa at a single glance recognized her species as a Flood Dragon. Every little detail down to the most minute cellular structure was recorded and stored in her mind instantly. It was strange how quickly she identified all the traits of this young maid who she¡¯d never met and had not even tried to analyze. ¡°Apologies, I will notify the Heavenly Lord at once,¡± she said before retreating before Nuwa even got a word in. The serpent goddess only starred in confusion for a few moments before transforming. First her large head took on the shape full upper body of a topless woman followed by her bottom half. It was enough time for another man she didn¡¯t recognize to walk in. ¡°You¡¯re awake, good,¡± the man said. ¡°Perfect timing as well. Zulong was just about to lead the others to the treasury. I heard what you did Nuwa. I¡­I want to say thank you. Were it not for you, the Primitive World would not exist. But more importantly, you made¡­made¡­hai. You made Qinglong¡¯s sacrifice mean something.¡± He was dressed in black robes with decorations of waves and snakes running through them. His hair was a spongy blond colour yet his face carried a seemingly blank expression. His posture was slightly sagged but he was nevertheless communicating a powerful feeling to her divine sense. Yet while he talked he did not spare much of a look at her. Being naturally empathetic, Nuwa suddenly felt very sorry for the man. Though he wasn¡¯t openly showing it, she felt he was very sad. But his eyes also scared her. There was just something off about them that was frightening. ¡°After recent events, as an innate god native to this world I expect you to fight on the front lines. Since you sacrificed your only treasure for us and ensured my disciple¡¯s sacrifice was not in vein, I will personally ensure you¡¯re compensated properly and fairly. Come with me to the treasury.¡± He motioned with his fingers for her to follow. But suddenly she impacted him with her arms wrapped around him. ¡°What the?¡± Startled, Da Hai was completely frazzled. He took both his arms around Nuwa¡¯s shoulders and steadily removed her, lifting her up and placing her an arms reach away from him. ¡°Sorry, just felt like you needed it,¡± she said. Da Hai sighed and shook his head in exasperation. He gazed down at Nuwa who was only half a head shorter then he was. He frowned at her form and promptly flung his arms around. Light gathered in his palms and a robe manifested. He wrapped it around her shoulders and telekinetically tied the sash. He did all this wordlessly ¡°This way,¡± Da Hai said walking away without another word. He led her past dozens of working maids and servants into the open courtyard where they attracted many stares. The East Sea Dragon Palace was huge and even the treasury was a palace in and of itself. The building reached hundreds of meters high with stylized underwater architecture. They eventually ran into several other innate gods Nuwa recognized from her time fighting on Mt Buzhou. It seemed like everyone of note was already here being led by the Dragon Sovereign himself. Everyone from Yuanshi to Liu Er were following along. Many other dragons and sea creatures were also present evidentially here to be armed with good treasures to augment their strength. ¡°Sister!¡± Fuxi was the first to reach her and embrace her. ¡°Oh thank the heavens, I was so worried about you.¡± Despite being held firmly in his hands, Nuwa suddenly noticed a noticeable gap in both their strength. Whereas previously they were relatively equal she now felt Fuxi was much weaker than her. ¡°Congratulations fellow daoist for perfecting your Dao. You now stand at the apex as a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal,¡± Taishang said walking from out of the group of immortals. ¡°Huh?¡± Nuwa stared down at her hands when Fuxi let go and starred at her in shock. ¡°I had not noticed I advanced so much.¡± ¡°You Dao is very impressive,¡± she heard Da Hai say. ¡°Life? Creation am I correct? It¡¯s certainly a very powerful ability with many potential.¡± ¡°Creation? But your Dao has nothing to do with that,¡± Fuxi quickly said. ¡°Evidentially it does now,¡± Nuwa said shrugging. ¡°I feel much more attuned with this one than my last. It¡¯s like I was made for it. Strange though, I don''t remember making it.¡± In the background Da Hai rubbed his chin. ¡°So her Dao changed. Interesting.¡± In his head he made several notes on Nuwa. Clearly her deep cultivation had led to a complete change in herself. Daos to a Golden Immortal who had manifested their Dao fruits were as important as their own life. They represented all their understanding that they had cultivated until now. For Nuwa to suddenly change a Dao was a phenomena that was theoretically possible but unheard of. One would have to abandon everything that made them themselves and effectively start over with an entirely new philosophical route. Da Hai could not fathom abandoning his own Dao nor could Zulong. They were both curious as to how Nuwa regressed then progressed so quickly. She had easily surpassed her old self in mere weeks. ¡°Could it be¡­Pangu?¡± Da Hai murmured below his breath. He however shook his head and threw the thought to the back of his mind deeming it unimportant. ¡°Master, I have unlocked the treasury,¡± Zulong told him having approached him in the midst of his contemplation. ¡°Alright,¡± Da Hai nodded. ¡°Listen up all of you. I am told you are the best distinguished warriors of the Great Wilderness. The war against the devils has just begun. You will as such select a weapon from the dragon¡¯s treasury that fits you. You may consider it yours as reward for your service thus far but it is also granted under the condition you all fight the devils.¡± ¡°Master please,¡± Zulong opened the door for Da Hai and gestured him to head in first before following as second. Seeing the Dragon Sovereign so readily defer to Da Hai for authority made Nuwa gasp. Seeing her confusion, Fuxi made some introduction as she wasn¡¯t present when Da Hai first appeared. ¡°The Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord,¡± she said in wonder. ¡°Wow, we met a real big shot.¡± The innate gods all followed inside. Many gasped in wonder at the riches the dragons had accumulated over the years. Many were jealous at their own relatively bare bones inventory especially those who had high inheritances. ¡®Finally after such a long time,¡¯ Liu Er thought with appreciation. The dragons were filthy rich from over a million years of accumulation. Generations upon generations of work dedicated to an immortal ruler. Booty from conquest as well as random discoveries and taxes over time created an abundant treasury filled with treasures of all grades. Lines of xiantian spiritual treasures were piled up. Only treasures reaching the xiantian level were displayed and hung up. Lower rank spiritual treasures were just piled up where space was available. Xiantian spiritual treasures of any rank be they low, medium, or high were all exceedingly rare and very valuable to the average cultivator. They were usually held as clan inheritance treasures and personal weapons of experts. The average immortal would never see tail nor hide of a low grade xiantian spiritual treasure. The power difference and rarity were also vastly different between all three. Only the old and powerful established powerhouses would have large collections like the this. Even then the dragons uniquely held a massive reservoir. Liu Er eyed all of these treasures hungrily with a jealous look in his eye. ¡°As expected of dragons,¡± he said. Low grade, medium grade, and high grade were all prescient. But top grade xiantian spiritual treasures were not out in the open. Liu Er supposed this was to be expected. Top grade xiantian spiritual treasures were different from the other three rankings. Despite being xiantian level this was only in relation to their shared origins as natural objects born of heaven and earth similar to connate lifeforms which included both innate creatures and innate gods. Top grade was an order of magnitudes more powerful then even high grade and represented an absolute peak of augmentative treasures. So rare in fact that even the filthy rich dragons preserved what little they had like their lives depended on it. Not even mighty Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal level elders had them on hand. Top grade xiantian spiritual treasures neared chaos spiritual treasures in quality and ability. And that rank was nigh mythical. Nevertheless, Liu Er couldn¡¯t stamp down his jealousy and wondered where the dragons were keeping their most powerful treasures. Rows of swords, spears, cauldrons, paintings, etc. Zulong and Da Hai stood at the very center gesturing through the entire treasury. ¡°Take your pick, all of you may pick a single spiritual treasure you have fate with to keep.¡± Da Hai paused after noticing Yuanshi making a strange face after listening to him. ¡°You have a problem?¡± He asked sounding annoyed. ¡°Speak up.¡± Yuanshi wasn¡¯t fazed to be singled out. He confidently stepped forward with a puffed up chest and said, ¡°With all due respect Heavenly Lord. Should we not be rewarded with more than a single treasure? After all did we not all risk our lives fighting the monstrous Devil Ancestor face to face and did us Three Pure Ones not contribute immensely during the battle?¡± ¡°The nerve,¡± Zulong mumbled with gritting teeth. He was about to step forwards until Da Hai raised a hand. The dragon did not seem to mind and deferred to Da Hai anyway. ¡°Three Pure Ones you say? You three¡­huh?¡± Whatever Da Hai was going to say disappeared in his throat as he closely examined the three individuals Yuanshi gestured towards. The middle aged yet handsome Yuanshi, the elderly wise looking Taishang, and a young energetic woman. Da Hai¡¯s confused gaze singled out Tongtian who coincidentally missed his look. She was in fact given Yuanshi a not so subtle pinch on his backside whispering, ¡°You¡¯re making us look bad idiot!¡± ¡®That¡¯s Tongtian? Does he just prefer¡­no that¡¯s clearly female yin qi. Why is she a woman? Why does she look so much like Wangshu?¡¯ Da Hai took half a second to recompose himself, pushing his curiosity aside and coughed twice. ¡°Ahem. Remember where you are. It was only right that you fought for a righteous cause like saving the world from death. That in and of itself is a reward.¡± ¡°But we of the oceans are gracious enough to offer you all compensation for your work because my disciple, Dragon Sovereign is kind,¡± Da Hai spat with slight disgust. ¡°This is not a charity. You are not entitled to anything in this treasury. Xiantian spiritual treasures of any rank are valuable and worth more then a million immortal¡¯s lives. Nothing here is your property. Authentic descendent of Pangu or not.¡± With that Da Hai emitted part of his own aura silencing Yuanshi. Other innate gods like Leizu and Minghe were silently thanking Yuanshi for having the balls to say what they were thinking and taking the fall for them as well. Others were wondering how Da Hai already knew Yuanshi¡¯s claims despite never talking to him until now. ¡°Enough, you all have your own pride as powerful immortals and neither Zulong nor I begrudge you,¡± Da Hai said finally. ¡°Nuwa, you come with us.¡± Nuwa pointed at herself oddly before trailing after Zulong and Da Hai. But she was an afterthought as others began looking around. They had all taken Da Hai¡¯s words to heart and began examining what they wanted. ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard,¡± a random dragon who was also checking around felt the need to say. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t trust us? We fought on the same side,¡± the bird headed Leizu said feeling angered at the perceived insult. ¡°Ultimately you are still strangers. This is dragon property first and foremost,¡± the dragon said. Before Leizu could respond, an elderly hand rested on his shoulders. The muscular thunder god looked back to see a relaxed Taishang. ¡°No need to escalate. We all have manners here,¡± he said simply before leaving. ¡°Hmph,¡± Leizu promptly chose another direction to inspect him ignoring the dragon and grumbling to himself. Afterwards there was a noticeable distance between the innate gods and the natives of the oceans. Watching this Liu Er grumbled. He was hoping for something good but it looks like this Leizu fellow was too pussy to defend himself. The dragons too were as arrogant as ever. The monkey couldn¡¯t wait for their sins to catch up to them. Then he can loot their palaces without worry. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. He strutted around the treasury heading straight for cudgel type weapons of the highest possible grade. Secretly he hoped for a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure that had just been left around. Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang were each picking out what they wanted. However in their minds they were discussing their own thoughts through mental communications. ¡°These dragons think too highly of themselves. They treat us as if we¡¯re second class nobodies.¡± ¡°Meh, you¡¯re just pissed they didn¡¯t cater to your every whim.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re too relaxed about it. We¡¯re the most authentic children of Pangu the creator. We have a status that needs to be respected. Dragons or no dragons.¡± ¡°Well I can¡¯t really argue against that. But don¡¯t you¡­oh hey what¡¯s this now?¡± Tongtian bent down and picked up a sword examining it happily. ¡°Put that down sister, it¡¯s only a low grade trash. I can make something ten times better with my eyes closed,¡± Yuanshi sent her his message with a dismissive wave. He was also correct in his assessment. Of the three, Yuanshi was the most talented in crafting. In fact, with proper equipment, materials and time, he was the only one who could create a xiantian level spiritual treasure. His siblings Tongtian was a master of formation crafting while Taishang was more skilled in alchemy. Together they were a trifecta of support arts that complimented each other. ¡°You really are salty aren¡¯t you,¡± Tongtian shot back placing the sword back. ¡°Hmph. We were on the front lines against Luohu. I personally ripped the Heavenly Dao¡¯s core away from him to safety. And I¡¯m not even guaranteed at least ten high grade xiantian spiritual treasure? Doesn¡¯t feel fair.¡± ¡°You always harp on about that. Didn¡¯t our fellow siblings the twelve monster things do fine without any?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t compare us to those beasts. You know we need treasures to augment our strength. And besides, how can we live up to father god Pangu¡¯s legacy being broke second rate powers?¡± ¡°Hmph, that pride of yours embarrasses us more times then I could count.¡± ¡°You embarrass us with your antics more then anything I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Want me to pinch you again?¡± ¡°Enough you two,¡± Taishang¡¯s ancient wizened voice shot through both Yuanshi and Tongtian¡¯s minds. ¡°Yuanshi, your behavior has been abhorrent. Stop it at once. And you Tongtian, stop being so childish, there is a time and place for these things.¡± Yuanshi and Tongtian looked over at a no longer serene Taishang. For once he appeared slightly pissed at them. They wisely chose to keep quiet and return to looking. Taishang only sighed and picked out a cushion on a table before walking off with it. In the end Yuanshi took a pair of swords while Tongtian ended up with an idol. The others did not take long to tract down objects that they felt suited them best and took them. Only Liu Er was still looking largely unaware of what he was looking for. Unlike other innate gods who were sensitive enough to sense treasures with some karmic ties with them. Liu Er was not sensitive to this at all. In all his years, he¡¯d never really learned how to do more of the esoteric abilities immortals learned to perform. His only trait was his natural super hearing divine ability and great raw strength. ¡­ Da Hai and Zulong took Nuwa to a deeper layer of the treasury. Nuwa was nervous as the two men walked quickly and opened up a chamber where other objects were stored. ¡°You did a great deed Nuwa,¡± Da Hai said sighing with deep emotion visible in his far away look. ¡°Mending the heavens resolved things enough for me to return in time. Ultimately, it made Qinglong¡¯s death mean something.¡± ¡°To be honest it could¡¯ve been anyone,¡± Nuwa said respectfully. ¡°I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I remember Liu Er also contributed to helping me reach the top.¡± ¡°Liu Er you say?¡± Da Hai raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nevertheless it was still you who ultimately achieved it. Qinglong¡¯s sacrifice was not in vein because of your actions.¡± Zulong sighed at the mention. ¡°Indeed young Nuwa. This here are some of the rarest most valuable treasures at my disposal. But ultimately it suited none of my siblings nor my sons and so were kept here. Take whatever you want.¡± ¡°These are,¡± Nuwa narrowed her eyes at the few treasures arranged around her. There weren¡¯t many but unlike the ones from the other larger room, this collection could be counted on the fingers of one hand. ¡°All top grade xiantian spiritual treasures?¡± ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t possibly accept these!¡± ¡°Just take it, you¡¯ve earned it.¡± Nuwa gulped. She nervously stepped forwards and reached out searching for treasures that had fate with her. Karmic ties between treasures and individuals were faint to begin with and only signified the potential of this treasure to be owned by someone as well as their affinity. Following this principle Nuwa quickly realized her choice. ¡°This one,¡± she said pointing at a painting hung on the wall. ¡°That? I see I see,¡± Da Hai said with a small smirk. ¡°Very well then goddess Nuwa. The Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains Painting is yours. It has the ability to trap others inside a miniature world of its own hence its name. Offensively its nothing special but it does have wonderful effects as a farm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find good use for it,¡± Nuwa said. Satisfied, the three left this chamber and returned to the first. By the time they returned, others were done with their selections. Many had noticed the painting Nuwa held folded in her arm and felt immense envy for they all noticed its grade. ¡°Take a pick from this room and we¡¯re done,¡± Da Hai said. Afterwards he stopped paying attention and began speaking to Zulong. ¡°Say, just how much stuff were collected her over the years?¡± ¡°Frankly, a lot. Much more then I bothered remembering.¡± ¡°Heavens!¡± Meanwhile Nuwa was scrutinized while she once again set out to pick another treasure. The stuff in this room were not of top grade but still very strong. For someone who was penniless like her, everything seemed valuable. ¡°Look at her, strutting around like she owns the place,¡± Liu Er sneered. His hand was holding a large demonic looking cudgel with a snarling face and spikes. He had picked it for its deadly appearance and was itching to grab something else. Seeing Nuwa, he only felt further incentivized. His frisky hands reached for another treasure, a ring on a pedestal before another hand caught it. Liu Er snarled facing Hongyun. ¡®This retard,¡¯ he thought with contempt. ¡°Hey, one treasure per person,¡± Hongyun reminded. ¡°We all follow the rules, why can¡¯t you?¡± Liu Er tore his arm away from the Red Cloud Ancestor and waked away muttering to himself. ¡°Fucking busy body nice guy,¡± he muttered quietly. Unfortunately for him, his words did not go unnoticed. ¡°Nuwa can grab that painting and something else. Why can¡¯t I?¡± Nuwa finally reached for a ball of red string. Among the dragon¡¯s vast reservoir of treasures, this string wasn''t that powerful either. But Nuwa felt it was special so she chose it. It was only a medium grade xiantian spiritual treasure. ¡°I chose this,¡± she announced holding the ball of red string up. ¡°Imma call it my Red Hydrangea.¡± ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t that a waste of a pick? There are much better weapons here,¡± Fuxi whispered after reaching her side. ¡°Yeah but they all don¡¯t suit me. I feel much more relaxed with this Red Hydrangea.¡± ¡°But¡­fine whatever makes you happy.¡± Other innate gods felt it was a bit of a wasteful pick. But they ultimately did not judge. Affinity with a treasure was important after all as it was an indication how effective you could use it. A treasure that felt right for you is ultimately better then one that had more raw power on a glance. Only Liu Er felt different. The six eared macaque could not believe his eyes. His disdain for Nuwa grew immensely with her pick. Between her top grade xiantian spiritual painting and now this? She truly was a favoured child of the heavens. Liu Er once again cursed how unfair heaven was. But then he squinted his eyes and scrutinized the string. ¡®Wait a second, isn¡¯t that the red string that conducted the first marriage in the universe? Fuck! It was here the whole time? I could¡¯ve grabbed it? Fucking hell all that karmic merit wasted!¡¯ Liu Er looked around. Hongyun was starring right at him ready to report any wrongdoings like the number one nice guy he was. Zhen Yuanzi his favorite buddy was also doing the same. Liu Er felt his rage growing. He looked around and decided his next course of action. It wasn¡¯t a very respectful action but it was one he knew for sure would work in his favour. Hence he fell onto the ground rolling in tears. ¡°Woo woo woo. Oceanic Heavenly Lord you really have to help me hear! Woo woo woo!¡± His crying drowned the room in shock at his ridiculousness. The monkey rolled around like a child throwing a tantrum crying long rivers of tears. Da Hai and Zulong looked over in utter disbelief at his audacity. ¡°What shameless,¡± Zulong uttered with a gapping mouth. Liu Er ran up to Da Hai and Zulong and fell onto his knees with his hands clasped in a praying motion. His eyes were tear ridden and his mouth was quivering. His six ears drooped down all together and he wailed with all his might. ¡°Woo woo woo. Oceanic Heavenly Lord I really need your help. Little monkey was born weak and poor and struggled really hard. The only weapon I had broke as well! Oh woo woo woo. I don¡¯t have anything left!¡± His crying even made Da Hai¡¯s eyes twitch and his mouth fell apart in a wide gape. ¡°Please Heavenly Lord, utmost kind and profound Heavenly Lord. Can you spare some small change for this lowly monkey?¡± Liu Er wailed more on the ground and slammed his forehead into the floor. ¡°Of all the shameless,¡± Zulong felt furious on Da Hai¡¯s behalf. It wasn¡¯t just him, all the other innate gods and sea creatures looked at him weirdly. ¡°Heaven¡¯s sake have some self respect,¡± Tongtian found herself muttering aloud. Yuanshi wasnt far behind her and opening sneered at the sight. Even Taishang found it hard to watch and turned away with an uncharacteristic huff. Minghe, who like Liu Er was a bloodthirsty person. He felt relatable to Liu Er after watching him slaughter hundreds of devils. But even he was stupefied by Liu Er¡¯s wailing and whereas previously he wouldn¡¯t mind associated with the monkey, now he wanted to be in any room except the one he inhabited. Others like Leize, Fuxi, Hongyun, and Zhen Yuanzi looked scornful of the monkey. Hongyun especially could not believe the monkey¡¯s shameless lack of self respect. Did he honestly expect to achieve anything from humiliating himself? But Liu Er did not think this. He considered it one of the biggest brained move he¡¯d ever made. In ancient myths, it was said that during Hongjun¡¯s sermon to three thousand guests. There were six prayer mats at the very front designating those who would become the Dao Ancestors disciple. The three thousand guests consisting of this generation of innate gods as well as powerful experts all vied for them. Eventually the Three Pure Ones, Hongyun, Nuwa, and Kun Peng won out The two from the west, Jieyin and Zhunti arrived later then everyone else and missed the chance to fight for the seats. But Zhunti in an display of utter shamelessness, fell to his knees and wailed like a baby. He cried and cried and even threatened suicide before Hongyun gave in and offered up his seat. This scene cemented Zhunti¡¯s despicable place in mythology, Hongyun¡¯s utter stupidity and his place as a retard in Liu Er¡¯s mind. But it also cemented the precedence of powerful experts giving in so as to not look bad. After all, Hongjun couldn¡¯t have someone committing suicide in his hall. So why wasn¡¯t this Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord the same? Noticing Da Hai¡¯s inaction, Liu Er decided to take the next step. ¡°Oh I can¡¯t live like this anymore. Day in and day out of endless suffering. I have to free myself!¡± He roared and charged at a pillar. He was fully intent on throwing himself into it and personally lowered his flesh¡¯s strength. His aim was to appear maimed and even more pitiful. ¡°Okay that¡¯s enough,¡± Da Hai sighed reaching out with his hand. He grabbed the monkey¡¯s shoulder before he could reach the pillar and threw him back on the floor with a thud. ¡°Zulong take care of the rest, I¡¯ll be with you soon,¡± Da Hai ordered and snapped his fingers. He and Liu Er both disappeared before everyone¡¯s watchful gaze. ¡­ SWISCH! Da Hai and Liu Er both materialized on the ocean surface. Both appeared on a small rocky landmass on the surface with the former standing and the latter on his knees. ¡°You force teleported me?¡± Liu Er gasped touching himself. ¡®How strong is he to do that?¡¯ ¡°Okay monkey what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Senior oh woo woo woo, thank you for hearing me out. This little one is¡­¡± ¡°Not your new name. Your original earth name,¡± Da Hai asked bluntly. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Come on, Earth or Terra as its called? The planet home to humanity and a thousand myths of gods and monsters? Of science and technology? That earth?¡± ¡°What is great Heavenly Lord asking?¡± Liu Er attempted to play dumb. ¡°The world you reincarnated from. Don¡¯t play dumb monkey, you and I both should know that the Six Eared Macaque was newborn when Hongjun gave his first sermon long after the third generation of innate gods. You should not be a contemporary of them.¡± ¡°Haha senior really knows how to joke. I was just lucky to be born of the same generation as my brethren.¡± ¡°Of the four celestial monkeys, Sun Wukong, Wu Ziqi, Yuan Hong, and Liu Er. Liu Er was born first. He offended Hongjun by listening in to his sermon without permission and received a blacklist from every esteemed master in the world. It took many years for him to finally catch up in cultivation to the likes of the Twelve Golden Immortals. But sadly, he was slain by the much younger Great Sage Equalling Heaven Sun Wukong for daring to impersonate him.¡± ¡°Oh please, that pathetic welp was traveling monk Sun by then,¡± Liu Er scoffed. ¡°And Twelve Golden Immortals? Hah! They would¡¯ve just been a few small Taiyi Jin Xian, nothing major at all!¡± Liu Er gasped and covered his mouth with widened eyes. ¡°Uh oh indeed,¡± Da Hai chuckled. ¡°I must say, you constantly calling cultivation realms by mtl names is giving me a headache. Great performance by the way. Fictional Zhunti will be proud.¡± ¡°So¡­does that mean you¡¯ll give me some bonus treasure?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± Da Hai answered simply. ¡°You get one pick like everyone else.¡± Liu Er got up to his feet and laughed. ¡°Come on bro, you¡¯re from earth like me right? Reincarnated even earlier? You know how hard things are? I''m broke as shit well those privileged rich kids strut around with their inheritances. Heaven is unfair and as earth brothers we should stick together and stay safe.¡± ¡°You inherited Demon Ape¡¯s physique as the Six Eared Macaque. You are hardly in a position to judge them,¡± Da Hai said dismissively. ¡°Bah! What is a mere Demon Ape to a Pangu Nascent Soul? It¡¯s just one fourth of Demon Ape as well. Say, given your age do you know where I can find the other monkeys?¡± ¡°First of,¡± Da Hai held a finger up. ¡°I am not your earth brother. Second of, no I will not help you. That display was pathetic and wholly undignified. You should be ashamed of yourself.¡± ¡°The fuck man? You really have to be like that?¡± Da Hai took a deep breath. ¡°Look, I get that it''s hard. The Primitive World is dangerous and a tribulation is already upon us. I heard you helped Nuwa reach the sky as well and killed hundreds of devils. So I¡¯ll tell you what, I¡¯ll convince Zulong to let you stay in the East Sea Dragon Palace in your own residence. We¡¯ll give you some manuals as well since I know good techniques are hard to come by.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s it?¡± Liu Er gaped. ¡°Dude you¡¯re this Heavenly Lord big shot right? Surely you can offer more!¡± ¡°We are in war time, we can discuss this after the tribulation is dealt with. The treasures are also needed to maintain Kailong Chen¡¯s defense formation. I can¡¯t let you take too much. You¡¯re already receiving free treasure and other aids, what more do you need?¡± ¡°Fucking hell why do you care so much about these dragons. Let them kill themselves and grab all the treasures. Aren¡¯t you some big shot immortal or is that all a scam huh? Why are you so dumb anyway? If I were you, I¡¯d loot the place, teach those arrogant Three Pure Ones a lesson and wait for the storm to be over. Maybe give that empress of theirs a good time as well, girl looked miserable with how neglectful that dragon is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that last part as a joke in poor taste,¡± Da Hai began. ¡°Zulong, Yinglong, Qinglong, Yi Fei¡¯e, Er Fei¡¯e, San Fei¡¯e, Shi Fei¡¯e, Wu Fei¡¯e, Liu Fei¡¯e, and Qi Fei¡¯e are all my disciples¡­¡± ¡°Oh smart, taking control of the heaven¡¯s chosen. Though it sure about those numbered moths though, how useful are they? Cause you know how much of a liability week disciples are? Anyway, I get you probably invested a lot, buts smarter to pull out yeah? I mean they¡¯re gonna die anyway.¡± ¡°NO!¡± Da Hai silenced Liu Er generating a hurricane around them. ¡°Do NOT speak so callously of them. Do not. They are my children¡­¡± ¡°Wait wait wait hold up. Children? You kidding me? What kind of western cringy shit is this? You call yourself an insert? What you¡¯re gonna run to their defense and ¡®save¡¯ them from death? Fucking pussy.¡± PAH! Liu Er fell to his knees clutching his cheek in pain. His supremely resilient flesh suffered excruciating pain for the first time in years. ¡°JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. The hells wrong with you? You don¡¯t just hit people man.¡± ¡°Another word that comes from your mouth is another hit.¡± ¡°Oh no you¡­¡± PAH! PAH! PAH! ¡°Gud do¡­¡± PAH! PAH! ¡°Suwenda, Sawen¡­¡± PAH! PAH! Liu Er clutched both his cheeks in agony crouching. Da Hai merely walked up to him and crouched to meet him at eye level. His expression was an indifferent one yet Liu Er could swear he could see amusement from his eyes. ¡°Look Liu Er, I think I¡­no I definitely know your type. I¡¯m not gonna kill you, I¡¯m not petty enough for that. Your strength is quite useful too. I do retract every boon I offered. That cudgel of yours I¡¯m taking back.¡± "Also, let me just inform you. This mythological world may remind you of some Webnovel you¡¯ve read. Do not assume you know everything. And by the way, you may have all the qualities of an insert type protagonist, but you¡¯re not the centre of the universe. So I¡¯m going to give you some advice. Think, and I really do mean that but think before you speak. Think before you act.¡± Da Hai patted the monkey on the head and ruffled his fur as if he was some immature child. And stood back up with a small smile and walked past him. ¡°Because unlike power fantasy Webnovel, your actions do have consequences. So be very very VERY careful of what you say, yeah?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liu Er grunted. Da Hai nodded and waved goodbye. Then he jumped back into the water. Liu Er slowly got up to his feet. He felt the inside of his mouth with his tongue, specifically along his teeth. Then in a second motion he spat out several broken teeth. ¡°Fucking Karen,¡± he swore. Suddenly he keeled over and screamed. A primal cry of pain the likes of which he¡¯d never felt before. No physical damage occurred yet he screamed as if he was being tortured. ¡°GGGGRRRRAAAAHHHH!¡± Liu Er thrashed gripping his stomach in pain. He clawed at his own body, his own face in disturbing agony. His body slowly became mangled and contorted. He twitched on the ground spitting out a gaseous substance. He could feel something was wrong, something was very wrong. Deep within his body, he felt his painstakingly crafted inner cosmos, the Dao fruit formed from consuming countless others break apart. He felt large amounts of Dao essence leaving his body and he began to degrade. ¡°NO! Come back!¡± He crawled after the disappearing flecks, eventually reaching the edge of the small landmass. He watched pitifully as the Dao essence disappeared into the air never to be seen again. Within his body, he felt he had weakened greatly. Where once he was a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal, not stood a mere Great Principle Chaos Immortal lay. He gasped for breath still feeling great pain in his body. He wasn¡¯t able to form any rational thoughts but crying in depression for a long period of time. Only afterwards, was he able to focus his gaze again. There just ahead of him in the water, an outline formed of water was atop the waves. ¡®Warned you.¡¯ It said. ¡­ A year after the Mt Buzhou incident, Da Hai stood above the East Sea. Following him, massive armies of immortals were already moving out. Zulong was the overall commander and had already received word from both Zufeng and Zulin. The Four Continents sans the West Continent and the Four Seas were united. They were going to invade the West Continent and destroy the devils once and for all. It won''t be an easy nor a short war. The West Continent is filled with traps and defensive formations. At least three Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal supreme beings also resided there. Da Hai meanwhile was the only one available on the immortal¡¯s side. With Hongjun recovering and Qiankun¡¯s disappearance. He really was their only weapon left. Da Hai watched all the immortals, dragons, sea folk, coastal mammals leaving impassively. Distantly, he could see Gui Daiyu and Zulong ordering troops around. Twenty legions were organized each numerous in number. The innate gods had scattered themselves throughout with arrangements from the dragons. However, the nine dragon children were once again ordered to guard Kailong Chen. Da Hai did not object and only further emphasized it. In fact, he slapped on them teleporting sigils that teleported them to Yingzhou the moment they were injured. They were not pleased but ultimately they were powerless before Zulong and Da Hai. So here Da Hai stood high above. He stared right at the West Continent. Distant memories poured into his mind. ¡°Brother Huoyun. I never wanted to feel that pain ever again and yet¡­yet it happened again and I could do nothing to stop it. I want to keep Zulong and Yinglong, and Yi Fei¡¯e and all the others on Yingzhou. But unfortunately they have a stake in the conflict as well. Despite their power, I worry for them.¡± Da Hai looked down at the sword held in his arms. The top grade xiantian spiritual treasure Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword shone in his hand. So he held it pointing upwards before him. ¡°Luohu, Hongjun doesn¡¯t even compare to you. You take and take and you take over and over again. I took two clones from you. Let¡¯s see if you can defend your main body as well. You couldn¡¯t last time. Let me deal the first blow of this war alright?¡± Da Hai chuckled sounding almost maniacal. He prepared his sword and stabbed full throttle. In the far west, in the location of Mt Sumeru¡¯s rubble. Millions of devils watched in fear as eight sword points descended from the sky. The eight sword points hissed like a snake with each edge resembling the jaws of a massive serpent with an extended forked tongue. They reached down in unison at Mt Sumeru aiming to destroy it once and for all. But atop it, another four swords appeared spreading out in four directions. The Immortal Extermination Formation directly manifested above Mt Sumeru to form a massive umbrella. The attack from Da Hai impacted the barrier causing the very grounds to tremble. FOOM! Dust clouds were kicked up and scattered remains of Da Hai¡¯s attacks, mere residue splashed into distant mountains. Each on exploded in a fountains of rubble. But Sumeru remained unharmed. ¡°Welcome home Da Hai.¡± Luohu¡¯s amused voice registered in Da Hai¡¯s head. The sea god straightened his back and sheathed his sword after seeing his attack had failed. He did not give Luohu a response and only walked forwards. March From the waters of the East Sea, pits opened up as armies of men and women rose into the sky. Legions of immortals of all kinds standing side by side, all dressed in armour signifying their loyalties to the dragons. Armies which numbered in the quintillions, potentially far more. It wasn''t just the supreme beings above the Golden Immortal fighting. Now every last lifeform who could were encouraged to fight against the devils. True Immortals, Profound Immortals, Heavenly Immortals, even mortal creatures who had yet to pass Dragon''s Gate or the Immortal Tribulation were coming out in droves. Wether these beings could make a difference was still left to be seen. But at this point, the people wishing to defend the Primitive World would take on anyone they could get. Each and every one of these rising armies were some form of sea creature who were natives of the ocean. Only a small minority were land based innate creatures. Leading them were of course dragons who stood at the Great Principle realm at the very least. These were the vanguards of the armies Zulong assembled in the aftermath of the first battle. Knowing the stakes, he spared no expenses in using up every last bit of resource he could to bolster his forces. It wasn''t inaccurate to say that the full brunt of the ocean''s fighting power was concentrated within these soldiers. "So many immortals," Da Hai said offhandedly. He stood atop a cliff overlooking the eastern shore of the East Continent. With both hands behind his back, he cut a solemn figure. "Not many of them will survive." "The world''s is crying out for help. Every cultivator desires to do their part. Who am I to deny them?" Zulong answered from beside his master. "Though I would''ve appreciated more help in management. It''s been a nightmare coordinating these people." Despite returning some time ago, Da Hai had not gone to fight the West Continent after his first attack. Rather, he approached things with caution and planned alongside Zulong. The number of lifeforms intending to invade the west was enormous. Zufeng had already created a base in the South Continent while Zulong was gathering the eastern forces to meat up with her. Other smaller cells had already begun fighting in the western shore. Thankfully, as immortals no one had to worry about food or diseases. With mighty powerhouses who''d undoubtedly be busy combating each other, thus tying each other down. Smaller figures should ideally able to wreck havoc on devil bases or perform specific tasks while the Chaos Immortals, or Golden Immortals were distracted. Da Hai understood this and thus, aside from warnings about how little their power would mean in the grand scheme of things, did not stop weaker lifeforms from joining in. "Have you received any word from the Qilin Sovereign?" Da Hai asked. "No. Unfortunately, unsurprisingly he hasn''t talked to me since Mt Buzhou collapsed." Zulong wore an angry frown as he reported so. "Master, as I do not know his current disposition, It''ll be up to you, me, Zufeng, and Hongjun to break the Immortal Extermination Formation." The air turned cold. Zulong felt a chill run down his spine. The dragon gazed at his seemingly calm master with an unsure look. "Master, we need his help in this conflict. We do not have enough individuals with the strength of Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals. Considering Qiankun ran as well, I don''t believe he would be reliable. Meanwhile Hongjun is at the very least dedicated to the Primitive World''s prolonged existence." Da Hai did not answer the dragon for several minutes. The two continued to watch silently as groups of dragons led more and more cultivators out of the ocean. Luckily for Zulong, the freezing feeling disappeared after a while. "Heavens Qiankun, he always favoured himself above all else. I''ll have to track him down." "He ran the last time. Pragmatically speaking, Hong¡­" "I take it that the rogue cultivators of the East Continent will move as an alliance of tribes? They won''t join up under either you or the Phoenix Sovereign? But rather as an equal?" "Master¡­" "Won''t their desire to do so offend many dragons? Especially the ones fully invested in world domination?" "Master¡­" "Answer the question Zulong." "¡­" "Yes. But they maintain that they will coordinate with our forces. But only as an equal as a political entity." "I''m surprise. With so much bad blood I thought they''ll move on their own and ignore you entirely," Da Hai chuckled. "Master, Sichen, Destiny Demon God, and Yingyang are dead. Qiankun is unreliable and Hongjun and you are the only Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal here who I know are committed." However, it''s like Da Hai did not even hear the dragon. He continued asking about the various situations around the world, most of which he should already be aware of. Zulong narrowed his gaze at Da Hai''s blatant attempt at dodging the subject matter at hand. Both of them knew of the power of Luohu''s formation. And both of them were aware that on their own, none of them can do anything about it. Da Hai was already intimately aware of said formation. According to his human knowledge, it was a magical array of such power that it required four saints or equivalent lifeforms to break. However, in this reality separated from fiction, it was a formation requiring at least four individuals of equivalent strength to the user to break. But as the Buzhou battle had proven, this was only in theory. "Master we seriously¡­" "Fucks sakes," Da Hai interrupted rudely. His eyes twitched with annoyance, however his lips broke out into dark amusement soon after. None of this was aimed at Zulong however. The dragon turned his gaze towards Kailong Chen. There he saw what his master was looking at. A dispute between his dragon ministers and some of the innate gods. "Those, ''Pangu authentic decedents,'' are proving to be a pain," Zulong said. "I was going to hand back any predisposed assumptions for Yuanshi as false, but he is sounding just like what I''d thought," Da Hai said. His eyes then trailed a bit to the side at a certain monkey. Zulong followed his gaze and frowned. "I''m surprised he''s not kicking up a fuss." "He''s arrogant and self aggrandizing, but he is savvy enough to know when to back down," Da Hai said. "He knows better than to pick fights at his current condition. At least I think he is." Da Hai did not think much of Liu Er. The only thing the monkey and his disturbingly touch body was good for was to bash people''s brains in. That''s why he had elected to send him into the front lines and only on the most brutal of battlefields where he can be put to use. After all, for all his personality, his physique was still useful as a weapon to throw at the devils. He may be incompetent in the art of immortal cultivation, but he has a unique talent in the form of cultivating the flesh. What''s more, his six ears'' ability to perceive sound made illusionary abilities nearly pointless. He was perfect as a battering ram to kill devils. "But he does remind you of someone doesn''t he?" Da Hai added in amusement. Simultaneously he sent a smirk Zulong''s way. "But I digress. As long as he''s willing to fight for the defense of the Primitive World. You better sort this issue out before it gets out of hand, Yuanshi''s pride is legendary." "I''ll deal with him," Zulong grunted. Zulong''s figure dived as a mass of light and reached far beneath the waves in an instant. Da Hai released a sigh of relief as his eldest disciple left him. The elder immortal gazed at the sky with a blank look. "Even Yi Fei''e and her sisters is relentless in joining the fighting," he mused. A concerned look gradually erupted across his face. After a while, Da Hai''s expression morphed into one of helplessness as he remembered their earlier discussion. "Hai, no matter my personal feelings, Zulong does have a point." ¡­ Zulong appeared back in Kailong Chen with an agitated expression. As such he did not bother with a gentle entrance and stomped his way into the army camps with a ''thud!'' The resulting burst of waves did not knock anyone back but did indicate them to the Dragon Sovereigns mood. "What is the issue here?" He inquired while glaring at all parties present. Said parties, Yuanshi and Hong subconsciously took a step back. Even those watching, many of whom were innate gods were panicked by the aura the dragon produced. "Your majesty," Hong immediately bowed low. "This unaffiliated immortal was questioning my decision to not give them command of their own army." "Respectfully speaking Dragon Sovereign," Yuanshi interrupted. "We three siblings have proven ourselves in the battle at Mt Buzhou. As true descendants of Pangu it is only fair for us to lead soldiers into battle." ''Twelve others will dispute you for that,'' Zulong did not respond to Yuanshi despite his thoughts. In fact, on the surface he barely even acknowledged the innate god. "Wake up your sister," he said to Hong. Hong nodded and a change occurred. The rainbow dragon''s masculine body disappeared in a flash of light and out emerged a sleepy women who looked eighty percent similar to Hong. At Zulong''s expecting look, a shadowy dragon emerged from the woman''s shoulder. "We entrusted you smooth over things. Why does this group keep having descent? Why does this topic continue cropping up." Nii and Hong glanced at one another before speaking in unison. "Your majesty, you have seen this young man''s attitude right?" "What?" Yuanshi recoiled with visible anger. "Nii Hong are the most experienced in educating brats in our clan. Clearly you are one troubled youth," Zulong mocked. A young woman and an elderly man, Tongtian and Taishang were tapping Yuanshi''s arm this entire time. Yet he did not seem to want to stop. "What is so wrong with leading our own force? We''re among the strongest beings in the world. Not even Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals can survive us in single combat," Yuanshi arrogantly proclaimed. All the other innate gods who spectated did not speak for or against him. He was right in that the Three Pure Ones were truly among the top tier expects despite still being classified as Primal Origin Chaos Immortals. Many of them were also somewhat offended that they could not lead their own armies. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The pride of innate gods were a profound thing. A certain monkey stood a bit further off observing Zulong. His eyes held nothing but disdain despite his best efforts. On the other hand, he found it extremely satisfying to see Yuanshi getting his would be comeuppance. The sadistic side of him almost made him open his mouth for further fuel. ''Deserved, close minded asshole.'' He knew Yuanshi and his hatred of people with fur and armour. He wasn''t sure what armour was through mtl but it likely referred to scales. Either way, he didn''t like Yuanshi one bit. "Tell us," Zulong began. "Yuanshi was it? What''s your experience in commanding an army?" He pointed at several dragon officers in the distance. "See them? They''ve led armies before. I know them and what they can do. They know what to prioritize and when to retreat. They know how to raise morale and how to coordinate with each other. What experiences do you have?" Yuanshi did not know how to answer that. "I told you, you didn''t think things through," Tongtian whispered in his ear. Even the norm ally calm and steady Taishang appeared displeased. But Yuanshi wasn''t one to back down, at least not initially. He felt insulted he was ignored when commanding positions were handed out. This was supposed to be an alliance of all living beings across the Primitive World right? Then why were dragons leading everything? It didn''t sound much better in the South Continent either, from news, there it was phoenixes being given command over everything. It was plain nepotism. He wondered if he should''ve refused Zulong''s invitation to the innate gods and gone to the East Continent instead. The treasure reward didn''t seemed too appealing in hindsight. "With all due respect¡­" THOOM! Yuanshi suddenly dropped to his knees with a shocked look of pain. "Aside from the ability to hit things really really hard, you are nothing," Zulong rebuked. "The ability to punch someone really hard isn''t going to help you in leading any army. You''re gonna run all our forces into ruin. So be a good soldier and follow your orders." Tongtian sent a venomous glare at Zulong but Taishang quickly shushed her. The elderly man bent down to inspect Yuanshi and helped him up. "Apologies your majesty but my brother was angsty for action. We''ve been sitting still too long and the knowledge that there''s an enemy threatening out father god''s universe while we sit still does not sit well with any of us," he explained. "You''ve all gotten your assigned roles already. Follow them and we''ll may see all of us survive this storm," Zulong grunted in response. He turned around and left without further notice. Nii breathed a sigh of relief after her clan head left. Raising a hand, she rubbed the sleep out of her eye and took a glance at the other assembled innate gods. While the lessor cultivators were marshaled and sent eastwards. They were scouting forces sent to probe the devils'' response. Majority of the mighty figures were waiting for further information from Da Hai, Zulong, Zufeng, and similar ranking individuals. Not everything was cohesive and there were still a bit of confusion. "So as my brother was saying," she began. "You three brothers will join the ninth army and attack West Continent through the south with the Phoenix Sovereigns armies." She continued on with informing the other innate gods the rest of their assignments without much pushback. Since all their roles essentially boiled down to the same thing, join one of the East Sea armies and kill devils. The god from the Blood Sea Minghe grew a wide smile at the prospects. The swords strapped to his back were practically vibrating with a crimson aura. The only one with as much bloodlust as him was Liu Er himself. "Hold on, what about Nuwa? She hasn''t been given a role," Leizu the Thunder Patriarch asked. Fuxi glared at him from afar at his sister''s mention while the woman in question shrugged. "She''s to remain here for now. His majesty acknowledges that her difficulties with controlling her newly acquired strength to be very real and that she must perfect the strength of a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal before joining the battle. As I''m sure you know, if her power goes out of control she could harm herself and our men," Nii explained in a condescending tone. It was at that moment that Hong wrestled control back from her. The male human form replaced the female and he continued where they left off. "Xihe, Changxi, please come with me," he said. After the three left, the rest of the innate gods shrugged and began heading off one after the other. Recognizing what army they were supposed to join was simple enough. Their high power level made them strong weapons for any of them. ¡­ The average strength of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals in the Devilish Dao was below that of the outsiders. This was the disturbing thought running through many devil''s heads. Beneath the covered sky of the West Continent, a new formation was put in place. It was derived from Luohu''s Immortal Extermination Four Swords and only served to prevent long range snipping attacks like the one Da Hai attempted not too long ago. The godfiends'' monstrous attack was just another reminder at their current precarious position. Numerous devils were working to recuperate their lost strength. Survival was the only thing on their minds right now. With the deaths of so many Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal devils, many devils of lesser cultivation ranks were suddenly free to move up. However, there just weren''t enough powerful devils ready to make the jump as many of the weaker levels had also died on Buzhou. A gathering of the remaining Great Devil Emperors was held outside of Mt Sumeru. The leading figures of the devils were unable to meet Luohu as their esteemed patriarch had disappeared into seclusion again. To their frustration, Hundun was the only one of their leaders who emerged. "Great Hundun, you''ve heard the same news as us. What are we to do with this threat?" One of the emperors asked. The faceless godfiend appeared to be stuck in thought as well. "Patriarch Luohu has already made his intentions known. All devils must defend the west. Luohu is storing power and when he is ready, he will annihilate all threats to the Devilish Dao," Hundun said. "He wants you all to not worry. Perform you''re roles and he will attack when he has recovered." "Consider that between every living being in the Primitive World, very few can actually withstand a single blow of his," he added. Various Great Devil Emperors glanced at each other, unsure of what to say. To say their confidence in their founder was free-falling was an understatement. Every single devil who were in the know were unsure of their future. Luohu had callously tried to destroy everything. And now their entire lineage was the target of everyone. ''We don''t have any other choice do we?'' They all thought. "All is not lost," Hundun said. "We have counter measures in place. Luohu, Mara, and I have devised methods to keep the Devils Dao strong." He beckoned them closer and locked space time with a flick of his wrist. No one else was permitted to hear what he was about to share. The faceless godfiend then told them of a news which shocked them to their very core. After he died so he performed a spell on all of these devils. His magical powers placed a seal on their minds. This information cannot be allowed to leak. "Get all your sects into fighting shape. See to it that the west is defended," Hundun ordered them. Subsequently, the West Continent began fortifying their defenses. Since the outside world wants to invade their territory? They''ll turn it into a death trap. Every resource they could muster, every individual of whatever renown. They just had to hold things out until Luohu can make his strike. Hundun meanwhile took all these seemingly stressful events as if it were another day of the week. Instead he glanced eastwards towards the spot Rippling Reflection had perished. ¡­ Events were in motion. Large armies of immortals moved across the continent. Wether by their own abilities, or by transportation devices. The vast powers of the east and south were converging for a final time before a full invasion. Meanwhile smaller cells brawled against devil sects upon the edges of the West Continent. The fighting, though bloody had not reached anywhere near the reality destroying devastation as the first battle at Buzhou. None of this was in Da Hai''s immediate attention. The sea god instead appeared over the skies of the East Continent. Through his divine senses, he scoured the lush forests and gentle plains for his target. Wordlessly, he flew towards a spatially distorted area in an unassuming mountain range. By reaching out through his Dao of Distant Seas, he identified a location that exhibited similar properties to his understanding of the Dao. A location that simultaneously existed within the physical realm yet was also far away in a dimension of its own. "Reveal yourself," he demanded. With a swipe of his right hand, spatial distortions were dissipated until a clear path towards a mountain engulfed in purple clouds appeared. Mt Yujing was forced to reveal itself for the first time in ages. Atop the mountain, Da Hai landed before the front gate of the Zixiao Palace. With a second flick of his index finger, he forced the gargantuan doors open with thunderous noise. "Halt! Who goes there?" A young girl called out from within. "No one is allowed into may master''s property!" Da Hai''s attention was however, not on her. Rather it landed on the white robed young boy standing beside her. Both of them locked eyes and it took only a brief second before Da Hai recognized his splintered division. "I will not repeat myself again!" The girl yelled. She leapt into the air and manifested a sword in her hand to attack. "Wait Yaochi!" The young boy, Haotian called out. ''Do not hurt her!'' He roared through his and Da Hai''s shared mental connection. For his part, Da Hai waved his hand. Yaochi was flung away from him by an invisible force. She skirted across the floor and would''ve impacted a pillar were it not for Haotian catching her. "Where is your master?" Da Hai asked bluntly. "Where is Hongjun?" War Council "WHAT?" Numerous creatures looked up having felt a dangerous feeling. The instincts of many innate creatures suddenly told them to flee and never look back. The ominous sky of the East Continent were once clear despite the feeling of bloodlust in the air. But in moments had turned cloudy as if the heavens wanted to rain. Such a fast change of weather cannot mean anything good in the mind of eastern natives. Above Mt Yujing however, it was a virtual thunderstorm. Lightning arced across the sky and thunder boomed all around. Parts of the greenery around the mountain were being incinerated and rovers running along the location were evaporating for no clear reason. Any and all fauna decided the cultivation benefits were not worth risking their health and decided to temporarily flee. The Zixiao Palace, despite all the shaking had managed to remains stable. It was a powerful treasure in the first place with a foundation far superior than Da Hai''s own house. The Chaos Immortal would find it very hard to destroy it even at his current level. But still, the shaking of the structure was doing no favours to the residents within. Particularly the two caretakers who looked after the place, Haotian and Yaochi. Da Hai was enraged. How dare Hongjun not be available? He was one of the people who instigated this mess to begin with. In Da Hai''s mind, Hongjun was equally as guilty as Luohu. So how dare he be missing? "Please honoured guest," Haotian pleaded. "My master''s location is unknown even to us. We can''t give you an answer even if we wanted to. He''s probably in the void healing his wounds." Yaochi glanced up at her senior brother and frowned. "Why are you telling him anything?" Haotian gave her a hard stare. "Do you want him to kill us?" The white robed boy met Da Hai''s enraged glare. Though this did little minimize the ruthless storm outside, it was clear to see that Da Hai''s bloodlust was slowly dissipating. It took at least two hours before the ferocious thunderstorm to completely peer out. Once that was done, the formations built into Mt Yujing started distorting spacetime around it again. It also took that long for Da Hai to move from his frozen spot. He scoffed and turned around towards the rising moon. Twilight had arrived before he''d even noticed. So lost in his emotions again that he nearly flattened a good portion of the East Continent. "It seems even the great and mighty Hongjun is a coward after all," he said beginning to chuckle. Haotian moved quickly to clamp down on Yaochi''s mouth. He shook his head at her aggrieved look. "My master suffered greatly since the battle at Mt Buzhou honoured guest," he said to Da Hai. "It is unreasonable for him to move so soon. Much of his old allies and trusted friends also perished. I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of pain he must be feeling." Da Hai paused in his steps. His head swerved back to glare at Haotian. "Wouldn''t that be the day," he replied. He turned back round again and stepped out of the Zixiao Palace. After he was gone, everything seemed to return to normal. It was as if Da Hai had never visited at all. Haotian let go of Yaochi and gave her a few moments to steady herself. Once she did she allowed a terrified expression to paint her face. "What was that senior brother? It was like a universe was crushing onto me!" "If you felt that then you should know better than to mouth off," Haotian warned. "That was one of the primordial innate gods. A celestial being who''s already begun enlightenment into the Wuji principle and stepped onto the final stretch of path towards Dao." "I don''t want you anywhere near him understand? He''s extremely dangerous," he added. Yaochi nodded in understanding. No wonder she was so powerless. Despite her childish appearance, this was only the form she took as an unassuming bellhop. Her true form was an immortal of vast power on par with the current generation of innate gods. She clenched her teeth at the embarrassment of being humiliated by a foreigner. To her, Hongjun''s cultivation lineage was the best in the world! "Senior brother, we have to work hard and teach that fucker to never mess with us in the future. Who does he think he is threatening master Hongjun like that," she snarled. Haotian shook his head and sighed with resignation. ''Whatever the case, things are not looking good,'' he pondered. Haotian stepped out of the gates and looked up at a sky fast approaching evening. He wondered what Da Hai''s plan was cause he never told him much of anything. ''Watch Hongjun for me. Play the role of bell boy for me. Cultivate for me.'' Haotian thought back the warmth Hongjun offered in the years he''d lived on Mt Yujing. "I hope this tribulation passes soon." ¡­ Beneath the same night sky, in a massive war camp set up in collaboration by all major powers in the Central Continent. In a location where the rubble of Mt Buzhou was fully visible east of them all, Yinglong sat crossed legged mid air watching the arrival of dozens upon dozens of fleets of sky ships. Each of them carried armies worth of cultivators within. Most of them were just floating in space waiting for instructions while others went off to scout the fringes of the West Continent. After much work, the dragons and phoenixes had managed to work out the general idea of what the strange continent looked like. Because though Yinglong had been there only a few times, none of them were in depth looks at the environment. Mt Sumeru was easy to spot out of all those locations and even now it was still visible. A flame burst into existence beside the elderly dragon and a beautiful woman walked out. Zufeng stood mid air in all her imperial glory and exuded an aura much more powerful than Yinglong''s. "My generals and your generals are nearly ready to start their strategizing," she began. "I trust your brother will arrive here on time? Things are already delayed enough as is." "He''ll be here your majesty. Though I''m surprised you came to notify me." "Faster this way," she said without much pause. Suddenly, she perked up as a massive cloud of starry lights slithered across the night sky. It was something that resembled a galactic supercluster contained within the vague outline of a Chinese dragon. What''s more, within the boundaries of that shape were armies of powerful immortals. This included many Great Principle, Primal Origin, and some Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals standing within. "Isn''t that the Azure Dragon''s movement technique?" Zufeng said. "My eldest brother has his own way to remember Qinglong by," Yinglong said. "I see." In Zufeng''s personal opinion, Zulong''s rendition of the same technique was extremely crude by comparison. None of Qinglong''s grace nor finesse. It was almost like he was brute forcing a move he did not completely understand. Thirty minutes after, Zulong walked into a pavilion made of clouds accompanied by Jiang Koilong and Hong. Yinglong and the others were already waiting for him within. He looked around and could not find Da Hai anywhere which brought a slight frown to his face. ''Strange, where did he go?'' He pondered. Dragon elders, phoenix elders, powerful avian and seafolk experts alongside clan leaders from the East Continent. They all sat around a table depicting a rough image of the West Continent. Above the landscape drawn was a dome of sorts that constantly shimmered. Zulong knew immediately that the dome was their most prominent threat. News from scouting parties had reported that this formation''s true nature after the initial fighting across the western shore was over. Any and all enemy beings felt a suppression force over them. It was as if nature kept attacking their bodies. Furthermore, spacetime was hard to manipulate within. When he told Da Hai, his master concluded that it was a formation tied to the west in its entirety. It''s energy was potent enough to resist Da Hai''s orbital assault and should have no difficulty blocking his own. It''ll need to be broken for the west to be bombarded out of existence. Hence, they''d need to enter the formation and suffer detrimental effects in order to strike at the devils. Zulong took his seat expecting himself to be the last to arrive. But no sooner had he done so, an earthly aura entered the pavilion. Both Zulong and Zufeng recognized Qi An as the new Qilin Sovereign made his presence known. "Ladies and gentlemen, before we begin I''d like to inform you all that the Heavenly Dao is still recovering from having been hurt by Luohu. It cannot aid me nor you so don''t bother bringing it up," he announced. "This is a tribulation for the destiny of the world in the first place," one of Zulong''s dragons said. "With all due respect qilin, the Heavenly Dao was never going to aid any side." "Oh it''s bigger then that," Qi An rebutted. "The continued survival of the Primitive World is at stake, not just the course it''ll go on." The qilin didnt dignify the dragon''s disrespect and sat down alongside Zulong and Zufeng. His body began releasing a titanic aura that did not lose out to the former two. "My Qilin Clan are auspicious beasts and by extension protectors of heaven. We may be limited in number but we''ll aid this war as the Heavenly Dao''s representative until the very end. So then, shall we begin?" After that, the talks began in earnest. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡­ Da Hai knew he would arrive late. He knew that even at his speed he would likely not be able to make it to the strategizing talks between the Anti-Devil Alliance. Which was why he was absolutely shocked that by the time he arrived, these people were still arguing about something. In fact the commotion could not be contained within the cloud pavilion and had spilled outwards to the point where people stationed near the pavilion could hear them. Da Hai glanced sideways and saw at least seven hundred immortals snickering at the commotion. It wasn''t hard to guess why, from the sounds of things people were throwing their weight around for whatever targets to attack. The East Continent dwellers especially wanted to contribute much more then where the dragons wanted them to go. The bad blood and distrust over the last million years certainly did not help things. Da Hai sighed and moved forward all the same. He rode upon a mass of water resembling the shape of a cloud that shot passed numerous immortals who saluted him as he passed. Among them were the dissatisfied third generation of innate gods sulking about. For all their powers, they were being treated like the average rogue cultivator. Nothing which reflected their vast inheritance might imply. Many of them were born of unique natural phenomena or remnant vestiges of Pangu himself. The average innate creature can never compete with them in terms of raw talent and insight. However, in the current world climate, the differences between innate creatures and innate gods were blurred. In a world where Golden Immortals were not the stand outs, but merely above average, xiantian lifeforms born at that realm were a lot less impressive than beings who reach that stage by their own ability. For some who lived more social lives such as Hongyun, and Zhen Yuanzi, they did not mind. For others who lived in isolationist lifestyles like Minghe or Leizhu found it bothering. Da Hai only briefly met Liu Er''s glance before passing on. However that brief moment gave Liu Er pause. ''Utter asshole,'' the monkey fumed in his mind. Da Hai walked into the cloud pavilion with no announcements. There dozens of eastern clan heads argued against phoenixes and dragons. The latter two also spewed insults against each other. "The Sky Pythons will attack this Vibrant Ascension valley. Our venom will easily destroy the devil alchemists who reside there!" "You crazy? With your meager strength you''ll never succeed. We dragons are descended from Pangu''s Yang Qi. It is only right for us to act as the vanguard against Thousand Spirals Pass." "We avians are masters of all five elements. It''s much more secure for us to attack Wondering Heart Sect. Not you bull headed dragons!" "You honestly wish to challenge the wisdom of his majesty?" "Considering how many times you''re always pushed back by us? Yes!" His own disciples Zulong and Yinglong were locked in an argument against some clan leaders while Zufeng was doing the same against others. Both sovereigns have preyed upon the East Continent before so it was no surprise the latter didn''t want the former to have what they perceived to be all the glory. Personally Da Hai found these people to be childish. Qi An meanwhile sat relaxed in his own seat with amusement. He seemed more content watching his fellow sovereigns be agitated then actively participating. Da Hai took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The pavilion which sought dozens of fights was suddenly enveloped by a mass of water. In an instant, all of its occupants sans a few were drenched as if a bucket has been poured on them. Da Hai opened his eyes again. "Are we done bickering like children?" "Master, you''re finally here," Zulong said in relief. "Your excellency!" Various seafolk and dragons greeted. "Great Immortal!" Other beings from the avians and innate creatures greeted. "I''d expected decisions to be made before I even got here considering my delay," Da Hai began. "Is the Primitive World''s situation not dire enough for you all to cease bickering for one second?" ''How long must we hold up this invasion? Every second wasted is a second longer Luohu remains alive! That brother Hongyun and Qinglong remain unavenged'' Was the unsaid message. "Of course not your excellency, its just that these easterners decided this moment was perfect to play glory hound," a dragon said sneering. "Oh screw you you overgrown worm. My Two Headed Grizzly clan is much more experienced with an illusion wielding enemy like the Veiled Eyes devil sect," the clan head this particular dragon was aiming the dig at responded immediately. ''It''s going to be a long day,'' Da Hai decided before stomping his foot. This resulted in the cloud pavilion transforming into a construct made of ice. Outside, Liu Er squinted his eyes. The noise coming out was muffled a lot by Da Hai''s actions. As the other immortals began turning away, Liu Er flexed his ears. Suddenly, he felt a jolt of pain as blood began pouring out of his ears. "What is happening!" He screamed keeling over. ''Don''t eavesdrop where you''re unwanted,'' Da Hai''s voice echoed through his mind. ''Do I need to impart Hongjun''s infamous words to you?'' "It''s not even the right circumstance!" Liu Er screamed much to the confusion of the surrounding immortals. "Is that guy mentally okay?" Tongtian asked rhetorically. ¡­ Several days after, plans were finally finalized to a state where everyone agreed. It was universally agreed that destroying the formation suppressing foreigners in the West Continent was of the utmost importance. As such, several squads were tasked with finding this formation''s anchoring points while a vanguard force kept as many devils as they could distracted. The three Beast Sovereigns all entrusted their best agents to find and destroy places where this formation was being anchored. Six points, through divination and investigation through attacking the dome many times over, Da Hai concluded there were six different formations placed into powerful leylines which powered this formation. It was lucky that aside from its defensive and support abilities, this formation had no offensive capabilities. As such Da Hai nick named it ''Turtle Shell''. By the time these talks were concluded, it was night again. Da Hai found himself observing the night sky once again like he had so many times since returning. Wether he noticed it or not, a burst of flame exploded behind him and Zufeng made her appearance. "What do you want?" Da Hai asked without looking back. "Nothing much. I originally came to view the southern sky. But once you appeared? This is simply to satiate my curiosity at one of the few beings who is closest to the Grand Dao," Zufeng said. "This is also the first time I am meeting the famous Ancestor of Great Sea from the first generation of innate gods after all." Da Hai spun around with a passive look. "Reaching the path of Wuji is but the doorway to a new adventure. I''m no closer to Grand Dao then anyone." He narrowed his eyes as he looked Zufeng up and down. This was the first time he''s had a personal experience with the Phoenix Sovereign after the million year long exile from the Primitive World. He instantly grew displeased with what he saw. In fact, a flash of rage and killing intent manifested in his pupils. "You stole Huoyun''s light," he spat. Zufeng was taken aback. ''Of course, ancient legends from the northern Serpent Lake spoke of how close the God of the Five Elements was with him.'' "Inherited. Not stole," she retorted. "As the one born in five virtue, I came about this ability as a natural consequence of my biology." "Induced by intruding on Huoyun''s home." Zufeng had no words for that last bit as Da Hai was not wrong. "We all must search for opportunities. We''re you not the same?" "Use that power to kill that parasite on Sumeru then," Da Hai said. He did not stay any longer having transformed into a mass of water to move away. Left by her lonesome, Zufeng looked towards the night sky. The same action repeated by the remaining dragon brothers, Da Hai, Yi Fei''e, and all those who knew them personally. Only they looked in different directions. "Oh sister, I promise you. Your death won''t be in vein," she said towards the seven constellations forming the Vermillion Bird hanging above the South Continent. ¡­ In a dark corner of the world. In a place of eternal night where the concept of light was completely alien. A nobly dressed man with a black beard and red skin walked along carrying a coffin. He was wholly unlike the barren dark world he resided him. Here in this dark world neighboring a sea of blood, no living beings dwelled but him. Well him and one other. But his fellow brother had not been here in some time so it really was just this red skinned man. "Hm?" He suddenly noticed a shift in the air. Floating into the air, he watched with morbid fascination as haunting cries echoed throughout this dark world. "It''s west of here," he murmured. There in the far off west, malevolent transparent hands reached down in scooping motions. Several unidentifiable transformations occurred and vague shapes resembling human skulls were observed. They drifted through the air chattering their mouths as if chewing on something. "What on earth is going on?" The red skinned man asked in alarm. Invasion Along the eastern fringes of the West Continent. In fact, it was right in front of the dimensional barrier which separated the West Continent and the Central Continent. There stood a tall wall several thousand kilometres high which sat between two mountains. It''s architecture resembled similar structures from the Primitive World, being a descendent from the Chaos Godfiend civilization. In addition, several devil experts manned the structure. Most of them were Great Unity Golden Immortals and only some were Great Principle experts. From the perspective of an active world war, this was extremely poor defense. As such it came as no surprise when the earth starting trembling and a thunderous impact noise slammed into the wall. "Hm? Who dares?" "Did those villainous invaders come already?" Two devils at the rushed out of their dorms and into the sky. They were immediately alarmed at the sight. Their bodies were human like and they each wore robes denoting their allegiances to their own sects. "What in heavens name is that?" One of the two devils gasped. His ginger pointed right at a hideously flabby creature attacking the mountain pass. The creature had no clear facial features. The only thing that could be identified as such were the fat rolls across what looked to be a head or upper torso which resembled a human posterior, the fact that this beast had no neck did not help things. The creature wore only some armor, mostly gauntlets and pants. Along its back were feathery wings that looked like they couldn''t possibly carry the creature''s weight. What''s more intriguing was that there was no distinct qi signature which identified its cultivation. "Oh? This is all the devils could muster for me?" The flabby creature sounded almost disdainful. It raised its thick arm and swiped along the top of the wall, grinding its stone structure into flying rubble. "Stop this at once!" One of the two devils raised his hand to farm a gigantic hammer made of blue fire. He was about to attack the beast when out of nowhere he stopped. He wasn''t the only one, his companion had also halted in place. It was as if time itself had halted despite these devil''s best efforts to resist. Ordinarily, time stop abilities were extremely hard pressed to affect immortals of their caliber. But for the caster, a gigantic dragon with the head of a balding human who slithered from behind one of the mountains. Both his eyes were closed and there seemed to be something magical going on between them. "Their security is too low big brother. Clearly this fort isn''t meant for much," said the human faced dragon. He surged forth chomping down hard on one of the devils. His human shaped teeth easily bypassed the devil''s defenses and swallowed him whole. "RAGH! If you think I''ll go down that easily!" The devil screamed on his way down the creature''s throat. But the creature''s body was simply too sturdy, the devil couldn''t do any damage as he was attacked by stomach acid. "Hmph, just be obediently digested like the abhorrent criminals you are. Big brother, the Dragon Sovereign, Phoenix Sovereign, the the rest of the Anti-Devil alliance is arriving in two minutes." The flabby creature grunted in acknowledgement. It had already grabbed one of the two devils and squished him to death seemingly with little effort. However, a closer look would showcased his palm as having been singed. Just as the human headed dragon had said. A dragon shaped supercluster burst from the clouds. Accompanying him were a massive blob of flames and golden light. But before any of these shapes could act, a small figure summersaulted towards the two towering creatures. In an instant, a massive cudgel grew out of the figure and smashed into the already damaged wall. The weapon easily pulverized what little remained of the structure before a second strike disintegrated all remaining piece. "Hmph! Authentic descendants of Pangu and you can''t even break a wall," the provocative voice of the Six Eared Macaque drew the two creature''s ire. Luckily, their overlords took action before anything escalated All three condensed to form the human shapes of the three beast sovereigns. "Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuyin, you were warned to not charge in ahead," Zufeng was the first to speak up. "Respectfully Phoenix Sovereign, it turned out these men couldn''t amount to much," Di Jiang replied. Zulong meanwhile glanced at the monkey. "You were to move under Jiang Koilong''s command. Why have you disobeyed." "Hmph!" Liu Er avoided Zulong''s gaze like a naughty child being caught doing something wrong. "I cleaned up these two''s mess." Soon afterwards, more people began arriving. Yi Fei''e, Chongming, the ten other blood descendants of Pangu, Leize, and Di Jun. Finally, Da Hai himself manifested. ¡­ Streams of light penetrated the territory ruled by devils. Streams of light which composed of millions of immortals each. All manners of living beings came with the intent to annihilate devils. Wether they were motivated by glory, vengeance, or responsibility ultimately did not matter. Da Hai watched as those in charge of vast empires like Zulong, Zufeng, and various East Continent powerhouses wave their hands. Dozens upon dozens of armies pushed forth each heading towards major devil sects to destroy them. Immediately though, everyone felt a sudden heaviness in the air. An uncomfortable feeling that chilled them to the bone. They''d all suddenly found it harder to fly, harder to manipulate the qi around them, harder to warp reality. Although those extremely powerful such as Da Hai did not feel the effects as strongly, they were able to notice the detrimental effects on weaker individuals. "This suppression affect is even stronger? Were the reports wrong?" Zulong wondered aloud. Many top experts were having the same thought. It took a lot of self control for some individuals to not start flinging accusations of treachery "No," Da Hai replied. "The effects were manually enhanced." The ancient sea god swept across the lands with his divine sense. Much of it had vastly changed from whence he was here last. There was not a trace of familiarity which he could exploit. However, Da Hai''s eyes trailed towards the centre of the continent hoping to see visible evidence of Luohu. However, he found not a single trace of Luohu. Instead, the faceless godfiend Hundun stood upon Sumeru''s cliff. "You can''t beat this formation just standing around you know?" Hundun taunted in an amused way. His voice traveled across the sky and could only be heard by Da Hai. This caused the latter to narrow his eyes in suspicion. ''He is awfully calm about everything,'' Da Hai thought with doubt. "Some light suppression on immortal power cannot stop our retribution upon you devils," Da Hai snapped back. He gazed expectantly at various generals leading their armies. He was not disappointed one bit. Because as the devil formation''s suppression field were affecting weaker immortals, top powerhouses were already counteracting it. Chaos Immortals across the alliance expended their own energy to block out foreign intrusions upon their soldier''s bodies. "Let''s see you solve this puzzle then junior. Otherwise you''ll never get to touch Luohu. Hehehe." Hundun sat dangling his legs without a care in the world. Mentally, he communed with an untold number of devils to fight for West Continent''s glory. "Dragon Sovereign, I trust you''ll follow battle plan?" Zufeng asked from across the sky. "Just worry about the vanguard heading this way. My brother will deal with their pill concocters," Zulong grunted back. As Yinglong split off with dozens of armies, several other sub groups did the same. The winged dragon had recovered fully thanks to the aid of his master. Now he aims to destroy any possible sects that were suppling enhancement pills to the Devilish Dao. This meant various famous sects who specialized in alchemy. At the same time, he was accompanied by forces which held many innate gods. Some of them were grumbling about being sent on side errands but Yinglong did need the support of powerhouses. Most dragon Chaos Immortals were accompanying Zulong after all. Zufeng''s collage of experts were far less then the dragons. But to her side, the two brothers who''d distinguished themselves Di Jun and Taiyi commanded large forces under her. Since the two were avian in nature, they got along great with the Phoenix clan. Da Hai glanced to his other side and felt his heart tighten. Yi Fei''e rode the Cinnebar Phoenix alongside her sisters beside Zulong''s personal army. Despite the latter phoenix''s allegiance to her, it seems like none of Zufeng''s subordinates were willing to find trouble with her. "We''ll be fine master." He heard her voice in his head. Focusing his eyes, he met his eldest female disciple''s stern gaze. "I have fully recovered as well. I am more then capable of handling myself as I''m sure you already know," she continued. Da Hai nodded. He swore to look out for his disciples but he also knew they were all accomplished powerhouses by now as well. Well except for maybe the six younger moth fairies. Whatever the case, as everyone began moving once again, Da Hai flew to join Zulong at the very front. ¡­ It took half a day before the vast army of the world met a force of billions upon billions of devils. Not many of them were familiar faces but many of their leading figures possessed energy signatures that heavily resembled Devil Great Emperors who had perished on Buzhou. Such an incident was immediately called out by those who''s killed such opponents previously. However, they also noticed that the people who possessed these energy signatures were different people. "What is this? There are at least five people with the same Daos I''ve already killed," said a dragon who gapped at a young man on the devil''s side. "Oh? So you''re the scoundrel who killed my master," replied the devil who brandished a long sword at the dragon. "Then as the new patriarch of Mt Hen Sword Sect, I will slay you where you stand!" "Do not be alarmed," Da Hai warned all the immortals on his side. His voice riveted through the army as if it had been placed on loud speaker. "The Devilish Dao is a method of cultivation which all users exist as extension of the master of said Dao. Every Dao you encounter, no matter who it was that created it, is fundamentally only an derivative of the master. In this case, these poor fools were tricked to be merely Luohu''s puppets." His words enraged the crowd of devils yet drew laughter from the alliance''s army. "So that is the case?" "Oh it all makes so much sense now!" "So all their cultivated achievements are now someone else''s work?" "Oh such a pity." "No wonder they''re all weaker than the averages of their realm." "SILENCE!" The devils roared. "You invaders do not know of what you speak!" "KILL!" "KILL!" "KILL!" Devil after devil, these living beings who saw themselves as righteous defenders of the West Continent charged forwards to attack. Unlike the immortals who felt suppressed, the devils were emboldened by their home territory. "Defenders of the Primitive World, kill these pests!" "KILL!" "KILL!" "KILL!" Da Hai released a smirk as dragons, phoenixes, and immortals flew past him. Zulong headed the charge from the East Sea, Zufeng the south, Yi Fei''e and numerous powerhouses attacked with the intent to kill. Opposite them, Chaos Immortal level devils charged with vigor. Di Jun and Taiyi jumped high and immediately began unleashing waves of Pure Yang Fire. The heat of the sun combined with numerous other attacks from numerous experts quaked the land and tore apart the sky. Zulong smashed down towards a group of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals and not far from him, his contemporaries did the same. Da Hai raised his hand intending to attack. He was far in a way stronger than anyone else on the battlefield. There really was no one who could oppose him if he desired to go into a frenzied slaughter. Since no Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals were here to stop him, he can functionally run rampant without anyone to stop him. A single motion was all it would take to decapitate millions of devils. "No no no, fellow daoist please don''t do that. Let the little guys have their fun. Limitless Supreme experts like us should fight among equals." Da Hai''s brows raised instantly as Hundun suddenly teleported within his personal space. His arm was still in mid swiping motion when Hundun caught it. With his other hand, the robed faceless godfiend grabbed hold of Da Hai''s lower face. "I thought you were on Sumeru?" THOOM! Within a millisecond, Zulong swerved his head back. "MASTER!" He cried out. He reached out and his arm transformed into an elongated dragon claw reaching for Hundun who was a still pushing Da Hai away. Yi Fei''e also glanced back sword ready. Cinnabar grinder to a halt in the sky and gradually turned his titanic body as his mistress yanked his feathered back. "Worry about your own battle!" Da Hai roared in their minds. He yanked his arm out of Hundun''s grip and struck the faceless godfiend with his free hand. The two separated mid air tens of thousands of kilometres away from the starting battle. "You know, ever since I heard you killed my brother effortlessly, I''ve wanted to see how sharp your sword actually is," Hundun said. Six arms emerged from his cloaked form each holding a hatchet. His pose was not dissimilar to the one he held when facing Huoyun so long ago. That memory came and went in Da Hai''s mind as the sea god manifested the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword in his palm. So what if Luohu will not come face him? He''ll kill his trusted lieutenant and force the bastard out. Hundun''s cultivation level was unprecedented for Da Hai. He''d figured out he had reached new heights just based on reports regarding the battle at Buzhou but experiencing it was another thing entirely. During the first battle at Buzhou, it was like Hundun barely tried. Beyond that Da Hai didn''t know much about Hundun beyond whatever scraps of mythology he could remember. Hundun was currently Luohu''s most powerful active subordinate since Mara hadn''t been seen since Buzhou. Though he wasn''t technically a devil he trained a good majority of them and was integral to their lineage. All that mattered now was that he was an enemy who needed to die. "Come try it if you dare." Far below, Liu Er joined the front lines holding a crude cudgel. His focus had left Da Hai and squarely sat on the devils coming at him. The general leading him, Jiang Koilong was eager to commence the slaughter and despite his disdain for the dragons, Liu Er couldn''t agree more. More importantly, he had lost a lot of power thanks to that villainous Da Hai. As such, he wanted to integrate more flesh and gain back the cultivation he''d lost. Let none ever say Liu Er was a quitter. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "DIE!" The monkey roared, bashing in the head of an unsuspecting devil. "I live for this! Devils of the West, season yourselves for your granddaddy!" ¡­ For over three weeks, a battle raged between devils who viciously defended their home and immortals who sought to destroy them. In a continuous clash of bloodshed, both sides were somewhat equal in their endeavor. However, it quickly became clear that the devils were losing ground. With many powerful figures from the rest of the world in the same place, even without Yinglong and several other powerful Chaos Immortals present, the devils simply could not mount a continuous battle. Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An represented a fighting force who equated a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. No one could really oppose them aside from slowing them down. In the end, it wasn''t enough as they eventually broke free and ran rampant slaughtering countless devil. Mostly importantly of all, Da Hai was locked in combat against Hundun. Experts at their level found it incredibly difficult to gain a foothold over the other without some sort of deciding factor. For Luohu this was his hidden clone in conjunction to his Immortal Extermination Four Swords. But Da Hai and Hundun were both either unwilling or unable to show off any tide turning trump cards. Da Hai''s sword swings met Hundun''s hatchet with reality bending clashes. Their battlefield had transformed into a hazy sea of water and sludge that simultaneously stretched on infinitely yet was locked into a confined space. Occasionally, outsiders could see massive snake heads rising up and loud roaring could be heard. Other times, it was dead silent invoking a foreboding sense of dread that made people question if Da Hai had died. Yet Zulong never lost faith in his master. Gradually, the immortals beat back the devils and slaughtered them by the millions. Weakened and battered, the disorganized force could only retreat to their sect strongholds and recover whilst waiting for support. However, despite winning the initial clash, Zulong noticed how neither Da Hai nor Hundun had ended their brawl. The warping space around their clash made it incredibly difficult to perceive what was happening within, but also to approach. "Senior brother!" Yi Fei''e called out. "Cinnabar and I will pursue these cowards fleeing northwards. The Phoenix Sovereign already expressed her intentions to uproot a nearby forest inhabited by flame devils. What of you?" Zulong looked over, Yi Fe''e did not seem winded at all and neither did her sisters nor mount. The old dragon narrowed his gaze at the distant battle. "Your majesty, we''re awaiting your orders," Leize said after flying close. "Follow your previous orders. Destroy any devil strong holds you find, ignore Sumeru for now," Zulong said. "It is imperative we take the attention away from our comrades searching for this formation''s anchor points." Zulong stared into the swirling mess of water and sludge for a little while longer before sighing. "Master will keep the only Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal active right now distracted. Do your parts as well." The reason he said so was because Da Hai had reached out to him as well. "Zulong," Da Hai had said. "Seems I cannot disengage from Hundun for now. Continue without me and ravage these devil infested lands." The sheer venom in his voice was palpable. "Yes your majesty/senior brother," the Leize and Yi Fei''e said. Following that, the group dispersed. From one gigantic gathering into several massive armies. From those, more groups splintered off to assault more devil sects. While small cells moved in the shadows, the higher ups began carving a bloody path from the West Continent. In the coming months, the alliance continued to move across the West Continent fighting off any resistance force they could get their hands on. Over time, the grand army splintered into smaller albeit still quit large forces. After all, it was best for them all to cover more ground. During this era of fighting, Zulong personally saw to the burning of over three dozen established devil sects. It was almost as if he was inn competition with Qi An and Zufeng to see who could cause the most havoc. Overtime, hundreds of battles began occurring simultaneously across the West Continent. Nothing was ever concentrated in one place anymore. With groups dashing everywhere seemingly attacking at random, and devils reacting with their own forces, sometimes even ambushing them. Things began devolving into chaos. All the while, the bloodlust flowing through the Primitive World only seemed to rise. ¡­ Several months later. In a burning battlefield, a Devil Great Emperor was entangled in combat against several powerhouses. This devil had a body wreathed in flame and resembled a cloud with an imprinted face. "I am the Archflame Devil, you juniors think your heretical flames can harm me?" The devil roared. His breath set the sky ablaze and pushed his opponents back. Around him, thousands of weaker devils who cultivated his lineage''s fire surged to torch thousands of weakened immortals. "It''s no use, this fire is too hot!" A crane immortal yelped as he was stabbed through the neck. The gargantuan fire devil spun his body even more. He was like a spinning top which resembled a burning star. This of course drew the ire of Di Jun. He and Taiyi were the ones who initially tangled with this Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal and even they found him to be a tough opponent. "Avians, do not let up! Douse this fool immediately," he ordered. Zufeng had saw fit to grant him a commanding position unlike his fellow innate gods. He used his own control over fire to redirect Archflame Devil''s attacks away from his soldiers. But even at his best, the Devil Great Emperor was in a league of his own. "Burn little birdy, haha BURN!" The devil''s jaw expanded until he was the size of several mountain ranges. With a maw large enough to swallow large islands, he attempted to pull hundreds of thousands of avians in at once. Di Jun''s brother reacted instantly. Taiyi released the Chaos Bell and tapped hit several times. The ringing of this archaic bell echoed through the sky establishing wonderful effects. "Hm?" Archflame Devil was started as against his own command, his body stopped moving and his mind slowed. "Wwwwwwwhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaatttttttttt iiiiiiiiiisssssssss tttttttttthhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiissssssss!" "Quick! Taiyi has brought us some time, fall back!" Di Jun ordered. As Profound Immortals, Heavenly Immortals, Golden Immortals, and Great Unity Golden Immortals all pulled back from their battles, Di Jun released hundreds of blazing palm strikes. Since he can''t damage the Devil Great Emperor, he''ll do as much damage to his sect''s forces as he can. Archflame Devil could only watch in fury as some of his favorites were burned alive. "NO! Why does it burn? Why is it so hot?" Numerous devils cried out as they died. "Brother, how long must we hold out? This Mt Yan sect is too strong for the soldiers we were given," Taiyi warned his brother. "Not for long. It''s unfortunate we can''t win by our own power. But our allies from the seas are close by," Di Jun said. Taiyi narrowed his eyes. "I thought Spring Song Dragon King''s army was attacking the Earthworm sect seven billion kilometres away from here?" "No not them. One of the larger contingents." They soon pulled back as Archflame broke out of his imprisonment with a vengeance. The two parties began a game of cat and mouse across the nearby mountain ranges. Each time they clashed, they were like suns smashing against each other. The cries of crows were heard by native creatures mere moments before their homes were torched into ashes. Mountains disintegrated, rivers dried, even their own soldiers we''re fully safe from the extreme heat. "Come back here little crows!" The devil cried. "I swear I''ll¡­GAH!" Archflame Devil screamed in pain. Blood gushed out from within his fiery form as a sword embedded itself inside him. "Who threw that?" Di Jun and Taiyi transformed from their three legged crow forms back to human forms when a golden orb appeared in the sky. It spun, drawing all of Archflame Devil''s fire into it like a spiraling tornado. "By heavens its hot here," Yi Fei''e was visibly sweating when she arrived atop Cinnebar Phoenix. The latter was far more attuned to high temperatures, yet even he felt the heat. "Mistress, my Sovereign''s new favorites are over there," Cinnebar pointed towards Di Jun and Taiyi. "They should be the ones who dispatched that messenger." The moth nodded. She leaped off of Cinnabar and weaved a hand seal. Around her, strings of silk flew out like ropes towards Archflame Devil. "Don''t think you can bind me so easily woman!" The devil roared. He set the strings ablaze with a simple thought. ''That''s fine, if restraining is going to be hard. Killing it is then.'' Yi Fei''e smirked a little. She and Cinnebar rose into the sky displaying the might of two Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. Neither were weak examples of such a realm and both manifested a new cosmos. Seeing though her intentions, Archflame growled in indignation. He turned around attempting to flee. But Taiyi, being the pesky bird he was unleashed the Chaos Bell one more time. He panted as more effort was placed into the ringing treasure. Temporal magic froze Archflame in place as a polygonal shaped universe enclosed his position. His body shifted from real space into a new reality beyond his control. As the army consisting of billions of seafolks and dragons arrived, they witnessed a new cosmos contracting. Several Primal Origin level dragons and seafolks jumped in to help. Even Di Jun and Taiyi lent aid sending pelts of fireballs at Archflame. For his part, the devil felt gloomy. He was resisting the contracting universe yet could not find a clear way to break out. For several hours, he struggled to push against Yi Fei''e and Cinnebar''s contracting universe. For equally as long, his flames began snuffing out. This lasted through twilight and into a new dawn. By the beginning of the next day, he finally perished. The new universe had shrunken to the size of a single proton within the hand of Yi Fei''e. By griping it, she destroyed whatever was left of the devil. "Thank you all for your aid," she said. """"""No need to thank us your highness. It was only our duty!"""""" Di Jun, Taiyi, and the contingent of avians behind them could finally rest. Yi Fei''e allowed them the time to breath and join under her protection for the time being. Despite this, many avians felt dissatisfied at having seafolk and dragons ''interfering'' with their activity. Yet Di Jun was actually quite happy to find this chance. Previously, he had attempted to seek out the commanding dragons but could not do so due to the invasion. Finding a personal disciple of Yingzhou''s lineage was a godsend for his feelings. So he chose a moment to sneak away from Taiyi and approached Yi Fei''e. The was watching a three dimensional image of the landscape when Di Jun approached. She waved her hand letting the dragon, and seafolk experts accompanying her to stand down. "Senior Profound Sky Heavenly Lord," Di Jun greeted. His reference to her was a title the experts around the world started calling her by during the past million years. She also had a princess title due to Zulong but most people outside the seas did not refer to her as such. "General Di Jun. You are the innate god born of the Solar Star correct? I thought you would be resting with your people? Why seek me out?" Di Jun coughed into his hands. "I would like to ask¡­uh that is to say¡­hm how do I say this¡­I uh, noticed fellow daoist Xihe did not appear with the rest of the esteemed experts from the four seas. I know she''s an exceptionally powerful immortal and I wonder she could be?" The dragons and seafolk experts looked at each other quizzically. They were only tangibly familiar with the name Xihe. Yi Fei''e however gasped as if she suddenly realized something. Before long, a knowing smirk broke out across her face. "Right, young man here''s the thing," she said with clasped hands. "She''s still in the East Sea." "Huh?" ¡­ THOOM! Water and black sludge rippled after smashing against each other. Da Hai and Hundun pushed each other back. "Huh scary, you''re indeed worthy of being a fellow daoist of us true godfiends," Hundun praised. He examined his cracked hatchet, twirling it around as if it were a to. Da Hai lowered his sword as well. The grayish gas cloud around him was still there ready to strike at any time. The seven snakes transformed from his hair hissed at Hundun but otherwise made no effort to attack. ''Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. There''s no doubt about it. He''s not just a Primal Zenith with enough combat strength to equal a Limitless Supreme. His understanding of the Dao is already on the path of Wuji.'' "Your brothers were dumber than you. They kept themselves trapped forever, unable to comprehend the Dao further." "Indeed they were." Hundun was uncaring of Da Hai''s insult to his group. He shrugged so carelessly that it made Da Hai question the Four Evil''s relationships with each other. "I did advise them you know. Seeking a new Dao, creating a new path where previous mistakes can be mitigated was the only way forward. The gift Pangu left us. Too bad, seems only Yang Mei, Luohu, and Hongjun realized this fact." Da Hai felt his blood boil at the mention of the latter two names, he made a conscious effort to keep a poker face. Everything started, and always led back to them. The serpents behind him thrashed angrily shooting out jets of scalding water. Hundun merely chuckled at Da Hai''s aggressive response. "You need to control your temper my friend. If you fall apart so easily at mere words¡­" "You have no right to judge me fiend," Da Hai spat. "We gonna continue or what?" "Hm, no I don''t think so," Hundun shook his faceless head. He made a few clicking noises before nodding to himself. "Bout that time now." "What did you do?" Da Hai immediately asked. "Me? Nothing!" Hundun made a surrendering pose. "But I really must be going. Can''t keep playing with you forever you know?" "Get back here Hundun!" Da Hai grabbed for the godfiend who was already beginning to retreat. "Worry about yourself first," Hundun yelled back. He did not hesitate to smash two of his hatchets together. Their axe heads cut into each other and the joined treasures began glowing a bright orange light. Hundun threw the unstable treasure towards Da Hai. It was a heartachingly tough call to sacrifice these treasures, but to disengage from Da Hai it was necessary. The highly unstable qi induced by Hundun transformed the treasures into a bomb. Da Hai gasped at Hundun''s wasteful actions but stopped to wrap himself in Pellucid Divine Water. As the fiery explosion went off. Da Hai heard Hundun''s fleeing voice. "Since I''m pretty sure you know Mara''s origins, I''ll give you a hint. How many arms do I have?" Wind of Yin Yinglong felt something off about the air. As reflex, all of his magical senses flared up and extended for vast distances. Yet aside from something foul tasting, he can''t quite identify what has him so on edge. He turned back round to the burning buildings behind. The devils here had not expected a Primal Zenith powerhouse to suddenly arrive. The vast majority of their own similarly ranked immortals had left to combat the major invasion forces. Hence their strategy has worked. Nevertheless, the formations utilized by this sect did stop him for a few days. Not long enough for any reinforcements to arrive but still annoying. "Nothing here?" He asked a shrimp lieutenant. "No your highness. There were scores of treasures but none of substantial rank. Other then that, we got no signs of any formation anchor." The shrimp''s delivery of bad news made Yinglong grumble. It has been many months and he wanted to see his sons again. The only solace he had was that the four of them were more managers than warriors and hence stayed behind. "What of our prisoner? Has his suicide methods been expelled yet?" The shrimp looked like he didn''t know. He quickly made an excuse and Yinglong bade him leave to ask. He had some time to spare before moving on, hence he didn''t make too much of a fuss. Around him, a once beautiful valley was gone. Devils may''ve had a negative image in the oceans but that didn''t mean their territory were hideous nor were their methods distasteful to the old dragon. Though there was a thick smell of yin type qi mixed in with the air. It maybe just been another side effect of so many deaths. They were cultivators like anyone else. Just those under a different label. But they were notably much more willing to go through extremes compared to cultivators from any other parts of the world. Even in battle, Yinglong had witnessed underlings leave their commanders to die. Something about how that frees up space for them to advance. Honestly that part of devil cultivation always felt off to him. Yinglong''s eyes drifted to the night sky above him. The constellation of the White Tiger wasn''t visible at all. No chances had occurred in the sky meaning none of the other search teams managed to destroy an anchor point. Luohu''s talent in the art of formations truly were something else. First the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, now this? He silently wondered, if the Heavenly Dao was still active, would this vast formation even be allowed to exist? It can''t possibly have been activated until recently. Just another action to add to Luohu''s foresight. ''Then again, would such a farseeing person do something as reckless as breaking apart the sky in a tantrum?'' The winged dragon was broken out of his musing when more of his men approached him with news. The self inflicted suicide techniques on the Primal Zenith Great Devil Emperor''s body has been eradicated. He can no longer pull a fast one on him. A general rule in the cultivation world? Driving someone off was easy, killing them was moderately difficult, capturing was extremely difficult. You had to be immensely more powerful then another individual to render them powerless to escape and to prevent them from self destructing. In the ancient times, even Hongjun and Luohu would''ve found it more reasonable to flee or resist than outright stopping Shenni from self destructing. In modern times, devils had developed so many creative spells that allowed for self termination in the event self destructing was prevented as well. It was so out of left field, culturally at least, for anyone not from the West Continent that keeping anyone prisoner was hard. "These devils are remarkably viscous. Even to themselves your highness," one of his attending soldiers mused. "Too right. We''re it not for that Tongtian fellow, we wouldn''t have been able to dispel all those spells on his body. Who knew there were so many methods to kill one''s self?" Another said Yinglong soon spotted a young energetic woman with sharp eyebrows hovering near a devil restrained by many black and white bindings. Nearby stood Yuanshi who looked away as soon as Yinglong arrived, and Taishang who was meditating mid air. Around them, many aged dragons and sea creatures looked on with a gaze of befuddlement. From their perspective, a junior had just outperformed many of them who were old monsters. "I hear you''ve removed any dangerous spells on this prisoner''s body. Well done," Yinglong praised. "That is to be expected. My sister is the foremost expert in formations after all," Yuanshi immediately proclaimed with a pride filled voice. The dragon only nodded. His full attention was focused on the bound devil. "You''ve caused me a lot of headache¡­King Jun was it?" "Great King Jun of Mt¡­" "Don''t care," Yinglong cut him off with contempt. "Tell me of the location of this cursed formation''s anchors. Where must we strike to break it? Where are its weakest links?" The devil couldn''t struggle beneath all the bindings. Despite what he must''ve felt on the inside, on the outside he could only slavishly obey. His mind was already not under his will anymore. A Manta ray immortal at the Primal Zenith level had already saw to that. Hence he told Yinglong what he knew. Which turned out to be a fat load of nothing. "How is that possible? You''re a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal! All immortals of your rank were designated Great Emperors and leaders of the Devilish Dao!" Yinglong practically roared. Several months of frustration was released in an instant as he unconsciously covered the sky in rain clouds. "We don''t even know what its called. Hundun just told us Ancestor Luohu has everything figured out. Then next thing we know, Six colors crossed the sky and the new sky''s constellations disappeared." Yingling felt his patience being worn thin. What was he gonna tell Zulong? What was he gonna tell Da Hai? The old dragon felt shameful. "That can''t be!" Tongtian suddenly said. "No way something of this scale was set up outside of anyone''s notice. There must''ve been large movements of resource." "Things gets moved around too much for anything to seem out of place for me," the devil shrugged. "Wars between sects, festivals in Ancestor Luohu''s name, and competition to stir up the youngsters to name a few. I was only an minor elder before my recent advancement, if there were any secrets within these actions? I wasn''t told." "Ah right, the amount of devils within a certain realm is limited," Tongtian mused. "Fine then. What other secrets of this formation can you tell me? Outside of weakening the bodies of non devil cultivators?" Yinglong asked. The devil clicked his tongue in thought. An unsure look crossed his face. "Hm, primordial qi of the yin attribute has been rising ever since our formation showed itself." Dragons, seafolk cultivators, rogue cultivators, and East Continent natives all looked at each other in confusion. They''ve known this fact about the environment for some time now, but because they were all foreigners who''d never stepped foot in the west before, they chalked it up to a natural feature. It was something so minor, even Yinglong overlooked it. The dragon refocused his senses on the smell of yin. He found it chilling as was usual with many things related to yin. But he noticed there was a difference in how it appeared compared to when his aunt master Wangshu would make her presence known. It wasn''t just cold. It was haunting. Almost like unintelligible voices of calling out. Except they were so distant, that all that was heard was soft blowing. The restrained devil seemed to have noticed it too. But instead of Yinglong''s trepidation, he found excitement. He hoped he would be freed some, he had rivals who were still stuck at the Primal Origin level and were just itching to breakthrough. "Death, death, death to you worms who wronged me! My sect, my prestige, my cultivation!" "Who said that?" Dozens to hundreds of high level cultivators were alarmed. Gradually, a wind laced with yin energy blew across their bodies. Most noticeably, swirls began appearing in various locations. ''Almost like bodies are forming!'' Yinglong wasted no time unleashing dozens of geysers. They arced across the sect ruins right through any mass of qi they found. These attacks shot through many of them, breaking their structures. "Revenge, revenge, I must have revenge. You killed me!"e Yinglong whipped around, nearly catching a transparent arm. He was startled as the arm passed through his flesh, right through his chest. Although he suffered no physical damage, he felt an involuntary chill down his spine. "Haiyah!" Tongtian slashed through the same shade with her Qingping sword and at least seven other dragons, two crabs, and five fishes of various kinds attacked these blobs of qi. But these figures were just like the wind. They only blew pass you with untouchable grace. Yinglong sucked in a deep breath and roared. Aside from his booming voice, the sheer force of his breath blew apart the attacking ghastly figures. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" A horrifying screech interrupted Yinglong''s cry. The assault on his ears caused the dragon to and many others to flinch. This gave enough time for more figures to manifest around them. "Winged dragon, you''ll pay for killing me!" A far more legible voice screeched. "Senior brother?" The bound devil called out in shock. Then the raw force of a Devil Great Emperor erupted, blowing all the cultivators aside from Yinglong away. Perhaps if they were prepared more, these Chaos Immortal powerhouses could''ve stood their grounds better, but they had their own concerns to deal with. All of Yinglong''s group were at least above the Chaos Immortal threshold. They were intended to be a small but hard hitting force after all. But what ambushed them were ghostly apparitions of Chaos Immortal devils. The amount of faces who''d appeared were all the higherups of the sect they''d just slaughtered. All of these people were recognized by the chained devil as his comrades who''d left for Buzhou and had not returned. "Oh," he gasped. "I see now." In mere moments, the ruins were swarmed by an even bigger number of deceased devils. "Winged dragon! You''ll you''ll pay for what you''ve done!" The ghostly devil who''d screeched, attacked Yinglong. His clawed hands wrapped around the dragon''s neck and dragged him into the sky. His jaw stretched unnaturally on his humanoid face and a white cloud emerged from his mouth. "Who are you?" Yinglong asked in genuine confusion. As soon as he noticed the apparition gaining a physical form, he acted. His hands slid beneath his assailer''s grip and forced their claws away. He then blew air through the white cloud, tearing it apart. To end it all, he performed a roundhouse into the stomach of the devil. The booming sound of a thunderstorm was heard behind Yinglong. As his feet connected, two illusionary dragons ripped through the devil''s body, sheering his flesh apart. "How dare you? I am Emperor Thousand Leaves Wang Shinyan! We brawled atop Mt Buzhou!" "I killed so many devils that day that your faces all blurred together," Yinglong replied. He attacked with shockwaves from palm strikes the sound of which ruptured the very sky they thought on. The devil gritted his teeth. His claws cut into reality as he tried to create a dimensional wall t protect himself. "That won''t work fool, locking spacetime was the first thing we did!" Yinglong manifested yellow wings on his back. Shadowy dragons danced in the sky, soon rain drops followed along from the path of these dragons. Yinglong''s attack wasn''t just on the devil he faced, but also on the dozens of devils attacking his soldiers. Each of his raindrops were like daggers falling from the sky. Each droplet tore into the newly created flesh, slicing through defensive spells and what not. "GAH!" The ghostly Devil Emperor crossed his arms. The fading image of an ancient tree began manifesting mid air. But the devil groaned at his technique. "I was so much stronger." "Lucky for me." Yinglong''s voice startled the devil. He couldn''t turn around in time as Yinglong''s hand transformed into a claw and ripped through his chest. There was no blood drawn, only flesh being pushed out. But even then, this flesh faded back into the air. Without giving him a chance, Yinglong immediately created a spears of water around his hand. He impaled the devil over and over again. Then he followed that up with a wall of lighting, vaporizing the devil''s entire body. But he didn''t end it there, the expanded the concentrated lighting into numerous bolts. All of them plummeted down to create localized explosions at the ghostly devils attacking his forces. "Huph, huph!" Yinglong gasped after he was finished. The yin qi around him had been scattered so utterly that whatever will possessed them had faded, for now at least. Hence he rejoined his soldiers admits the pouring rain. It seemed Yuanshi, Taishang, and Tongtian were all fine if a bit startled. Yinglong looked around and saw two dragon corpses much to his dismay. A small distance away, the shrimp he was talking to earlier had half his head sliced off. "What was that?" Someone asked between shocked gasping. The devils had all been eliminated. But in the confusion, the previously bound devil broke his restraints and escaped. "Their aura felt like genuine cultivators. But I know I definitely killed one of those who attacked us," Taishang said calmly. "This is vexing. Souls of the dead dissipate upon death. That has always been the rule." "Brother, there were ones who despite feeling like Primal Origin Chaos Immortals, their power were akin to the average Great Principle Chaos Immortal. And the ones who felt like Great Principle Chaos Immortals, well their attacks hit more like a freshly broken through Chaos Immortal," Yuanshi said. "Right, their attacks felt strange too. When cultivators fight, we can feel the insight of the Dao behind those attacks. But these devils, they felt hollow," Tongtian added. The three''s discussions and conclusions were the same Yinglong had observed while fighting that Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal devil. That devil was not truly powerful enough to beat him in a straight up fight. But he also wasn''t weak enough to be swatted aside like a lessor cultivator. In that confrontation, Yinglong was not the only confused one. The devil attacking him seemed to be flabbergasted too. It was almost as if he wasn''t used to his state of self. "Send word to my brother," Yinglong ordered the Manta ray immortal. "The rest of you, we''ll move on." ¡­ Across the West Continent, a massive shark clashed against an orca radiating the aura of a devil. The shark was massive, easily thousands of kilometers long with black eyes promising nothing but death. The two had been locked in combat for three whole days already with neither side seeing clear advantage. "My grandson! You''ll pay for eating my grandson!" Colossal Shark Ancestor roared in a fury. His army had initially been on the offense after splitting from Zulong''s main host. Thinking that a sect famous locally for possessing numerous treasures would enrich his clan further in a dragon oppressed world, the Colossal Shark Ancestor gleefully attacked. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. But now, his army was forced on the back foot, and much of his family who''d come with him had already fallen. "Hahahaha! If he was so weak, why bring him into battle?" The orca devil said merrily. His tone caused the shark nothing but grief. Both of them were Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal and clearly they were both ancient existences. Colossal Shark had been around since Shenni had been alive and this Orca too was an ancestral head of his clan. Around them, hundreds of thousands of immortals and devils fought in a frenzy. The sky, the land, rivers, and mountains were stained with blood and fallen corpses. In such a scene of death, the cold wind stained in yin energy blew strongly without anyone noticing. The Colossal Shark ancestor and the Orca Great Devil Emperor, neither noticed the air cooling. Booth of them were stained in blood while, constantly hurling spells at each other. The Colossal Shark''s jaws opened to the absolute extreme. The pale image of a skeletal mouth manifested through his technique and he aimed to bite the orca in half. "DIE!" The devil narrowed his eyes in anticipation. The black and white on his body glowed and his body convulsed with veins. But before either side could continue their clash. A massive organism smashed into Colossal Shark''s side interrupting his momentum and throwing him off course. "Who dares?" "I dare!" The organism who attacked the shark immortal was a devil who''s skin was cool to touch. She resembled a lumpy toad thousands of kilometers in size and possessed three pearl like eyes. This devil wasn''t alone either, no less than five Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals appeared out of nowhere. Colossal Shark wasn''t deterred, he switched his attention on to them and began fighting back against these new targets. He didn''t know where they came from nor how they sneaked up on him, but he''ll kill them all the same. Tangling with the first, then another, then a third, the paragon existence from the East Sea transformed into a mass of water that jetted across these devils. He sliced through the toad devil''s face with shocking speed and proceeded to bite off the arm of another. "Qi with he purity of a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal, but only the combat ability of this?" He sneered. But even as he said so, he moved around while the rest began gaining up on him. From five Primal Zenith realm experts, three more appeared, then dozens upon dozens of cold Primal Origin Chaos Immortals tried to attack him. Following that Great Principle Chaos Immortals appeared by the thousands. His own army numbered in the hundred thousands, the vast majority of foot soldiers weren''t even Golden Immortals. Captains and lieutenants were Golden, and Great Unity Golden Immortals. Only the leading figures stood beyond the Chaos Immortal gulf. When the battle commenced days ago, his numbers and the devil clan he attacked was around even. But from the moment the yin wind blew, this reversed completely. Colossal Shark found himself being mobbed by numerous devils. Individually, they''d all be weaker then him. None of them were strong enough to truly fight him yet weren''t weak enough to be swatted aside like flies. Just annoying enough to make an impact. "GAH!" Colossal Shark screamed in pain as a pair of jaws bit into his lower half. The orca he''d previously been fighting had recovered and taken advantage of the mobbing. With one huge bite, he ripped the flesh off of Colossal Shark ancestor''s body spilling his internal organs into open air. The devil quickly backed off swallowing the liver he''d just pulled out. "Good taste," he said licking his lips. "AAAAAHHHH!" Colossal Shark screamed in agony. Instinctively, the world around him exploded with rich qi and Dao essence. Golden glittering light particles burned the air around him and caused True, Profound, and Heavenly Immortals to start going insane. The air transformed into primordial water and living beings in the area who weren''t strong enough to resist, found their bodies beginning to melt. Colossal Shark thrashed wildly as the devils who mobbed him kept taking bits of flesh off of him. He flailed into he and the ones in pursuit crashed into the ground, creating a crater which skirted for thousands of kilometres. "Get away from me!" The shark screamed. Pillars of water spiraled out of the earth, turning into hands holding fin like swords. They slashed at the Primal Zenith and Primal Origin Chaos Immortals attacking him, but only managed to kill off the Great Principle Chaos Immortals. "Kill this fucker now!" The disfigured three eyed toad demanded. She hadn''t died but her stature looked close to death. Despite that, she acted as if she were completely fine, so much so that the orca devil found it weird. ''Not that I''d complain,'' the orca thought. Soon enough, his own descendants piled around him including other devils at the Primal Zenith realm. "Ancestor!" "Save the ancestor!" Numerous sharks broke formation to retrieve Colossal Shark. Primal Zenith experts, Primal Origin experts, Great Principle experts, even Golden Immortals attempted to do so. The orca devil smirked. He avoided an oncoming Primal Zenith shark and bit the immortal from below. "Only your ancestor was strong enough to contend with me. No one else is qualified!" The swing of the orca alone was enough to disintegrate thousands of Golden Immortals in an instant. Not even Chaos Immortals were safe, for as long as they remained in the Great Principle realm of power, their bodies contorted from the black and white waves coming from the orca''s tail swipe. "Kill them my family," the orca devil commanded. It became a bloodbath. The culmination of seafolk clans lead by Colossal Shark suffered total defeat. While eventually, dozens of elders working together managed to get Colossal Shark ancestor to safety, this wasn''t without the loss of seven eighths of his physical body. The ancestral clan of sharks also lost nearly all of their top fighting force. Most of their Chaos Immortals were massacred and nearly all of the immortals who followed them were killed. In the aftermath, the orca devil turned to the three eyed toad. "I thought you were dead Pearl Gaze, didn''t you get stomped to paste?" ¡­ All across the West Continent, many groups were experiencing deja vu. Swarms of devils mobbed the invading alliance. Often times this was in between important battles, enough to force them into retreat. Often times, the people fighting encountered familiar faces who all should''ve been dead. Yi Fei''e and her sisters fought off hundreds of returned devils they''d killed. Various innate god encountered devils who they''d slaughtered. Even Liu Er found victims of his previous cudgel chasing after him. Those who showed up in large numbers were overwhelming especially for the smaller groups. Yet it wasn''t as if devils now had it easy. Those who found themselves within the Primitive World again found their new forms despairing. Some part of them was hollow and their lack of power showed. It was difficult to adapt to it especially after the adrenaline of entering battle wore off. At the same time, those previously in power could only stare their rivals who now held their prior position and cultivation with despair. Hundun expected this result. But for the sake of progress, it had to be done. The weaknesses of devil cultivation has been known for eons. They can only blame themselves for not doing their research. To a godfiend, it was pitiful and downright heretical, but he wasn''t going to complain.He calmly handed his escape from Da Hai with what he considered graceful. Looking back, he saw Da Hai''s figure being further and further away. "He''s very far now, that''s good," he said to himself. He didn''t know what Da Hai''s been up to in the past million years given his full attention was with Luohu, and the rest of the Devilish Dao. But he knew he shouldn''t underestimate him, anyone who made it to the Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal stage had deep foundations. These were people on the verge of fully comprehending the Dao. Hundun looked back at Da Hai again and nodded in satisfaction. "Seems he can only remain at a perpetual distance. His speed, in short bursts at least, isn''t impressive at all." Hundun began slowing down and thinking of his next move. With the original body safe, and the clone within processing phase, he needed something else to occupy his time. "Luohu should still be recovering but, I do need to find out what Hongjun is up to." At times like this, Hundun hated how Mara was still MIA. He needed that person''s expertise to manipulate the rebirth process. Heaven knows Luohu couldn''t be bothered. He took a look back and found Da Hai at an even further distance away. It was funny to him, he was so fast that it was like the sea god was moving away from him instead. As if Da Hai was flying backwards while facing him. "Wait did I pass that mountain that long ago?" He narrowed his eyes at the mountain Da Hai just passed. Da Hai was smaller then a spec at this point so Hundun wasn''t worried at all. "Ah¡­anyway, I have to recuperate my losses as well. Red Mist Temple''s patriarch still owes me, let''s pay him a visit if it hasn''t been besieged yet." Hundun turned around towards the location of his next destination. With all the chaos in the world, everyone was a lot more distracted then they used to be. Then a hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Huh?" Hundun whipped his head around to meet Da Hai eye for eye. BOOM! Hundun''s power culminated into his fist. A ball of destructive energy acting as a, "get away from me," move. A reflex from his sudden shock which would''ve killed an ordinary Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal paragon figure. But like all beings who entered combat, Da Hai was expecting any and all moves against him. The primal ocean from a super ancient past revealed itself through his eyes. The totality of this ancient ocean met Hundun''s chaotic force and reached an equilibrium of sorts. Within the impact, two primal forces attempted to annihilate the other, trying to convert the other into themselves. The force of chaos was also like a reflection of the ancient ocean, as if its past history of over a million years condensed into a new lifeform who wished to take over. But the ocean was an ever expanding being, despite being physically close, it was as if it were growing further and further away, with a distance that stretched beyond the horizon. This all took part within the confines of an enclosed fist in a palm clamping down upon it. Da Hai slowly pushed Hundun''s fist down bit by bit. "I never took my attention off of you," Hundun said. "Yes. You never did," Da Hai admitted sincerely. "I knew where you were this entire time. How?" Da Hai didnt answer Hundun anymore. He only allowed a small smirk to rise from his face. Instead, he turned to face Mt Sumeru in the vast distance. There, although it was very hard, he was sure he met the confused gaze of a second Hundun. "This is an avatar right? You never actually left that mountain yourself," Da Hai said. "So well built as well. This avatar''s combat ability is well beyond what Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals posses." "It took five yuanhui''s worth of time to gather the resources to build," Hundun admitted proudly. "I only got lucky in the end. But I must ask you fellow daoist. Please release me." "Release? We''re enemies in this war. How dumb can you possibly be?" "Is that really the case?" Hundun chuckled bitterly. His other hand rose up to Da Hai''s alarm. Hundun''s finger seemed to drag across the air. But it was as if he was considering something else. "You''re really making things hard for me." "You can make things easier for me," Da Hai said. "Six arms, Mara''s origins? You''re referring to the concept of samsara, perpetual reincarnation within the six paths." The modern Primitive World was not nearly identical to what his inherited human memories remembered from reading internet novels. In this place a form of reincarnation did exist across all Chaos Worlds. But it wasn''t like the systematic like samsara''s reincarnation wheel made it. All living beings, before the Golden Immortal realm were owned by their home universe. Their true souls did not belong to them and existed within the river of time. The river of time contained all the true souls of all beings within a Chaos World, since true souls contained the totality of history that anyone who emerged from these souls possessed, they''re functionally record keepers of history. Hence the river they all existed in was called the river of time. When a living being is born, wether they be by connate means or post natal means, a soul emerges from the true soul and enters the physical world. When this living being inevitably perish, the soul dissipates and returns to the true soul. This cycle is repeated again and again. It was natural, but not organized. A chance based system that no one commanded. This was why Heavenly Immortals have an utmost limit of a a hundred and twenty nine thousand, six hundred years worth of life. A single yuanhui was the absolute limit a soul could last. In the Primitive World''s case, this was largely the same. Only with the added caveat that Golden Immortals were regular occurrences. So true souls were ripped out of the river of time a lot. However, the downside also made itself known. The river of time was in a way, a failsafe. Even if your soul was destroyed by someone, you''d still be safe with he true soul creating another soul in its place from its safe haven, the river of time. But once they leave, reincarnation ends. A living being is in full ownership of themselves, so if they die? Their true soul dissipates permanently. Unlike beings bound by lifespan, there was no afterwards for people like Da Hai, Zulong, or Hongjun. It was only Pangu''s mercy that the Chaos Godfiend''s true souls were not destroyed but instead allowed to merge into aspects of the Primitive World and become the first generation of innate gods. That was to say, the insular environment of the newly created Primitive World along with the Chaos Godfiend''s sheer force of will, and ability to hold their cultivated Nascent Soul as a last line of defense protected their true souls from dissipating. "Just a way to add to our numbers," Hundun said. "Wasn''t my idea mind you." "How do I shut it down?" Da Hai demanded. "That''s the fun part. It''ll alot more then just you. Neither you, me, that dragon or any of the sovereigns. Heck not even if Hongjun joins you will you be able to deactivate it. Amazing isn''t it?" Da Hai tightened his grip as Hundun lowered his arms. "Destroy my avatar and you''ll earn my enmity fellow daoist. I implore you to let me go, we don''t have to be enemies." Da Hai''s mouth ripped with rows of fangs. His irises disappeared into black orbs. Seven hissing snake heads emerged from his hair roaring winds grew into a hurricane around them. THOOM! A vast distance away, a truly gargantuan aftershock uprooted several of Luohu''s attempts at vegetative decoration while Hundun''s true body scoffed. It was a dreadful setback losing a free limb like that. He turned back around and moved deeper into Mt Sumeru. Hopefully, Mara will show himself again and Luohu can heal up already. Ghost Devils The initial offensive of the Anti-Devil alliance had slowed their initial push. Since the reappearance of numerous deceased devils, the West Continent''s defenders suddenly swelled in both numbers and confidence. Suddenly, their Primal Origin and Primal Zenith experts were no longer the ones being hunted. With the sudden emergence of numerous powerful devil fighters, even dragons and phoenixes fell. Even top powerhouses of the rest of the Primitive World had had suffered injuries beyond their expectation. After Buzhou, they''d assume the devils had exhausted themselves. After all, they were one continent fighting and entire universe''s worth of factions. But time and again, they revealed that nothing about them were ever so simple. In a battlefield littered with corpses, dozens of Golden Immortals fell. Their landing created dozens of craters which only served to further damage to West Continent. However, they were but ants compared to the person who killed them. Instead, the main event was a devil holding the gaunt body of an east sea expert. An ancient existence born many yuanhui ago. A great immortal known as Ink Flower deity, a leader from the Octopus clan. The denizens from the sea, east, south, and northern lands were fearful of their lives. Their leader had been surrounded by over a dozen Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal level devils, two living and ten ghostly devils. He''d only managed to hold out for seven days before his defense were penetrated. "Cowards! Resorting to this tactic of all things?" The dying octopus snarled. Her reference to the unfair numbers advantage did not amuse any of the devils. "Blame yourself for being too weak then," the leading devil spat. He sucked the rest of Ink Flower''s essence and shattered her Nascent Soul. Watching her Dao fruit disintegrating into particles, he breathed a sigh of relief. Inwardly, he felt jealous of foreign cultivators, a feeling many from the current generation of defenders secretly felt. They were all dazzling geniuses who emerged from the slaughterhouse that was initiation. Each and every devil expert had sacrificed too much to reach their current heights. Yet no matter how brilliant they were, how deep their understanding into the Dao was, in terms of power they always fell short of their enemies. Very few individuals could actually fight an immortal from outside the west of the same cultivation realm and win consistently. Most of them simply didn''t have the raw power. Realizing the problem had been their secondary concern aside from fighting for their own survival. "Great grandfather," the devil leader said to a ghostly devil beside him. "Capture these fleeing immortals for me. I want to know everything they know." "You dare to command me brat? I built this clan from the ground up!" "And you lost it the moment that dual sword innate god from the east killed you. You listen to what I say understand?" He released a sharp burst of power that was almost as much as three of his great grandfather. "Hmph! Without me, do you really think your ascension to Primal Zenith would''ve been so successful?" The ghostly devil grumbled. But he did as he was told anyway. Years of cowering to the strongest had instilled obedience into him long ago. Numerous True, Profound, and Heavenly Immortals watching this exchange was terrified. Who knew what these devils would do to them? Especially after they''d already ravaged a good portion of this specific territory. "Run! Flee for your lives!" "Run!" "Get away!" Tens of thousands of remaining immortals attempted to flee. Even Great Principle Chaos Immortal leaders were scrambling to save their own hides. Millions of devils descended towards them. Their bodies chilled the air and caused snowflakes to form. Combined, their mounting pressure caused weaker immortals to suffocate or hallucinate. Their emotions went erratic and thousands lost the will to run or even live for that matter. Others lost all senses of their bodies entirely, as if all six desires have left them. As Luohu''s Dao, the Devilish Dao''s founding core principle defined the six desires as life, death, sight, scent, hearing, and taste, all devils on some level possessed powers over them. The Primal Zenith, Primal Origin, and Great Principle Devils erected pillars of energy, blocking all forms of escape. True Immortal devils harassed their counterparts while Profound Immortals grabbed them. Profound Immortal devils and Heavenly Immortal devils captured their own corresponding enemies. With their leader gone, their protection against the western formation''s mounting pressure was all but gone. They couldn''t even resist. "AH!" A cultivator screamed as he was disintegrated. "Didn''t the previous clan head want us to capture them?" "Look at how many there are?" Frantic and screaming, this was the scene an almost undetectable force came across in his touring of the west. The sound of galloping hoofs were foreign to the devils at first. It was drowned out by their overwhelming victory. But it wasn''t before long someone noticed an odd feeling in their chest. "Uh," one of the Great Principle devil elders groaned. Beside him, dozens of others suffered the same feeling. The next thing they knew, even the hundreds of Chaos Immortals present felt the same. All the living ones at least "I feel¡­" The devil ran his hand into his own chest. His physical form collapsed and his Nascent Soul imploded. Their Dao did not disintegrate, rather they disappeared into the greater Dao of Luohu. The perpetrator narrowed his eyes in fascination. "What is happening?" The devil leader screeched. The ghostly devils across the whole battlefield were in a frenzy. Suddenly, millions of devils annihilated their own being leaving only the resurrected devils behind. "Oh don''t mind me," Qi An''s majestic figure said. "Just making you all pay back their karma." "Th¡­that''s the Qilin Sovereign!" "Kill him!" SPLATTER! Qi An did not pay them any attention as all devils in his vicinity suffered a radiating force of wind. It tore through their body and destroyed them so utterly, that even the deceased devils returned by the Devilish Dao''s formation were killed again. "STOP!" The Primal Zenith survivors roared. But Qi An, despite technically being in the same realm, his power was on another plane of existence. The Qilin Sovereign''s horns vibrated, and a mysterious golden light emanated from them. As Qi An raised his head, bands of light cut through the sky like arrows. Their tore into each and every devil too powerful to be easily killed by his wind, and ripped them apart. For good measure, Qi An projected his true form. A golden transparent Qilin hundreds of millions of kilometres in size appeared. A single stomp covered the entire battlefield, pushing through non devils like a hologram, but crushing devils to paste. "Don''t think this is over qilin. I came back once and I''ll do it again!" "NO! I can''t die here, I can''t end up like them!" SPLAT! "We''re saved!" "Thank you great immortal!" "What dragon? What phoenix? The qilins are the true protectors of the Primitive World!" Qi An could only shake his head. These people in their thankful stupor, and security, had blurted out some blasphemous things. Qi An didn''t even want to acknowledge them anymore. "The dragon elder Jiang Koilong made his encampment five hundred million kilometres that way," he said pointing north. "If I were you I''d move." He did not spare them a glance before leaving. From beginning till now, he had moved alone. Aside from the initial invasion, he fought with no dragon nor phoenix or even any living creatures from the east. He was the lone qilin to have come and the lone expert from the former empire of the north. Yet he alone was worth more then any single army Zulong or Zufeng could muster. They were suppose to cooperate together, tear the west apart before uniting to end the the devil heritage once and for all. But he could not find himself staying near any of them. The less said about Zulong the better. ''No qilin lives will be sacrificed for their sakes. I alone am enough.'' This was his sole thought upon arriving in the west. Instead, Qi An found the new developments of this invasion interesting. Like many of his realm, he''d noticed the uptick of wind laced with yin qi. And like just as many he''d thought nothing of them. At least until the dead started returning. The existence of these ghostly devils were something completely alien to him. So unnatural and should not be possible. Yet at the same time so fascinating. His own Dao was formulated from his understanding of karma. The mysterious force that interlinked events from across of existence. He was trained for eons to sense and interpret it. So he could not understand why he couldn''t detect anything from the resurrected devils. He wanted to study them, but knew he couldn''t afford to. His owner was still MIA but he knew it wouldn''t be pleased if he didn''t do anything to defend it''s world. Qi An left the scene after everything remotely devil related was dead. Because even though a devil mighty figure had perished under his watch, he had no time to celebrate. The reality of the situation was, he was covering for the retreat of shattered armies. It was a consequence of the sudden uptick of powerful devils. These smaller forces that branched off from the main host were not powerful enough to handle it. Including this latest operation, he''d already found and bailed out at least seven other armies. Qi An immediately flexed his senses to scan the land. Seeing the fuzzy lines of karma dizzied him, the interference from all the bloodlust in the air was so consuming that it nearly blinded him every time he used his innate talent. But he managed to identify where mass congregations of people were at and followed their trail. In the distance, he recognized an avian and a dragon tussling with two dozen Devil Great Emperors. The dragon was covered in bolts of electricity while the avian resembled a chicken. ''That''s the dragon Leize, and the Chongming bird from the second generation of innate gods.'' Qi An considered whether they could hold out without him there. Leize and Chongming were being overwhelmed. Once again, the same obstacle occurred with numerous other Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. Devils of the same realm weren''t able to defeat them, but they were just strong enough to harass them and damage them that in big numbers they can overwhelm them. Qi An readied himself to kick. But a sudden surge of water washing over this new battlefield stopped him. ''Enemy? Why didn''t i sense any¡­oh wait.'' Qi An looked at the distant horizon and the approaching figure of Da Hai''s true form. Evidentally, Leize and Chongming turning their heads meant they did too. Da Hai did not appear pleased in the slightest. In fact, all eight of his hissing heads were enraged. The strongest immortal invading the west wasted no time sucking even the ghost devils into his gullet. Whatever occurred inside his stomach? Qi An did not dare think about. "Senior Oceanic Suppression," Qi An greeted. "Qilin Sovereign," Da Hai returned the greeting. "You two, how many have you lost?" Leize and Chongming looked at each other awkwardly. "It was because fellow daoist showed up to help that our losses wasn''t much. But at least five million fifty seven thousand immortals below the Chaos Immortal realm has been lost out of eleven million we started with." "These ghosts managed to ambush you lot too?" Da Hai gritted his teeth. "What direction did Zulong move to?" "Last we communicated his majesty was heading towards the training grounds of promising devils ran by Hundun. At least I think it''s Hundun," Leize answered. Da Hai seems to have fallen into deep thought. From Qi An''s perspective, the godfiend appeared a bit lost on what to tell Leize. But he couldn''t be sure, years of hearing his master yell profanities about him had coloured his perspective some what. From what he could tell, Da Hai never seemed to be the type to take charge as a leader. But nevertheless, Da Hai told him to pull back for now and rendezvous with other remnants several million kilometres away from here. "I suggest pulling back the the stronghold the Phoenix Sovereign set up past the Hanging Mist river. That place works was where most of the retreating cultivators decided to go and where I know at least two dozen mighty figures are based," Qi An suggested. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "The base set up after the first clash? Good idea," Chongming said. Da Hai nodded along and sent Leize, and the rest on their way. "Thank you. My information is not up to date." "Don''t mention it, divination in this current climate is nigh impossible," Qi An said. Da Hai felt uneasy around Qi An. Knowing his history with dragons, he wasn''t sure if Qi An would do something hasty. "Say, is your Dao related to karma? Or is that just your innate ability?" Da Hai asked. "Senior is correct the first time. My Dao is about the flow and exchange of karma. Though I have yet to comprehend how that could birth the source of all things, my understanding of karma on its own is the best in the world," Qi An boasted. "Are you able to sense how deceased devils are returning to the world? Not even reincarnating but reappearing with nearly their full strength. No matter what, for Golden Immortals and above, this shouldn''t be possible." Qi An considered Da Hai''s question, but he shook his head. "I am as clueless as anyone else. Unnatural is the only thing I can say." "But the samsara from Indian mythology is related to karma." Qi An was puzzled by Da Hai''s words. "Indian mythology? Forgive me, what is this¡­place? Is it a place you speak of?" "Another Chaos World in the Chaos Sea. A world much like our own where the existence of third order celestial beings exist and roam without limit," Da Hai said offhandedly. Third order celestial beings referred to Golden Immortals through to Chaos Immortals, in other worlds people who''d jumped out of the cycle of reincarnation and were in full ownership of themselves and could live in the Chaos Sea. "What?" Qi An was not prepared for this revelation. Pangu''s ability to create a universe like the Primitive World was unique wasn''t it? Even the backlash killed him, such a feat cannot be replicated cause it''ll produce something that could grow to rival the Chaos Sea in its entirety. "Forget it, keep doing what you''re doing. Put your karmic sensing abilities to good use and investigate this phenomena. Not only is it crucial to our cause, but this formation covering the west should definitely have karmic manipulating abilities. Find it out and track the source of all this," Da Hai said. The feeling of urgency was tangible in Da Hai''s mannerisms. He too felt the mounting pressure that only continued to build. Not the physical weakening the formation initially caused, but by the disadvantage they now faced. "You said Zulong moved towards the centre of the west right?" "That''s where Hundun''s training grounds were." Da Hai blasted off before Qi An could question him more. The ground beneath them drowned in even more water and the qilin was left to his lonesome. "Investigate? Where would I even start? Heavenly Dao if you''re still conscious, please help me!" ¡­ Within Mt Sumeru itself, Hundun was continued to feel perplexed. "I didn''t know where he is. But I could see him. I didn''t know where he was, but I did know. Ah this is infuriating!" Hundun worked through numerous theories regarding the workings of whatever illusionary spell that affected him, yet he only continued to feel flustered. It took several hours for him to return to composure and he thanked the heavens no one was there to see it. "What was it? Some sort of spell? I need to analyze it. Oh Da Hai, you''ve truly hidden yourself this past million years." The cloaked faceless godfiend took this moment to analyze the system Mara built. Everything was working smoothly albeit slowly. Now the invading force had slowed giving Luohu more time to recover. Hongjun should be doing the same. Hundun cannot let the Devilish Dao be destroyed. Not after all his personal investment. "If only a way existed for us to forcibly illuminate, and thus convert immortals to devils. But this rebirth method works too." THOOM! Mt Sumeru shook, surprising the faceless godfiend. "This presence. Mara?" Hundun teleported to the outskirts of Sumeru where a crater had formed along the mountain''s surface. A badly damaged figure dragged himself out of the crater and had to crawl his way up. "Hah, hah, hah! Cursed horse," Mara snarled each step of the way. "Senior brother Mara. You''ve returned," Hundun greeted. "Quick, the situation has become extremely dire." Mara flipped his head towards Hundun giving him clear sight of the demon king''s face. It was excruciatingly grotesque, burnt skin and puss covered half his face while the other was a charred skull. Even as he walked, burnt flesh fell off of his torn clothing. Luckily, no trace of the fire which assaulted him remained. Nothing reassembling the former glorious Demon King of the Sixth Heaven remained. What did remain however, was the aura that rivaled Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals currently taking part in this tribulation. Even if he resembled a walking corpse, he was not to be underestimated. "Hundun! Why has the Allheaven Sensation Cyclic formation been activated? Why do i sense the prototype reincarnation wheel spinning?" Mara demanded of his colleague. "Come now Mara, you can guess the reason. We had no choice." Hundun waved his arms around in a grandiose manner. "You know, it has been very stressful keeping everything stable with no support. But since you''re back, you can operate the reincarnation process can''t you?" "The whole system isn''t ready!" Mara screamed. "It can only return ghostly visages of devils incorporated into senior brother. It should not have been used so wantonly!" "In dire situations, we do what we must. Analyze the situation for a little hit." Hundun sounded like he wanted to clap the demon king over the head. Despite his misgivings, Mara had no choice but to agree with the faceless godfiend. Mara grumbled as Hundun revealed the master controls previously held within Mt Sumeru. Mara observed his creation with slight distaste. Nevertheless, he snatched it from Hundun''s grasp. "We need soldiers? Fine. Let me handle the process. But you''re still in prime condition. Kill those sovereigns who dared to stand against Luohu!" ¡­ Just as Mara was speaking of the dragon, Zulong was watching the burning remains of one of the Devilish Dao''s oldest monuments. He was flanked by Chenghuang who had rejoined him from the West Sea. The proud hall in which numerous archaic devils trained in was now ash. Scores of Primal Origin and Primal Zenith dragons worked together to break all the enchantments in place in order to destroy it permanently. At the same time, they took time to piss on the remains. Zulong turned away from the sight with satisfaction. The battle had not been easy even with his presence. Hence he allowed his men to release their anger for the death of their comrades. Unlike the smaller forces which branched from his own for their own objectives, Zulong''s invading army pierced deep into devil territory. Even with the onslaught of millions, even billions ghostly devils, he pushed through. "Losses below Golden Immortal?" Zulong asked. "Deaths? Many. Forty eight thousand total." "Golden and Great Unity Golden Immortals?" "Five thousand." "Chaos Immortals?" "A hundred and seventy nine." If there was one thing the dragon personally found irking, it was that they couldn''t replenish their losses. Already, they had fought three battles since the deceased returned, and each time they''ve met familiar faces. Each person they lost was a detriment that couldn''t be replaced quickly as cultivators, especially high leveled experts took a long time to train. Each person the devils lost will eventually return. Even if they were a shell of their former selves, they''d still be an extra body. "The losses of second order celestial beings are lower then I thought. I saw Jiang Koilong suffer a grievous blow earlier. I expected his side to collapse," Zulong inquired. "Innate gods. Strong. Slaughtered hundred thousands." Zulong nodded understandingly. Like his master suggested, Liu Er was a soldier on the front lines. Say what you will about his personality but he was effective with a capital ''E''. Even in the frenzy of battle, he''d found a sort of enlightenment. His strength continued to rise with each battle whereas others had to rest. Zulong casted a look towards a side of his resting army and saw Liu Er leaning on a ruined wall speaking with a red robed man sharpening his sword. ''That''s the blood god Minghe if I remember correctly.'' A swish of wind in the air signaled Jiang Koilong''s arrival. "Should you not be resting?" Zulong raised the concern. "Your majesty, it was only a light injury. I can still perform at my peak," the first ascendent dragon replied. He followed Zulong''s earlier gaze towards the distant Liu Er and allowed himself a grin. "That youngster, I owe him one. Him barreling into the enemy distracted my assailants long enough for me to escape. These third generation innate gods may be young but their power is undeniable." Jiang Koilong couldn''t say he knew what the big problem was with the six eared macaque. Sure his personality was a bit on the arrogant side, but wasn''t all juniors who''d managed to rapidly reach the Chaos Immortal realm? Liu Er was both brave and talented in the art of combat. Already, his strength had risen back to a level where he could compete with Primal Origin Chaos Immortals and even survive blows from Primal Zenith experts. Not even some other innate gods like Leizhu the bird headed thunder patriarch, Red Cloud Hongyun, nor relaxed earth immortal Zheng Yuanzi had the same level of improvement. Jiang Koilong felt that he''d truly be an asset to the four seas. After the tribulation, he felt he owed the monkey one for saving his life. Hence he felt a responsibility to speak with Zulong about potential rewards for Liu Er. "You can feel indebted, but don''t let it get in the way of your rationale. Be cautious around that monkey." "Yes your majesty." It was a good time to rest up for a little while hence they made idle chatter. As they were talking, Zulong perked up with delight. His divine sense had picked up Da Hai''s presence entering his field of visibility. Over on Liu Er''s side, he''d also noticed Zulong briefly glimpse his direction. Not many dragons nor innate creatures hung around his area. But he felt more comfortable in a fellow god of slaughter in Minghe. ''Minghe might be a pathetic dumbass who didn''t amount to anything in the myths. But can''t say he isn''t good at killing. Just like me.'' "Don''t you find it insulting eh?" He began a conversation with Minghe. Against the scraping of welt stone against metal, he began a similar tirade as Yuanshi unknowingly. "We''re innate gods, powerful Chaos Immortals. We should be leading our own forces and conquer more lands. Instead we''re stuck as attack dogs of incompetent commanders," Liu Er spat. With what he knew of Minghe''s personality from reading internet novels, he felt safe to rant to him. "Fucking hell, that Koilong guy gut his ass kicked. I thought he was supposed to be strong? Just a few devils and he gets knocked down? Pathetic." "I am able to draw blood. I am satisfied." "And don''t get me started on Zhen Yuanzi''s pacivipty. That guy just stayed in the back praying the whole damn time. Letting a lady like Houtu do all the work? How much weaker could he get? Guess the rest of the witches did fought well, but that''s to be expected from idiot meat heads." Minghe slowly turned an annoyed glare at Liu Er. He couldn''t believe how much the monkey loved the sound of his own voice. Did a small isolated clearing really make him feel safe to start insulting so many powerful experts. "What do you think Minghe?" "We all seek the Dao in our own way," the innate god from the Blood Sea said. "I draw my sword to spill blood. You do¡­what you enjoy doing." He picked up the freshly sharpened Abi and hurried to walk away. Secretly, he vowed to never find himself alone with this monkey. "Hey where are you going? Thought we were friends?" "We are not friends." Liu Er pressed his lips. Despite the retreating Minghe, his attention turned to the newly arriving mass of water carrying an eight headed Da Hai. ''He''s right, there are no such thing as friends in the Primitive World. There are the strong and the weak, the used or users. I bet even the dragons are his tools. He''s really a good lier." Worldwide Chaos For several weeks after meeting up with his disciple, Da Hai agreed to follow his decision on the war efforts. Zulong had suggested they retreat to a safer location, one where the presence of devils had largely been eradicated. After all, he''d only ever pushed this close to Mt Sumeru to spit in the devil''s ancestral sacred grounds. As they moved along, dozens upon dozens of smaller armies joined up with them for safety. The current scale of fighting had brought on an unimaginable amount of pressure. The Devilish Dao were fighting like caged animals, lashing out at the ones who wanted to annihilate them. Along the way, Yi Fei''e and a whole host of avians that had found their way to her army met up with Zulong and Da Hai. The disciples of Yingzhou had all gathered except for one individual. The dragon king Yinglong was still missing and had not reported back on his progress. The winged dragon had taken it upon himself to move further into devil controlled lands in order to find further information about the devil''s formation and the resurrecting devils tied to it. Even before Da Hai had found Zulong, Yinglong had been MIA for quite a while. It proved vexing for everyone when even Yi Fei''e hadn''t heard much news outside of those who found their way to her. ¡­ Dreaming. They were dreaming. All of them were merely specs of a greater whole. A supreme existence that neared total contemplation in what it meant to be the origin of all things. Arising from nothing comes one. From one comes two. Two forms three. Three begetting all things. Working towards the ultimate goal in reverse order, they were cultivated for this sole purpose. All of them had to contribute. It didn''t matter wether they were the weakest of mortals or the strongest of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals. Their individuality no longer belonged to them for they were merely one faceless ball of insight among many. They were nothing anymore. Their forms lost, their minds absorbed, their souls bargained away long ago. Now they sleep in eternal rest. "YOU ARE NEEDED!" "FIGHT FOR YOUR FOUNDER''S SAKE!" "RISE FROM YOUR GRAVES!" "ELIMINATE ALL THREATS!" "USE WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY!" "JUST GET THEM OUT OF YOUR HOMELAND!" The sinking consciousness opened its senses once more. Very briefly, it was still lost in who they were. But just as quickly as that feeling came, it went and the true identity was regained. From a whirling cloud of wind generated from the deepest corners of the Primitive World''s underbelly. A hand grabbed hold of wet dirt as a whole faceless body formed out of it. In several minutes worth of time, a human figure manifested with a roar. His presence within the world brought on changes to his surroundings. All living creatures within a thousand kilometres around him screamed as their deepest darkest secrets invaded their minds. The weak willed were forcefully taken over, and their personalities changed. The strong willed were locked in eternal struggle. "What has happened to me!" A soft feminine voice said. The humanoid ghost devil''s faceless features turned towards the familiar voice. Then an elderly man''s appearance plastered itself on the faceless devil. "This is not the West Continent," he said. "Empress Intoxicating Dream, calm yourself," he said dismissively. "We have a mission to accomplish." "Calm myself? Fellow daoist Rippling Reflections do you hear yourself. Look at what has been done to me?" The woman whose body appeared transparent and gaunt screamed at him. The glint of madness was evident in her eye and the ground around her instantly withered away. "It is to be expected," the elderly devil said. "We''re devils after all. Consider this one of the assurances in case we ever faced death." "Assurance? I don''t feel my Dao anymore! I don''t feel my flesh! I don''t feel any connection to anything except that¡­that¡­hollow void." Rippling Reflections chuckled at her hysterics. He turned away from her and at the thousands upon thousands of spawning devils. ''Hundun''s control alone is not capable of this. So this means either Ancestor Luohu or his majesty Demon King Mara has returned to activity.'' "Put that grief to good use why don''t you?" Rippling Reflections said. "We need to divert our enemy''s attention away from the motherland. And what''s even better, our killer''s homes are relatively undefended." The female devil''s fierce gaze snapped to him "The bitch who killed me." She straightened her back and manifested a green dress onto her body. "That woman was the Dragon Sovereign''s wife. I''d expect her to be at her husband''s side fighting in the west," Rippling Reflections said. "Though with them both in the picture, getting vengeance would be impossible. Especially with your diminished strength." Intoxicating Dream grimaced at the sad reality. Compared to her previous living self, if they were to fight the current her would be trounced. "There should be easier targets. Ones that fulfils our mission as well. No one likes their seat of power reduced to rubble," she said grinning. As more and more devils took form around them, Rippling Reflection''s unrestrained aura induced so much madness to the living beings around their vicinity that no very few had even taken noticed of a millions strong army suddenly coming into being. "Pillage and burn. Doesn''t matter where. These cultivators will pay for burning our homeland!" The mentality of these ghostly devils were such. A good many of them were even recently killed ones from the alliance cultivator''s invasion. Their combined rage made them desire to return the favour a thousand fold. Rippling Reflections didn''t care where either. As much as chaos was achieved around the mountains and seas, he would be satisfied. At least until his next role is given. Then the East Continent began burning. ¡­ "That''s another million four hundred thousand immortals added to our ranks," A dragon elder said. "They brought me news as well. Plesiosaur ancestor has been killed and unfortunately, Colossal Shark is on his last legs too." "You too huh? My Feiyi clan lost the last of our ancestor as well. None of the first generation left." "Unbelievable, there should be a limit to how fast and how much they these ghosts can come back!" The atmosphere within a giant war tent was depressing to say the least. Gathering together for protection again, Zulong met up with a significant portion of East Continent experts and avians. Many dragons and seafolk cultivators were already present by the time they arrived. Within the centre of the tent, Da Hai hovered in a seated lotus position. His eyes were glazed over indicating a lack of attention to his surroundings. His full attention was instead on the manifested three dimension model in front of him. Around him stood Zulong, Jiang Koilong, Leize, Chongming, and numerous other Primal Zenith experts. Wether it was discussing the current difficulties they faced, or at what Da Hai was projecting, there were many conversations going on. Even Yi Fei''e and Cinnabar was present. The latter sported a new eyepatch but was otherwise healthy. The former held her sheathed sword to her chest ready to defend her master should enemy devils decide to test their luck. As for Da Hai''s actions, he was trying his best to analyze both the formation covering the West Continent as well as the reincarnation process the devils were using. Each and every particle of energy appearing in the air was his effort to experiment and calculate every single mechanism he thought of. All the workings of souls of living beings, and the flow of karma within all existence aside, Da Hai had to acknowledge that whoever created this mechanism was a genius beyond comparison. He was never an expert on the topics of souls in the first place. Whatever knowledge he did have were things he gleamed from observing mortal creatures still trapped within perpetual reincarnation. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In fact, Da Hai''s rate of progress in analyzing was extremely poor. If one was to ask him what it was like, Da Hai would describe it as if he were looking at a complex mathematical equation, yet lacked the knowledge of what the symbols meant. His enlightenment into the Dao was hard carrying him to not be utterly clueless. "Your excellency, any clues to how we can stop this?" A man from the East Continent asked. "Any way we can reverse the returning dead and send them back to the abyss?" "Do not disrupt master, he will answer you when he has figured out," Zulong retorted. The man he was speaking to grumbled. His frustration at Da Hai''s silence was understandable and felt by many others. "Zhujian Patriarch, what have I learned that I haven''t already told the rest of you?" Da Hai said without taking his eyes off the model. "The only sure way is to remove anchor points that are powering this formation as many of you have independently long figured out." "But we''ve already burned sixty percent of the West Continent. No sect, no matter how important had anything remotely similar! Just their own mountain defense formations," the East Continent cultivator said. This member of the Zhujian Clan was not a first generation member. Despite being their patriarch, he was only three yuanhui old and already one of the foremost expert in the East Continent. As such, to a certain extent he saw himself equal to the likes of Zulong or Zufeng. Zhujian were felines, leopards with one eye in the centre of their face. Their tails were extremely long that in their true forms, they had to carry them in their mouths. Da Hai sighed bitterly. He moved a wisp from the model before him and pushed it through a circle. He repeated the motion many times and at some point split some of his qi to extract yin energy. "Anything?" Zulong asked. "This soon? No. Give me at least a thousand years of peace and quiet," Da Hai joked. "But honestly? I''d liken these devils to projections. Cheaply made puppets or something similar." Till date, no ghost devil could be captured to be experimented on. They simply crumbled away and returned to the air they once were. "So either we continue this scavenger hunt or directly assault Mt Sumeru," the zhujian from earlier said. "Either you commit to this hunt or commit suicide," another figure in the crowd corrected. "It''s better than to run around without a clue to our destination!" Another said. "Yeah, surely with all of us together we can muster up enough power to break that Immortal Extermination Formation." Around and around, they talked in circles. Da Hai ignored most of them as useless prattle he''d heard hundreds of times already. Each new arrival was a repeat. "Master, is it me? Or has the amount of devils coming back as ghosts been accelerating?" Zulong asked. "Could just be a result of ramp up," Yi Fei''e spoke up. "It has been a little while." "No Fei''e," Da Hai shook his head. "The rate of them resurrecting increased exponentially." He didn''t want to believe it but chances are, either Luohu or Mara had taken the helm of this operation. He said as such to a deafened crowd. "Perhaps attacking Mt Sumeru¡­hm?" One East Continent cultivator was about to suggest when they all felt a disturbance. The edges of their divine sense picked up rapid movement headed their way. Da Hai stood up unceremoniously and headed outside flanked by Zulong and Yi Fei''e. The people headed their way were energy signatures he''d recognized as very similar to Pangu. But since the twelve blood descendants of the creator god was within their current encampment, it only left one possible group. Outside, Primal Origin and Great Principle experts had all sensed it. Great Unity and regular Golden Immortals were slower on the uptake but soon they saw with their eyes. This army consisting of an unquantifiable amount of immortals all stood up in shock. A single ray of energy was fleeing towards them being chased by a monsoon of devils. There must''ve been millions of them for they reassembled fast moving clouds when they moved as one. Rather than the fear individual immortal cultivators had faced previously though, as a united front they wondered why these devils would head towards them so blazingly. Surely they know that with all the top experts gathered here, even a hundred million devils will be destroyed. "Lend aid! Please! My brother is injured and my sister is dying!" It was Yuanshi who yelled for them. A top expert at the Primal Origin realm of power. He was so strong he could even spar with Primal Zenith experts on a good day. However, the current Yuanshi sported numerous injuries on his person. On his back, he carried a frail looking old man who was an equally injured Taishang. In his arms he cradled an uncurious Tongtian. Yuanshi''s feet ran across a trail of primordial clouds. The Three Treasures Jade Ruyi was controlled mentally by him as well as the Qingping Sword to fight off his pursuers. Despite that, he''d been pelted by stray shots none stops for what seemed to be a long time. "Finally some action!" A tiny figure summersaulted into the pursuing devils throwing a sneer at Yuanshi along the way. Liu Er, bloodthirsty as he was, was faster then any others in attacking caring nothing for the little details. The Primal Zenith experts near Da Hai wasted no time moving into action. Chief among them, much to the surprise of East Continent clan heads, was Zulong. He shouldn''t care for someone who claims domains in the East Continent right? However, many of them had forgotten one crucial detail. The Three Pure Ones were all part of a retinue led by his precious brother, Yinglong. The lack of the winged dragon''s presence spooked him into action. Numerous attacks flew into the sky, smashing into the cloud of ghost devils. There were thousands in the Primal Zenith realm among them and dozens unified to face these assaults at the same time. Primal Origin immortals joined in soon after and a brawl started in the sky. Golden Immortals, Great Unity Golden Immortals, Heavenly Immortals etc. The innate gods moved with various elemental powers performing wondrous manipulations of the environment. The massive Kun Peng swallowed numerous ghost devils only for them to dissipate in his mouth. Massive forests grew to strike at ghost devils turning them back into air curtesy of Zhen Yuanzi. Dragons such as Jiang Koilong roared summoning bolts of lightning that cut down any that came in their way. Minghe cut through dozens of his foes with his twin swords while grumbling. "No blood, no soul, nothing to kill. So useless," the god from the Blood Sea spat. He heard the sound of whirling tides and saw the rising figure of Da Hai. In Da Hai''s hand was the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword which only held loosely. But even then, the sheer sharpness of that sword brought a sense of longing in the innate go. Da Hai raised an eyebrow at Minghe''s gaze. In his opinion the little kid wasn''t even being discrete. Zulong had already destroyed over half of the ghost devils and since there were no living devils among them, Da Hai took this time to observe the subtle changes between the environment and these devils. Yuanshi had settled down on the ground where he was received by a few avians and dragons who specialized in medicine. He sighed in relief as he could finally rest. Tongtian and Taishang were carried away from him by other experts even as people fought above them. Yet the innate god couldn''t shake off the feeling someone was glaring at him. He raised his head, noticing the titanic body of Zulong. Immediately, he understood the why. Zulong unleashed an earth shattering roar. His true form pushed out with his claws unleashing his martial art ''Nine Claws Killing'' in multiple directions. Numerous ghost devils dissipated under the pressure of such a blow. Even so, dozens of Primal Zenith ghost devils crawled along his serpentine body and chipped away at his scales. They discarded any sense of the fear of death extremely quickly. Zulong shook his body with irritant rage. "You filthy hands are unworthy of touching my disciple," Da Hai said. Waves of water washed away these devils before condensing into a water star. Within the confines of Da Hai''s water prison, a sort of connection was lost and these Primal Zenith devils returned to natural air. "Hm." About three hours later, the fighting was dying down as the last of these devils were purged. In the aftermath, the land was so beset by yin attribute air that the ground began frosting over. With Da Hai''s presence, no one perished to these devils, only injured. However, understanding that ghost devils will keep coming back, they didn''t lose any soldiers either. Zulong, Yi Fei''e and Da Hai both descended towards a sitting Yuanshi. Zulong shrunk back down to his Dao body and immediately stepped in front of Yuanshi. "You!" Zulong gripped the hem of Yuanshi''s robe. "Where is my brother? Why was he not with you? Were you not part of his group?" "I¡­" Yuanshi broke their eye contact with a guilty look. All signs of his arrogance was seemingly gone. "Speak up!" Yi Fei''e and Da Hai glanced at Zulong. The latter pulled out a jade talisman and waved it in front of his disciple. "Yinglong is fortunately still alive. But you Yuanshi." Da Hai glared as Zulong dropped Yuanshi to the ground. "The fact that you are here running means you abandoned my disciple right?" "Yes, I had no choice" THOOM! Everyone present jumped up in fright. A long gash into the earth stretching on for millions of kilometres appeared in an instant. Wether this was from Zulong or Da Hai, this was unknown. "No choice?" Zulong spat. "Did you abandoned my brother to the enemy? Why I outa." Zulong was so enraged by the implication that he''d forgotten to even use the royal ''we''. "Tell us where they are then," Da Hai questioned. Despite seemingly appearing calm, he was anything but on the inside. The jade talisman connected to Yinglong''s life force was an artifact he put in place on all his disciples. It only told their living status but anything else. Yuanshi only looked more guilty being scrutinized by these two titans. "We were moving to strike a solitary devil base. Lord Yinglong had¡­" "Oi! Perfect timing. Been meaning to talk to you," Liu Er yelled as he landed nearby. The monkey began making his way towards Da Hai but was blocked by Yi Fei''e and Cinnabar Phoenix. "The hell do you two want?" He spat. Liu Er tried to barge his way pass Yi Fei''e but found her to be as strong as steel. "Grr, you think just because you''re Da Hai''s side piece you can stop me?" Yi Fei''e immediately drew her sword at the insult but Liu Er only kept talking. He called out to Da Hai and Zulong despite everyone else clearly making an effort to stay a good distance away. "Twelve years! I have twelve years of mandatory education. Don''t you think I¡­" "SHUSH!" Liu Er flew back when an invisible force smashed all his teeth out. He rocketed away from Yi Fei''e for thousands of kilometres. "Keep talking," Da Hai said to Yuanshi after lowing his hand. "We were attacked by devils. At first it wasn''t many but they kept increasing in number. Every hundred we put down ten thousand took their place. We were able to resist but¡­" Yuanshi glanced at the direction of his brother and sister with a deep look of guilt. "Then he showed up. He was beyond anything any of us have dealt with. Hundun''s power was unbelievable." "Hundun." Da Hai chuckled a dark laugh. "What happened next? Even if a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal showed up, Yinglong is still capable of fleeing the scene. Especially when everyone with him were top Primal Zenith and Primal Origin experts." Yuanshi took a glance again at Tongtian and Taishang''s direction. They were being treated by the magic of several experts. Da Hai followed his look and his suspicion rose. "We were able to flee from him. Hundun didn''t give us too much pressure. Lord Yinglong wanted to direct our team eastward," Yuanshi admitted. "I¡­" "Finish your report," Da Hai said darkly while Zulong''s nostrils flared up in anger. "I suggested we turn around. I thought that if Hundun showed up to guard, then it must mean that place was important. So it was imperative for us to destroy it. I forced the mission back around. They payed the price." Yuanshi looked guiltily at Taishang and Tongtian. Zulong wasted no time choke slamming Yuanshi. He lifted him by his throat had a deep desire to kill him. Da Hai tapped his eldest disciples hand forcing him to release the innate god. "You left Yinglong to fend for himself?" "My brother and sister, they were too injured to go on. Everyone else with us were being cut down one by one. I had to seek help. They are my family, I had no choice," Yuanshi said on his knees. "I ran for days, weeks? I didn''t stop until I found you all. It''s, it''s all my fault." This was a stark contrast to the prideful deity from before. So much so that cultivators observing his admittance thought he was some sort of shapeshifting devil. "You," Zulong was both enraged and panicked. He and Da Hai gave each other an understanding look. "Which way did you run from?" Yuanshi looked up weakly. He waved his hand and projected the image of a crude line. It displayed how he ran and could be applied to the direction he came from. "Men! We move out immediately. Koilong, Ao Fanhao, Ao Quanshe, get over here! Sharp Tooth Patriarch, Electro Starfish, get your best trackers!" "Your majesty, your majesty!" A hurried voice interrupted Zulong. He whirled around with a force so great, it knocked the coming turtle general on his rear. The turtle was waving a commutalisman of the latest model and appeared very frazzled. "A thousand apologies your majesty, this one deserves death," he kowtowed immediately. "But I have urgent message." He waved the device in front of Zulong with a frightened look. "East Sea Dragon Palace! It''s been besieged!" "What?" If before Zulong was only panicked, now he was outright scared out of his mind. "Turn back and¡­wait but¡­" Yinglong was stuck on a life death situation on one end, but on the other hand his home where his wife and children are was besieged. He couldn''t even fathom how the latter could happen, weren''t devils being localized to the west? "What?" "How can this be?" Suddenly, hundreds of clan heads from the east, south, north, and the seas received news from their subordinates. Zulong''s home wasn''t the only one, news arrived by various different means, all telling a similar tale. Devils were sighted, ghostly devils who appeared to attack the home bases of these cultivators. Their cities, their houses, their territories. They were all being assaulted. Da Hai gasped as the realization dawned on him. Ghost devils were being resurrected outside the West Continent. "We must hurry home at once!" "Dear heavens, they''re in danger!" Numerous immortal patriarchs and matriarchs realized the gravity of the situation. They all looked to be seconds away from rushing out. "I¡­I¡­" Zulong looked eastward and westward. He growled and peeled his eyes away from the west. "You all! Calm down!" Da Hai roared. "Your excellency, with all due respect we cannot linger here anymore. My moutain is being besieged!" The Zhujian patriarch from earlier said. Not just him, but many others held the same opinion. As if uncaring for their unity, Zhujian and numerous East Continent experts turned tail and headed for the eastern border. They ordered their men to defend their own homes and to abandon the offensive. It was pure chaos. "CEASE!" Da Hai roared with power this time. The sky darkened and everyone felt pressured as a storm manifested overhead. The godfiend looked downright furious by the devil''s actions. "You all, you need to protect your homes? Alright. Leave half your troops here for the offensive. We can use that place the Phoenix Sovereign set up as a proper base," he said in a hurry. Truthfully he preferred someone else do this but with all the chaos his hands were tied. "Yi Fei''e, can you look for Yinglong?" He asked. The moth nodded and headed to mount her phoenix." "That''s right junior sister, oh thank you junior sister!" Zulong said gratefully. "We can leave at once." "Wait Zulong!" Da Hai said. "You''re too important for command to just retreat. You should remain here and continue the offensive, pressure the devils. This is surely an attempt to lure you away." "But Yu''er and my sons!" "I will go," Da Hai said. "I''m faster then you. I can also return here in comparatively little time." Zulong nodded, he closed his eyes and took a few breaths of air to calm down. "Alright master, please save my family. I''ll make these fiends pay for their audacity!" Yi Fei''e and Cinnabar were communicating with legions of dragons, seafolk, and even many avians. They set out soon on an expedition to retrieve Yinglong. Zulong and the bulk of the remaining forces to both manage them and further push on. Da Hai meanwhile streaked across the sky alone in a blast of water. He trusted Zulong to remain strong for he knew the dragon at his peak can fight even someone on his level without serious danger. Three Pure One’s Troubles "You fool! We must retreat at once!" "Dammit, we''re outnumbered!" "Men! We are in luck! They don''t seem to be pursuing." "Turn this around, I cannot accept failing now!" "Brother wait!" "ARGH!" Yuanshi sat crossed with his head downcast. Repeating everything he''d said again for a dragon scribe to jolt down forced him to relive the past again in vivid detail. Events he''d felt nothing but shame. From their positions, the innate god Yuanshi and the dragon he was speaking with, Yuanshi was slouched like an inferior. It was almost as if he were a child being scolded. Anyone could easily tell the actual cultivation difference was the other way around. Either way, a certain monkey found it an unbelievable sight. "So if I''m getting this right, a large portion of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal level devils are colluding. Hm, and you really don''t have a clue other than it may''ve been important." "With so many experts in one place, given the war I couldn''t think of any other possibilities," Yuanshi said softly. The dragon nodded writing down more notes on a scroll on his lap. He seemed to be in deep thought, and before long a frown birthed from his lips. "And when Hundun appeared, despite his highness ordering a retreat. You fought anyway." "No, when he appeared I had all intentions to run. But he moved so fast." "So our elders died for nothing then." "Seniors destroyed many bases and homes of devils. Their foundations will never be the same." "Hmph." The dragon stood up with contempt. "I''ll report this to his majesty before he leaves. You''re free to do as you wish for now. Be obedient this time and don''t force this army against impossible odds will you?" The walked away from Yuanshi and left the tent without much applause. If it were a previous Yuanshi, he''d feel insulted. Except the only thing on his mind was the status of his fellow siblings. Yuanshi sighed loudly once left alone. Why had everything come to this? He had no evil intentions to begin with. All he wished was for their investigation to not go to waste. They''ve come so far despite being clueless at the beginning. They''ve finally found substantial suspicious activity as well, can anyone blame him for charging in against Yinglong''s wishes? "I miscalculated," he admitted aloud. "And everyone else payed the price. And in the end I could only run." He took a look at his ruyi leaning against his chair. It was an extremely precious treasure, a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure formed from one of the five lotuses born out of the 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus. It was one of his proudest belongings, one worthy of a deity transformed by Pangu''s nascent soul. Yet now he felt unworthy of it. "I need to see how they''re doing." Yuanshi picked up his ruyi and slid it into his sleeve. He followed after the trail the dragon who''d questioned him left on. Yet as soon as he opened the tent flap he heard a voice he''d long found irritating. "So, the craven Yuanshi finally shows his face," Liu Er mocked him with the most condescending expression he could manage. It was so forced that it seemed he was waiting out here specifically to pull this on Yuanshi. Liu Er wasn''t injury free however. He sported a large bruise on his ape like face and much of his teeth had shattered beyond repair. Yuanshi idly wondered why he hadn''t used his own magical powers to restore his appearance. Da Hai certainly hadn''t hit him with a debilitating curse, just raw physical force. "What do you want?" Yuanshi asked with a large splash of irritation. Though he was feeling downcast about himself, he was also in a hurry. He most certainly didn''t want to hear anything from this individual. "What do I want? You really asked that? I should be asking you what do you want." "What?" "After all! You just happened to wonder here with so much injuries leading a giant army of weird devils at us." "What are you insinuating?" Yuanshi snarled. "Oh I don''t know," Liu Er''s ugly bruised mug released a smirk. "I wouldn''t put it past someone like you do betray us." Yuanshi felt his blood boil at Liu Er''s words. He ran because he had no other choice, because he had to save Taishang and Tongtian. Not whatever fantasy this demented ape dreamt up! Despite Liu Er obviously goading him, Yuanshi tried his best to calm down. There was no point picking a fight with the monkey no matter how tempting it would be to finish off what the Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord started. "I did no such thing monkey," Yuanshi said. "I failed, that is true. It is on me that so many experts lost their lives. It''s on me that senior dragon king was abandoned. But do not think for a minute that I''d ever betray the alliance. I am as dedicated to eradicating the western devils as any of you. Unlike a creature like you." Yuanshi turned to march away. He didn''t want to spare a creature he found so repulsive another glance. The army camp was being laid to rest as he did so. The gash across the land that Da Hai made was still there, but the tents set up were already being stored away while fighters moved to make formations in the sky. "Creature like me?" Liu Er uttered those words with visible anger. Quickly, that anger turned to satisfaction. "I knew it!" He proclaimed. So loud were his words that cultivators moving around within several hundred metres radius all heard him with no need of magical aid. "What''s going on there?" Spectators looked over due to the noise. Liu Er smiled even harder because of the sudden attention. "You always had a problem with me!" Liu Er half spat half yelled. "The same problem you have with all innate creatures and especially the dragons and phoenixes. You and your disdain for creatures of fur and armour!" This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ''Yuanshi is just like what the books say,'' Liu Er thought triumphantly. The humiliation he experienced against Da Hai''s slap was being quelled by him exposing Yuanshi for the racist he was. Everyone who''s like him or Da Hai, people who''d read plenty of novels will know of Yuanshi''s disdain for creatures of fur and armour. Though Liu Er wasn''t quite sure what it meant since it was all machine translated, he was sure it meant animals and demons. If anything, he was surprised Yuanshi wasn''t more hostile to the people around him. Though he supposed even Yuanshi wasn''t dumb enough to pick fights with titans of power like Zulong. "Fur and armour? What''s he talking about?" A random avian said. A dragon beside him shrugged. "Does he mean fur in our true forms? Wait I have scales," a fish cultivator said. "Armour? What armour?" Even Yuanshi was confused by Liu Er''s words. He turned to examine Liu Er''s form. He certainly did have fur but he wasn''t wearing armour. What''s more, spiritual treasures which were armour was very valuable. Bodily protection of any kind complimented cultivators with weaker fleshy bodies well. "Fur and what?" Yuanshi asked genuinely. "Eh? Uh¡­ you know? Fur and armour, the people you hate," Liu Er accused. "You think I can''t see through your looks?" Liu Er considered himself knowledgable. He''d had twelve years of mandatory education after all. "You''re not wearing armour," Yuanshi pointed out. "Why would I hate armour? I wear armour in battle. My robes act as my armour." Plenty of spectators were also confused despite secretly loving the drama. How could they not when otherwise the atmosphere would be too depressing. Some of their chuckles drew no small amount of ire from Liu Er. This conversation was not going the way he expected. Where were the agreements? Where was Yuanshi''s stupid wining that''s supposed to follow? "Monkey, I think you''ve you need a medic to check your head. Clearly senior Heavenly Lord has damaged." "Why you! Mock me?" Liu Er blushed as he heard several chuckles outside his purview. He marched for Yuanshi, fully intending to get physical. "Woah woah woah!" Hongyun, another innate god wearing red robes was already on the scene. Seeing these two Primal Origin level Chaos Immortals about to get rough, he opted to step in before a bigger scene is created. The innate god born of the first cloud in the world, red cloud attempted to mediate between the two. He glanced back indicating for Leizhu, another innate god to come help him. He also hoped Zhurong and Jizi of the twelve brothers from Mt Buzhou would also step in to support him as they too was enjoying the drama. Liu Er''s focus quickly changed when he saw Hongyun. He chuckled as if he''d found a clown on the street. "What do you want retard?" Hongyun''s face changed instantly, yet he followed his own heart and spoke calmly anyway. "Look, things are a bit tense right now and the Dragon Sovereign is anything but patient these days. Do you really want a cause a big scene in this circumstance?" He waved around at the negative attention concentrated around them. He was sure Yuanshi already noticed, and so did Liu Er. Hongyun knew the two were not that popular due to their arrogant attitudes, but due to their relation as fellow innate gods born of the Primitive World, he felt kinship with them. Through this kinship, the kind hearted Hongyun was compelled to at the very least, look out for them. Yuanshi nodded grimly while Liu Er only scoffed disdainfully. "And who are you to get in my business? Are you so blind to let this shit stain manipulate you? Jesus, I know you''re stupid Hongyun but not this stupid." Liu Er began ranting about various things, many of which left Hongyun confused. They were all missing context to fully understand what Liu Er was ranting about. But they knew for certain that Liu Er''s words were both condescending and spite filled. "Hey, hey, hey!" Zhen Yuanzi quickly approached to help his friend before he too was drawn into a fight. It wasn''t just him, Fuxi, Gonggong, Zhurong, and even groups of cultivators form other regions were coming before things really exploded. "As fun of a show as it''ll be," Gonggong said. "Fighting among ourselves does nothing. Isn''t that right Zhurong?" "Yeah yeah whatever," his fiery brother grunted. "Daoist Liu Er, whatever grievances you have please save it until after the war." Fuxi''s words sounded condescending in Liu Er''s sensitive ears. "Soldier, do I need to report to his majesty about disrupting the peace?" A turtle immortal said. "You all!" Liu Er''s practically growled. He''d always figured that with the nature of the Primitive World, everyone will be against him. He just didn''t figure it will be in defense of Yuanshi of all people. Yuanshi was a troublemaker who discriminates others based on appearance alone. He was in the right, not him. ''You''d expect this from people as dumb as the twelve witches, but a human sovereign of all people? I should''ve figured. Can''t trust anybody in this dog eat dog world. Sooner or later, they''ll all backstab each other. Except of Hongyun, good guy''s too dumb.'' Liu Er wisely stepped back. He''ll have to tell that Jiang Koilong guy some things in the future after memorizing the sea creatures who stood against him just now. "Hmph." Liu Er summersaulted away. "You as well Yuanshi, you''re on thin enough ice as is," the turtle from earlier said. "Understood," the innate god replied feeling wronged. He waited until it was just the innate gods who were left before speaking again. By then, since the drama had ended, people began minding their own business again. Even the powerful beings who''d stepped in were leaving without a second notice. Some moved to follow eastwards back home to defend them, while others were moving towards the group staying in the western offensive. Yuanshi stopped his fellow contemporaries before they could leave however. "Fellow daoists, I wish to know. Where has the medical wards been placed?" "Your brother and sister?" It wasn''t any of the innate gods who spoke up. Surprisingly, it was Zhurong who did. The twelve mysterious beings from Mt Buzhou had never truly socialized with anyone else outside of the commanders. Like the Three Pure Ones, they also flaunted their lineage as authentic descendants of Pangu. Only instead of the Nascent Soul, they were true blood descendants. Simple and unfetter beings who cared not for anyone bar themselves save for those they respected. Qinglong and his extended family belonged to the latter and nobody else was within their eye. Hence Yuanshi was startled to find Zhurong of all people to know. "My own sister was treating them. Seeing family in pain hurts, I feel yah," Zhurong said gruffly. Yuanshi nodded in understanding. It seemed while he was away adventuring with Yinglong, Houtu and Zhen Yuanzi, two experts in the ways of the earth had taken care of the injured. Apparently their skills lay greatly in extending the vitality of others. Once Zhurong brought it up, Zhen Yuanzi was more then willing to lead Yuanshi to the medical wards. Yuanshi, despite hearing of their supposed abilities, still couldn''t clamp down the worries in his chest. "Here," Zhen Yuanzi pointed at a pavilion shaped spiritual treasure standing in the field. "A dragon from the North Sea donated it for our use. We''re gonna move it soon though." Yuanshi entered the building to find what he''d hoped. Tongtian lay unconscious, pale but still alive. Taishang was much the same, though he appeared much healthier. Within the pavilion, thousands of individuals rested. Since the inside of the spiritual treasure folded space and contained numerous dimensions, there could potentially be hundreds of thousands to even millions of injured individuals stored within. Yuanshi''s only focus though was on his siblings. "Tongtian, Taishang, I am so sorry," he muttered. Staring at their broken forms, he felt heartbroken. "This one was lucky," a soft feminine voice said. Yuanshi caught an earthly coloured slender arm pointing at his sister''s prone form. The figure who did so appeared very tried. She had seven arms and a long serpentine body. Yet everywhere she moved, a rich vigorous energy moved with her. "You are Houtu from Mt Buzhou," Yuanshi said. "Daoist Houtu!" Zhen Yuanzi greeted. "Sorry, I got caught up in something. I''ll see to the room 476 now." The other innate god teleported away swiftly. For a brief moment, Yuanshi caught the glimpse of a tree in his hand. "You''re the other group of ''authentic Pangu descendants,'' right?" Houtu asked. "Any lesser heritage would''ve died from the level of damage sustained. "She withstood a blow from a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal in my place," Yuanshi admitted. "Any lesser creature would''ve died in an instant." Houtu hummed and examined Tongtian''s condition again. "She''ll recover in due time. Though don''t expect any fighting for a while. The war may as well be over before she takes to the field again. "Our sister is stronger then that. It shouldn''t be more then a few decades before she''s back in fighting shape." An old wizened voice that was certainly not Yuanshi said. "You shouldn''t be awake yet," Houtu said in amazement. Taishang, the third of the Three Pure Ones opened his eyes and stared at Yuanshi. There was no hint of emotion in his gaze, no anger nor joy. It was unnerving for the healthiest brother. "Brother I have failed you," Yuanshi said dropping to a knee before Taishang''s bedside. He took out a profound pagoda from his sleeve and presented it to the elderly man. It was the Heaven and Earth Exquisite Pagoda. "I have kept it safe for you." "Keep it for now. I''m in no condition to use it," Taishang denied. "Thank you for your aid daoist Houtu." "It was nothing. It''s good that you survived. Too many have already died," the goddess sighed regretfully. Despite the air of life around her, she also had an air of depression. "So many fallen already. So many regrets, so many screams," she muttered. "It is not your fault. You tried your best to save their lives as you did mine and my sisters," Taishang said. "There was nothing else you can do for the dead." "Nothing huh?" Houtu chuckled bitterly. "That''s what my eldest brother said as well." She slithered away tending to other patients. This Houtu was completely different from the one Yuanshi briefly interacted with when they were both present at East Sea Dragon Palace. Yuanshi watched her go before relaying his further intentions to Taishang. Despite Zulong''s anger at him already, he had a feeling the dragon would be enraged with him more. "Let''s leave the western offensive," he said. "Kunlun is a better resting place." "Not a bad idea. But it has its own flaws as well," Taishang replied. "Kunlun may be our home. But it isn''t exactly a place with rich healing properties. Tongtian''s recovery would slow down then staying here." "Not to mention ghost devils invading the east as well," Yuanshi added. "If you''re concerned about healing, you could always try the South Sea Dragon Palace. I heard some dragons say they have the premiere recovery chamber built there." Evidently, Houtu had heard them as well. "I suggest you stay here though. I don''t know about the south but I swear to not allow any to die in my watch." "An impossible promise," both brothers countered. Houtu had no retort for that, she only appeared more depressed. "I''ll speak to the Dragon Sovereign," Yuanshi said getting up. And that was exactly what he did. Yi Fei''e, Zulong, and dozens of dragons and seafolk cultivator commanders were planning to execute their orders. Yi Fei''e above all others was going to move west again. Zulong meanwhile would hold the ground of already conquered territories. Others would relieve their homes but he will stay and continue to pressure these devils. He didn''t acknowledge Yuanshi When he first approached until a while later. "What do you want?" He snarled in displeasure. Yuanshi relayed his desire much to both Yi Fei''e and Zulong''s ire. "How audacious," the female immortal spat. "You forced my second senior brother into a trap and now dare demand more? Master has already allowed you to keep your life, you should sacrifice yourself to the devils for your sins!" Yuanshi swallowed a gulp. He knew how he sounded, but he''d gladly take it if it meant moving Tongtian to safety. "Leave, get out of our sight," Zulong spat. "We do not wish to see any trace of you here." The dragon was feeling irrational when he saw Yuanshi. When dealing with matters of his own family, any lesser attempt at withholding his rage would''ve led to Yuanshi''s blood being spilt. He''d rather pretend Yuanshi not exist at all. "And about the healing chambers in the¡­" "I SAID GET OUT OF OUR SIGHT!" After that, Yuanshi had no choice but to retreat. Zulong gave no indication whether he will allow it or not. But Yuanshi took this opportunity to take Taishang and Tongtian away. He didn''t give up however. He''d go directly to the South Sea Dragon Palace and try there. If he were lucky, the chaos of the war may even leave the palace in the dark regarding Zulong''s feelings about him. Assaulting the East Sea Some time ago. Walking through ashes, passing by numerous piles of rubble. In a land of blood stained stained soil, where corpses of mighty figures were discarded carelessly. Once beautiful forests, great plains, and wondrous mountains crumbled into ruined wastelands. The elderly man who did all he could to protect his lived ones clenched his hairy fist. Although he made no audio indication to his grief, the sheer magnitude of his qi communicated his sorrow. It quickly became rage as he remembered who had brought this on. "Even millions of years since then. Their species still give me so much pain," he spat. This had been the sight of a great battle not long ago. The invaders had arrived here, meeting this land''s few remaining defenders. Their battle was not as big as the ones taking place in other areas he''d heard of, especially not where Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals lead. But it was still large enough to cause great devastation. To the invaders, this was vengeance and glory. The destruction they brought with them interrupted the peaceful lives this continent''s defenders had tried so hard to protect. A million years worth of civilization uprooted by, in his mind, angry children throwing a tantrum. Before the battle, this wasteland had been the site of a city. A place of shelter surrounded by hundreds of villages. Trillions of living beings lived here, prospective cultivators, traders, just normal people living their long lives. Years ago, innate creatures featured the prowling gazes of primordial beasts. But that was a bygone era and peace had long been set. ''But those damned villains brought it all back!'' In the old man''s opinion, it was unforgivable what those invaders from the east, north, south, and four seas did. They ruined lives, killed countless living beings, destroyed years of progress. But the worst part of it? They didn''t even have to try that hard. Legions of immortal cultivators moved through the land destroying their enemies. They never payed attention to where they fought, how they fought, or when they fought. Sect strongholds, gathering places of strong devils, storage areas were all attacked. Those unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire? Needless to say, they no longer walk this plain of existence. The old man''s eyes burned with fury. His furry apelike physique pulsated with an unbelievable storm of anger. His hairy hands clasped the soil and brought it close to his nostrils, only to flinch away. His spiritual senses informed him of the sheer damage to the vitality of the land. The impact of all the fighting, as well as the use of countless sect defense formations had not only drained natural qi laylines, but also damaged their vitality. The West Continent was dying. "Forgive me great patriarch. I swore to protect this beautiful land and all innate creatures living peacefully for eons. Yet those malevolent innate gods tore it all down," he said. "I should''ve been there at Buzhou." "What''s passed is the past fellow daoist," a faceless hooded man said hovering in the air. "Senior Hundun," the old man replied. "Their forces stretched out so much. I am but one man. I couldn''t save them all." "Save your grieving for another time. Now it is more important for you to defend your people," Hundun said. "And what is with that senior crap? You''ve long earned the right to be a fellow daoist up us from the previous era." "Why have you come senior?" The old man asked respectfully. Hundun chuckled, this individual''s insistence of holding his kin in reverence had always been amusing. "I''m sure you''ve felt the movements of yin wind?" "Yes, I''m aware senior Mara''s project has been activated. Since you''re here, I assume senior Mara has returned and taken direct command?" "Indeed, with my Dao brother present, the effects of rebirth had been magnified significantly. The plan now is to attack places outside our home. The pressure put on by the uncountable amount of invading immortals is too much. It needs to be lessened," Hundun said. "I understand senior," the hairy old man said with a cold glint in his eye. Hundun''s suggestion was like music to his ancient ears. The pain, anguish, grief, rage he felt motivated him to think up targets. He had not been back in the East Continent in a long time. But he remembered a major turning point of his life. Coincidentally, it was also where he first met one of the people who was causing his current anguish. "I know just the place." ¡­ Deep below the ocean, East Sea Dragon Palace stood tall and majestic if a bit empty. While thousands of soldiers still maned the place, numerous powerhouses were no long present. The ruling powers had all assumed the war would be limited to the West Continent due to their need to defend against an overwhelming offensive. In the waters above Kailong Chen and East Sea Dragon Palace, a fading mirage of a two headed dragon flickered. Only the sleeping figure of Hong was fully visible as he was one of the few top tier powerhouse protecting the heart of Zulong''s empire. His constant image gave the citizens, cultivators who had not gone to war a sense of safety. With most remaining dragon experts watching the Sea Eye, this elder dragon was the premiere expert left. Yet not all was happy at his presence. Watching his elder from the window, Suanni scoffed before returning to his pacing. Within the confines of one of the palace''s living rooms, he muttered numerous curses under his breath. For months now, he and all of his brothers were trapped in the palace. All nine sons of Zulong were on paper, protecting and governing the empire while their father was away. But in reality, they did little of either. They sat in their rooms all day, cultivating or assisting their mother and the ministers. But that was it. To someone like Suanni, he found this extremely irritating. They were not children nor weaklings who cannot contribute like the average foot soldier. They were all Primal Origin Chaos Immortals who''d lived for multiple yuanhui for crying out loud. Yet their parents still treating them as if they were made of glass. "Can you stop that? I''m trying to decipher this technique," his twin said from a corner of the room. "How are you of all people content sitting idly here Denglong?" Suanni grunted. "Mother and father know best, this is where we''re needed," the third of nine said. Only, Suanni appeared to not have taken his words to heart and ranted some more. All it did was annoy Denglong further. Hence, the strongest brother placed the scroll he was reading at a table on the side and gave Suanni an annoyed look. "Fourth brother, complaining incessantly will do you no good. Just go meditate on your Dao." The reminder only drew out a snort from Suanni. He looked out the window again, towards the ever-looming figure of Hong. Were it not for that expert, he probably could''ve already escaped to join his father. "Don''t fault elder Nii Hong, they''re only doing their jobs," Denglong reminded his twin. "I''m not. It''s just¡­frustrating," he said after a pause. The door to their room was opened up and their eldest cousin, Ao Guang walked in with a rather grim expression. The noise startled Suanni as he had not been paying attention, hence drew his ire. "I thought I told you servants I wanted privacy. Hm? It''s you Ao Guang." The eldest son of Yinglong nodded. Similar to Suanni, Ao Guang was a child of an innate god. However, his mother was one of the first generations of dragons created by Zulong. Thus he shared their dragonic appearance in its entirety. like Zulong, Yinglong had many children over the years. However, unlike Zulong who only ever had one spouse, Yinglong had many lovers. Each time he hoped to produce a promising talent just like his eldest brother in order to secure the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan''s future. The dragons he mated with were all talents themselves. Yet he''d always been disappointed with his own spawn. Of the dragon patriarch''s many children, Ao Guang, Ao Run, Ao Qin, and Ao Shun, were the only ones who broke out from the rest. It took many yuanhui, numerous resources, and lucky encounters for these four dragon scions to finally reach the Great Principle Chaos Immortal realm. But even within their own realms, these dragons could only be considered average. They were nothing compared to Zulong''s dazzling children. Hence, in the past hundred thousand years, they''d mostly stayed in the background doing administrative jobs. Over the years, the four were distributed to each of the major strongholds across the four seas. Ao Guang stayed within the East Sea assisting his emperor-uncle in ruling the East Sea from East Sea Dragon Palace. In reality, he was little more then a glorified secretary. "Come here you old thing," Suanni joking said. If it was his childhood friend Ao Guang, he did not mind the sudden barging. "Good to see you finally escaped that torture." The torture he was referring to was the gratuitous amount of paperwork Ao Guang did on a daily basis. One of the things he felt keeping this Ao Guang from the one he used to play with as a child. "Your highnesses, this minister begs your forgiveness for interrupting," his cousin said. "Oh none of that. We''ve known each other for how long? No need to stand on occasion." "Heh, unfortunately protocol demands it," Ao Guang said smirking. Then his expression became serious as he asked Denglong. "Your highness, her majesty desires your insight on a few matters." Denglong raised an eyebrow. "Mother does? Can''t think of anything I''d know that she doesn''t already. If she wants my help in divination then it''s pointless, the art hasn''t been working properly for years now." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Nevertheless he got up. Suanni made an attempt to follow him but Denglong blocked him. "If you go, you''ll just annoy mother with your poor behavior again," he said gesturing at the room. "Remember why you were in time out to begin with?" "Hmph," Suanni grunted. His gaze briefly met Ao Guang''s before he sighed. "Sorry Suanni," Ao Guang said. "Only Denglong is needed. Though perhaps his highnesses Bixi, Qiu Niu, and Chao Feng can use your company?" The princes he suggested were roosting atop the palace buildings keeping watch. Suanni reckoned they were just milling around as frustrated as he was. Watching Ao Guang and Denglong leave, Suanni snorted again. He can''t help but think Ao Guang had become less fun over the years. Always working or running errands for his parents. They used to be closer then he was with his own twin. He stiffened when left to his lonesome. "Getting a bit cold these days." ¡­ "Moon Glaze Tower has gone quiet as well?" Denglong frowned hearing the news. "And you say this makes the sixth alchemical production facility that''s stopped sending pills in the past month?" "And the eleventh settlement that we haven''t heard from in a while," Qiu Niu the eldest brother added. "Mother, none of our scouts have reported back either?" Gui Daiyu sat upon the dragon throne in the middle of Zulong''s throne hall nursing a headache. She was still reeling from the loss of her father and Zulong''s long absence didn''t help matters. Yet she still governed Kailong Chen and the wider East Sea as a whole. Around her were the sons she trusted most as well as dozens of turtle ministers. Qiu Niu, Yazi, Denglong, and Chao Feng were all present. Bixi, Chi Wen, and Pulao were outside, while Bi An was resting. Suanni was doing Suanni things. "Their life linked talismans tells me they''re alive. That''s all I know," she said. "All of you, myself included are Primal Origin Chaos Immortals. Perhaps our collective divination bypass the tribulation''s interferences?" "Mother you already know the answer to that," Qiu Niu said. "Yeah, if father, uncle, and all the other elders can''t do tel anything. If even grandmaster can''t divine anything useful, what can we do?" Chao Feng said. His feathery clothed form sagged. "So what do you all make of this?" She asked. "These ministers think it''s just delays in supplies." "Your majesty, with all due respect this isn''t the first time such delays happened," a kowtowing turtle minister said. Denglong was inclined to agree. But his gut feeling kept bugging him. He wasn''t the next to speak up as Yazi broke the silence. "These places are all closer to the coast," he said. Among Zulong''s sons, he was one of the oldest and had made many trips to the East Continent. "But the devils are all contained by the grand alliance," Denglong said. "You don''t think some opportunistic warlord is invading us do you?" "You never know, stupidity is a mysterious phenomena," Yazi replied. Gui Daiyu hummed to herself. "Ao Guang, how is our line of communication to the other Dragon Palaces?" "Last I checked they were fine, it still takes a while to send news but the channels are open and steady," Ao Guang said. "Could it be devils, some may''ve escaped the blockade," Yazi asked. "Unlikely, remember that¡­" On and on the discussion went. Eventually, Gui Daiyu dismissed them all for a break and to think more on things. The idea that someone stronger be sent out to investigate, but the empress was reluctant to part with her sons. As Denglong walked through the halls of the palace, Chao Feng caught up to him. "Hey fourth brother," Chao Feng asked. "Don''t you think it''s getting a bit cold these days?" "We''re on the sea floor, it''s always cold," Denglong chided. ¡­ It happened on a relatively calm afternoon. Gui Daiyu had sent out a Great Principle realm crab general and was reading some reports. The citizens of Kailong Chen were going about their slow day. Even Hong was feeling drowsy due to how quiet things were being. A sudden spike in coldness in the air sent chills down his spine. Hong suddenly felt unusually panicked, as if a specter of death had appeared to claim his soul. "Who dares?" He waved his hand around finding no one. "Brother what was that?" Nii spoke from within him. "I don''t know." "Relax, relax, there is no danger." A voice spoke to him. It was neither suspicious nor out of the ordinary. Hong and Nii were both compelled to obey it. "Yes, his majesty has this all handled in the west. I don''t have to¡­" Hong narrowed his eyes. Within his body, Nii snarled. "WHO HAS THE GALL!" The body of this Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal dragon irradiated an oppressive aura. It spread all around him, disturbing the water, churning it to a ridiculous degree. "What''s going on up there?" "Is great elder Hong doing¡­ah so tired." "You''re right, I don''t." One by one, people started toppling over. The water temperature lowered to near freezing levels as mortal sea creatures, young dragons, and cultivators below the Golden Immortal realm began falling asleep. A sharp pillar of light shot towards the great palace of Zulong. In the slim moments where Hong was distracted, this attack had already bypassed him. "Oh no!" Hong was alarmed. When he had grasp of himself again, he could sense the level of power within that attack. It''s potency was far beyond what ordinary Primal Origin experts were capable of. Before the attack could reach East Sea Dragon Palace, a humungous turtle shell manifested. It met the sharp attack in a thunderous explosion. Flakes of the shell broke off as a voice groaned in pain. "Your highness!" Hong roared. He shot his hand out, releasing a long rainbow that streaked across the water. It pierced the light spear and forced it away from the shell. "My thanks elder," Bixi''s panting voice said. Among the nine sons of Zulong and Gui Daiyu, he was the only one who inherited his mother''s turtle body build. "Shut up and come out now!" Hong roared. He did not inquire as to Bixi''s condition further, but rather made an threatening stance towards a certain spot in the water. Instead of a proper response, he continued to hear the enchanting voice in his mind. "You didn''t have to live like this." "I can free you from this freakish state." "You and you beloved sister can live normal lives." "All you have to do¡­" "Didn''t I tell you to shut up?" Hong snapped. He blasted that section of the sea apart, opening a pocket in the vast ocean which was devoid of water. "I''ll admit, your stealth technique is quite good, but the moment you attempted that trick on me, you fucked up." "The rainbow dragon, even in the West Continent I''ve heard of your name," a huffing voice answered. From the water, a gust of silver wind blew into a hurricane of enchanting leaves. Each of them were hypnotic in their movements, each showcased wondrous scenes of bright futures Hong could''ve had. Outstepped a faded, semi transparent woman who looked a bit winded. From a single glance, Hong could tell she was a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal like him. However, she also felt wrong. "What are you?" It was then that numerous gusts of wind penetrated the East Sea. The oceans surface was a storm of yin attribute hurricanes. What must''ve been millions, likely billions, possibly even more figures entered the ocean. The Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal raised her hand. Beyond the sea, the sky was completely covered by an uncountable amount of ghostly figures. "Today I''ll get my revenge," the woman said. "Elder, they smell like the devils I fought when we attacked Sumeru. But also a bit¡­" Bixi was unsure how to describe it. These devils clearly had distinct devilish auras. But they also smelled of rotting corpses, dying Dao particles, and a bit like water from the North Sea. As the two were observing this, other mighty experts had caught on to the happenings outside. The prince Chi Wen swam up to his brother and elder Hong in his dragon headed fish body form. Even he looked bewildered. Chao Feng also assumed his true form, that of a giant avian with crimson feathers. He stood along the west wing of the palace and closed his eyes, as if communicating mentally with others. In mere moments, golden and black energy particles rose up from the ground covering East Sea Dragon Palace and Kailong Chen. A gigantic pair of eyes briefly flashed, overlaying with the city. The cry of an ancient beast was heard for many kilometres. "The formation protecting East Sea Dragon Palace is activating for the first time in history," Hong said. "I don''t know who you are, or where you came from. But you will regret coming here. Make it easier for me and just end yourself now." The female devil laughed. "What''s there to fear? I''m immortal anyway." From within the palace, Gui Daiyu stepped out with a furious gaze. The first thing she did was mentally call her sons and demand them to return to the main building. Wether they listened or not was up to them. However, the empress only had her gaze locked to the woman leading the ghostly devils. She recognized her instantly. "You! You killed my father," she spat. "What?" "That person killed grandfather?" "But didn''t uncle say he''s already been avenged?" A series of questions was asked from each of the princes who heard their mother''s words. But Gui Daiyu only had her attention to the devil. To Empress Intoxicating Dream. "Leize already killed you," she stated. "Indeed he did," the devil snarled. Her normally attractive face transformed into the snarling look of a pissed off bull. "You''ll pay for killing me! KILL!" "KILL!" All the devils diving into the sea roared with her. Assaulting the East Sea II The East Sea erupted into battle. Due to the sheer difference in numbers, Gui Daiyu brought up the palace''s local defensive formation and turtled in. Despite her anger, she kept her rationality. With all the riches of the four seas concentrated here, Zulong had built a supremely powerful city defense formation. It was not as advanced as the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, nor whatever odd phenomena was occurring in the West Continent. But Zulong had refined a very powerful one. It was not the original defensive formation of the city and palace. In the million years since Zulin''s ill fated attempt to steal from Zulong, it has been changed several times over. From gathering high grade xiantian spiritual treasures, to sacrificing rare cultivation materials. Zulong had even taken unique objects that Da Hai brought back from the Chaos Sea. The end result was this highly powered, but also highly stationery defensive measure. This formation was called, King of Four Direction! But any person who''d seen Luohu''s work with formations can tell you, that this formation was incomparable to what the Devilish Dao controlled. Both parties on both sides knew this, the devils knew that unlike the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, this formation will eventually fall after sustaining enough damage over a long period of time. The moment it appeared, thousands of True Immortals, Profound Immortals, and Heavenly Immortals woke up from the dream like state entrapping them. The sheer magnitude of energy conglomerating, empowering their bodies snapped them out of whatever trance they had previously been in. As if being woken from a nightmare, only to realize said nightmare was a paradise. They gasped at the situation they found themselves in. "Alert!" "Alert!" "We''re being invaded!" "Fight to your last, defend East Sea Dragon Palace at all cost!" "By the heavens! How are there so many!" Golden Immortals, Great Unity Golden Immortals rose up. They felt power from the King of Four Direction formation flowing into them. As such they moved to assist in battle. Great Principle experts, what few remained joined in commanding the formation. They too feared the numbers difference and desperately prayed that this formation could hold on. Black and gold scales had already covered the entire palace, while a second shell covered the city like a shell. Nine spikes appeared at their circular bases, and the outer shells morphed into a reptilian eyes. Soon a massive dragon head appeared covering both. Billions of attacks fired from the army of ghostly devils were launched. They impacted the surface of the shield to great explosions. Water evaporated, soil from the seafloor ruptured, the environment of the East Sea was being destroyed. But the King of Four Direction formation was created from the totality of the East Sea''s surplus of primordial qi flowing into it through connected laylines. It also drew small increments of power from all the other seas due to its role as the heart of the dragon''s domain. "Tch, what troublesome defense," Intoxicating Dream said. "It''s as if all aspects of reality has been isolated into its own universe." Even so, hundreds of Primal Origin Chaos Immortals and numerous dozens of Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals appeared alongside her. All of them rage filled. Even Hong was startled by the number of of such experts. He was on his own while they had so many? Why had Zulong taken so many Primal Zenith dragons with him? He wished he could go back in time and discuss with his sovereign about it. Luckily, the Primal Zenith dragon wasn''t alone in his endeavor. Even as he observed his enemies, the formations below him generated magical soldiers in the shape of dragons. They all possessed the strength of powerful immortals, somewhere between the gap of a Great Principle Chaos Immortal and a Great Unity Golden Immortal. They''ll do well to serve as fodder. But even so, the dragon realized he cannot possibly fight an offensive battle. Rather, he''ll have to tunnel in and use all his power for defense, drawing out the fight until more support arrives. This was even with the King of Four Direction formation active. "My children, return to palace immediately!" Gui Daiyu ordered. "No mother!" It was Qiu Niu who said that. Gui Daiyu looked up to see the massive dragonic form of her eldest son fly out of the palace. Each step he look was followed by rows of wondrous melody. His head was a bit goofy looking compared to normal dragons, but his aura was extremely powerful. "Mother, please understand. We are the top powerhouses charged with defending East Sea Dragon Palace. We must fight," Qiu Niu said. "First brother is right mother," Suanni enthusiastically said. His voice was akin to the roar of a lion. He appeared at the edge of the formation eager to face his foes head on. His dragonic horns aside, Suanni''s true form resembled a lion that has been set on fire. "Too true. These bastards put me under that heinous spell. I am still aggrieved by the experience!" Bi An roared. If Suanni was a lion, Bi An was a cross between a dragon and a tiger. Though weaker among the siblings, he was still a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal. Intoxicating Dream couldn''t help but release her bloodlust. "So the brats come out to play? No matter. We do not fear death anymore. Kill!" "KILL!" Gui Daiyu watched with tightened heart as several of her sons joined Hong in a battle near the outer layers of the formation. She did not hesitate to withdraw a warhammer and swam up as well. Seeing her actions, top experts who were not integral to guiding the King of Four Direction Formation felt invigorated. Several turtle Great principle Chaos Immortals, a crab Primal Origin expert, and dozens more. From outside the formation, the dragon head''s eyes shone like stars. It projected a forcefield which aimed to push the devils out. It succeeded in shaking the balance of Great Unity Golden Immortal, and Golden Immortal devils. Dragon shaped immortal soldiers assaulted their front lines by the thousands. As beings who were not alive, they did not posses any ounce of fear. But the stronger devils held their ground. Together they pulled enormous amounts of water from the ocean into a demonic giant. In a fierce torrent, hundreds of immortal soldiers created by the King of Four Direction formation, were torn apart. Not even weaker devils standing near were spared. The lack of thought for their comrades stemmed from their status as ghosts. "Trying to use water in our domain?" Gui Daiyu was shocked by their audacity. She, along with Hong, dozens of experts, and her sons used their own hydrokinetic abilities passed down for generations, to direct water away from the construct. Seeing this, numerous devils charged. Some landed on the surface of the formation, others attempted worm their way in. Many were just throwing their bodies hoping to open pores. Hence, in order to lessen the pressure on the people maintaining the formation, Gui Daiyu along with many experts fought along the outer perimeter. The sea churned as a consequence. Immortals dashed left and right, spells and weapons of all kinds were released without a second thought. In the opening hours of the fighting, numerous devils fell to the palace defenders. But some dragons, and innate creatures were also casualties. In peacetimes, the modern Golden Immortals were regarded as local power houses. But in the grand scale of fighting in the East Sea, they have become stronger then average foot soldiers. It was in this scene, that young dragons were cut apart by dozens of devils working together. "Curses!" Gui Daiyu watched from the corner of her eye, her sons fought stomping through Golden Immortal devils as if they were ants. But she knew in the distance, Chaos Immortal devils were just waiting for their time to strike. After several rounds of fighting, she along with many experts began feeling disheartened by the numerical disadvantage. "Ao Fuhua," she commanded. Her voice traveled through the water into the palace depths where the dragons maintaining the King of Four Directions formation sat. "Open up entrances." "Your majesty?" The dragon she spoke to gasped. "Funnel them in at small junctions. They''ll be more manageable that way," she said. He orders were relayed to every expert fighting on the formation''s surface. "I understand." Across the top of the formation, the golden black dragon head began distorting. Gateways that led inside manifested atop the formation. Gui Daiyu and others retreated inside waiting for their enemies. Water from all direct pulled forwards as various experts rushed to combat them. No one kept track of how long the fighting went for. But in the ensuing chaos, the empress smashed apart a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal devil in a single strike. Her opponent exploded in a vast cloud of mist obscuring her vision. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ''Huh?'' She was surprised at the ease in which she broke that devil''s defenses. Doubly so at her a technique advanced enough to cloud her sight. She almost didn''t anticipate Intoxicating Dream''s attack. "DIE!" She quickly held up her hammer and blocked a green palm strike from Empress Intoxicating Dream. The two grappled admits powerful waves. They skirted along the edges of the King of Four Direction Formation parrying each other''s moves. "You''re weaker then I remember," Gui Daiyu said with a hateful smirk. ''Curse this body.'' Intoxicating Dream couldn''t contain her grimace. Being reminder of her current pitiful existence truly brought into perspective how much her death cost her. It also sprung forth deep resentment for this woman who landed the finishing blow. As a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal, Gui Daiyu shouldn''t be Intoxicating Dream''s opponent. Even with a good treasure like her father''s hammer, she can not overpower the devil at her peak. At best, she can draw out the fight and tier her down without being completely dominated. This was similar to what Hundun''s had done avatar had done to Da Hai But to defeat Intoxicating Dream? That was impossible. Yet despite this expectation of their abilities, Gui Daiyu could actually see herself winning the current battle. "Your form, the aura you give off, your physical appearance," Gui Daiyu commented as they traded more blows. As the fight dragged on, she began drawing similarities between Intoxicating Dream and the few times she visited North Sea Dragon Palace. "It''s so hollow." Her comments summoned an angry cry from Intoxicating Dream. Her arms glowed green and torrents of devilish energies condensed into the appearance of pythons. She pushed Gui Daiyu''s entire being back. "Mother!" Seeing his mother being hurt, Chao Feng quickly tore through a squad of Golden Immortal devils with his beak. He flapped his wings to summon an inferno despite the water around him. After incinerating what must''ve been two thousand lesser devils, he flew to attack Intoxicating Dream. "You want to interfere? Do you think you''re qualified?" Intoxicating Dream spat. "Let''s find out then!" Chao Feng''s talons aimed forwards. His avian form cried out as a transformation took place around his legs. In a burst of power, the image of dragon claws coated his talons which he used to claw at the female devil. On her part, Intoxicating Dream used her own palm arts to meet Chao Feng''s claws. The clash was so fierce that it pushed out all the surrounding water, creating a vacuum free of seawater. "Nrgh!" Chao Feng''s beak quivered at the force. Intoxicating Dream only smiled. His legs were being pushed back, lines of green and purple springing up eroding his dragon claws. "This is prince Chao Feng?" "Is it really? He doesn''t look like a dragon at all." "But neither does prince Suanni, or prince Denglong." "Yeah but they at least have dragonic features. He''s¡­well he''s a bird." "Definitely a phoenix, he looks exactly like one." "You suggesting the empress might''ve." "His majesty won''t be pleased when he returns." "A phoenix dares to treat the domain of dragons as if it were his own? "What a joke." Chao Feng''s eyes widened. His feet slacked as his attack was completely broken through. Intoxicating Dream smiled further as her free hand went to grab his throat. In her glee, she just barely noticed Gui Daiyu swinging on her arm. Since the sea empress came back to engage again, she pulled back and created another whip to grab Chao Feng while dashing away. Gui Daiyu quickly grabbed hold of the whip but found a substance trying to stain her skin. The surface of her flesh started to convulse and a nauseating smell began enveloping her fist. Chao Feng was however able to get his bearings back. He used this opportunity to burn the whip and Intoxicating Dream. His fire carried a similar essence to phoenix style magical arts, something he picked up through Cinnebar Phoenix, only slightly modified. His mother waited for her son''s flames to burn for a few moments before raising her hand into it. Fire burned off the substance sticking to her hand but only after she suffered some injuries from it. "Mother¡­" "I''ll heal," she reassured him. To their relief, Denglong and Qiu Niu had entered their perimeter to do battle. Intoxicating Dream was successfully driven away for a few moments clashes with both princes. Denglong surpassed his mother in strength and Qiu Niu does equal her. Together, their combined fierce roar, and musical arts threatened to destabilize Intoxicating Dream''s body. "Children, you all came." Denglong and Qiu Niu nodded. "Mother is in danger, it''s only natural." These two harassed the devil while Gui Daiyu, and Chao Feng got their bearings back. As the water churned around the dragon''s capital, the other sons of Zulong also found themselves entangled by devils of all kinds. Weak ones were stomped apart, but strong ones could survive and entangled them. Suanni''s entire body burned like a furnace. His lionesque face bit into an equally large yet faint devil, then he unleashed a breath of fire. Seeing the never ending tide who slowly trickled in towards his home, he chose to go on the offensive and rampage his way through them. "Your highness, don''t be hasty!" Hong called out. He was surrounded by three Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals who pelted him which hurt enough to distract the dragon. As Gui Daiyu, Chao Feng, Denglong, and Qiu Niu battled Intoxicating Dream longer, they gained ground on her. The female devil grimaced as she had to flee several times. But Gui Daiyu realized this wasn''t necessarily to their benefit. ''She ties too many of us down,'' she thought after glancing at more devils pouring in. Their numbers were overwhelming their weaker experts. In their unity to fight off Intoxicating Dream, they lost control over a few of the gateways. It seemed her subordinates within the palace had taken it upon themselves to close these gateways that were overwhelmed. But strong opportunistic devils, particularly those with the strength of Primal Zenith were able to force these weak spots open. Gui Daiyu glared at the distant Intoxicating Dream. "Go handle those points these abominations are coming in from," she informed her present sons. "I''ll deal with Intoxicating Dream." "But mother, despite being weaker she is still a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal," Qiu Niu said with urgency. The empress peered across the battlefield. She witnessed Hong tear a Primal Zenith devil in two, only for another similarly ranked devil to appear and harass him. In fact, that dragon was the only reason Primal Zenith level devils hadn''t torn through them already. Her son Chi Wen, the gigantic dragon headed fish he was, swam from entanglement and entanglement. Bi An fought with a fury hardly ever witnessed from the bureaucrat. Pulao and Yazi were both working so hard to not allow any devil into the city and palace. But every fighter, every immortal expert was like a creaking dam, just able to keep the flood back. THOOM! The empress gazed down at the palace courtyard. An explosion that reminded her of Wangshu incinerated a squad of Golden Immortal ghost devils who''d somehow made their way pass them. "Aunt master Changxi," Qiu Niu said. "I thought she was retreating under guard." "Whatever the case, it''s good she''s helping us now. Father, uncle, and grandmaster can throw hissy fits all they want. But we need all the help we can get," Denglong said. "I trust you mother." Denglong dashed through the water towards a distant pore where devils were pouring through. Qiu Niu followed him. Yet the eyes of her youngest, Chao Feng, were filled with reluctance. They watched as Denglong released a deafening roar that managed to push the startled Primal Zenith devil holding the hole open out of the way. They continued to watch as he and her other sons continued to fight the tides of devils. "Is this how we''ll die?" Chao Feng asked. "I don''t know," Gui Daiyu answered honestly. Zulong was too far away. Da Hai was too far away. Were they even aware they were being attacked? Why couldn''t the conflict have stayed simple? "Fenger listen to me," she said gently. "Whatever happens, your father and I are proud of you. Don''t ever let your shape deny you from your right as a son of the dragon." She lifted her hammer and chased after Intoxicating Dream once more. Assaulting the East Sea III (Desperate Chase
As early as the first engagement, Ao Guang knew they had to send distress messages out. But where to send? Every city, every clan compound, every outpost were all viable options. But none possessed the manpower to fully relieve the siege they found themselves in. Who knew if the other dragon palaces could even lend aid? For all they know they were also under attack. This combined with the knowledge that it could potentially take years before such message reaches the West Continent, where the vast majority of their greatest experts were, soured their mood. Even so, while their top experts were trying their best hold back the devil tide, various dragons have been trying to break out. "Ao Guxuan, Ao Jin, and General Su have all been shot down," a dragon close to Ao Guang said. The dragon scion grimaced as he looked in the same direction. Their hopeful messenger were splatters of gore floating just outside the King of Four Directions formation. Carriers of all types, living and magical based were all being intercepted. The devils outside were so numerous they they covered all corners where the eye could see. "Ao Guxuan was a promising talent as well," Ao Guang groaned in despair. Luckily for them, the palace has not been breeched. Ao Guang was the only third order celestial being remaining who had not taken to the field. This excluded the dragon commanding the formation of course. ''Think Ao Guang think,'' he rattled his head for ideas. More explosions interrupted his train of thought. Their two guests from the stars, Xihe and Changxi were standing in plain view. ''Oh fuck if those two died, grandmaster will kill me,'' Ao Guang realized in despair. Luckily for the aged dragon, it wasn''t as if either goddesses were unskilled fighters. Changxi fit right in with the other Great Principle Chaos Immortal experts in fighting off these devils. "Your highness," a turtle minister called for Ao Guang. "What should we do?" "No choice, have to launch a message out," Ao Guang spluttered. "I''ll do it, I have the highest cultivation and the most free time." "But your highness, even you''ll be overwhelmed!" Ao Guang ignored the turtle minister. He was terrified, he was nowhere near a good fighter despite his cultivation. Still, he rushed out of the palace holding orbs of light containing their SOS. "Disciple nephew, what''s going on?" As soon as he was outside, Xihe immediately questioned him. Changxi was in the background sending bolts of lunar energy at devils who''d made it through. Xihe being much weaker, stayed on the ground. Bands of starlight and devil constructs clashed, throwing churning currents all throughout the formation interior. "I''m sure you can already guess," he said aloud. His full attention meanwhile, searched for an opening where he could run out and throw the message. "Aunt masters, I have to send this message out. I''ll have to request your aids." Xihe probably couldn''t do much, but Changxi will be appreciated. That was why he was thankful when Changxi nodded while descending. "I won''t lie," Ao Guang said first. "We''ll probably all die. There are so many devils out there. And I can see as clear as day Primal Origin and Great Principle Chaos Immortals in droves out there." "It''s mind boggling. This reminds me of Mt Buzhou," Changxi said in awe. "There''s a wrongness about them though. Even here I can smell it." "Yeah, as if something perverting natural order," Xihe added. "Something that''s directly affecting the all the laws governing existence within the Primitive World." Ao Guang was surprised at their answers. Could even Xihe sense something he wasn''t despite his superior cultivation? Thinking about it more, she was an innate god. Even with divination being in wonky right now, her connection with the world was much closer then his and allowed her to sense things he could not. Soon, the three ran across the palace staying as lowkey as possible. The core of the fighting took place in the waters high above the palace and city. Hence, as numerous as devils were, that was where their strongest forces were. The outskirts though, showed an ocean of devils who had completely encircled the formation. Golden mindless dragons, products of the King of Four Directions formation fought with gusto. But it was still hard to see a clear path. Even the spaces where dragon constructs had all be wiped out was filled with devils launching attacks at the barrier. The space Ao Guang wanted to escape from was also filled with devils. But it was one where Chaos Immortals did not appear to be present in. Since sneaking away was aways going to be impossible, the three knew what they had to do. It was good as weaker devils were of no true threat to him in the first place. "Us two are Great Principle experts, let''s blast a way through," Changxi stated. Her figure seemingly merged with the water around her, turning seawater into something resembling stellar water. Bits of luminous lights sparkled throughout her figure. From within her abdomen, twelve tiny moons emerged rotating. Ao Guang nodded hesitantly. Outside the palace back gates, the land outside was swarming with devils. It''ll really be an all or nothing attempt. Xihe''s own variation of lunar magics appeared rudimentary however. But Ao Guang didn''t really mind. His own humanoid dao body exploded into action. His robes ripped off his scales, his humanoid physique disappeared. Scales emerged from skin, head elongated, arms and legs became claws. His true form slithered through the water at a size totaling ten thousand metres in length. As he swam, his entire body started resembling blobs of liquid, no longer appearing solid. In addition, his speed increased. Ao Guang gulped as his swam towards danger. "Elders, open a pathway for me. I need to get through." "Heaven bless you Ao Guang," the voices of dragons controlling the formation replied. "I have already updated her majesty and others on your intentions." The son of Yinglong was never impressive at anything. He wasn''t even that famous. His charge out towards the surface instantly drew the attention of billions of devils. But he was also a Great Principle expert himself. Unless a genuine Chaos Immortal, or a ridiculously powerful Great Unity Golden Immortal showed up, what were billions of ants going to do? Ao Guang''s watery form penetrated through numerous devils like a lawnmower through grass. His catfish whiskers stretched out like swords, opening up a wide breadth for him. Changxi, and Xihe were only slightly behind. They already launched attacks while Ao Guang tried his best to swim through. Having risen higher towards the ocean surface, they all saw just how little of the devil army they had seen. All across the ocean, from seafloor to surface, there were so many of them. Like a blanket of silvery clouds, devils existed in a detachment Ao Guang hadn''t thought possible. ''They wish for our demise this much?'' The vast majority were only second order celestial beings. True Immortals, Profound Immortals, Heavenly Immortals. Even if a hundred billion of them wanted to stop Ao Guang, they couldn''t. But what really mattered were the hundreds of thousands of third order celestial beings. Ao Guang came to realize that there were even Primal Origin Chaos Immortals loitering beyond the sea, watching as their comrades died. While most took part in the core of the serious fighting, some did not. These experts who''d hidden themselves perked up upon seeing Ao Guang''s form. "Someone wants to flee?" These devils concluded. "Kill him like the rest!" "Don''t you dare!" Dragons across the sea roared. They could all identify Ao Guang''s intentions, what he clutched preciously in his claws. Membranes of qi encased spiritual recording were rather easy to create after all. Hence, even devils would recognize it. Dragon after dragon now attempted to secure a way for Ao Guang. Some successfully managed to disengage and make way for Ao Guang, others decided the need to prevent more devils from advancing into the capital to be of more importance. Chi Wen brute forced his way out of the formation to make a mad dash to protect Ao Guang. Suanni who was already dashing in the waters outside the formation also made for him. "Don''t you fuckers dare touch him!" The lion dragon hybrid shaped Suanni demanded. His falems surged out, burning despite water surrounding him. Hundreds of thousands of second order celestial beings perished with every step Suanni took. Golden Immortals, Great Unity Golden Immortals, even Great Principle Chaos Immortals couldn''t get close to him. Following his rampage, dragonic constructs emerged from the King of Four Directions formation "Damned feline! You''ll pay for your kind did," an advancing devil said. This was one of the Devil Great Emperors who perished on Mt Buzhou. His indignation at his own death matched Intoxicating Dreams. "Get out of my way!" Suanni roared. Suddenly, he found himself entangled with no option to advance. A Primal Zenith expert whose abilities may only be a shadow of his former self, but was still more then capable of matching this Primal Origin princely cultivator. Their tussle quickly spiraled out of Suanni''s control. A whirlwind of fire, water, and chilling yin wind began tearing a rift through the sea. Ao Guang felt pain for Suanni. But he couldn''t keep his eyes on him. He could feel Changxi fighting behind him, soon she''ll like be entangled as well. Time and again, Ao Guang cursed the sheer volume of devils present. Dozens of them attacked his scaled body, some bouncing off, others cracking individual pieces. He roared in pain as parts of his scales ripped from his body. ''That Ao Guang, he''ll die out there,'' Hong concluded. ''Sister, help me get these things off me.'' Hong''s dragon form had already been revealed. Dozens of small treasures flew around his form, supplementing his already great strength. By now, he was tied up with sixteen Primal Zenith ghost devil opponents. The latest in a long list of similarly ranked devils he''d already killed. His upper body was hunched, his lower body stretched downwards. The spells he used to block attacks upon his face suddenly weakened dramatically. As such, Hong flinched when a combined attack caused his right out to bleed out. "He''s growing weaker!" His devil opponents said with glee. Motes of crimson blood splattered into the ocean, little by little they disintegrated into particles of golden light. Hong grimaced at his injury, he quickly swiped his claw to push others away. ''We need to get to Ao Guang, he''s being encircled.'' The Devil Great Emperors ganging up on him were gleeful at the prospects of slaying him. They hardly noticed a shadow rising from the depths of the ocean. Nii emerged from deeper waters. Rather then saying she swam up, it was more accurate to say her form shimmered into being. Her jaws were already wide open, engulfing half a dozen Primal Zenith ghost devils in a single bite. They quickly descended her oesophagus into their joined stomach. The remaining devils all jumped back wearily. Their shock at another Primal Zenith being appearing gave Hong enough of a headstart to dash for Ao Guang. It was only as he was swimming that these devils noticed Nii''s neck was connected to Hong''s body. Hong''s back legs had flipped around, revealing that they were not hind limbs. Rather they were for limbs. His tail was no longer there, instead it was another dragon who was nearly identical to him. "DIE!" Nii unleashed a ray of rainbow colours from her mouth as Hong pulled her along. Her head whipped through the ocean disintegrating anything below the Chaos Immortal realm in droves. Even utmost revived powerhouses from the Devilsh Dao was flabbergasted. "Wait a second, I''ve heard about this. Six yuanhui ago, rumours from the borders said a freak was born in the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan," a Devil Great Emperor said. "A pair of conjoined twin who couldn''t be separated. So it was true after all." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Thats the expert we were fighting? That rainbow dragon?" Hong swam while Nii attacked. Why had they not done this earlier? Nii and Hong shared everything, even the same Dao. While they, as all third order celestial beings, possessed infinite energy to draw from. They had a limited output. To fight as they were now, they had to split what they could unleash. Nii attacking with Hong present was less effective then Nii attacking on her own. "Thank you sister," Hong said without looking back. "Don''t mention it, just focus on protecting Ao Guang." With the distance being so small, Hong crossed that threshold and reached Yinglong''s son in moments. That was also when Primal Zenith Devil Great Emperors sitting in reserve also descended. They could not attack Ao Guang effectively while this meddlesome rainbow dragon was in the way. With the ten remaining Primal Zenith devils from earlier chasing after Hong, and Nii as well, their opponents more than doubled. Even his bands of rainbow light struggled to defend against this amount of attackers. "Ao Guang, go to the surface and launch that message to the west. Here, take this!" Nii said. While Hong engaged the swords of another devil, Nii relinquished control of a statue treasure into Ao Guang''s grasp. It transformed into a four legged creature of unidentifiable origins. "It''ll bolster the speed of the message, get to an open space and launch it," she said before engaging more devils. Having more support than ever, Ao Guang ascended further away from East Sea Dragon Palace and Kailong Chen. Then, another arrived. ¡­ While all the excitement was going on in the ocean beyond the palace, the interior remained sparsely populated. No remaining dragon were able to detect a gust of wind moving through the premises. Round maze like corridors, complex hallways, Shen Feng moved invisibly and quickly into deeper areas of the palace. His aura was extremely subdued. The years had not been kind to him. Like all living godfiends, he had been restored to his peak. But unlike the likes of Qiankun, or Destiny Demon God, his power remained stagnant at the Primal Zenith level. In addition, the appearance of numerous Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals in recent years was enough to deter his attempts to treasure hunt. Inwardly, he''d always lamented how frighteningly powerful the new generation of Primal Zenith experts were. Only with the majority of such figures gone, could he dare to freely move around the palace like this. In truth, Shen Feng had been inside East Sea Dragon Palace for quite some time. Long before Da Hai returned in fact. He''d just been under disguise, and unable to maneuver around freely as Primal Zenith dragons remained on constant guard. "Let''s see, the deep areas of the palace should be¡­" Shen Feng turned around a corner and passed through a doorway. He already knew where the main treasury was, but felt like the items in there wasn''t good enough. Only a few top rank xiantian spiritual treasures were there, he felt like Zulong must''ve kept more in hidden parts of the palace, only using the ones in the main treasury as a distraction. After exploring some more, he felt the ground shake. Expanding his senses, he felt cataclysmic energy surges from hundreds of ferocious clashes. He was careful not to be discovered by the dragons, seafolk, and devils fighting above him. "There''s some profound dao resonance around this part," he murmured after moving deeper. Gradually, his form began solidifying into that of an older, well dressed gentlemen. His green robes portrayed none of his sinister intent while also masking some old injuries. Confident in his accuracy, Shen Feng approached a sealed door. "This room, it''s right above the natural layline East Sea Dragon Palace is built atop of. What could be inside?" Shen Feng hungered for more treasures. Pangu''s action eons ago robbed him of much of his wealth. Places with strong spiritual energy could be used to nurture treasures, herbs, or treasure embryos. The first and last option is most beneficial to him, the middle will only be good in transactions. He wasn''t an expert in alchemy after all. His curiosity piqued, he attempted to open the door. Only, he found many locks keeping it steady. Someone obviously didn''t want the contents disturbed. Now even more curious, Shen Feng began investigating a way to get through. Sneaking in and out like a gentle breeze was his specialty, far more then engaging in combat. Thus, he rearranged his physical make up and transformed into a gust of wind. He did not pick any locks, nor dispel any barriers. He floated through the door like any breath of air. Manifesting on the other side, he caught sight of a floating painting. His eyes widened in desire. "Good treasure, good treasure indeed." He surged forward with an attempt to grab the painting. Its structure emanated a mesmerizing feeling. One that captivated even his old monster. At a single glance, Shen Feng could tell this painting was special. It''s drawings depicted the natural world. An accurate representation of the mountains, and seas. Looking at it was like looking at a complete cosmos. By getting closer to it, even Shen Feng could tell that this painting contained an isolated universe. "Definitely top grade xiantian," he said in amazement. His fingers reached up to touch the painting but instead of hitting a surface, his hand melted in as if it were a puddle of water. Shen Feng frowned and withdrew his hand. He raised both hands to grab it. The same scene happened again. Despite reaching for the painting, he reached into it. Grunting in frustration, he summoned a tornado to suck the painting into his sleeve. His streams of air also went into the painting. He narrowed his gaze as the painting began shaking. "It''s active?" He gasped as he felt a strong suction force. He immediately planted his feet and resisted the painting. However, in the next instant, the painting expanded its size to engulf him. The switch in tactics came so fast, Shen Feng didn''t move in time. He found himself no longer in the Dragon Palace, but atop a cliff overlooking a valley. A river ran down the valley and it was all muddy below. Above the valley, a woman with the top half of a person and the bottom half of a snake floated. Her lower half coiled around as if she was sitting in a lotus position. Her eyes were wide open. Shen Feng felt her gaze on him and responded with his own glare. Shen Feng didn''t know her, but this was Nuwa who had been cultivated in seclusion since the invasion westwards was launched. "Did her majesty need anything of me?" Nuwa asked. "You''re the painting''s owner," Shen Feng muttered. ''Need her? Was she in secluded cultivation here? But why? There''s a war going on." The snake woman floated towards him with a curious gaze. Shen Feng felt his heart tighten, this woman wasn''t weak. Since she was barely restricting her power within this universe, Shen Feng could tell she was a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. However, it was difficult to tell how strong a Primal Zenith expert was without actively fighting. She could be as weak as a normal Great Principle Chaos Immortal or an elite dragon elder like Hong. It was a change in quality of Dao, so while rare, it was possible for newly ascended Great Principle cultivators to overpower Primal Zenith cultivators. Shen Feng could only tell she was incredibly enlightened. He tightened his fist preparing to kill her quickly. "I''ve made quite a but of progress here in my Myriad Miles River and Mountains. Though I don''t think I''m supposed to leave so soon? I do have some things figured out but are you sure her majesty want''s me to exit now?" She asked. She was treating him as of Shen Feng was just another member of Zulong''s court. "Well¡­" Whatever Shen Feng was going to say, was interrupted by the sky above them distorting. Nuwa glanced up with a disturbed look. Sheng Feng''s disturbing her by touching the Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains was the first time she''d become aware of the outside world. The Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains'' sky showcased a shaking roof. A scene Nuwa knew should be extremely unlikely. Nuwa was in seclusion in the truest sense of the world. She became blind to the outside world in order to fully immerse herself in the Dao. Thus she had no idea the palace and capital was being attacked. "Um, what exactly is happening?" She asked. With her back turned, Sheng Feng immediately struck. His hand was coated in wind spinning around. The top of his fingers became a world ending strike. Clasp! Shen Feng growled. He was unable to hit Nuwa, rather his wrist was caught by her tail. The innate god turned around and eyed him in disappointment. "You''re not with the dragons are you?" Shen Feng grew alarmed, he enlarged his body and unleashed his full might. Nuwa had to shield her eyes as the world around her uprooted. Within the confines of the painting, the universe became one giant hurricane. Nuwa''s lower body stretched as her human upper half drifted in the spinning wind. Her tail did not let go of Shen Feng''s body. "Little girl, I''ll give you one chance. Hand over your xiantian spiritual treasure and you may yet live." Shen Feng''s words were filled with disdain for the native species. A large part of him blamed them as extensions of Pangu. This woman actually did somewhat remind him of Pangu as well. He couldn''t quite explain it, but after being in her presence for a minute, it felt as if some part of Pangu was confronting him. "You say that but you already tried to kill me just know. Are you the one assaulting the dragon''s capital? How silly you must be," Nuwa retorted. The universe around them contracted. Natural forces reached down to calm the hurricane and restore the peaceful world. Nuwa''s palms stretched out, punching her left and her right dispelling large chunks of Shen Feng''s power. Yet the godfiend did not give in. Both of them stood at what the Chaos Godfiends deemed to be the pinnacle of cultivation. Both of them began attacking each other ferociously. Shen Feng in particular clawed at Nuwa''s body. His knowledge of battle was far superior than hers. Several clashes quickly informed her of this, hence she retreated to use esoteric spells to deal with him. While the battle raged on between the dragons and the devils, Nuwa''s own clashes with Shen Feng grew exponentially. It was causing the Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains floating in the room to shake violently. Within, it could not even be called a world anymore. Shen Feng had destroyed all of the mountains, and seas. Seeing the beautiful scenery she was so used to being obliterated so carelessly, Nuwa screamed in agony. "Stop this!" Nuwa tried harder to drive Shen Feng away. In the time she spent cultivating within, Nuwa had experimented with moulding the earth. Within the painting, she''d used her powers to shape mountains, and fill seas. Seeing it all be torn up was aggravating for her. "Get out!" Her body exploded into a pillar of flesh. Shen Feng''s alarm grew as the universe contained within the painting faded away. The building around him collapsed and scales slammed into the godfiend''s body. "GAH!" Being pushed through layers of walls, Shen Feng was sent flying into open ocean. The imperial palace''s left wing collapsed in on itself as a massive serpent swam out, coiling in the water. Nuwa''s true form lacked arms, breasts, or any semblance of a a human torso. Just a woman''s head glued to a snake''s body. Her mouth was lined with four fangs, two on the upper jaw and two on the lower. This commotion was easily seen by billions of devils. Gui Daiyu, her sons, and numerous dragons who were fighting also saw her emerging form. The battle was so sudden that they had forgotten about her presence. The presence of two Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals caused their devil enemies no small alarm. Assaulting the East Sea IV (Help Arrives) When Ao Guang broke through the surface of the ocean, he witnessed a scene that terrified him to his core. An aura unlike any he had felt approached from the northeastern direction. He was not alone, as even devils who were about to attack him suddenly halted in their tracks. All of those on the surface of the ocean could not describe what they were feeling. An elderly man approached. His forearms were extremely hairy, he had a long beard waving in the air. His clothing appeared extremely primitive, made of archaic beast leather and a headset made of a carcass. It was not any creature, but the corpse of a primordial beast, something the Primitive World hadn''t seen in generations. Admits even the army of ghost devils who were so numerous, they blocked out the sky. This old man walked through them all like an unrivaled king. He emitted the distinct aura of those who cultivated Luohu''s techniques. But he did not feel like any of the devils present. The difference between him and the devils around him had were so stark, it was as if they were two separate species. Ao Guang has never met a devil face to face, only the ghost devils who recently besieged his ancestral home. But even he could tell this new opponent was something completely else from the devils he''d thrown off. What''s more, he could tell that the difference between this old devil and the ghost devils had to do with their vitality. Ghost devils had a distinct lack of it, they were all cold, made up of yin qi, hollow inside. They were shells of their former selves. Despite their great cultivation, the power they could output was only a fraction of their living counterparts. Ao Guang did not know this. Because of a lack of communication, he wasn''t aware these devils were already deceased. Not to mention, he did not have time to ponder it. This old man however, was alive. ''No, I have to shoot this message out first,'' Ao Guang concluded. His uncle-emperor was so far away that communications via any other methods was impossible. Hopefully, this old man wasn''t a threat. If he was lucky, this newcomer was a helper who only practiced some devil spells. In his hopeful delusions, perhaps he was using a cloaking technique to move through these legions of ghost devils. "Little dragon, stay where you are. I have need of the message." And Ao Guang''s hopes died. A monstrous presence shrouded the East Sea. The sky was subject to numerous transformative phenomenas. The clouds in the sky twisted and turned, showcasing a primordial scene of brutality. Figures of ancient past fighting against monstrous creatures whose appearances did not match any innate creature clans of modern day. Strings flowed throughout what must''ve been millions of scenes. In some, living beings triumphed, in most they were slaughtered. The figures of ancient True Immortals were nothing but lambs for slaughter. A food source for superior beings. Across all these, titanic godlike figures stood aloof. Neither interfering, nor caring about these prehistoric people. They were even outright malicious, partaking in the slaughter or enslaving living beings. But as the old devil approached, each step caused riveting vibrations. A nirvanic scene of paradise appeared as the destination for all these events. A tall figure standing atop a 12 petaled black lotus, wielding a long spear appeared. Ghost devils who were and weren''t fighting all noticed this haunting presence. ''The ancestral protector is here?'' Even the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal Devil Great Emperor who tangled against Nii and Hong were startled. In their minds, they never thought this mythical being who''d always been content teaching the next generation to suddenly appear in war. When they were alive, even the oldest among them who have existed for many yuanhui, they all saw him as a benevolent teacher. A man who did not partake in the cutthroat politics in devil society. But one who''d rather live in seclusion, comfortable in watching the youth move up in the world. "Who is that?" The dragons and sea creatures fighting against the devils all felt a sinking feeling as the old devil walked across the sky. Even at their location, a great distance beneath the surface of the ocean, they could tell. The enlightened aura of a great immortal. A cultivator who had achieved Primal Zenith in terms of achievements. No, slightly above that. It was as if the mysterious concept pertaining to Grand Dao was slipping in. If Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal and Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal were two distinct realms. Then this old fellow can be described as half-step Limitless Supreme. "So what? Dao enlightenment may have a positive correlation to strength, but the Dao realm is not decisive in combat ability," one of the experts defending the seas shouted. It was Suanni, who had shrugged off his opponents and jumped out of the sea. He trampled numerous Golden Immortal ghost devils in the process. The old man paused. Tears welling up in his eyes. "Ah¡­ah¡­oh woo woo woo." Suanni was startled, was he crying? "Ah little Nan, little Futing, little Shanshan, little Gui, little¡­" he kept uttering names. Name after name he chanted. Suanni realized it must''ve been the names of the devils he''d just destroyed. He turned to Ao Guang and roared at him to throw the message out already. "Little bro! Throw¡­" but before he could finish that sentence, he got to see Ao Guang closely. It had been strange why Ao Guang had not moved for the past few minutes. The old devil wasn''t exactly moving fast. Ao Guang was frozen. His body constricted by little threads. They may seem small, but each strand had the ability to slash mountains and slit seas. Ao Guang''s eyes were practically bugging out of their sockets in his binding. "You," the old man spat. "You are a descendent of an innate god." His eyes narrowed in contempt. Innate gods and first generation innate creatures were mostly the same thing. Divided only by the realm they were born at as they were both connate lifeforms, energy transformed into living beings. The only other difference was that innate creatures had fully organized DNA which dictated how their postnatal descendents would be. But they were clearly separated in the old devil''s mind. No matter what anyone said, he always held them in contempt. Indifference at best. Suanni''s shape was unique. Zulong, the first ''dragon'' in the Primitive World could not be described as a dragon in the same way as Hong, Leize, Jiang Koilong, or any other members of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan. The correct way of describing him, was as a connate lifeform whose body shape appears to be a celestial dragon. He was primordial energy given form. His own DNA was also a confusing mess of primordial energy. Gui Daiyu on the other hand was a postnatal lifeform. She was born long after the first generation of her clan. Their species had already been set as stone. The true forms of his progeny with her, all came out with their own weird quirks. That Qiu Niu was a dragon in shape was pure coincidence. This understanding about innate gods was why no one in upper management thought terribly of Chao Feng. At most, it was only concern about what rumors might spread. The old devil snorted. Suanni felt fear course through his body. A heavy force suddenly slammed into him, sending him rolling through the clouds. "Avenge your brethren!" The old devil told the stunned ghost devils. "Kill!" Majority of the ghost devils did not need further instructions. But the more powerful Chaos Immortals remained behind. "Honored one, we had this handled. This vengeance belongs to us," a Great Principle devil said. "I understand young one," the old devil said, addressing him as young out of habit. "But I too have my own grievances." "Oh?" The past of this old devil have always been shrouded in mystery. But people were all hesitant to ask. It was clearly a touchy subject for him. "Let us honour our great patriarch and destroy these vile beasts who so readily trample our homes," the old devil said. "Did you know, millions of settlements have already been razed. Numerous sects full of youngsters decimated. Historical sites plundered. The West Continent have been transformed into a wasteland thanks to these people." His speech caused great emotion to well up in these cold devils. Even the old devil was affected. "While our forefathers fight tirelessly to keep these invaders at bay. While our patriarch rests from his wounds. I shall aid in your task and alleviate the pressure upon them." "My children, let us repay these invaders for what they inflicted upon our brethren!" The residents of the East Sea, upon hearing this old devils words felt deeply aggrieved. He actually dares to paint them as the villains? Was he unaware of what Luohu tried to do not too long ago? Of how Mt Buzhou collapsed thanks to him? Of how the universe was nearly destroyed? Gui Daiyu screamed in anger. Her father died during that battle as well as numerous friends. She couldn''t believe the audacity of this intruder. "You are delusional if you think that''s accurate!" She said from beneath the waves. "Empress of the seas? You insult our kind by marrying that filth," the old devil spat. He did not hesitate to launch a punch towards the King of Four Directions formation. His outstretched arm launched downwards, throwing his sleeve back. His slim but extremely hairy arm was revealed, resembling that of a malnourished ape. But the power was genuine. His power manifested a gargantuan fist print from which a primordial world seemed to arise. "Hold the line, redirect power to the outer shell." The dragons within the palace who commanded the formation tensed up. As the old devil''s fist print descended, the ocean gave way. Ghost devils, not fearful for their lives, grabbed hold of dragons and seafolk cultivators still within open ocean. Even if they were not the intended target, they still hopped that standing in the way of this attack will kill them. The dragon head formed from Kailong Chen and East Sea Dragon Palace raised to face the sky. It transformed from the shape of a dragon head to a much smaller, but fully formed coiling dragon. The dragon constructs emerging out of it all dissipated as all of the formation''s power was diverted to defense. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. BOOM! The old devil split the ocean as simply as that. He grunted, seeing as how his attack failed to break the defensive formation. In his heart, he did somewhat praise Zulong''s work. But this did not mean he didn''t do damage. Unlike the combined might of numerous ghost devils, the dragons controlling the formation felt the impact. Dozens of them keeled over to spit out mouthfuls of blood. Their appearances became gaunt, paling as the strain wracked up internal injuries. Gui Daiyu who was swimming outside looked upwards in horror. From that one attack, she knew this person surpassed most Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals she knew. "If one isn''t enough to break it, then I will keep punching until I do!" The old devil said. His display of dominance was felt all across the East Sea. His cultivation base exerted itself to its utmost maximum as he displayed his million years of practice. "Stop him!" A dragon tried to say. But he was held off as hundreds of devils began dogpiling him. "Gah get off me!" "Your opponent is us!" The Devil Great Emperors who surrounded Nii and Hong said. Even Intoxicating Dream was harassing Gui Daiyu from pushing back the devilish tide. The old hairy devil''s attacks were horrifying for Ao Guang. Despite being a Chaos Immortal many yuanhui old as well, he felt like a hatchling again. Unlike with earlier realms, the power difference in the final realm varied so drastically. Multiple fist prints, each representative of a primordial world pounded the King of Four Directions formation. The ocean was split again and again, exposing its hidden depths to the sky above. Hundreds of dragons cried out in frustration. Numerous weaker cultivators also died just from the shockwaves. Even the palace has started to collapse. Collapse? The dragons commanding the formation was alarmed. Despite suffering constant barrages, the interior of the formation shouldn''t be harmed. Even Kailong Chen appeared fully intact. But low and behold, a massive figure erupted from the palace. A serpent with a woman''s head chasing a tiny figure within palace grounds. "Wait, isn''t that that guest his majesty invited?" "Oh right, I''ve forgotten about her." Nuwa and Shen Feng emerged into a scene of chaos. While Shen Feng knew exactly what was going on, Nuwa was confused. But it didn''t take a genius to figure out there was an enemy invading. Nuwa''s feminine face scrunched. The scent she recognized from her time during Buzhou''s battle reappeared. Needless to say, she was incredibly alarmed. ''I thought the plan was to lockdown those devils in the west.'' At first she thought Shen Feng was with them. But quickly dismissed that thought because Shen Feng was not a devil. Which only caused her more confusion. Who was this guy? "That thing." The old devil frowned when Nuwa emerged. He could feel the chaotic power of heaven and earth from her. She was not from any species. Her existence, her very being was spawned complete through the clashing energies of heaven and earth. She lacked parents, she was a connate lifeform, she was an innate god. And so was that other figure. "Honoured one, this is bad. Two Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals have appeared," a Great Unity Golden Immortal called. These ghost devils knew they could not do anything to Chaos Immortals, hence none of them liked the arrival of new ones. Down below, Nuwa saw Shen Feng dashing away from the corner of her eye. She wanted to give chase were it not for telepathic messages. Within a second, she was updated about the situation. Nuwa felt conflicted. On one hand, that wind guy ruined all her creative work within the Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains painting. On the other hand, the people who offered her shelter and guidance were being attacked. "Lady Nuwa, you have to save prince Ao Guang. I don''t know why he hasn''t been slain yet but it''s to our advantage. You must free him," a dragon frantically said. "Okay." Nuwa''s true form shrunk back to her half humanoid half snake form. In truth, she wasn''t certain about battle. Her progression was incredibly fast, too fast for her to get used to. Her seclusion had mitigated that, but it was not complete. But her appearance did reinvigorate the defenders. It meant another powerhouse would join their cause. The only caveat was that the other guy seemed to be running away. Shen Feng had no intention of staying anymore. Nuwa had scared him, and staying could create another unnecessary foe(devils) for him. Yet as he ran, Gui Daiyu saw him. She was already clashing with Intoxicating Dream who seemed to ignore everyone else but her. The empress thought quickly. Unlike Nuwa, she did recognize Shen Feng. She had never met him, but have seem images of him. As the empress of the four seas and a major player in global geopolitics, Zulong educated her on ancient figures who may still roam the Primitive World. Before she was born, numerous innate gods controlled the land. Though most have since fallen, some did remain. Wether they kept to themselves, or lead a force in the world, it was crucial that she at least recognized them. So even if they''ve never met, she recognized Shen Feng''s appearance. "Great Venerable Divine Wind, it is good you''ve arrived!" she yelled. Her voice travelled all throughout the vast ocean, being heard by every ghost devil. She smirked evilly in her heart. Zulong had stories about this innate god as well. He''d told her how he''d bullied him and his brothers during their youth, and that it was only by meeting Da Hai that they were saved. He''d also told her what Da Hai told him, that Shen Feng was a greedy opportunistic thief who hungered for spiritual treasures. "Quick! We must turn the tide. We must defend our people!" Shen Feng gasped at her audacity. This woman actually dared to scheme against him? Dare to pit him against her enemies? He wanted to butcher her right this instant. "So another expert from the seas is here?" Ghost devils, formerly living devils naturally were not privy to Shen Feng''s existence. He was not only extremely lowkey, but rarely ever appeared in history. Only studious Devil Great Emperors would''ve been aware of his history, but even they had sketchy knowledge at best. It''s not like Luohu frequently talked about the Chaos Godfiends. What''s more, this was where Luohu''s lockdown of the West Continent played against them. While the west, over many years, have learned about extremely famous outsiders such as Chenghuang, the two sovereigns warring over the world, the Four Symbols Divine Beasts. They were not privy to all the minor names in the factions across the world. To them, Shen Feng might''ve been a background minister, or a secluded expert working for the dragons. Hence they attacked him indiscriminately. "Damn you, I''m not with them!" Shen Feng naturally had to defend himself. He was already a powerful figure, so Chaos Immortal ghost devils naturally tried to intercept him. He quickly became a living hurricane. "That innate god, so many!" The old devil gritted his teeth. He temporarily halted his barrage. "You better be watching little dragon, deliver your great grandmaster the sight of me grinding his jewel to dust." Ao Guang could only struggle in his bindings. Meanwhile, Nuwa made her way into the heat of the fighting. Millions of ghost devils destroyed only meant millions more replaced them. With a swipe of her tail, hundreds of thousands of Golden Immortal, and Heavenly Immortal ghost devils were swept away. The goddess created a green ball in her hand and shot it out in the form of arrows. Somehow, these devils felt odd to her. They were unlike any devils she''d seen before. They were cold, hollow, and most importantly dead. They were not exactly the antithesis of her current Dao, but they were like incomplete beings who had parts of themselves missing. They were existing in state they should not''ve, and for some reason Nuwa felt offended by them. ''Second rate trash,'' she concluded. Even so, their numbers were concerning. To the dragons and seafolk stationed in the capital, it was too overwhelming to deal with. Nuwa had to think carefully. She had to alleviate the pressure on her allies. At the same time, Hong alone could not tie down every high tier Chaos Immortal. "You know," she said while lifting the Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains. "I''m honestly still testing these out. But why don''t you weird devils try these toys on for size." Her hand reached into the painting. Within its inner world, Nuwa''s hand was the size of mountains. She dug her palm into the soft clay within her world and dragged out buried objects. On the outside, devils, dragons, and seafolk alike watched in fascination. The top grade xiantian spiritual treasure in her hands vibrated. From it emerged humanoid figures, one after another. Nuwa unleashed what must''ve been millions of clay figures. All of them were featureless and uncoloured. But they possessed the form closest to the most optimized form for cultivating the Dao. Resembling the Dao bodies of all cultivators, they possessed two arms, two legs, one head, and stood upright. If Da Hai were here, he''d recognize them as proto-figurines of early humans. Only, they were soulless creations, more similar to golems then an actual living beings. This was Nuwa''s aid to the East Sea, her own army. Millions of clay figures who possessed the fighting capability of Immortals. They came with various grades due to how diligent Nuwa was when creating them. The earliest ones, the ones she took the most care with had enough energy to battle Golden Immortals. The massed produced ones were little more than canon fodder for second order celestial beings. They would not help with Chaos Immortals, but they didn''t need to. The serpent goddess will help with that. Assaulting the East Sea V (Nuwa’s Aid) The next phase of this great conflict had arrived. Shen Feng, after being dragged into this became enraged. As he wrestled with several Chaos Immortals, his anger at Gui Daiyu only grew. Not matter what he tried to say, this people did not see him as anything other then their worst enemy. As it became increasingly clear that Shen Feng could not get away easily. He released his true power. His Dao body was shed and he assumed the body he was reincarnated into. Immediately, he submerged the ocean and the sky above in endless viciously fast moving airstreams. All around the seat of Zulong''s power, ferocious water and hurricanes roared. The silvery blanket of devils was no longer clear as despite their ungodly numbers, the might of Shen Feng''s hurricane easily tore through them and reached into the dark sky. If they had been living, these devils would''ve long become sliced chunks of flesh. Instead they faded into clouds of yin energy. Across the ocean at various levels, mud puppets dueled devils of equivalent strength. Holding the line and preventing them from entering the heart of the four seas. Both parties were little more then canon fodder, so they easily fell to Shen Feng''s attacks as well. Yet alongside them, the true battle between titanic experts took place. Chi Wen, Bi An, Denglong etc, all sported numerous small wounds upon their true forms. They had all exited the King of Four Directions formation in the wake of Shen Feng''s actions. None of them knew how long they''d been defending the formation, but they were all glad to be on the offensive for once. When Nuwa joined Hong against the other top level ghost devils. The two of them, three if you counted Nii, pushed their opposing Devil Great Emperors to the brink. Four of them even died in the first clash. Nuwa''s presence was not necessarily contradictory to their own, but it exposed them to a feeling of grief. Despite being Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals, these ghost devils lost ample amounts of will power when she began exerting her pressure. Hong and Nii took this opportunity to attack with full force. Since another showed up, the intwined twins regained their bearings. They ability to launch their strongest spells went uninterrupted. The consequence appeared as a brilliant rainbow manifested from water around them. Even Nuwa felt awed by the older dragon''s performance. Their ability seemed to resonate with heaven and earth, bringing about a sense of good fortune. "Daoist Nuwa, thank you for the aid," Hong said. "But his highness Ao Guang is most important." "Right," Nuwa said. The ghostly Devil Great Emperors around them had been harshly struck by the rainbow dragon''s attacks. It showed them how close they were to being sent back to the abyss. Though they were not supposed to feel fear anymore, they couldn''t help but be nervous of it. At the same time, they were deeply envious. If only they were not reduced to this pitiful condition. If only they were alive. They too could''ve pulled off magnificent feats. Nii and Hong being freed up to attack had opened another way for the dragons and seafolk to push these devils out of the ocean. The way forward was clear, they had to free Ao Guang. "Hmph!" The old devil marched forward unimpeded by Shen Feng''s wind. As he moved, ghost devils from the sky came down to take over where their destroyed comrades left off. "This innate god from the east is so heinous, killing so many of mine," he muttered in barely concealed grief. "Your devils pushed me! I will not stand for this behavior!" Shen Feng roared back. His pride as a Chaos Godfiend remerged. The power emanating from his body was ferocious. The ancestor of divine wind was akin to a living hurricane. "Be silent innate god! Your kind has done enough damage." From the old devil''s body emerged strings of hair. Their danced in the wind despite the blowing force from Shen Feng. Glowing symbols appeared around the hairy old devil forming the illusionary image of an upright gorilla. Seeing the two about to engage, Hong decided on his course of action. While his familiarity with this ancient godfiend was low, he felt that he would be able to dual this terrifying devil to a standstill. Just from looking at the spells this devil unleashed, Hong dictated his abilities to exceed his own. Not enough to where he''d be slaughtered on contact. But enough to completely overwhelm him. He and Nuwa took this chance advance forward. The goddess beside him used hand signs to command her spiritual treasure painting. Its vast powers flowed through the ocean becoming a rising piece of land. To unsuspecting devils, this new world emerged from the ocean swallowing them up before retracting into Nuwa''s painting. At the same time, she also pulled out the Red Hydrangea and used it as one would a whip. Nii and Hong also brought out their own treasures. Neither of them possessed top grade xiantian spiritual treasures. The high and mid grade weapons they had only acted as minor supplements to their spells. Another Devil Great Emperor fell, then another. Both from individual attacks by Hong and Nii. Nuwa was a step faster, she slithered by another Primal Zenith Devil and engaged him in close combat. When it became clear her strength was superior, she got rid of him with a final palm attack. When these two beings worked together, they reduced the amount of Devil Great Emperors present by over half. The two sides became like stars, dashing to and from each other launching reality shattering attacks. There wasn''t even any water left in this section of the ocean, having been blown apart by their blows. At the two sites where the strongest Primal Zenith experts fought, no other personnel was stupid enough to get in their way. The Old Devil cried again. His robes ripped apart from Shen Feng''s airstreams. Both of them descended into the ocean like comet from the stars. Their combined aura boiled the seawater around them, burning Nuwa''s creations, ghost devils, even weaker dragons. Each blow they traded left scars in reality. Water spilled out into the void between realms draggin unsuspecting devils and dragons through. Shen Feng''s clawed and drilled into the old devil''s flesh. The old devil beat and punted against Shen Feng''s defensive measures. But as the two traded blows, it became clear the old devil was just a bit better then Shen Feng. Shen Feng''s offenses could not penetrate the devil''s. But the devil could not only resist Shen Feng, he was tearing through the godfiend''s own. As the gap between two cultivator''s abilities grew, the longer a fight between them would last. This was the opposite, Shen Feng was completely outclassed. His resistance to this Primitive World native was simply not enough. "GAH!" Shen Feng cried in horror. He was beaten down by brutal fists. The barriers he tried to form were smashed apart. Despite his best efforts, his throat was grabbed by the old devil. Then and there, Shen Feng got to look at the devil''s eyes. From start till now, this old devil''s face was shrouded by a hood, Shen Feng was the only one to meet his eye. But all Shen Feng found was irrational fanatical hatred. ''I don''t even know you,'' Shen Feng pondered. "They''re closing on the outer shell!" "Someone stop them!" "You insane? That amount of force will kill Chaos Immortals!" People argued back and forth scared out of their minds. Gui Daiyu looked over in horror, but just as quickly she was forced into engaging Intoxicating Dream again. BOOM! On the surface of the dragon''s defensive formation, Shen Feng formed a crater. The old devil was using him to relieve his anger. Again and again, he smashed the godfiend with powerful fists. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM Within the palace, several bodies fell over. Five Great Principle level dragons, and a single Primal origin dragon finally gave out. The others had no time to grieve. Massive cracks had formed from the impact. "Comrades¡­" a dragon said between puffs. "I do not think this body will hold out much longer. We have to¡­" BOOM! Another dragon fell over dead. "Have they still not gotten to Ao Guang? Nuwa has been joined them for five days now!" A dragon cried. In reality, even with Nuwa joining him, it still took awhile for Hong and her to fully break off their foes. But as luck would have it, when the old devil landed with Shen Feng, Hong and Nuwa also broke out of the ocean. By now, only four ghost devils at the Primal Zenith rank were left from those who originally engaged them. "Stop these two!" The four devils cried. Nuwa snorted coldly. These past few days of non stop fighting did wonders to dampen her mood. She breathed out large columns of smoke that transformed mountains. No matter what level of devils tried to stop her, if they were not at least Chaos Immortals they''d all be decimated. Hong also moved to fight the four devil great Emperors himself. His and his sister''s dragon heads spat out rays of light. They crisscrossed throughout the sky forming to a cage of rainbow lightning. The old devil glanced up from the downed form of Shen Feng. Both old monsters could see Nuwa Nii, and Hong reaching Ao Guang. The old devil snorted coldly. He had originally wanted Ao Guang to witness this city and everyone living there begin destroyed before sending a new message. But it seems things aren''t meant to be. He raised his in a hard grip. "ARGH!" Ao Guang screamed from his place in the sky. "Oh no!" Nuwa flew rapidly to reach the dragon. "It''s no use, his dragon flesh is nothing to my strength." The old devil''s commanded his constricting hairs. Ao Guang''s eyes bugged out of his socket. His form compressed until blood oozed out from his skin. Crimson liquid flowed through the air. Only after a few seconds did they disintegrate into pure Dao essence. Ao Guang could not last long under the pressure. He channeled every ounce of energy he could muster into his fleshy body technique. Every spell he knew of that could strength his body. It didn''t stop it from being destroyed. As rivers of gore dropped from the sky, Nuwa continued to fly. Ghost devils could not stop her path but they cheered at the Ao Guang''s physical destruction. "This stubborn brat," the old devil begrudgingly said. Ao Guang had not died immediately even after his flesh''s destruction. He refocused his defense into his Nascent Soul and used that to hold on to his life. The threads of hair was still present when Nuwa grabbed hold of them. Even at the Chaos Immortal realm, despite her Primal Zenith level Dao realm, Nuwa did not posses the physical strength to break this constriction. She could see Ao Guang''s Nascent Soul struggling for dear life. It resembled an azure dragon not unlike his late uncle. It also appeared much younger then the real Ao Guang. Under Nuwa''s gaze, this Nascent Soul was no bigger then the palm of her hand. Nuwa''s Dao body cracked open and her true form was released. Her serpentine form wrapped around the ball of hairs constricting Ao Guang. Devils pelted her scales from all sides to no effect. With her head inside the coil she formed, Nuwa blew onto the old devil''s hairs. Under her control, the five elements appeared circulating. Supreme energy burst from her body until it culminated into the growth of wood wi. This fed into fire which severely weakened the hair threads. "Many thanks senior," Ao Guang said. The hairs had become weak enough for him to slip through with Nuwa''s aid.. "You don''t have to call me that," Nuwa chuckled. "You''re way older then me." "Please don''t remind me." Nuwa''s humanoid Dao body reappeared. She held the message ball Ao Guang previously had. To protect the dragon prince, Nuwa sent him into the Myriad Miles Rivers and Mountains painting. Then she unleashed the Red Hydrangea to lash at all the incoming devils. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. In her mind, she could feel the red rope''s dislike for bloodshed. The treasure spirit of this magical treasure could not disobey her. But it stated her desire to not be used to take life again. Even though technically speaking, Nuwa had not kill anyone yet. This particular treasure still violence. Nevertheless, Nuwa told it to bear with it. She didn''t need anymore command to throw the message out. In her palm, mysterious heavenly energies in the colour of soil mixed in the message. It transformed into a nine headed phoenix construct who then flapped its great wings. A fiery blaze erupted, incinerating nearby devils below the Chaos Immortal realm. The nine headed phoenix cried a shrill sound and shot through the sky. "NO!" The old devil was furious. Nuwa''s abilities were far more extraordinary then he expected. He felt a sudden movement between his feet as well. Looking down, he did not find tail or shadow of Shen Feng, only the sensation of morning breeze. His face became ashen. "YAH!" BOOM! The remaining dragons within the palace fell to their backs. Gui Daiyi who remained inside the King of Four Directions felt brutal backlash on her body. The dome covering Kailong Chen and East Sea Dragon Palace shimmered. The sound of breaking glass was a horrifying reality for everyone still inside the city. Water currents from outside flowed in. It became so fierce, many citizens were swept away uncontrollably. "Help!" "Help!" So many people with weak cultivations, mortals in fact were swept away and ping ponged across the numerous chaotic currents. Their immortal defenders simply didn''t have the time to rescue them whilst dealing with their enemies. Without specific points on the outer shield to funnel them in, devils entered the city in full. The protective shell has fallen, though the formation remained it could no longer keep people out. Nuwa''s constructs as well as immortal soldiers defending Kailong Chen suffered a huge blow. Within the palace, those few dragons inside quickly got to their feet. They realized they could not repair the shield, so they redirected the vast gathered energies to attack the invaders instead. It was far more dangerous now as devil after devil stepped foot into the city. Fortunately, the formation was still keyed to them and the treasures maintaining its existence remained steady. So they felt ample power flowing into themselves. Hence one by one, they left the palace to aid in active combat. Gui Daiyu could only screamed in horror. The city she''d called home for so long had its grounds tarnished for the first time in its ten yuanhui history. She sent a mental command to many experts to fall back to the city to take defend it. Intoxicating Dream seemed to only take this in great pleasure. The old devil didn''t linger long however. He blasted straight upwards towards Nuwa and Ao Guang. The shockwave from his movement was so great that it generated an explosion of force. Anyone below the Great Unity Golden Immortal realm were swept away helplessly, devil, dragon, and immortal cultivators alike. Some buildings with weaker foundations also collapsed from the force of the old devil''s movement. And as hundreds of devils touched down on the city, the True, Profound, and Heavenly Immortal class of ghost devils were the first to come through. This was as their higher level existences were keeping the dragons'' own busy. "Quick! While our elders distract their forces!" These foot soldier devils said. Their intention was to wreck havoc on this seemingly defenseless city. Even as dozens of Profound, and True Immortal devils were struck down. A few Heavenly Immortal led by a Golden Immortal devil touched down on the city proper. Some also expanded their size until they stood at hundreds of metres tall, easily towering ordinary houses. "Do not dare invader!" Foot soldier dragons and seafolk alike came out of the woodworks. They met these devil small fries in the streets of their beloved capital. It quickly devolved into rough street fights. From time to time, Gui Daiyu, or some other high level expert will find time to briefly descend and wipe away a horde of enemies. But overall, the situation kept flip flopping. In the end, large portions of the city began toppling. ¡­ The old devil was furious at the moment. He ordered the devils besieging her to attack the ocean''s capital instead. He alone wanted to eliminate the goddess. At this period of time, Hong and Nii was still engaged with the four remaining Primal Zenith Ghost devils. These four worked together to combine their powers. Of those who were revived, they were already among the strongest. This was why they had survived where the rest were destroyed. They just barely managed to hold the rainbow dragon off without being destroyed. Seeing the old devil''s approach, Nuwa snarled. Her fangs were a stark contrast to her otherwise attractive face. Her fork tongue whipped through the air creating droplets of water. "Hmph!" The old devil swiped his hairy arm. Though his forearm was still hit and he quickly noticed singe marks upon his body. ''This innate god is transforming various aspects of the elements into each other.'' Nuwa in truth, was deeply nervous about facing the old devil. Hence she unleashed all her accumulated power from her secluded cultivation. Her body coiled around herself as the shadowy illusion of the world appeared beneath her. "Heaven Opening''s Consequence," she chanted. Following the opening statement, Nuwa entered a state of full concentration. Her strongest spell that she had created during her secluded cultivation began activating. Her painting was spinning above her forehead but the spellwork was all her. Below her, chaotic particles collided until a world came alive, formulating mountains and seas. A great wave of fertility spread throughout this new world whereupon figures began emerging. They were neither alive nor dead, simply existing in a state of being. They all raised their hands beckoning the old devil to abandon his form and become part of Nuwa''s creations. This released ethereal streams of vitality filled light towards the devil. If Nuwa successfully pulled him in, she''ll take his vitality away and reconfigure his being into part of her order of life. Nuwa was doubtful of this being the full limits of what her current Dao could accomplish. But if she could drag the old devil in, the worst case scenario was suppressing him while the best was transforming him into another geographical feature. "Do you think this is enough to stop me?" The old devil manifested the gorilla once more. Its body was a dull yellow, resembling prehistoric soil from when Pangu just created the Primitive World. Its tyrannical aura brewed, causing ferocious screaming winds to pick up. Cracking sounds spread across all of the East Sea''s spacetime. Any creature close to the projections vicinity were utterly crushed. The gorilla raored, a cry that seemed to distort this layer of reality. The environment of the East Sea changed, as if time was reversing back to the first yuanhui when primordial beasts preyed upon innate creatures. The muscular creature punched into Nuwa''s world, cracking its surface. It send a negative feedback through Nuwa''s body causing her to leak blood. "Foolish creature, who do you think you are? Pangu?" The old devil mocked. The gorilla projection merged into his body once more and his form bulged in size. He became a hairy giant whose robes barely concealed his body. Now standing thousands of kilometres tall, he equalled Nuwa in size. Each hair follicle on his body were like thick steady mystical trees. Despite the chaotic presence of seven emotions and six desires blaring from his form, his cultivation was also like a primordial forrest. One that sheltered countless beings. Nuwa huffed and puffed. She charged forward to coil around the hairy old devil. Both of them began trading blows both physical and magical. Hong looked over again, he could see the two were dedicated in their battle. But Nuwa was clearly struggling. It must be stated that Nuwa has comparatively very little experience. She ascended to her current level of power from merit, inheriting her current mastery of a Dao she did not originally create. Despite being classified as a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal of substantial power, she could not fully utilize it. But since merging from seclusion, she could muster enough power to not be slaughtered. Currently, she could escape from the old devil but could not move him. Hence she put her all into hindering him. The old devil realized also that Nuwa was harder to kill then he''d thought. It''ll likely take half a decade of continuous battle to fully break her defenses end her. He had power to spare after all. Hence he opted to hold her down as well as another powerhouse of the dragons. Nii sensed the old devil''s attack before Hong. From out the old devil''s back, his hairs extended into the sky like wriggling worms. They branched out like growing trees and headed towards the rainbow dragon''s exposed body. "Brother, this''ll not be easy," Nii warned. She flipped her side of the body around to defend against the ocean of hairs. This increased Hong''s pressure from his own opponents. He was now instead trapped in a battle of two fronts. What''s more, Nii alone cannot fully stop the old devil. Her power was divided between herself and Hong. The old devil and the four trapped ghost Devil Great Emperors knew this. They thanked the old devil who only increased his attack potency on Nii. It reached an extent where the rainbow dragon''s life was threatened. As time went on, the fighting did not diminish. By the end of the second month of the siege, ten percent of Kailong Chen laid in ruins. Hong was forced to focus all his efforts on the old hairy devil. He and Nuwa reluctantly reached a stalemate where both their paths were blocked. The four Devil Great Emperors were able to break three and descend into the chaotic ocean once more. There they met some of Zulong''s sons in battle. Because these devils were already diminished, the brothers Qiu Niu, Denglong, Chi Wen, Bixi, Pulao, and Chao Feng were able to battle them. The area where they fought erupted into further chaos where no lesser being dared to venture. Though it blocked what were essentially devil super weapons from approaching Kailong Chen, it also increased pressure on the city proper as the brothers could not stop other devils from getting through anymore. By the fifth month of combat, forty percent of Kailong Chen, and another wing of East Sea Dragon Palace had been leveled. The fighting became so fierce, an elder holding down the fort at the Sea Eye could not hold it in anymore. Zulong had always left powerful personnel to help the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle. Three elders at the Primal Origin level and five at the Great Principle level abandoned their post to help their capital. The remaining dragons within the Sea Eye could only bear with it. Seven months passed and the once untold billions amount of devils had great lessened. Hong allowed himself to be absorbed by Nii. Now she along with Nuwa brawled with the old devil across the sky. Their blows shattered parts of reality causing some dragons to unwittingly be lost in the void between realms as well. Nine months passed at Suanni was taken out of commission after being besieged by several Primal Origin and Great Principle Chaos Immortal ghost devils. His fire was put out and his stomach was ripped out by his opponents. Thankfully, Yazi arrived on time to bring him deeper into dragon territory. Unfortunately, moral on the ocean''s side dwindled at the sight of their injured prince. People were even starting to doubt wether their message got through or not. Assaulting the East Sea Finale (Recognition) At the beginning of the tenth month, the old devil struck a long gash through Nii''s face. The now single headed dragon flinched away. The old devil raised his free hand, his other being wrestled by Nuwa. His free hand extended numerous hair follicles as well to pierce Nii''s body. Nii''s own catfish whiskers grew in response. They elongated and sprouted branches of their own. Across the sky, these hairs and whiskers whipped at each other in a flurry of lashes. Were the situation not so dire, this sequence of exchanges would actually look a bit comical. Despite being so engrossed in combat, they all suddenly felt a shift in the air. Within Kailong Chen and the surrounding areas, tons of fighting was happening. Depending on the level of the combatants, explosions that pushed apart enormous amount of water occurred regularly. In the city, so many buildings were ruined. Bodies lay on the streets, or floated in the water. Pieces of Nuwa''s mud puppets also floated about. One particular clash between a Great Unity Golden Immortal devil and a dragon created a bubble of air. As a consequence, turbulent seawater began rushing to fill the void. Mortal civilians shuddered at the oncoming doom. Any they would not be able to resist the force. Even to the experts fighting, they were a sad casualty. But the hard hitting pressure never came. Their bodies shimmered slightly but otherwise did not change. Instead, seawater passed through them before calming down once more. The experts fighting were all alarmed. In fact, the sea seemed to calm despite all the fighting. No matter the spells used, be they from second order or third order celestial beings. Even a Chaos Immortal brawling against a dragon within the King of Four Directions formation felt the water around them still. Then a group of ghost devils suddenly clasped their chests. They noticed their bodies being skewered by water condensed into swords. Even underwater, even among a vast ocean of water, these swords had an easily identifiable shape. "What is," a ghost devil at the Golden Immortal realm muttered. He didn''t get to finish as his body exploded into yin attribute gas clouds. Hundreds of thousands followed in his wake. A single stake each was needed to suddenly kill billions of ghost devils across the True through Golden Immortal realms. Chaos Immortals resisted it, but felt greatly weakened. Their movements became strained even as they pushed their cultivation to the highest level. "Hm?" The old devil glanced around. He heard a soft chime, a sonorous hymn that seemed to resonate with the Grand Dao. Concepts far more complex then he had encountered crossed through his ears. The only times he''d experienced such was when he met with his patriarch and similar level elders. Nuwa and Nii both heard the same sonorous voice and both felt inspirations. Both serpentine creatures couldn''t help but scan around for this wondrous feeling. The familiar identification of a Chaos Immortal was felt. But one whose Dao realm was so advanced that it easily surpassed the Primal Zenith Dao realm, which was already the final point of a personal Dao''s improvement without relying on comprehending elements of Grand Dao. The waters around the East Sea was forcibly calmed. No matter what conflict took place in its depths or above its surface, the sea could not be changed. It was as if any control of this body of water was wrestled away. Even in the gentle movements of the waves, water arched into the sky. Stylized serpent heads rose from the water, made of water, and lacking in any body beneath the surface. They were projections from the East Sea a natural phenomena caused by an extremely powerful cultivator interacting with nature. "No doubt about it. His excellency Oceanic Sea Suppression Heavenly lord," Nii said. The old devil narrowed his eyes at those words. Across the ocean, ghost devils numbering in the billions perished. Those who could resist the area of effect was helpless as their dragon and seafolk opponents turned their full power on them. By grasping this opportunity, the outnumbered defenders eliminated much of the invaders. "GUH!" The four Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal Devil Great Emperors were also not spared. Hundreds of swords skewered their bodies allowing Zulong''s sons to take the advantage. Their current existence as ghosts was ended rather quickly. Several clean blows were all that was needed once they were immobilized. As the sonorous hymn got louder, more ghost devils perished. The old devil swiped his hands to take action against it but was stopped by Nuwa and Nii. He could only watch as all the ghost devils were quickly eradicated. "Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal," he spat. "It has to be you isn''t it? Tian Hai?" The effects on nature, this sonorous voice was only a byproduct in the end. Something Da Hai or similarly leveled experts unintentionally caused when releasing their unrestricted cultivation base. His knowledge into the nature of the Grand Dao was displayed for all to see. If a second order celestial immortal had risen to the surface for a clean look, their eyes would''ve been burned out of their sockets. Even Golden Immortals found it difficult to stay focused. What was surreal to all individuals present, was that Da Hai was still extremely far away. When one looked westwards, they also perceive a shadow approaching in the distance. Roving clouds making up an ocean in the heavens. Serpents swimming among them filled with vitality. Da Hai appeared like the horizon, to far away to touch but fully visible to see. Distance seemed to distort was his shape did not get larger nor smaller, always constant. Like many powerful individuals, Da Hai had his own advanced spell techniques. In the years since the Dragon, and Phoenix established themselves, numerous movements techniques had been developed such as the dragon''s Auspicious Cloud Step, the phoenix''s Instant Blaze Teleportation, the Riding Lightning Surf etc. Da Hai''s own was called Roving Illusionary Cloud Trail. The old devil wasn''t tricked however. The optical illusion was very deceiving, but he could see that Da Hai''s has not crossed the eastern coast yet. As much as he hated to admit it, only someone in the supreme command of the Devilish Dao can stop him. "You will not stop me from killing them!" The old devil roared in a maddened daze. He could feel many pairs of eyes narrow at him. Killing intent as well as contempt rose from the clouds in the distance. The old devil acted quickly. He executed his cultivated spells, giving rise to the same dull yellow energy throughout his body. Projections of a more primitive civilization occurred around him and he started to wrestle out of Nuwa and Nii''s hold on him. "This guy is so strong, why the hell was he not at Buzhou?" Nuwa couldn''t help but comment. The muscles in her body, and tail were very sore. She felt incredibly fatigued from fighting this devil for such a long time. Each punch from the devil was as if a primitive universe was slamming into her being. Nuwa, who did not posses a strong fleshy body to begin with, backed away at the astonishing force. Nii''s dragon physique was comparatively among the best in the world. But the she dragon also felt unsure of surviving headlong clashes with these attacks. The old devil desired to plunge down and destroy Kailong Chen in one go. To do this, his body started transforming into a tyrannical mountain. Its peak was aimed downwards like an arrow point. His power exploded once again, rising to another level entirely. Flame like trails followed his form as he transformed. "No way, is he burning his Nascent Soul for power?" Nii was shocked. This wasn''t even last resort territory, this was suicidal attack levels of madness. Since time immemorial, burning one''s own Nascent Soul for fuel was understood was a short sighted endeavor. It was a one way trip to dong irreparable damage to one''s own being. Even short bursts of uses were deemed too dangerous. A long time ago, Zulong performed a similar act for a quick power boost. Though he didn''t show it then, his vitality had been hurt greatly. It wasn''t until many years after, through alot of effort from Da Hai''s adventuring into the Chaos Sea and using such resources to perform rituals on Yingzhou that Zulong was finally healed. Yet sometimes, the dragon still felt phantom pains. "I''ll crush you all!" The mountain began descending much to either Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal''s chagrin. Nuwa felt the mountain''s edge smashed through her body. Her true form howled in pain as scales flew off along with blood. Nii attempted to drag the mountain back but felt as if her claws were being ripped from their sockets. Gui Daiyu and all the others below became terrified. They were all willing to die in this fight, but for Kailong Chen to fall, Zulong''s symbol of authority will be broken. The karmic luck he held and shared could be lost as well as his status as sovereign. Even the King of Four Directions formation was shaking. Right now, the formation was akin to a soft membrane. The field where its power flowed quivered as it suffered the pressure beginning to press into it. "Yes, yes yes!" "Death to the dragons!" "Victory for Luohu!" Devils who remained alive cheered. "Don''t you see little empress," Intoxicating Dream said while pulling out blades imbedded into her body. "This is inevitable. No matter how desperately you resist, victory will always fall in us devil''s hands." "Really? I think you should look closer. It''s your senior who''s desperate," Gui Daiyu sneered. With her hammer, she pointed westwards where a streak of greyish clouds traveled through the sky. A sword that flew much faster than Da Hai traveled. The clouds it left behind showcased an impressive amount of destructive energy. This power easily ripped apart reality wherever it gathered. "Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword," Gui Daiyu said. "One of the few tools in this heaven and earth that could manipulate the universe destroying power of Chaotic Sword Qi. It''s over." Intoxicating Dream gasped. He looked up as the streak sliced cleanly into the tyrannical mountain. She concluded that Da Hai must''ve thrown the sword earlier knowing his spells fired from a distance cannot stop the mountain in time. The devil who originally led the charge felt despair. She looked westward angrily. Da Hai had crossed the coast and entered the ocean. He''ll be upon them all in minutes. The pressure from his Dao grew incredibly heavy. The sonorous resonance with the Great Wilderness was screeching to Intoxicating Dream''s ears. The mountain collapsed and the old devil emerged once more. He appeared winded but still stood up. His power was still immense, a benefit from burning his own essence. He roared towards the approaching Da Hai. The gorilla projection disappeared entirely, absorbed into the old devil''s being. He jumped forwards toward Da Hai with a cocked fist. His body expanded into a titan that covered up the sky. He was so huge that he utterly dwarfed Zulong''s natural form. He was like a continent in and of himself. Da Hai wasn''t phased however. He felt genuine respect for all this devil had achieved. But he didn''t even blink at his move. Because the gap in power between them was too much to overcome. Perhaps if this was a million years ago, when Da Hai had yet to begin understanding Wuji. Da Hai of that era will be terrified out of his mind. But so many yuanhui had passed and this current Da Hai did not fear this attack. All the old devil did by burning his Nascent Soul was close the gap. Da Hai angled his right hand to face the old devil''s fist. His Dao body also enlarged until he was the same size as the devil. His palm was open and a whirling character for ''big'' appeared in the centre of it. With that he unleashed his own palm strike. "RARGH!" The old devil roared. Palm met fist. Reality shattered once again and a hole into the void appeared. While the Great Wilderness tried to repair itself, the clash was still ongoing. Their combined energies swirled through the sky, descending like arcs of electricity and shattering islands in the distance. The old devil''s body was full of veins. He screamed in pain and fire seemed to burn within him. Da Hai only scoffed. "I don''t know who you are, but you have alot of balls wantonly attacking my disciple''s home." His giant palm clasped onto the old devil''s fist. His fingers burning hair follicles on the old devil''s arm. The old devil screamed. His outstretched arm convulsed violently under Da Hai''s pressure. "Damn you Tian Hai!" He spat. Da Hai''s eyes widened before narrowing. Why did this person call him by that name? His true name as Da Hai had been known by eons. Barely anyone even remembers the Tian Hai name. The only ones who should are either long dead or the godfiends. "Curse you Tian Hai! It''s always you! It is always you!" BOOM! Da Hai took a single step back as the old devil was blown away from him. His right arm had been pulverized leaving him with a bloody stump halfway up his elbow. Not allowing this chance to slip by, Da Hai called his sword back. The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword spin around in the air. It flew towards the old devil aiming for his head. Through tons of pain, the old devil reacted in time. His legs smashed the air and he jumped higher. This allowed Da Hai''s sword to miss his head. However it still sliced through his waist, cutting his upper body off from his lower body. The spinning sword retracted into Da Hai''s hand while the old devil, in a last ditch effort unleashed a final attack. The hair follicles under his hood stretched out. They joined together forming the features of a snarling face. "Tian Hai, for all the things you''ve done. DIE!" "Have we met?" Da Hai couldn''t help but ask. The face blasted him with a concentrated beam of devil energy. A beam the godfiend dealt with by unleashing the Ocean Swallowing Jug. His natal treasure was now extremely powerful as well. Far more so than the middle grade xiantian spiritual treasure he obtained so many years ago. It drew in the blast the old devil. The old devil''s eyes widened in recognition. "That jug. You thief!" But Da Hai tapped the jug only once. This sent a blast of vacuum through the old devil''s hair face. It blast apart the hair construct and ripped into the remaining body of the old devil. This threw off the last of the old devil''s robes revealing his ancient and withered face. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. He was a hairy creature. His bone age was openly exposed, dating back to the earliest periods of history. In a single glance, Da Hai could tell that this man was a few thousand years older then even him. He was a connate lifeform, one of the earliest innate creatures to be born into this world. Sadly, he was born in an era where primordial beasts still roamed uncontested. Where godfiends remained indifferent to their plights and where cultivation knowledge was scarce. Da Hai took a few moments, but he realized that he also recognized this old man. "Hou Pi," Da Hai whispered in shock. How could he not? This was a name who took part in a major turning point in his early life. Back when he was still a muddle headed child going by Tian Hai. He hadn''t thought of him in a very long time. But seeing Hou Pi now, this withered old devil, it brought a sense of nostalgia to Da Hai. Because through him, events led to where Da Hai met Huoyun. "Curse you Tian Hai!" Hou Pi spat. "If it wasn''t for you. If it wasn''t for you none of this would''ve happened. It''s always been you you piece of shit." It was not an exaggeration to say Hou Pi blamed Da Hai for everything. At the start of history, Da Hai approached the little safe haven he and Hu Mei built. Da Hai stood paralyzed with inaction while his comrades were murdered. Da Hai was the one who arrested Hu Mei''s treasure and killed the primordial beast only after everyone was dead. Hou Pi did not understand why the oceans worshipped him. What has this scheming bastard ever done? After fleeing westwards, Hou Pi was among the first to enter Luohu''s teachings. He saw what Luohu was doing in constructing his lineage as honorable. Because only in the West Continent, was there a protector who destroyed all primordial beasts and selflessly taught the people living there cultivation. The West Continent was a haven. And now Da Hai was leading his followers to destroy it as well. Tian Hai or Da Hai, it was no difference. It was still the same scheming godfiend who saw the death of his. On Da Hai''s end, he felt sorry for Hou Pi. He did feel true guilt for what happened to this hairy ape back then. But that empathy quickly gave way to rage. At the end of the day, this ape had still invaded the East Sea, tried to destroy Zulong''s capital, as well as followed the will of a man Da Hai hated. "My name is not Tian Hai," Da Hai said. "Hou Pi, you unjustly blame me. You are irrational." "Damn you! You are the monster who caused all of this. Trillions of innocents are dead by you invader''s hands!" Hou Pi thought about all the people living in the west. All the living beings trampled on by the anti devil alliance. Despite having only one arm and lacking half his body, he wanted to rip Da Hai apart. For over a million years, Hou Pi''s cultivation was motivated by one thing. His Dao heart, his determination in seeking the Dao was created by his desire to preserve what he saw as a haven in the west. Da Hai the scheming villain also factored into it. He was a person with cause and effect with him. Sooner or later, Hou Pi would want revenge on him and reclaim what he took from Hu Mei so many eons ago. But he knew that right now, he had to escape. His condition was too poor to continue any longer. In this battle, he had been reduced until he was on the verge of death. Therefore, despite every cell in his body desiring to kill Da Hai, he chose to flee. Hou Pi shot towards one of the open cracks in reality. He dived for the void between realms in an attempt to let the currents take him to some hidden realm where he could heal. Despite his condition, he was still quite fast. Hou Pi transformed into a beam of primordial light to escape Da Hai. Da Hai did not stop him. He stood aside and only watched the old ape escape. As Hou Pi flew by, Da Hai said softly. "It could be said I''ve truly wronged you by bringing calamity to your door back then," he said. He only referred to the incident that occurred during their first meeting. "You may go. Our karma has been resolved." Hou Pi did not respond. He disappeared into the void. Da Hai stood mid air breathing in and out. His almighty aura disappeared after killing every ghost devil still present. He waited there until Gui Daiyu rose out of the ocean. Nii and Nuwa flew up to him with a puzzled face each. Dozens of remaining dragon elders and cultivators also shared the same sentiment. Gui Daiyu''s hammer had traces of yin qi. A result of her smashing a downed Intoxicating Dream apart once again. She did not appear happy at Hou Pi leaving. "Why?" She asked. "I do feel somewhat responsible for that settlement''s demise back then. But that was just an excuse," Da Hai said. He turned to face the experts from the sea with an indifferent look. "If he had died, some other devil will take his place. Then we''ll have to deal with another devil on the borders of Limitless Supreme popping up in the west. The alliance doesn''t need that kind of pressure." "In this way, the current individual of that power remains alive. But he is largely indisposed and will not return for a long time. A chess piece on that power will remain off the board for the time being." With the way devil cultivation worked, a cultivation level was identical to a position. While successors had to cultivate to obtain that position, those stuck unable to advance due to another occupying that position will immediately ascend as well. Da Hai honestly did not know if a living Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal fighting in the west will assume a dead Hou Pi''s place. But at least this way, it won''t happen. Plus, Hou Pi was severely wounded. He won''t show up again for a long time. Da Hai descended to meet the others. He scanned all the people present and unleashed a wave of vitality restoring light. He worked to knit up all the wounds these defenders have suffered. "Many thanks exalted one!" Numerous immortals cupped their hands and bowed. Gui Daiyu, Nuwa, Nii, and Zulong''s sons were no different. Suanni rose out from where he fell with an indignant look. "Grandmaster, it''s clear this war has spilled out from just the west. We need to move out and protect all our territory." "Suanni!" Gui Daiyu called out. "No mother he is right. Grandmaster we can''t be confined here any longer," Qiu Niu said. Da Hai sighed. He waved his hand in a, ''come to me'', motion. But he did not indicate the nine princes. Instead, thick clouds came from a place further east. Eventually, the immortal mountain Yingzhou revealed itself. The people who had never seen Yingzhou before was awed. Da Hai waved his hands, moving Yingzhou on top of Kailong Chen and East Sea Dragon Palace. Now both lay under the celestial island''s shadow. "Nuwa, give me Ao Guang," he said. "Uh sure." Nuwa had reverted to her half human half snake form. A single mud puppet floated next to her, the last remaining from her batch of soldiers. It was scorched black but remained mobile. Nuwa handed a small orb to Da Hai. He godfiend heard a weak voice call out to him. "Grandmaster, I was useless." "No Little Guang. You did well." Da Hai lifted the Nascent Soul and tossed him into Yingzhou. His Nascent Soul and spirit will be nurtured by the Fusang Tree. Hopefully he''ll be able to restore his dragonic flesh soon. "Daiyu. I leave Yingzhou to you. With it, you should be able to resist someone as strong as me. Plus this way I can feel it if Yingzhou is attacked," Da Hai informed the empress. He waved his hand to summon a talisman and handed it to her. "You boys. None of you are to enter the West Continent. Liberate the East Sea, go onto the continent if you desire. But the front lines are off limits," he addressed the princes. "I see. You will rejoin my husband in the west?" She asked. Some part of her was disappointed Zulong was not the first one to arrive. "Afraid so. Until I can break the devil''s reincarnation formation, killing these ghosts will be pointless. We have to consider a direct assault on Sumeru." Da Hai turn his attention to several dragon elders. "You lot should be protecting the Sea Eye. It''s pivotal it remains guarded. I know its hard but please assist the Heavenly Sea Suppression Needle again." "As you will Heavenly Lord," these few dragons said. They summoned their auspicious cloud and flew off towards the Sea Eye. Now Da Ha left further instructions to Gui Daiyu. Ultimately, he was unused to management roles. After he arranged for Yingzhou to protect Kailong Chen and East Sea Dragon Palace, his next move was to leave. In the end, forty percent of Kailong Chen had been leveled. Multiple points of East Sea Dragon Palace had collapsed, and numerous dragons were dead. Gui Daiyu moved resources from Yingzhou to help both while her sons began moving throughout the East Sea. They''ve lost communication with numerous settlements and now they desired to beat back the devils again. Da Hai allowed them to go as he''d sensed that most ghost devils converged on Kailong Chen. Still, he gave each of the princes talismans containing his spells as means of defense. ¡­ On Mt Yujing, a young boy was could not resist it anymore. Haotian appeared very young, only a small child. But each breath of his were heavy. Through his own eyes, he saw millions of kilometres around him. The East Continent was being assaulted. Countless tribes were being attacked, with their strongest righters gone, they were easy picking for ghost devils. "Please senior brother, think of master''s instructions. We must remain to guard Zixiao Palace!" Yaochi said grabbing his arm. But the white robed innate god ripped it out of her grasp. ''Master commanded me. He commanded me. They both want me to stay here.'' "But how can you expect me to watch so much atrocities and do nothing?" he said aloud. "I have cultivated for countless years. I am not going to hide while the world ends." "But senior brother!" "Remain here then junior sister," Haotian said. As he walked away his form shimmered. Gone was his boyish body, out walked a young man in his mid twenties. Haotian had a sword sheathed by his side and wore bright white robes. He ignored Yaochi''s cries as he left Zixiao Palace''s doors. The purple clouds in his way could hardly stop him. After all, Haotian''s abilities allowed him to combat even living Chaos Immortals. Each step he took was harsh with emotion. Clouds formed underneath him forming their own path towards the outside world. Yaochi called out again but could only watch as Haotian left her behind. "Oh disciple." Haotian stopped. "Master?" "Only through voice projections. I am still tied down unfortunately," Hongjun said. "I won''t stop. I will take part in this war," Haotian stated. "Hai," Hongjun''s voice sighed through the purple clouds. "You''ve always had a righteous heart young disciple. A true righteous god. As your master, I want you safe. But I also understand your heart. You must know that even you can''t change anything in this war." "And how would you know master?" Haotian said aggressively. At this moment in time, he swore to not stay idle. "Since you know me, you know I have to help. The East Continent is my home. The Great Wilderness is my home. Countless living beings are suffering right now. I must aid them." "Hai¡­" Hongjun kept quiet for a while. But the purple clouds around Mt Yujing opened up without Haotian''s interference. Clearly, Hongjun was not acting to stop him. "You must be very careful dear disciple. Stay out of figures like Luohu or Mara''s way. They will end you in a second. While the former is still in retreat, I can sense the latter is back in this world." The purple clouds pulsated with pinkish lightning. A set of armour emerged from the clouds, grafting itself onto Haotian''s body. It was a high grade xiantan spiritual treasure with pure defensive features. Then a jade bangle came to him. Then numerous other spiritual treasures emerged. Haotian even recognized some as Hongjun''s favoured tools to carry around when he lived inside Zixiao Palace. "I was trying to refine something for you. Give me another yuanhai and that will be a top grade treasure. Unfortunately, this Rising Sky Armour, True Jade Bangle, and these lesser things are the only treasures I can bestow you at the moment." Hongjun sighed, in the end top grade xiantian spiritual treasures were too difficult to come back. Haotian already had two, the Vast Heaven Sword and the Vast Heaven Mirror. But Hongjun wanted to gift his most beloved disciple more. After all, Haotian was his heir and will inherit his everything after he transcends. Hongjun was extremely ambitious in cultivation. But he also came to love Haotian. In the Chaos Godfiend culture, creating offspring wasn''t that common. Instead, disciples were seen as this next generation offspring. As a godfiend, this notion carried on with Hongjun. Even Da Hai, subconsciously saw the same. "Thank you¡­master," Haotian said. He did not expect to have Hongjun''s blessing so easily. He felt rather emotional that Hongjun cared about him so much. "Thank you master. I will not perish so easily. Rest assured, I will eliminate these evil creatures." Haotian did not linger long either. He immediately began traversing the East Continent slaying countless contingents of ghost devils. In the advent of these ghost devils, living devils had also arrived albeit in smaller numbers. Haotian will eventually meet another person of interest. Someone who could lead to a solution to all these ghost problems. ¡­ In another part of the world, Hongjun sighed. Things were not turning out well anymore. With his defeat at the hands of Luohu, he is now forced to follow through with plan B. "I wanted to use my own. But it''s too damaged now. Oh little brother I''ve underestimated you too much. Forefather Pangu, I''ll have to be rude." Hongjun stood up from his seated position. Around him, the collapsed sight of Mt Buzhou surrounded him. Beside Hongjun, the last wisps of the Heavenly Dao''s physical incarnation floated. "Come on, let''s get to work." Zhunti As the combination of Da Hai and the East Ocean''s forces swept across the ocean, they began reconnecting with numerous other sectors of the ocean. No matter if they were already in ruins, or still suffering a similarly obscene siege, powerful experts from the capital were able to relieve them. Even if they could not do so immediately, it was at least a start. However, it could not be denied that the rest of the world had fallen into total chaos. Even as large amounts of innate creature tribes, and forces from the dragons and avians made their way back from the West Continent, some of their destinations had already fallen. It would be a time where despite the fighting, young heroes will also rise to combat the growing devil threat. At the same time, deep resentment towards the West Continent only kept growing. Across the world, Yi Fei''e led a strong force through the decimated lands of the west. Much of the spiritual lands that were originally suited for cultivation had been decimated. Mountains with rich spiritual veins had been utterly crushed. As a result, the area was becoming noticeably more barren. None of this was on the mind of Yi Fei''e however. What mattered above all was bringing back her second senior brother Yinglong whose status was yet unknown. Riding atop Cinnabar Phoenix, she was followed by a combination of sea cultivators she was familiar with, but also many avians who decided to come along. She had followed the information Yuanshi had provided her with. Thus she penetrated rather deeply into devil territory. Along the way, she''d also encountered three smaller forces of ghost devils which she dealt with. "General" a dragon soldier called out to her. "Scouts ahead felt shockwaves of fighting." Yi Fei''e turned her head. Focusing at the direction the dragon indicated towards, she also felt small shockwaves. It should be splinter anti-devil alliance members who had not successfully completed the retreat. A wisp of energy flew towards her several minutes later in the form of a sparrow. One of her scouts was a resident of the South Continent had posses unique spells relating to communications far surpassing any dragon she knew. "Living devils?" She muttered after reading. "General, if they are living. It is possible to capture them for information." Yi Fei''e nodded, ghost devils instantly dispelled for whatever reason. While living devils could commit suicide, it was very possible to capture them for information. Soon enough, she blazed across the sky atop Cinnabar Phoenix. Behind her, powerful dragons used their clouds to ferry her army through. Many avians were also chipping in with their large bodies. As she got closer to the fighting, she could openly feel the familiar signatures of devils. All devils on some basis, had the same aura. Just like how all dragons, natural born or cultivated had discernibly dragonic auras. Behind her, two balls of solar fire moved in tandem. Di Jun and his brother Taiyi were the only innate gods to travel with Yi Fei''e. In fact, they were also the two strongest people behind her. Di Jun''s Dao had improved over the course of the war. Very quickly, his understanding of the sun as the guiding force of the world reached the state of Primal Origin. "General," Di Jun said. "I suggest we encircle these devils quickly. My brother''s Chaos Bell can accelerate time for us to do so." "Can he handle the strain?" Yi Fei''e asked. She understood that manipulation of time on others, especially for those of such profound levels of power already will be extremely difficult. "I can do it," Taiyi said confidently. He manifested the bell between his hands and indicated his readiness. A bit further in the distance, a besiegement was occurring between two forces. Specifically a single individual battling against the assault of a hundred devils. The weakest of them were in the Golden Immortal realm while the stronger one leading the charge were three Great Principle Chaos Immortal. It was utterly unfair no matter how one looked at it. These devils were pulling their strengths together under the protection of their commanders. They formed a war formation that from a distance, resembled a circular ring around an individual in the centre of a crater. "Nowhere to run!" The Chaos Immortal devil leading the assault said gleefully. "Tell me where your leader is hiding else and peacefully accept the Devilish Dao." His speech was regurgitated by all his followers. Every single one of them were not wholly interested in killing the person defending himself. Rather they wanted him to change his cultivation towards that of the Seven Emotion Six Desires lineage. "Ah I can''t do that. How can you possibly expect me to accept your twisted perception of cultivation." The person they were attacking shined a brilliant golden light. He clasped his hands and stood upright appearing as stiff as a tree. He possessed sixteen arms, each spread out with defensive spells. In conjunction with his clasped palms, he had eighteen arms in total. The numerous devil''s combined attacks produced a mesmerizing scene within their ring formation. Just by being near it, one could feel tremendous amounts of Dao concept accumulated since the dawn of the Primitive World''s history. Scenes of people enjoying themselves, reveling in excessive indulgence entered the upright man''s mind. Fragments of supreme knowledge that could enlighten a person into the Dao flashed across his mind. Guarantees of a road filled with success manifested in his face. "We need not be enemies you know. In fact, I applaud you and your leader for lending shelter to our mortal citizens for so long. Please abandon the heretical path, let us recruit some of those youngins and help us in repelling the greater threat." "Hai," the upright man sighed. "It would be alot more convincing if you were not attacking me so. Would please consider letting this poor fellow go?" The eighteen armed man was the innate god Zhunti. He stood a kilometre tall with golden skin, a brown cassock, and displayed an aggrieved expression. Above his clasped hand though, one could see a miniature piece of land. Inside the land was what looked to be settlement. Inside of which lay thousands of mortals. None of them seemed to be aware of what was going on, merely going about their stressful lives. None of them had cultivation that reached into the True Immortal realm. "Just let me leave. Nether these people nor I wish to join your sect," Zhunti said. "Assets like them cannot be left behind. Times are desperate comrade," the leading devil said with a smile. "Don''t you see how much we''re all suffering from these invaders? As fellow residents of the West Continent we must al do our part." Zhunti did not move from his position aside from shifting one of his arms to grab an oncoming attack. In the middle of the clash, Zhunti played defensive and did not exhibit any aggression. But inside his mind, he couldn''t help but agree with the devil. The mortals arrested into his protection was not a unique case. It was just one of many, this being the first time he was caught by devils. However, he did agree with this devil that the anti-devil alliance currently destroying the West Continent was unjust. Yet that did not mean he would ally with the Devilish Dao either. "Just return those citizens to us comrade. Things don''t need to escalate further." The true intentions of these devils wasn''t anything malicious like turning these people into food or pills. Rather, it was to recruit them and send them further west to safe academies where they could be cultivated into immortals quickly. The revived ghost devils was helping to alleviate the pressure, but this did not mean the various devils sects would stop trying to replenish their numbers. Zhunti displayed a helpless expression. He was also a Great Principle realm expert, one who ascended after painstaking effort. This tribulation was as much of a disaster as it was an opportunity for him and his faction to weaken the Devilish Dao''s control over the west. As things got more desperate, Zhunti saw a brilliant solar light approaching in his peripheral vision. The golden giant has never seen Di Jun nor Taiyi before, but he did recognize power. He could also feel the distinct lack of the Devilish Dao within them. ''That means they''re the foreigners.'' In truth, Zhunti was uneasy about them. During the beginning stages of the war, he and his senior brother had been on the sidelines hiding. As none devils in a devil filled world, they were branded heretics. But their substantial potential made them both targets for conversion. Luckily for them, they had been able to avoid the major powers up till now. Now as Chaos Immortals, they found themselves caught in the middle of the war. Zhunti gazed into the plot of land in his possession contemplatively. As Yi Fei''e, Di Jun, Taiyi, and their troops approached. The formation of devils around Zhunti grew panicked. They were forced to give up their position and retreat as they already knew of these people''s reputation. "What are you doing here? I thought they retreated when our ancestors attacked!" Zhunti sighed in relief when the pressure around him lessened considerably. Those devils knew they were not the approaching immortals'' opponents. Hence they packed up to run. Zhunti saw his chance and tried to move away as well. "Hold it!" Yi Fei''e will have none of it. She held out her hand to manifest a swirling orb filled with stars. She threw it towards them all to capture them Taiyi was already extremely pale, but he and Di Jun acted together to create chains of walls starlight. Alongside that, auspicious clouds from dragons, and songs from various avians manifested as powerful mystical abilities. The formation of devils was shattered. Golden Immortal experts were even burnt to death by Di Jun. "Capture those three!" Yi Fei''e pointed at the three Chaos Immortal devils. She did not consider anyone below that realm to be important. As such, her subordinate were gleeful to end their lives. Zhunti turned around expressionlessly. His bare feet carried his massive golden body away from the assault. Each step he took, faint lotus shaped light projections appeared on the ground. They gave off peaceful feelings of stillness and asceticism. It was completely antithetical to the mantras cultivated by the Devilish Dao. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Zhunti had unleashed his own protective spells to drive away lingering devil magics in his way. At the same time, he tried to cross vast distances to flee. "Hm? Where are you going?" Yi Fei''e called towards Zhunti. She had never seen Zhunti before and assumed he was a fellow comrade as he was not a devil. It wasn''t as if she''d seen every single individual out of the entire alliance anyhow. But the fact that his first instinct was the run in the opposite direction from her side made her suspicious. Despite not being initially aggressive, the dragons and avians who shared the same thought as her started to see him as a foe. "Ah benefactors," Zhunti immediately said. He was forced to stop as a line of fire crossed his feet. Zhunti could tell Di Jun''s pyromantic abilities not enough to puncture his cultivated golden skin. But ignoring and fleeing will make him a target for attacks. He did not favour his chances of getting away now either. "Thank you for coming to my rescue. I just wanted to clear some space between myself and these foul devils," Zhunti said. "How dare you!" The devils being captured said. They felt betrayed by Zhunti''s open contempt for them. Were they not fellow brothers born in the west? Were they not united in their agreement to protect the west? Zhunti felt somewhat helpless. He retained his giant form and made no further movements as two dragons hovered around him. They hid their true forms in layers of auspicious clouds, clouds that also carried many cultivators watching. Soon, Yi Fei''e had the three Chaos Immortal devils in her grasp. Their attempts at explosive suicides were suppressed after half a day. After which, their interrogation could begin. Zhunti listened from the sidelines while Yi Fei''e asked her questions. His eyes remained closed and his facial expressions remained peaceful. The plot of land he protected had long been enveloped by golden light filled with enchanting peaceful hymns. It was completely obscured as he further clasped it in his palm while covering it with his other palm. Even as he chanted his spells, the dragons and cultivators from the seas did not notice. Not even the powerful avian experts. "What''s that?" One of the avian cultivators at the Chaos Immortal stage asked as he neared. It was Cinnabar Phoenix who contributed to dismantling the three devil''s self deletion measures. Afterwards, Yi Fei''e had no need of his assistance anymore so he flew off. But being an immortal who has cultivated for eons, he felt lots of compatibility with the golden light Zhunti gave off. All that peace and tranquility, the product of perfect harmony to achieve a nirvanic state. It resonated with the Phoenix''s cultivation mantras. When Zufeng completed her Dao and became a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal, she harmonized all five virtues to a state of perfection. Her song was very effective against members of the Devilish Dao who made use of indulging in their emotions and desires to excessive extremes. This newcomer was much the same. But that compatibility also made Zhunti''s attempt at concealment ineffective against phoenixes. Unlike Zulong who passed down the Dragonic Dao wantonly, Zufeng only passed down her cultivation manual to a select few. Thats why the number of true phoenixes was vastly below that of true dragons. Unfortunately for Zhunti, Cinnabar was one of those rare few. Furthermore, his cultivation base was higher than that if Zhunti''s. So while avians who practiced their own inheritances did not notice, Cinnabar did. "Is that devilish qi I sense?" Cinnabar muttered in alarm. Zhunti was alarmed. The grip of his fingers tightened as he thought about what to do. "Ah benefactors must be joking, all devils in the area has been destroyed," he said. "I don''t believe you," the phoenix said suspiciously. Cinnabar did not believe his senses could be wrong, especially when he was in such close proximity. The dragons wreathed in auspicious clouds turned their gazes towards Zhunti. Taiyi who was resting in Di Jun''s care, alongside many avians turned their gazes towards the awkward Zhunti. "I trust the bird. If the bird says he smelled devils, you''re hiding devils," a scarred red dragon snapped as the clouds covering him flushed away. His body radiated bloodlust as he said, "All devils deserves to die. I don''t care if you''re part of our grand alliance or not. If you''re sheltering devils then you are an enemy." A crane immortal nodded in agreement, so did a sparrow. Another green coloured dragon, and a blind dragon also showed anger. What''s more, these were only some of the Chaos Immortals Yi Fei''e brought with her. Zhunti had to carefully asses his position else he be ganged up on by a bunch of fanatically angry immortals. Di Jun stepped in to approach Zhunti. "Hey comrade¡­uh." "This poor monk is called Zhunti." "Comrade Zhunti then. You are acting quite suspicious with that spell you''re holding. What''s there to hide? You are not a devil, that much I''m sure of. So would you like to clear up the misunderstanding?" Di Jun gestured for Zhunti to surrender. The avian experts, even many dragons and seafolk nodded along with Di Jun. Many of them already had a favorable impression of the Golden Crow. He was charismatic when he led troops and easily got along with them. As such, aside from the scared dragon and similar cultivators, most were in agreement with Di Jun. "Benefactors, there''s no need to be aggressive," Zhunti said without a single blemish on his statuesque golden face. He opted to release the concealment spells he''d been using to reveal the plot of land as well as the mortals within. "These are mortals who had not truly stepped into the Devilish Dao. They may have practiced some mantras, but they have yet to become true devils." "They may''ve stepped onto a sinful path, but they are still innocent mortals who can still be redeemed. I may detest the Devilish Dao, but I am also a resident of the west. As an innate god born of the western heaven and earth, I am compassionate by nature. How can I sit by as powerless creatures are harmed by you fighting?" "So you are housing devils?" The scared dragon growled. His crimson body twirled menacingly in the air and his sharp teeth showed. Zhunti''s eyes hardened as he stared him down. Infact, Zhunti was feeling quite angry. The whole reason he and his senior brother stopped hiding away was because they noticed the brutal devastation wrought onto the West Continent wantonly. This anti-devil alliance had no care where or how they fought. The shockwaves of their titanic clashes had already decimated the mortal population. The rate of which horrified Zhunti. Even if the mortal population practiced devil arts with hopes of joining the Devilish Dao. In his opinion, none of their anger for the Devilish Dao justified it. "The Devilish Dao is just the mainstream cultivation style. You cannot fault innocent mortals who had not done anything wrong," Zhunti argued. "Stand down fellow daoist Ao Suifan," Di Jun chastised the scared dragon. "Comrade Zhunti, was this all? We don''t go out of our way to harm mortal creatures. Our targets is, and has always been the Devilish Dao and all its branching sects. Not some civilians who''re starting their practice." "How can I believe that when so much of the countryside''s been devastated?" Zhunti said. "In the short time since I''ve emerged from seclusion, I''ve seen the aftershocks of your battles. Someone had to make sure these western residents are taken care of." Di Jun paused to consider Zhunti''s words. He supposed he could understand Zhunti''s perspective to protect creatures born in the West Continent and were yet fully converted to the Devilish Dao. But more importantly, eliminating the Devilish Dao was top priority. While they had their standoff, Yi Fei''e was in her own world. She trusted Cinnabar enough to not care how he dealt with the situation. Instead she focused on the devils she tortured for answers. In her hands, silk made of starlight enveloped the three Great Principle experts making them powerless. "Last warning, tell me everything you know of a winged dragon fighting Hundun here recently. Else your Dao fruit is forfeit." "You heretic, of course you''ll say something so sacrilegious," the head devil snarled. He couldn''t bear to see the Dao he cultivated for so long be destroyed. Yi Fei''e had no care for the devil''s thoughts. She continued pressing for information regarding Yinglong. She was somewhat sure Yinglong had yet to fall as these devils would''ve be gloating if that were the case. Yet Zhunti overheard her questioning. Though his steady body appeared as still as a statue, one of his eyebrows raised. "Winged dragon? Yellow scales, long body, birdlike wings?" Yi Fei''e perked up. Just as well, the cultivators surrounding him were also startled. "You''ve seen his highness the Dragon King?" The scared dragon from earlier asked. "Very recently," Zhunti admitted, though he sounded unsure. "My senior brother and I encountered an injured dragon fitting that description while out rescuing living beings. I left soon after to move these remaining villagers away." The first of the moth fairies had already teleported over. The devils in her grasp had their forms torn apart by radiant starlight. She approached Zhunti to confirm the information. She gave no care as to her stance on Zhunti''s thoughts about their war. It was as if she didn''t care at all. Seeing no way to object, Zhunti relented to her request. His eighteen armed golden form shrunk until a man of average height emerged. His skin was more on the darker side and he had dark hair tied to a bun. His ears were longer than average, hanging loosely on the side of his face. From his facial expression, one would conclude this man as being very benevolent and kind hearted. "Alright then benefactors, please follow me," Zhunti said. Jieyin The group flew in anxious silence. Zhunti flew at the head with Yi Fei''e only slightly behind him. He already knew that at the slightest sign of betrayal, he would be beheaded. In his heart, he could only sigh at his terrible luck. Just the mere existence of a cultivator not being part of the Devilish Dao despite being part of the West Continent was unheard of for these outsiders. News from this part of the world had always been scarce due to Luohu''s isolationist policy. As such, the fame of a Chaos Immortal like Zhunti was unknown to the dragons, avians, and various other species cultivators following him. However, Yi Fei''e could vaguely feel that the name was familiar. As if it was mentioned to her before in passing. The group crossed a route devoid of devil activity. Not only was it battlefields left by previous clashes, much it was now devastated. Mountains had collapsed, forests uprooted, bodies of water long dried, and spiritual roots that acted as natural laylines had been damaged. The spirituality of the West Continent was lowering by the day. Zhunti glanced at the experts trailing him from the edge of his eye. ''Let them see the consequences of their careless battles,'' he thought rather bitterly. When he was young, not too long ago actually. The West Continent had been a beautiful place. As much as he disliked the hard stance of the Devilish Dao to assimilate all cultivators within the West Continent, they still maintained a sense of peace. "So who are you exactly?" Di Jun asked out of nowhere. "I remember you claim to be born of the western heaven and earth, and an innate god like me." "Yes benefactor. I am the connate being nurtured by the Seven Branch Treasure tree. It is a boddhi tree that has existed beneath notice in the West Continent since primeval times." "Impressive, I was nurtured by the Solar Star in the Starry Skies. Innate god of the west, the devils must''ve made things hard for you." "My senior brother and I have always been on the run. Our followers as well." "Rogue cultivators huh. Why didn''t you leave?" It was not Di Jun who said this. It was actually Yi Fei''e who voiced her thoughts. "Since you skilled enough to survive until now, surely you could''ve escaped the borders." Zhunti nodded slowly. "Benefactor Fei''e is right. But my senior brother and I cannot bear to leave it. The Devilish Dao has total control over the West Continent, their brutal culture is something we have always found abhorent. In that, your anti-devil alliance and us share common cause. We both seek to end the Devilish Dao." "How righteous," a cultivator mocked from somewhere in the back. "We all have our reasons for doing things benefactor," Zhunti said back. "I only want what''s best for the west." Zhunti made a turn and pointed towards a ruined temple on the side of a mountain. The spirituality of this place was not high. No doubt due to some great conflict that damaged this place. However, it didn''t seem recent. Seeing curious gazes from his companions, Zhunti explained to them. "This temple predates my birth by many years. I''ve heard rumors from locals that it used to house a clan called Roaring Thunder Eagles. Later on, they were conquered and joined the Devilish Dao. I think their new clan compound was¡­oh" Whatever Zhunti was gonna say stopped as he suddenly remembered said innate creature clan''s compounds being located near the border. Chances are, either the dragons, avians, or East Continent experts had wiped them out by now. Zhunti turned to bow towards Yi Fei''e. "Sorry for the poor hospitality. But unfortunately, poor monk cannot afford much." Aside from the ruined temple being quite isolated, there was also a greater sense of stillness surrounding the mountain. It was filled with profound meanings of the Dao that surprised many dragons and avians present. As Yi Fei''e approached, a vague illusion of a green lotus became visible, rotating through all layers of the universe in this localized mountain. Just by nearing it, one could feel that the sturdiness of this lotus illusion was astronomically high. Even Yi Fei''e felt that she couldn''t penetrate its defensive properties, at least not in a short time. "Incredible," an avian Chaos Immortal couldn''t help but exclaim. "These properties reminds me of the Xuan Bird clan''s patriarch. No it surpasses his abilities." "My senior brother has been cultivating longer then me. Despite not having reached the end point of his Dao, his abilities are profound even up against Devil Great Emperors," Zhunti boasted. He clamped his palms together and bowed towards the massive lotus. The sound of fire being lit was heard by all. Small bits of fire converged into a single point that resembled a will-o-wisp. It burned until the outline of a bronze coloured lamp came into reality. "Randeng comrade," Zhunti greeted. "Please tell senior brother we have guests." The burning lamp hovered, resembling a guiding light. It moved towards the ruined temple with utmost haste. Soon, a passageway was opened. The group led by Zhunti and Yi Fei''e entered the ruined temple. Inside, one could see that the old home of the Roaring Thunder Eagles was in severe need of repairs. Collapsed walls were everywhere, not a single statue remained standing, none of the wall paintings had survived. But when they approached, Yi Fei''e could see numerous small worlds held up on pedestals. They were like display pieces in someone''s collection. But inside were lands that contained villages with many mortal people milling about. She didn''t know if they were even aware of their situation. Zhunti walked up to an empty space and raised a new pedestal with his supernatural powers. He placed the piece of land in his own possession on top of it. "This is quite a collection," Di Jun commented. "Well there were alot of clashes between you guys," Zhunti replied. The pale faced Taiyi walked up to a few pedestals and examined the worlds within. He seemed oddly impressed. "The technique is good, barriers incredibly stable, very low chance of these compressed spaces collapsing." "Benefactors overpraise. I merely use the spell senior brother came up with." "You think very highly of this senior brother of yours. What''s his name?" Di Jun asked curiously. If even Taiyi acknowledges something as impressive, it must be the case. Despite being the elder, Di Jun will not hesitate to say Taiyi was far superior than him. "Senior brother is called Jieyin. Come lets meet him." The rest followed him towards the centre of the ruined temple compound. Yi Fei''e followed along flanked by Cinnebar Phoenix. ''Jieyin, the guide huh?'' She contemplated the abilities of this man. Zulong may appreciate another powerful ally like him to combat the Devilish Dao. If she''d learned anything, it''s that this third generation of innate gods were insanely talented. Much more so than her senior brother''s generation. They may even be better than the first generation, and they weren''t even true natives of the Primitive World to begin with. There, sitting in a lotus position in the ruins of central hall of the ruined temple. A simple man wearing loose clothing sat meditating. His eyes were closed and his head had a squarish face. His hair was short but curly, like snail shells. He was muscular and projected an image of pure tranquility. It was as if he had reached a state of nirvana. Where he could be unbothered by all things in the world. Just from a glance, Yi Fei''e could tell he was very powerful. Among her crew, not many could match him in terms of mastery. She doubted Di Jun could handle him. Only Taiyi and herself had a guaranteed chance of defeating him. Of course, this was only from initial conjecture. Yi Fei''e was only guessing from what she could see. Off to the side, standing with a vastly smaller presence was another man. His cultivation was comparatively low, only around the Golden Immortal level. Around him floated a lit lamp. This was Randeng who worked as an assistant of sorts. "Hello benefactors, welcome to our refuge." Jieyin''s first words were accompanied by the opening of his eyes. He sounded neither submissive nor aggressive, but there was an undertone of displeasure at the meeting. His immense aura receded as well, causing the weaker Chaos Immortals to visibly relax. The strong ones hardly noticed the pressure at all. But they still acknowledged Jieyin''s high levels of mastery. There was a respect present for him as cultivating as a rogue individual in unfriendly territory must''ve been difficult. When Jieyin saw the acknowledgement from this visitors towards his power, he purposefully suppressed himself as a sign of politeness. He concluded that hostilities in this situation would be counterproductive, much like Zhunti. But he was unwilling to bend himself over to accommodate them. "My junior brother has already informed me of your desire," he said blankly. "Good, then we can hurry this along," Yi Fei''e interrupted. "Show me to him." But before any further talks would continue, a tunnel of clouds flowed through from a side area of the ruined temple. The wary figure of an frail man staggered out. Skinny and pale, he did not appear well at all. But the moth fairy was able to recognize Yinglong''s distinctive presence. Being familiar with him for more than ten yuanhui now, she was able to confirm his authenticity at a glance. Though the various avian and seafolk experts following her held an air of suspicion. Neither she nor the dragon elders had any as she approached him. His appearance caused her to freeze momentarily. Though she recognized him, seeing the patriarch of the Primordial Dragon Clan like this caused her heart to ache. Yinglong chuckled as she placed her slender palm over his chest. A steady flow of immortal qi flowed between them. "It''s no use junior sister," Yinglong said. "My injuries are more then physical or spiritual. I''m afraid recovering to my peak would take years." "You shouldn''t have participated in this invasion in the first place," Yi Fei''e said grimly. "After what happened at Buzhou, you were the worst off aside from¡­" she dipped her head and apologized for nearly brining up their lineage''s sore spot. Yinglong current state was a clear reflection of his health condition, not a disguise designed to fool others. His presence was weakened to a point where he appeared smaller then a newly ascended Chaos Immortal who''s just created their Dao fruit. His own Dao fruit, deep within his body was grey in colour and held none of the majesty of his peak. To a cultivator in the Chaos Immortal realm, the Dao fruit represented their avenue to power. It was a growing concept that could change the very ways the universe worked, rearranging them to how their wielder perceived the universe should be. Yinglong''s injuries extended far beyond his physique, but to his Dao as well. Thankfully, it had not collapsed which would''ve thrown the dragon out of Chaos Immortality. Nor had it degraded, thus losing the completion status it had long stood in as was what Da Hai did to Liu Er not long ago. But it''s lack of vitality was evident to its potential to fall to either options. "Greetings your highness," several dragons walked forward, completing ignoring Jieyin and Zhunti to greet Yinglong. "We heard about what happened. That Yuanshi junior is truly dispica¡­" "Stop, stop spouting what I already know," Yinglong said steadily. Yi Fei''e offered him support but the second eldest dragon in the world denied her. "Curse that brat his glory hounding arrogance. But what could he or anyone had done to aid me?" If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "We it not for these kind fellows. I''d have been left broken at the wastes." Yinglong shared a nod of acknowledgment with Jieyin, the latter waved a hand to manifest a simple wooden chair. The latter invited him to sit out of both seniority and concern for his health. However, all the dragons found the appearance of the chair to be insulting. The scarred dragon was the first to change the structure of the chair to a grand throne. Yinglong didn''t seem to pay this any mind as he took a seat. Soon, all the Chaos Immortals created seats of their own, none of them deign to speak before Yinglong or Yi Fei''e did. As for the two most important people, Yi Fei''e asked Yinglong for a proper explanation. Turns out, after Yuanshi had fled, the fight didn''t last much longer. Yinglong threw everything he could manage at Hundun, even managing to kill another devil at the Chaos Immortal realm. But Hundun was a creature far beyond their scope to begin with. If Hundun wanted it, Yinglong would''ve died in as few as ten clashes. At the final round, he wouldn''t even be able to properly defend himself. Yet he didn''t kill him. "Nothing that man does make sense," Yi Fei''e said after hearing the short story. "Thinking back, he could''ve handled the Four Symbols Divine Beasts on his own, releasing Qiong Qi and Taowu to wreck havoc on our forces. Then he fights master, now he pulls this?" "Back at Buzhou¡­" Yinglong contemplated Hundun''s position in this war. "He just stopped fighting me after I lost the ability to resist. He wasn''t using his full power either. It''s too confusing." Yinglong furthered explained that after his encounter with Hundun, he was found by a passing Zhunti. The multi armed innate god was the one who decided to lend him some kindness, an compassionately brought him to a safe haven. Since then, he''d been mending his injuries himself under their protection. "Forget it, we should return to eldest senior brother first. Let Houtu check you up. You might not know this since you were conducting espionage, but her healing capabilities are incredible," Yi Fei''e said standing up. "Thank you two fellow daoists for your kindess but we must be gong." "Yes, we owe you for looking after our patriarch," various dragon elders said. Despite their suspicions, it was undeniable that the two western innate gods had done their clan a great service. It would be improper if they were not properly compensated. "It was no problem benefactors," Zhunti spoke up for Jieyin. "It was destiny to have encountered senior winged dragon. The karma for aiding senior was repaid when you helped me out of my predicament. Though we poor monks are in need of some protective treasures to aid our efforts in evacuating more people." That last pit was added rather cheekily by Zhunti, but the dragons did acknowledge it even if they couldn''t care less about the reasoning. Jieyin stayed silent the whole way through, not showing a single ounce of emotion. Yet Yi Fei''e was able to tell that the Chaos Immortal was displeased with the entire meeting. Yieyin blamed the participants of the war for tearing his beautiful homeland apart, that much Yi Fei''e was able to tell if he was anything like Zhunti. "Why don''t you two come with us?" She offered, much to their and her own subordinate''s surprise. Though she made it sound like an offer, at the same time, it was one that could not be refused. Chaos Immortals of all kinds, Great Principle, Primal Origin, especially Primal Zenith, were all great assets. Each of them were mighty figures of their own worth investing in. Hence, Yi Fei''e was not about to just let these two go. This caused Jieyin to visibly frown. Jieyin narrowed his gaze. "You want us to join your war?" "You want me, and junior brother Zhunti to fight for you?" Jieyin said slowly. If he did not project an image of tranquility, his rage would''ve easily been on show. Because of his words, avians and dragons around Yi Fei''e started getting antsy. "Why does it surprise you? We both share common enemies in the Devilish Dao," Yi Fei''e said. "Your junior brother Zhunti already explained to be your disposition towards this land." "Then you know how despicable it is for you to ask us to fight for the ones who''s destroying this very land as we speak." Jieyin''s words were heavy, not just in tone but in the way that released amounts of pressure with every word spoken. His head turned to meet Yinglong, as if expecting him to speak up. Whereas before he''d acted out of the kindness in his heart, now he regretted bringing Yinglong to shelter. He was already aware of Zhunti being bullied into guiding these people here, that act alone made him unhappy. But the fact that they wished to conscript him into an army that had been wantonly stomping their way through the West Continent made him feel even worse. The Devilish Dao needed to die. But did the West Continent need to suffer as well? Jieyin could safely say he would rather not side with the anti-devil alliance either. "Juniors," Yinglong''s tired voice called out. "You have both been gracious hosts to me, nursing me at my most dire. My brother is hard at work cleansing the Great Wilderness of the devil filth. Is it not much more prudent to join us in eliminating the greater threat?" "That''s right, does fellow daoist really believe you are in a position to refuse? Did you not see the heavens being torn apart not long ago? How Luohu''s act nearly collided the Starry Skies and the Great Wilderness?" A hot headed dragon roared. "Sitting here is the cowards way!" Randeng who stood out of focus frowned alongside Jieyin. As a minor figure, he was ignored bye everyone. But he openly displayed anger at the way his comrades. were being treated. "Someone has to protect the ones caught in your conflict. My two elder brothers have been hard at work protecting the west as well." "Since when did a mere Golden Immortal small fry have a right to interrupt?" The same dragon growled. The dragonic pressure released from him became suffocating fro Randeng, his lamp was almost snuffed out. "Enough Ao Manzun," Yinglong said. The dragon obeyed obediently, receding his aura. But the act alone made Jieyin and Zhunti tense. The former''s body began alternate between a golden, and crimson colour. Zhunti hurriedly appeared at his side. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he whispered into Jieyin''s ear. This seemed to calm to elder cultivator who leaned back to take a deep breath. He appeared unsure of something Zhunti said. "Frankly, you all could potentially turn over to the devils," Yi Fei''e suddenly said. "You''re all so desperate to protect the west, who knows where that desperation would lead. I''m thankful for your actions, but I cannot risk malefactors." Yinglong glared at her out of the corner of his eye. He indicated for her to cease her hard stance but was ignored. While Yi Fei''e did see the two as assets, she also remembered details about the third generation of innate gods Da Hai told them previously. While she agreed with Zulong that ultimately, such predictions were made of conjectures, lacking detail, already proven false in places, and obviously coloured by oceans of bias. But she did remember the two saints of the west. While mainstream cultivation followed the path of the celestial immortal, a path originating from the Chaos Godfiends later edited and refined by various denizens of the Primitive World. The two saints of the west created the path Dharma, that was to say Buddhism. Hence, she thought their abilities will be great. "You leave me with very little choice," Jieyin said. He shared a look with Zhunti before sighing, he wasn''t stupid after all. "But please understand I cannot let go of the hatred in my heart for all of your actions." "Why you¡­" the dragons and avians present sharpened their gaze. Yi Fei''e held up a hand to stop them. "Please allow me to vent," Jieyin said towards Yi Fei''e. At these words, the female immortal chuckled. She wordlessly drew her sword, accepting the innate god''s challenge. She didn''t mind testing his abilities, it''ll give her a better idea of how to utilize this asset. Though the flaring of their cultivation would undoubtedly attract devil attentions, it wasn''t like they''ll be staying long. BOOM! Zhunti watched two clash in his eighteen armed, twenty four headed, golden form. All the pocket universes storing mortal villages were retrieved into his protection. Jieyin had thrown the first blow, a massive palm strike that seemed to clasp all of existence in its depths. It was Jieyin''s strongest move as of current. Unlike Zhunti''s attack, which were barrages of palm strikes, Jieyin''s were alot more simpler in design. Yet Yi Fei''e ran her knuckle down her blade, creating eight indentations along its surface. As the blade turned as dark as the night sky, each indentation sectioned off sectors of the starry imagery. Eventually, it reached nine and a profound effect engulfed the blade. She pierced through Jieyin''s palm quite easily after that. "This man''s offensive potential is truthfully sub par," she murmured. "But defensively, he''s insane." She retracted her blade her blade after sensing Jieyin withdrawing his presence. In the end, she failed to pierce Jieyin''s skin despite using incredibly powerful strikes. "Let''s not linger here. Eldest senior brother will want to hear back from me." ¡­ While Da Hai and Yi Fei''e were having their own encounters. Hongjun walked alongside the Heavenly Dao through the Pangu Temple. "Cricket," Pangu''s decaying voice suddenly said. "Still alive?" Hongjun was alarmed. But quickly that alarm faded away. It was only a small echo of the creator god. "What do you¡­huh, your Dao is¡­" Pangu''s echo was simultaneously dumbfounded yet unsurprised. "Punishment for your overconfidence. Hehe! Story as old as time." Hongjun grimaced visibly, the Heavenly Dao''s faint presence beside him became impatient. The old man gently touched his chest, where a decayed husk of a Dao fruit sat. His time was getting shorter and shorter. The battle at Buzhou had taken alot from him. His allies, his supposed victory, most importantly, his Dao was heavily damaged by luohu. For all intents and purposes, he''d been crippled. At such a situation where time was of the essence, he had little choice but to abandon his original plan. He wanted to absorb Pangu''s Dao into his own for his comprehension, not use it as his source. Such a deed did disgust him. That Dao would not be his. He could take some time to heal, but why should he? Should he trust Da Hai to defeat Luohu and restore balance? That fanatic wouldn''t listen to a single thing he said. Those too consumed by their own emotions were not proper godfiends in his mind. Too distracted to properly pursue the Dao. Hongjun waved his hand, dispelling the echo of Pangu. The creator god never even had a chance. One of the oldest beings in existence, extinguished just like that. But perhaps this was a mercy, he would not need to watch what was to come. "Hai, my friend please show the way," Hongjun bowed respectfully to the invisible presence of heaven. This made it happy, this was how an ally of the world should be like. It hoped Hongjun would gain the power to fix things soon. Otherwise, if Luohu emerges in tact, its existence will be finished. The Blood God Twenty four swirling universes hovered above a battleground that was formerly the temporary camp of the anti-devil alliance. An unexpected invasion forced Zulong to quickly unleash the Twenty-Four Sea Calming Pearls to lend support to his army. Da Hai just left, Yi Fei''e just left, the devils just had to pick this time to suddenly attack. Yet Zulong could not put his current situation down as a surprise. After all, the Devilish Dao''s tactic to lure him away by attacking his home fit right in to this current strategy. Even as he stomped a hundred Golden Immortal ghost devils to death, he lamented the sheer consistency of the forces that constantly attacked them. The dragon craned his neck up, briefly catching glimpses of his female counterpart. Her dazzling form was engulfed in mesmerizing flames, clashing against a ferocious enemy. Their other counterpart, Qi An was not present sadly. Last he heard, the Qilin Sovereign was moving around the West Continent on his own again. His help would''ve been appreciated. It was not purely ghost devils who came. Though they represented a majority, what with familiar faces who''d fallen not long ago along with devils across all of the west''s history who''d long passed on. Living devils supplemented their forces, using their ghostly ancestors as shields. UWOO! Zulong felt a sudden surge of yin based qi from his left. His dragonic eyes darted in that direction to see the Chongming Bird battling it out with a ghost devil. Yet it was not a standard ghost devil, it was a fused hodgepodge of deceased beings mixing their power together. ''New trick?'' To him, it felt like a battle formation that allowed numerous weaker cultivators to pool their strength together in order to fight a greater foe. At the same time, it was different in a sense that this did not seem like people co-operating, rather a fusion in a more literal sense. "Cursed dragon die!" Zulong''s long body curled into the air. A male devil flew by him wielding a middle rank xiantian spiritual treasure hammer. Its edge bounced off his shining scales. Zulong gave this devil no indication as he used this opportunity to rip the fiend''s head off. "Damn you!" The devil shouted. Despite losing his head, the devil wasn''t dead yet. Zulong used his tail as a whip and struck him deep into the ground below. His opponent was only a Great Principle Chaos Immortal, so the dragon didn''t know what he was thinking attacking him with no support. "ARGH!" Zufeng yelled above him. Her wings were brought before herself as a shield. Her opponent, the true source of Zulong''s concern was cornering her despite her great cultivation. "Hundun!" Zulong roared. He had to dart across the battlefield to even get to these two. But knowing the threat a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal posed, he had little choice but to put him as his first priority. "Ah Da Hai''s eldest disciple. I have never truly fought you before, let me test what he''s teached you," Hundun cheerfully said. His cloaked form stood admits the burning hell Zufeng unleashed to jog towards the dragon sintead. His attitude threw Zulong off more and more. "Hundun! Tell me, what did you do with my brother?" "You''ll have to be specific, I''ve fought two of your brothers," he replied to the furious dragon. Strictly speaking, Hundun should have alot of grievances with his whole lineage. Yet from the looks of it, this godfiend was having fun with them. He did not unleash his true form, nor did he give his all. There was no doubt Hundun was fighting them seriously, but they could tell he was holding trump cards back. Yet the faceless deity traded strikes with Zulong. Despite the latter using ''Nine Clawed Killing'' along with a slew of powerful spells, Hundun countered them all with equal force. Zufeng joined the dragon a second later and the three darted across the battlefield. It was as if Hundun was being pushed back. From time to time, their flight took them racing through devil lines. This naturally resulting in weaker devils being ripped apart by the shockwaves of their battle. Other dragons were fighting hard despite losing a chunk of their forces to reinforcing the oceans. Leize was the only leading figure among Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals present after Jiang Koilong was ordered to move out. The lighting dragon felt true pain at the poor timing. As much as the pure blooded dragon hated to admit it, the immortal cultivators from the East Continent helped alot to alleviate the pressure. Now the majority of them were gone too. He couldn''t help but think Zulong made a misstep by just letting them go. That his heart was too soft after hearing them experiencing the same crisis his home was undergoing. "DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" The cries of a macaque beating his chest was another sight to behold. Liu Er, sporting a large bruise on his cheek fought like a madman. He grinned gleefully holding the shattered remains of another treasure he broke accidentally with his titanic strength. He summersaulted callously through the dying devil giant, right onto the face of another devil who he latched onto. The devil, despite being a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal howled in pain as a part of his face was ripped off and swallowed by the monkey''s gaping maw. He stumbled his footsteps, crashing through the side of a pavilion "Thank goodness for that," Leize murmured as he tangled with his own opponents. Say what you will about him, but Liu Er was wrecking havoc among the devil forces. The lightning dragon gripped the devil he was fighting''s head. "Unhand me worm," the devil screamed. But Leize wrapped his entire body around the devil''s immense body. He understood that he lacked the raw physical strength of crushing this devil like his ancestor Zulong. Instead, he electrocuted the dragon with heavenly lighting cultivated after a million years. As the ground beneath them both shattered piece by piece, Leize caught sight of another junior fighting. Leizhu the self proclaimed Thunder Patriarch, with the head of a bird and a muscular body, was beating a set of drums. He unleashed scores of electricity that penetrated the ghostly bodies of the ghost devils he was fighting. ''Give him a few yuanhui and he may even overtake me,'' Leize wondered with anticipation. If there was one good thing about this war, it gave opportunities for young heroes to reveal themselves. "Hey that was my kill!" Liu Er''s scream brought his attention back. This time, Leize witnessed the seven armed Houtu encasing the devil Liu Er was killing earlier in a shell of dirt. Houtu seemingly ignored Liu Er, and with a snarling face, compressed the devil into a tiny ball. "You animal! That pavilion was the healing ward!" She angrily chastised the macaque. "Yeah no need to yell Karen," Liu Er said. "Fuck''s sake, people die all the time," he added in his normal voice. As if he didn''t care he''d angered the goddess born of Pangu''s blood at all. "You," Houtu recoiled at the monkey''s attitude. "You two stop bickering!" Leize ordered from across the sky. "Resolve it after the danger''s over." Liu Er smirked with a smug grin. He either didn''t notice the bruise on his face getting in the way or didn''t care. Houtu can''t quite tell, she only relented when a claw rested on her shoulder. "Come on sister, ignore him," Zhu Jiuyin said. "We have to help the rest of our siblings." "My charges¡­too many¡­too much," Houtu spat with bated breath. Her ears were ringing at the noise. But it was not the sound of battle she was paying attention to, nor the screams of those fighting. "Second brother, it''s so loud. It''s so cold. I feel¡­I feel." "What is?" Zhu Jiuyin narrowed his gaze. But he had to pull his attention away to face another horde of ghost devils as well as a few living ones. "So much dead, so much suffering. The soil can''t handle it for much longer," Houtu said after her elder brother moved away. "Death is being overwhelmed. What should I do?" ¡­ Minghe could feel something approaching, a tranquil and peaceful feeling full of warmth and compassion. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, he''d sensed it before during this adventure into the West Continent. Sometimes there in the distance, quickly coming in and out of his peripheral vision. He hated it. He opened his eyes in a pool of darkness. Abi and Yuantu were held in his arms like the trusted partners they were. Joining them together, he stabbed forward. SHAA! Minghe emerged from the stomach of a dying devil. Blood sprayed everywhere with forty percent of it directly onto his person. His pieces of organs clung onto his body, all dripping with crimson liquid. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "I thought you were dead," Rushou, one of the twelve connate lifeforms from Buzhou said in bewilderment. He was holding a long spear made of steel and riding on to soulless metal dragon statues, one foot on each dragon. He stared at the bloody scene around him. Unlike many, Minghe deliberately ignored ghost devils. He only ever attacked living devils, and he''d always made sure to cut them surgically to spray the most blood possible. Around Minghe was a mountain of corpses. "You know according to intelligence, more will just take this lot''s place. Those dragon folks said it''s better to cripple them," Rushou said. "Good, the higher the cultivation, the higher essence their blood will have," Minghe said in the same quiet tone he''d always spoken in. Rushou shrugged, he stabbed his spear down saying, "You missed a few by the way." The dragons beneath his feet were already busy biting into the intact Nascent Souls hiding in place. "Rushou, there you are," Di Jiang''s deep voice signaled the flabby creatures appearance. "Don''t run off so suddenly, we have to stick together." Di Jiang''s wings flapped furiously, Minghe wondered how they could even lift the creature. "Minghe right?" Di Jiang greeted the blood god. They''ve never talked, but Di Jiang was aware of this man. "Hello brothers," Minghe said. This seemingly familiar form of address sounded like nothing coming from Minghe, but it alarmed Di Jiang and Rushou. "What is the meaning of this?" Di Jiang asked. "You''re born from blood, I was born from his belly button. We''re both filthy," Minghe said with a small smile that drew Di Jiang''s ire. Though neither side started a fight, Di Jiang''s opinions of this warrior went down severely. Conversely, Minghe held not real resentment for them. It was only the appearance of a giant orca that broke the ice. Di Jiang''s eyeless face was alarmed, this being came so quick. Minghe and Rushou could both see the fleshy remains of Colossal Shark clan members clutched in its jaw. "Hm? Innate gods," the Orca patriarch said. He swallowed the sharks down his throat and transformed into a man who looked to be in his thirties with half black, and half white hair. "As the top predator of the seas, may I interest you all to end this pointless battle and surrender to the my glorious Devilish Dao?" "Top predator of the seas? You''re dreaming," Gonggong and Xuanming had also made their way here. The twelve brothers may''ve split up into groups throughout the battle, but they were never far apart. "Only I Gonggong, the god of water deserves that title!" "My comrades spoke of you guys," the orca devil said. "You all held up the heavens previously. Back then it was impressive even though for me who was already a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. But I''ve grown exponentially since that period as well." Minghe sniffed the air around him and started smiling in an understanding look. "How filthy, all the blood around him. They''re screaming at you. You''re a compatriot closer to me then these guys." He drew Abi and Yuantu and attacked without hesitation. Minghe''s cultivation was only at the Primal Origin Chaos Immortal realm. Even though four of the twelve brothers from Buzhou starting fighting alongside him, all of them were hard pressed by the devil. Their brawl started as another great battle that drew numerous attention. Minghe''s figure was surrounded by crimson liquid. Blood flowed around him and his swords like rising waves of seawater. Both Abi and Yuantu were stained with so much grime, it was unbecoming of treasures of their level. Di Jiang''s punches, Minghe''s slashes, it drew Liu Er''s attention as well. Of course, the monkey''s thoughts were a bit different from others. ''Minghe is nothing more then a moron who copied others and failed at everything. Nothing but a slave to destiny. Even those swords are worthless. No, I''ll collect his 12 Pet¡­12 Petal¡­Peta¡­Pe¡­12 Ranked Red Lotus later.'' Liu Er was smirking as he digested more and more devils. He half consciously felt stronger and stronger, as if more and more secrets of the universe was unlocked in his mind. The other half continued on as normal, like the regular Liu Er who thought only of himself. Beneath the light generated by the twenty four swirling universes, the orca gave his opponents a beatdown. His magical arts appeared around him like black ink, yet their pressure irradiated with bloodlust. Like knifes, they dug into the flesh of Pangu''s children. Di Jiang found himself bleeding, one of the rare occasions this has ever occurred. Gonggong could not believe his flesh was damaged to this extent. Rushou''s metallic skin could barely hold back these cuts. The bloated Di Jiang attempted to bear hug the Orca, hoping to crush spacetime around him to permanently erase the Primal Zenith expert. He only found a black spear condensed from the devil''s power piercing his abdomen. As the Orca devil slashed Minghe hoping to bisect the innate god, his hand struck true. Minghe paled as his lower body detached, it quickly transformed into a mass of crimson water much to everyone''s shock. A second palm strike shattered Minghe''s physical form into a rain of crimson liquid. "The smell of iron, blood?" The Orca devil backed away from Minghe, who''d retaliated by using Abi and Yuantu. Both swords did not need to be held to obey. His 12 Petals Red Lotus spun behind the mass of water that was once Minghe, suddenly transforming into an inferno. The screams of untold quintillions of living beings sundered the ears of everyone indiscriminately. It got so bad, Minghe''s own allies a great distance away clutched their heads in pain. Devils, dragons, avians, innate creatures, even devils below certain power thresholds felt nauseous. Zulong, Zufeng, Leize, many high level experts could see with their senses that there was something disturbing about Minghe''s move. To them who had gathered karmic merit in the past, this was the antithesis. THUD! The Orca devil felt his ears bleed facing the inferno. Under Minghe''s command, his red lotus condensed into a wheel full of screaming voices. Insane curses, insane ramblings, the build up of resentment within transformed into a red multi armed giant. Its physical strength vastly exceeded it''s own creator. Minghe could sighed in relief as masses of crimson water reformed his body. "As long as the Blood Sea never dries, I''ll never die." "Nice trick," the Orca devil released his true form once again. He was shocked sure, and while devils cannot claim to be unaffected, their penchant for excessive indulgence in their own emotions and desires lessened the effect. "STOP! MAKE THIS STOP!" Houtu''s distant cry could be heard by her brothers near Minghe. Di Jiang did not hesitate to act. "Stop that comrade!" "Why? He''s on the backfoot, we''ll slaughter him." "Look closer you maniac, you do nothing but impede your allies!" Di Jiang was right in the end. Minghe''s mastery was simply not high enough, the giant orca controlled two streams of water which ripped the multi armed giant into a gory mess. Sinful blood fell onto Minghe like an avalanche. "HAAaaaa!" The blood god did not dodge, he welcomed it. His cloths stained red, his hair damp, his skin painted by crimson. That devil may''ve ended his spell, may be vastly superior than him, but Minghe still wanted to kill him. "Ignorant brat," the orca said. "Ever seen the Colossal Shark ancestor? I''ll treat you just like I treated him." "Return favour. Colossal Shark''s. Behalf." The orca devil, Minghe, Di Jiang, and the rest found the ground beneath them distorting. Up became down, left became right, front became back. Di Jiang felt so dizzy, he gripped his knees to stabilize himself. THWACK! Yet the orca''s flipper reacted as if the vertigo effect did not bother him. It parried the kick of Chenghuang''s furry hind legs. His finned tale rose in response, emanating ferocious power that ripped apart the fabrics of reality. "West Sea. You Lived," Chenghuang said as he began his own engagement with the devil. "Indeed, my kind was driven out of the West Sea by your masters," the orca said. "But it helped us find the right path." The foxlike Chenghuang danced around the larger devil. The latter could garner much greater power strikes. The techniques passed down to Chenghuang by the godfiend Shangxia did not seem to be working. Within his mind, Chenghuang could already guess why. The path of Seven Emotions and Six Desires also held tremendous control over their own senses. The desires portion, which detailed the body''s senses made it nigh impossible for a sufficiently powerful devil to lose control of them. "Even with a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal like that fox thing, it isn''t enough?" Gonggong muttered. Di Jiang was heavily injured, and Minghe was looking for openings to attack. Neither anticipated a ball of fire slamming into the orca''s body. "Who?" The devil cultivator was kicked back again by Chenghuang. Rows of flaming arrows descended like solar rays. With this support, Chenghuang disengaged to safety from the orca after leaving a bleeding slash wound. A fiery beam of light descended beside Di Jiang, a charming man the same size as Di Jiang held out his hand. Di Jiang''s featureless face displayed nothing as he accepted the hand in question. "Solar Star Di Jun," the charming man introduced himself. "Glad our group came back just in time." "Bt Buzhou Di Jiang, this is our first time speaking," Di Jiang returned the greeting. Above them, dozens of Chaos Immortals joined the fray. Most importantly of all, a massive moth flew to engage Hundun. BANG! Di Jun and Di Jiang peered back over to the orca. They found the devil flinching from having been struck by a massive bell. Taiyi''s form made several hand gestures to perform offensives spells with the Chaos Bell. "Yeah! Show him the might of the Solar Star!" Di Jun cheered. ¡­ In the battlefield consisting mainly of ghost devils, the golden presence of Jieyin and Zhunti arrived with clasped hands. Both of them immediately began chanting. "Those two, I know them," a ghost devil said. "You two sacrilegious thieves always pronouncing around our land. You two will die here." "Junior brother, let''s send these poor souls away first," Jieyin said. His radiant light was like cancer for these ghost devils. They suddenly found themselves screaming like never before. Even numerous devil higherups were startled "This light, it''s dampening our mantras," a Chaos Immortal devil realized. As the two innate gods stayed fairly lowkey, much of their powers were hearsay. For whatever reason, their unique techniques acted so strongly against devil arts. Hundun was still trading blows with Zulong and Zufeng. His featureless face chuckled at the sight of Jieyin and Zhunti. "Those two rascals are finally displaying their might. Always knew they were talented." "You two, let''s end things here for now," Hundun said to both sovereigns. He spread his arms, unleashing a wide flurry of force. The made enough distance for Hundun to start ripping into the void between realms. "I''ve got better things to do." "Wait!" "Oh before I go. DEVILS! THE BATTLE IS LOST, RETREAT!" Hundun''s voice echoed the final command this invading force will see. Zulong didn''t seem like he''d accept that. His serpentine form lunged forward claws raised. But he could not grab hold of the godfiend. "Damn him!" He roared. He stilled mid air, soon he turned back around. Zufeng was already flying back to clean up straggling devils. "Big brother," Yi Fei''e and Yinglong appeared by his side soon after. The former retook he small Dao body while the latter''s appearance made Zulong''s heart ache. Yinglong had assumed his true form to greet Zulong, but the sovereign wished he hadn''t. Yinglong''s physical appearance looked weak. But Zulong''s gaze lay within his brother. "I swear I''ll kill that Hundun," he promised. "Your participation in this war is over," he further added. "I''ll escort you to a safe location immediately." "You don''t have to baby me," Yinglong said. "My Dao fruit may be damaged, but its something I can bounce back from. Focus on the war brother, you''re needed here more." As things calmed down again, the army fully reorganized itself. At some point along the way, Jieyin and Zhunti came to see Zulong and Zufeng. A newly returned Qi An joined them as well. Few days after that, the two western brothers left feeling disappointed. While Zulong and Zufeng said they wouldn''t go out of their way to destroy the west nor its mortal inhabitants. They also didn''t care if they got in the way. Essentially how they did things until now. In the far east, another encounter by two innate gods was about to take place. Monkey is Offended "Hehehe, with two brothers on our side those ghost devils won''t be an issue at all." "This war will be over quick, who knew praying would be so effective." "Hey don''t be too cocky, living devils are still a threat." "Yeah, did you not see how badly the Colossal Shark clan''s been dealt?" "Hey, pour me another!" In the following periods of time after the last major confrontation, the soldiers of the anti-devil alliance had settled into a slim moment of relaxation. Sharing drinks, stories, even cultivation techniques. It became common to, at the very least ignore the existential crisis of the Devilish Dao. Jieyin and Zhunti found themselves the centre of attention. After all, their display of might had been quite eye catching. Both brothers displayed never seen before techniques which dispelled numerous ghost devils. As fellow innate gods, the likes of Hongyun, Zhen Yuanzi, Fuxi, Kun Peng, Minghe, Di Jun, even some of the twelve brothers from Mt Buzhou joined together to celebrate them. "A small matter, small matter benefactors," Zhunti was relatively quick to socialize. Despite having a weaker mastery compared to most people of his generation, he spoke as if they were equals. Jieyin mostly stayed silent, did not participate in alcoholic drinks, and only made some small talk regarding his understanding of the Dao. "So brother Zhunti, have you given thought of which army to join?" Leizhu asked. This god of lightning and thunder merrily patted Zhunti on the back. He wasn''t truly affected by the alcohol, but he pretended he was. "A man of your talents can do great things with me and commander-general Ao Guyue." "The woman leading the next offense?" Di Jun asked. "Not a bad idea. But it seems the higher ups wants to entrench a stronger foothold for now. Our numbers just aren''t what they used to be." "Yeah, it''s sad so many abandoned the offensive. Why didn''t his majesty Dragon Sovereign stop them?" Fuxi inquired. "Stop them? I think he agrees with those who left. Their bases are being attacked right now. Let me tell you, big shots who rule territories like them hate having to lose them," Di Jun said. "It''s the same as some of the star lords from the Starry Skies." Di Jun''s explanation caused Fuxi to nod along. The two had been getting quite close. In fact, between major battles, Di Jun had become chummy with alot of people. It seemed this time he wanted to court Zhunti and Jieyin to be his friends as well. "I will go wherever I am needed. Where that is has always been the west," Zhunti said. "Benefactors, One of the conditions my senior brother and I have to work here is to protect the west. While what is happening outside is sad, we are ultimately beholden to our own homeland." "Right, I''d be pissed too if the Starry Skies is corrupted by those devils," Di Jun said in agreement. "It''ll be so much easier though if we were more united." "What do you mean? The anti-devil alliance is an alliance of all living beings are we not?" Di Jiang chimed in from his sitting area. Unlike the others, Di Jiang''s body was massive. He did not transform, nor did he have any mouth to drink with. Instead, he merely enjoyed the company of his new friend Di Jun. "Ah brother Di Jiang''s group is pretty insular so you guys probably don''t know," Di Jun addressed him and his brothers and sisters who were all laying about. "But the alliance is just a rough agreement by numerous countries to attack a single threat. Everyone''s ultimately beholden to their own no matter what they say." "Look at the Dragon Sovereign? He evidently relies on his dragons to do things. The legions he formed are made mostly of dragons and innate creatures from the seas. The Phoenix Sovereign is the same, but with avians. Even the various clans from the East Continent aren''t any better. There''s no unity to be found anywhere." Di Jiang nodded along, a side glance at the agreeing face of Zhu Jiuying made him believe Di Jun. His second brother was someone always in deep thought, if thought so too then it must be. "What about the Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal on our side? Is he not our central leader?" "Senior Oceanic Heavenly lord is a mighty figure," Di Jun said with reverence. "But he''s akin to an ultimate weapon. A deterrence for the Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals on the other side. He exists so we don''t get massacred by that Hundun fellow, or Mara, or possibly Luohu. In open battles, the Dragon Sovereign and Phoenix Sovereign fulfilled the same role as well. But I''ve never seen senior Oceanic Heavenly Lord lead." "Come to think of it, yeah he''s our greatest weapon but not the commanding officer," Zhen Yuanzi answered with realization. He, Hongyun, and some others were just listening until now but found the topic to be quite interesting. "Not every strong man is a leader," a reserved voice said. Taiyi, the younger brother of Di Jun slowly put down his cup and addressed everyone present. "I can annihilate my brother in battle. There will be no contest. But I lack the vision, the planning skills, the skills to lead as he does. I am far far far greater as a cultivator, but I am not foolish enough to replace him as our army''s general." "Hey Taiyi give your big bro some slack. Not all of us can be freaks of nature like you," Di Jun chuckled merrily. He wasn''t the least bit angry towards Taiyi, who can fault the golden crow for speaking the truth? Even among the group present, Di Jun''s personal strength was middling at best. "Zhunti is better at planning them me," Jieyin agreed in his soft voice from his corner after sharing a warm look with subject of mention. "Leading figure. Like what if there was a single sovereign who reigned over the Great Wilderness. The devil''s greatest strength seems to be their unity, if only we had that too." No one was sure who said that. But it did get two people thinking. ¡­ There was another person watching the party, a pair of sneering eyes and six twitching ears. What was said was unimportant as the figure was too busy thinking up what to say. Pure unadulterated disdain radiated from the six eared macaque. The target? Why Zhunti of course. Who hadn''t heard of this man? As a person well immersed in machine translated webnovels about this setting, Liu Er was intimately familiar with the two two-faced bald donkeys from the west. Zhunti above all was a pathetic worm, too weak but to hug Jieyin''s thigh. Too weak that he had to resort to pathetic scheming to get to where he was. It was said that when Hongjun Dao Ancestor preached to three thousand guests in his Zixiao Palace, Zhunti and Jieyin arrived late. The six legendary prayer mats at the very front was already taken. But this guy, this cheating worm, Zhunti started crying like a baby. Even tried to commit suicide. It wasn''t until Hongyun, described by authors as an equally pathetic stupid retard nice guy, decided to give his seat to Zhunti. Hongyun moving lead to Zhunti trying to coax the next easiest person to remove. You see, the six people sitting on those mats were the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Kun Peng, and Hongyun. The first three were the most arrogant beings ever, of course they''ll not move, Nuwa was a woman so who could ask her to move? The easiest target was hence Kun Peng. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Not helped was Yuanshi starting his racist schtick towards Kun Peng. As he and Hongyun were removed, the six people remaining on those mats obtained the opportunity to become Saints of Heaven. Kun Peng so angry, but he couldn''t do anything to them. So he took his anger out on Hongyun, ultimately leading to the latter''s foolish demise. "Zhunti and Yuanshi are the worst of all," Liu Er muttered. "Bald donkey and that pathetic Yuanshi always going on about how inferior demons are because they''re covered with scales fur¡­sca¡­f¡­scal¡­fur¡­fur¡­scaaaaaaa." Liu Er''s facial features did not change, but his mouth started spasming. It was as if he had trouble saying something. At the same time, it was as if he didn''t even notice the oddity of his actions. Just then, Randeng the little Golden Immortal walked by. Due to his low status, he was acting as a gofer for the mighty figures chatting. Noticing Liu Er, he approached him, trusting him to be a fellow comrade. "Um, are you okay?" Randeng tried to ask. But it was like Liu Er didn''t even hear him. "Faaaa¡­fu¡­sc¡­sca¡­sca¡­sca¡­Fur and ARMOUR!" The monkey suddenly exclaimed with a completely straight face. Just like with the bruise on his cheek, it was like he didn''t even notice his own strangeness. It certainly freaked Randeng out. Liu Er proceeded to march forward without a care in the world. Bursting out of the bushes, he made long strides towards Jieyin and Zhunti. "Oh? Benefactor I was wondering when you would join us," Zhunti greeted with a bow. Liu Er''s presence had been easy to see after all. "Your combat ability was truly mesmerizing to see, ah little monk is left in awe¡­" "Shut your mouth you lying snake," Liu Er spat venomously. his presence sent the other innate gods sans newcomers into groans of annoyance. "This guy again?" Hongyun sagged his shoulders and gestured to his head. "Don''t listen to him brother Zhunti, this monkey''s got some problems up here." "You shut up," Liu Er spat in his direction. "Hey don''t speak to him like that," Zhen Yuanzi placed down his cup and demanded. Despite flora starting to sprout around him, one could feel deep power emanating from him. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." Liu Er repeated. "Um," Zhunti appeared bewildered. But Liu Er cut him off again. "The most pathetic of the six saints who''s never fought a battle in his life." A clawed finger pointed right in front of the innate god''s face. "You''re the worst of them all, the only loser among the six saints. You deserve a quadrillion deaths for fucking up Daoism." "I''m sorry we met before?" Zhunti said, completely confused as to what was going on. "Firstly, you''re a lazy bald donkey who always take advantage of others and steals everything that doesn''t belong to you. Secondly, you always stick your nose into business that''s not yours. Thirdly, the Heavenly Court belongs to the east not your pathetic poor barren west. Oh the west is so barren, the west is so barren, oh boo hoo hoo cry me a river. Fourthly, I bet you have a small dick and jerk off all day to a picture of Nuwa." "Excuse you?" Fuxi leapt out of his seat launched a punch at Liu Er. Fuxi may''ve not been a physical body cultivator, but his innate god body was nourished under Mt Buzhou for eons and was still very strong. Liu Er actually took a step back from his surprise attack. Zhunti was just confused as to what the hell the monkey was talking about. A look of indignation crossed the monkey''s face. In his head, the part that did all the speaking, he felt betrayed. "You." "You." "You." Three consecutive, ''yous,'' was uttered by the monkey followed by a slap back. Unfortunately, a slim feminine hand was quick to pin him in place. BOOM! "Cease this at once," a furious Houtu had interfered. Coils of soil slithered up the macaque''s body, trapping him in layers upon layers of the earth. It was a scene very similar to a certain other monkey numerous years in the future. "Fuxi you traitor, you are underserving of being one of the Three Sov¡­sov¡­Five Empe¡­Sov¡­Tha¡­fa¡­" he started spasming again with a completely unchanging expression. It was actually quite creepy to most people watching. "Three Emperor Five Emperor!" Liu Er finally said. Fuxi meanwhile, was nursing his injured hand while flanked by Di Jun, and Taiyi. "This guy ami I right?" Kun Peng chuckled still seated. He and Leizhu opening laughed, finding the scene Liu Er made to be utterly hilarious. "Houtu you two faced witch¡­lich¡­magus!" Liu Er screeched. In his mind, he furiously recalled why he didn''t like Houtu. She was a lying two faced woman with no morals and ethics at all. According to all the novels he''d read, she may seem kind having sacrificed her body to become reincarnation, but she was always biased towards her race of ''witches''. Always scheming against the mc for trying to control reincarnation, she was just as bad as that two faced Laozi. And in reality, she was a disgusting creature with a serpent tail, seven arms, and soil like skin. Not pretty at all! The goddess in question spent alot of effort to control her temper. She knew the higher ups didn''t want infighting at such a crucial time. What''s more, for whatever reason a chunk of the ascendent dragons liked Liu Er. In addition, she didn''t want to see any more deaths after the last great battle. She quickly lifted a finger when Liu Er went for a bite. After she subsequently raised her hand, spacetime bent a portal into existence. Di Jiang''s meaty fist came through, smashing Liu Er''s form away. The offending monkey skirted across the West Continent''s surface. In a few seconds, he smashed into the ground creating a monkey sized crater. Di Jiang''s flabby body jiggled in surprise, he''d actually intended that to be a kill shot yet the monkey survived that so easily. "I see how it is! I see how it is!" Liu Er roared as if he was the party wronged. "Fine then, I hate the west anyway. I''m smart and I''ll do what''s right and defend the east!" The monkey did not even hesitate to summersault away. The ground cracked at the pressure. All the commotion caused by Di Jiang''s punch finally roused the attention of Chaos Immortal dragons and phoenixes. The group of innate gods didn''t pay Liu Er any attention as they went to tell them what was going on. At the end of the day, Zhunti ran his hand through locks of his hair. "Bald donkey? But I do have hair." Yanluo "Oi, I need some help here!" CLANG! "Seriously Yanluo!" CLANG! "Bit busy over here Haotian. Ah shit!" The ground exploded into flying debris. A white robed Haotian leapt back, parrying further strikes from a ferocious devil expert. His cultivation base was pushed even further as he continued to battle for the sake of those under his protection. "ROAR!" The devils he was fighting was filled with hatred. He was one of those who''d taken advantage of the advantage Mara''s control over the resurrection process gave. As a living devil, he broke out of the anti-devil alliance''s barricade in order to decimate the East Continent. This devil''s heart was filled with righteous vengeance. His attacks sent shockwaves throughout the mountain range they were fighting. Aside from Haotian, his spiritual treasure also attacked numerous smaller figures fighting against this devil. Haotian continued to move as he fought. He knew his own fleshy body best, a single hit would do catastrophic damage to him despite his tremendously high Dao mastery. The comrade he was working with was much the same. The devil leading the offensive against him wasn''t the only one other all. Despite no ghost devils appearing here, the living devils present had all formed their Dao fruit. Half a dozen devils at the Chaos Immortal realms showcased their moves, all of whom emanated the presence of the Devilish Dao. Haotian gritted his teeth, he could visibly see the impact these devil''s Dao fruits had in defining their attacks'' properties. Although somewhat different, they all held a strong basis in the same source. It was to the extent that Haotian could refer to them all as extensions of the same person. With the Vast Heaven Sword in hand, Haotian created streams of sword light to fend off these devils. "Yanluo now!" A dozen individuals wearing full black clothing that showcased no skin, a round top hat, and talismans stuck to their faces jumped out from gaps in reality. Their gangly hands stretched outwards as they slipped out of the void, releasing large amounts of power. THROOM! Haotian made a quick retreat as the six Chaos Immortal devils changed targets. This allowed him to point his sword at one with their back turned. He quickly unleashed a stab. Brilliant heavenly light streaked across the sky revealing two images, a dragon and a phoenix flying alonside each other. The devil targeted was grappling with the individual with a talisman stuck on its face when he was struck. He screamed when the explosion engulfed both him and the thing he was fighting. Both were erased from existence. "NO! Do you have any idea how long it took to make that?" Haotian showed a guilty expression as a red skinned man flew to his side. This red skinned man was also dressed in black and to Haotian, resembled a human around the age of twenty five. He didn''t appear as healthy as Haotian, sporting several injuries where golden light trickled out of. "You''re leaking essence," Haotian pointed out. "I know, I''m not as good as you in close combat," Yanluo said. His right hand was holding onto a spell while his left was hanging free. Unlike Haotian whose Dao essence condensed into flesh, and liquid blood within his body. Yanluo''s body was little more then an unpolished mass of energy. This was the difference between mortal beings who became immortals through cultivation or those who at least had rudimentary training in cultivating the flesh, and those who never bothered to try. "Let''s finish this before more of my babies get destroyed," Yanluo impatiently said. Haotian took one look at a gathering of mortals at a mountain top, protected by a barrier made of his own spell. He nodded and quickly went to reinforce Yanluo''s puppets. ''Jiangshi, oh jiangshi, not as creepy as I''d thought.'' Haotian took advantage of the distraction Yanluo''s jiangshis made to assassinate each living devil Chaos Immortal quickly. Each time he struck, he gave it his all to leave no chances of escape. After managing to kill all but one, he made for the last one. The last devil was the one who''d led the charge against Haotian. Seeing his comrades being killed one after the other, he grew even more enraged. He managed to destroy two of Yanluo''s jiangshi and reassessed his situation. ''Shit,'' the Chaos Immortal devil turned tail and ran. His body transformed into a gigantic butterfly whose''s limbs resembled tree branches. Haotian waved his arms, condensing white clouds around several mountain peaks into a snarling old face. Clasping his palms together, he activated his spell. "Heaven''s Call!" A technique based on a Celestial Dragon''s roar. None of the mental manipulation for dragon blooded beings, but held the ability to change the universe to his will. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Reality began distorting as Haotian''s stress levels reached critical levels. This devil was both fast and strong, he had to trap it before going in for the kill. "Don''t expect me to go in, neither I nor my babies have the necessary firepower," Yanluo explained. Even so, he called his jiangshi to start boxing the devil in. "Alright, once I establish a strong cage I''ll¡­huh?" Haotian felt his soul vibrating. It wasn''t like the way Hongjun would contact him, or like the rare times when the Heavenly Dao would look at him. It was a feeling that brought the innate god no comfort despite knowing all would be well. As such Haotian stopped his spell and straightened up. "What are you doing?" Yanluo gasped. Had Haotian lost his mind? Were they not here to purge the evils that threatened all things? But the red skinned innate god did not have to inquire any further, as a missing sound echoed throughout the cloudy sky. The fleeing devil was suddenly frozen as he felt a pair of eyes gazing down at him. Elongated spikes descended from the heavens, two spikes forty thousand kilometres apart running parallel. Another mass of scales and flesh came eighty thousand kilometres away, accompanying the spikes in a depression. "Those are fangs!" The Chaos Immortal devil could not believe what he was sensing. He had never felt this way aside from that one time when he met¡­ "Limitless Supreme, the impossible realm!" CHOMP! Haotian and Yanluo descended into the dome containing numerous thankful mortals. They came from varying clans fleeing after their homes were ripped apart. Miraculously, they''d managed to survive several weeks in the wilderness before Haotian encountered them. Now free from the attack, Haotian used a new spell to shrink the mountain peak down into a tiny orb. This he stored in a secure pouch, protected by thousands of barriers. The pouch was more secure than his own pocket dimension because of of this. "Praise be benevolent Haotian, praise be benevolent Yujing, praise be benevolent Hongjun!" These people chanted as they disappeared. "You taking those corpses?" Haotian asked Yanluo. Corpses being a few mangled remains that weren''t disintegrated by him. "I''d rather you left an intact cadaver, but I''ll take those," Yanluo complained. "Who is that anyway?" ''That'' being a descending Da Hai who did not appear pleased to see Haotian. Da Hai was going to return to the West Continent after he lent Gui Daiyu support. Cleaning up devils along the way was just a side hustle. But who would''ve guessed he''d run into his own clone this far out. "What are you doing here?" Da Hai asked in an impatient manner. He was itching to send Haotian hurling back to Mt Yujing if he didn''t know Hongjun attached monitoring spells on him. ''No doubt because the old coot would suspect us.'' Haotian sighed, he was aware of Da Hai''s thoughts the moment he had them. The connection they shared was one cloaked by their shared Dao. Every word they would speak from here on out would be laced by it. "Who is that?" Da Hai asked at the exact same moment as the earlier questions. "Defending my home as you are./Which do you want me to answer first?" Haotian replied using the same technique. In truth, he highly doubted his master was listening in. Hongjun had better things to do then being nosy about his beloved disciple. Yanluo looked curiously but Haotian shook his head. Haotian said to Da Hai, "By his appearance I''m sure you''d have guessed. And I mean what I said as well, I''m going to fight." "Fengdu? Yama? Enma?" Da Hai had understood what the innate god meant. But he couldn''t be sure with so many contradicting continuities. "Two thirds of those aren''t even chinese, and Fengdu''s a city. Yeah Yanluo did call himself Fengdu master when we met," Haotian answered. A funny look crossed his face as he remembered. ¡­ Haotian was already well on his way to save everyone he could find. Chaos was everywhere as swarms of ghost devils plagued the once beautiful East Continent. Though he had overwhelming power on his side, Haotian was just one man. "Hm?" In the middle of his battle, after he''d just finished off another living devil who''d made its way to the east. Haotian sensed another powerful devil heading his way. The aura it gave off was so similar to ghost devils too, laced in the incorporeal deathly yin qi. Haotian blitzed there immediately hoping to neutralize the threat. The enemy was not tall nor short. It was definitely a devil, practically oozing unrestrained desires. But Haotian noticed an oddity with it. It wore a talisman on its face, so similar an aspect of chinese culture Haotian recalled. He didn''t give it thought was he engaged. "More yang based beings? Good, good! Answer for this Fengdu Master, why are you infecting my domain?" A red skinned man jumped out of a forest on the ground. Surrounding him were dozens more talisman wearing living devils. But the red skinned man, while he exuded yin qi as well, his body also had yang. He was still alive. In addition, he had none of the qi devils would exude. It made Haotian stop his assault. "Attacking your domain? Its the devils that¡­wait, how clued in are you with world events?" ¡­ "Turns out, the Netherworld doesn''t get news from the rest of the Great Wilderness. Not surprised given its total population of two," Haotian''s summary lacked alot of detail but was enough for Da Hai. Hence the latter no longer payed attention to Yanluo. None of the curiosity that the remnants of the human could distract the godfiend. "The more important answer. Why are you not on Mt Yujing?" Haotian''s eyes widened slightly in disbelief. Then he sighed helplessly. "My originator, what do you hope to accomplish keeping me there?" "I need to know what Hongjun is planning, it''s bad enough Luohu put so much at stake but¡­" "Yeah but whatever Hongjun does, would it not be helpful in the end?" Da Hai''s nostrils flared up, his gaze hardened something fierce. Haotian was unfazed as he faced the superior being. "What''s even your plan with me permanently staying on Yujing? Hongjun tells me nothing unless it''s to help my cultivation, you already know this. Do you even have a plan for me? I am more useful here fighting then hiding in that place. Don''t think I''m ignorant, the war has spiraled out of Zulong''s, Zufeng''s, and your own control. Inside the recess of his own mind, while Da Hai payed so much attention to one part(near) of his mind, another(far) part of his mind allowed a thought to spawn in. ''Though you both failed, Hongjun is better at this scheming stuff then you ever were.'' "Hey," Yanluo finally lost his patience and interjected. "Haotian, I want to clue me in on who this is? Hello there senior living being, I see you and my Dao brother are acquainted." "In a manner of speaking," Da Hai said. "You are interrupting." "Well I don''t particularly like the way you walk to my friend. Might be different for you surface folk but¡­" "Yanluo." "Oh right." Yanluo clasped his hands and leaned back wile maintaining eye contact with a rather confused Da Hai. "That''s not what I¡­Yanluo you''re supposed to bow forward for a formal greeting," Haotian corrected exasperatingly. "Huh? You surface customs are strange." Da Hai sighed at the exchange. Yanluo hadn''t heard their conversation, what he''d actually heard was Da Hai speaking in an extremely hostile manner towards the disciple of his hated enemy. Yet seeing Haotian was adamant on him not interfering, Yanluo started muttering to himself. "So much easier in my Netherworld. Souls are so much easier then you people. At least before¡­" Meanwhile, Haotian continued his conversation with Da Hai. "Bottom line is, we are going to kill devils¡­" "Don''t do that, just leave them with grievous injuries. That''ll stop another from ascending to their place," Da Hai instinctually reminded. "Do not question me on this. If you die that''ll be an enormous detriment to my investment. Court the Heavenly Dao and turn it against Hongjun, but do NOT risk yourself out here! Not for a few irrelevant mortals," Da Hai said simultaneously. Haotian tightened his hands into fists. "Anyway, Mt Yujing is quite a distance if I remember correctly. Fly back immediately," Da Hai made to leave. However, he stopped before taking off. It was because of something Yanluo was muttering about. "Wait backtrack, what did you say?" Da Hai pointed at the red skinned innate god. "I have a name you know." "What was that about circles in the sky?" Da Hai interrogated. Alongside his voice, it seemed the sky overhead began darkening into a thunderstorm that looked as if it was superimposed upon the image of the prior blue sky. "Ah¡­that weird spirit constructs started barreling into and out of a ring?" "Covering the lightless sky of your home and making disturbances." Da Hai gazed at Haotian out of the corner of his eye, a bit peeved at him not including that detail when introducing Yanluo. "The Netherworld is affected by the Devil''s formation?" "Formation? Is that like the spells¡­" "Of course, of course!" Da Hai ignored Yanluo. He was panting heavily at his sudden realization and felt like kicking himself for not thinking of it sooner. Without consulting anyone, he immediately grabbed Yanluo by the scruff of his clothing. "Direct me to the Netherworld," Da Hai demanded. He had never had an interest in that place before so never tried to reach it. Even when viewing the Primitive World from the Chaos Sea, the Netherworld wasn''t visible. From what he did know of it, the Netherworld was a completely barren land. Unlike the Great Wilderness which was full of life, the Netherworld was quite literally empty. At his cultivation, Da Hai already understood reincarnation was a natural process. When someone below the Golden Immortal realm dies, unless any strangeness occurs, the deceased soul will be reabsorbed by the Chaos World. After a period of time, the soul will naturally be reborn without any direction. This period was automated and entirely random stretching anywhere between a year or a thousand years. Knowing this, Da Hai began assuming the stories of Houtu becoming the reincarnation cycle and the Ten Courts of Hell were just wrong. As such the Netherworld fell even further down his list of interests. Hence, Haotian was left alone to continue his mission. He silently gazed at Da Hai''s fleeing form and scoffed. "Some things are just more important." Beneath the Great Wilderness Wilderness, lay an equally vast landmass. In fact, it was far larger than then totality of the five continents. Existing alongside an equally vast ocean of crimson waters, the Netherworld existed on the reverse end of the Great Wilderness. Simultaneously attached to that layer of reality, yet in its own dimension as well. Yet ever since Pangu split heaven from earth, this area has been barren. An empty and cold land wherein nothing inhabited. Not even souls of any kind called this place home. Until several tens of thousands of years ago, this was the sole truth. But the third generation of innate gods ushered in living beings for the first time. Despite the frigid dead air laced with illusionary yin attribute that would ordinary kill any living creature, these first deities resisted it. Instead, the yin laced qi became part of their being, allowing them to cultivate it. Within the boundless sea of blood, Minghe rose atop a crimson lotus. In the vast lands of the Netherworld, Yanluo emerged from a coffin. The two lonely men inhabiting a dead world. As Da Hai emerged from an explosion of rock, he appeared in the chilling sky of this grand abyss. Behind him, Yanluo was dragged out being pulled by a tendril of water. He wasn''t really struggling, yet one could see his clear displeasure. "What''s the point of bring me here? I was content helping my new brother kill those invaders!" Yanluo argued harshly. "Those devils are using the reincarnation system in some way," Da Hai said without looking back. "This place is filled with death but I''m unfamiliar with it. I request a guide from a native." Yanluo scoffed at the inquisitive way Da Hai spoke. This wasn''t even a request, this man had no care for his opinions on the matter. "You know Haotian once asked the same thing. It''s why I was up there and not down here. Whatever magical ritual is going on, it''s clearing not starting from this place." Yanluo voiced his opinions and indicated with his head. Da Hai gazed outwards into the distance. From his eyes, he witnessed vague outlines of flowing energy. Hands clawing upwards bound by chains. Individuals being pulled through an arc. It was like a wheel. Were Da Hai unfamiliar with myths from his human inheritance, he''d have nothing to compare it to. "In all my time pondering on the Dao, I could long sense the mechanism of life and death," the godfiend mused. "When someone dies, if their true souls still belonged to the Chaos World, then their existing soul will be drawn back into the earth. After a period of time, it''ll inhabit a new physical form and reincarnate." Da Hai gazed around him unbothered by the deathly chill. Thinking about it, the anchor point of the devil''s entire formation should be on Mt Sumeru itself. Unfortunately for him, it was a nigh impenetrable fortress with the forces at his disposal. It was not Hundun or even Luohu he feared. It was the Immortal Extermination Formation. The thorn always at his side since the start of this tribulation. Something no one can account for even if they knew it was coming. Only pray they had enough cultivators with sufficient strength to break it. "You should know just as I, that those, ''souls'', flowing in and out of my home are too strong for the reincarnation process," Yanluo said to Da Hai''s agreement. When someone reaches the peak of Heavenly Immortal, when they form the third and final crown. A Heavenly Immortal would attempt to take back their true soul from the river of time. When a creature of a Chaos World was born, they are not in ownership of themselves. They may posses a soul, but it was in reality a creation of their true soul. Their soul may represent them being an immaterial spirit attached to their bodies. But their true soul was the record of this specific individual in all their iterations, completely unreachable by ordinary means. A true soul was like a failsafe. Even if a soul was destroyed, the true soul can reproduce another to take its place. In this way, even if someone is killed in both physical and spiritual, they can still reincarnate. The only caveat being, obtaining their previous lives'' memories will be much more challenging. This was natural reincarnation. When Da Hai adventured through the Chaos Sea, he''d sometimes stop to examine Chaos Worlds that were not created by Pangu. After that, he knew that there could be numerous souls created by a true souls at the same time. They would simultaneously exist through numerous parallel timelines. So even in an alternate timeline, even if the appearance, species, or parentage change, the individual will be the same. Yet the Primitive World operated much like a nascent Chaos Sea. It did not contain any other timeline other than the one Da Hai and the others existed in. The fact their they own their true souls, that being the totality of an individual, was proof enough. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "I know," Da Hai replied. "But I don''t think their true souls belong to them either. The Devilish Dao is like a machine, every individual cultivator being a cog for that Dao fruit." "What''s a machine?" "Another time." Da Hai pondered as to the nature of the Netherworld. He approached the cycle of devil souls and attacked. Sending powerful bursts of spells its way. "I''ve tried smashing it myself as well," Yanluo said. "We''re both Chaos Immortals, even if you''re vastly more powerful then me, our power is in the same dimension. I couldn''t even touch it." "Unreachable even by a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal who''s stepped on the path of Wuji?" Da Hai retracted after seeing his attempts pass harmlessly through. "It''s nature is too different then what I''ve studied." "See what I mean? I wouldn''t have gone to the surface had I another choice," Yanluo said rather smugly. "What''s that over there?" Da Hai asked instead. He pointed towards a different, more sinister flow of energy. "Oh that''s Minghe''s problem not mine. He''s been dealing with that mess for eons. Ha!" Da Hai didn''t respond immediately, opting to directly bring Yanluo with him. His destination was the shores of the Blood Sea that bordered the Netherworld. The ocean of crimson water did not even register as the sea in Da Hai''s mind. It''s water was not remotely the same as saltwater from the Great Wilderness. When Da Hai reached his hand in to touch, he was quickly repulsed. "What''s wrong? It''s just water." Yanluo, now free of Da Hai''s binding stepped knee deep in the Blood Sea. His red skin was a similar shade as the liquid, the latter not even being transparent like real water. "It''s polluted." Was Da Hai''s quick response. "Been this way as far as I remember. It''s your surface water that''s strange." Da Hai instead sat down to meditate. He could feel the flow of karma all around him, not the good kind mind you. It was not the pleasant experience he''d felt every time someone offered him incense, nor the wondrous feel after he preached to the masses. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one filled with pain and anguish. The only thing he could compare it to was what Zulin tried to do all those years ago. The ominous sinful energy that he sucked out of the aftermath of Shenni''s war, and attempted to replace Zulong''s great meritous reward with. Yet Da Hai could feel this sea being far, far, far worse. Thankfully, it was all trapped in this body of water. Were it released into the world, the collective resentment will draw immense amount of negative karma that may cause an apocalypse far worse than the current tribulation. ''No, this water is just condensed negative karma.'' Da Hai realized upon swallowing small bits of the crimson water. More was being drawn in even as Da Hai pondered. The Blood Sea was like a natural vacuum for all the resentment accumulated by the Primitive World. Where did it come from? Judging by the screams, it was from the feelings of hatred, resentment from countless living beings who''d lived since the dawn of time within Pangu''s Chaos World. Instead of being afraid however, Da Hai sat down and began meditating. Yanluo raised a curious eyebrow. The innate god made a move to leave were it not for the godfiend calling him to stop. "Wait, meditate with me. Let''s see if we can figure something out between this Blood Sea and the reincarnation system the Devilish Dao is using." Seeing a lack of choices, Yanluo sat down with him. Even as large multi limbed beings rose out of the Blood Sea due to sensing the presence of these two intruders approached. Da Hai did not move from his meditative position. ¡­ For an undisclosed period of time since Liu Er''s departure, Minghe remained in his bloodied frenzy. He cared not for wartime strategy by his higher ups. Only the euphoric feeling of slaughter interested him. In battle, he refused to battle ghost devils, he will only fight living devils. And he will only ever act to split their bodies open. Their essence condensed into the form of blood was the only thing he wanted. The very thing he could never receive in the Netherworld. Arguments by his fellow soldiers were petty to him. The rivalries sparked by the likes of Kun Peng and Hongyun did not interest him. The glean of various dropped treasures did not move his heart like it did so many cultivators. Not even the ambitious sounding talks of Di Jun. Instead, Minghe remained isolated. Sharpening Abi and Yuantu between battles was the only thing he ever did. "Hm?" Suddenly, Minghe perked up alarmed. His sudden action roused the attention of various officers around him. "What''s wrong soldier?" A dragon elder asked. Minghe did not respond to him, he was looking around in what seemed to be confusion. Then his handsome yet normally emotionless face turned to a look of anger. CLANG! Abi and Yuantu were stabbed into the ground. Minghe blocked out every sound around him as he focused. His current body rippled, its vitality weakened. In another location, Minghe opened his senses. Waves crashed against each other as a giant emerged from the Blood Sea. It resembled a mass of blood defying gravity by rising out of the sea. It took a few seconds for what seemed to be arms for emerge from its blob. Then eyes formed, followed by the Blood Sea blob compressing down to a humanoid form. Da Hai opened his eyes to peer into the Blood Sea. Numerous multi limbed creatures he could only describe as Primordial Beasts surrounded him. They were unable to reach him no matter what they tried. But the sea giant in the distance was someone he recognized. "Junior Minghe," Da Hai greeted while Yanluo perked up in surprise. "I thought he left." "As long as the Blood Sea never dries, Minghe never dies," Da Hai quoted. Minghe''s titanic form moved fast. He skirted across the Blood Sea, smashing those Primordial Beasts apart as he did so. He slaughtered so many of these vicious creatures of resentment what he resembled a meat grinder. Arriving before Da Hai, Minghe gazed down with a look of anger. He felt truly violated. "You never returned after heading east. You came here? Inside me?" Minghe truly felt panicked. It was because he knew Da Hai was far above him, potentially had the power to dry out the Blood Sea and end their shared existence. Unlike every other innate god of his generation, Minghe never had a true body. The Three Pure One''s physiques were condensed by Pangu''s Nascent Soul, Hongyun was condensed by first cloud in the cosmos, Zhunti was nurtured by the Seven Branch Treasure Tree. But Minghe was the Blood Sea in the most literal sense of the word. Even the body he used to fight in the tribulation was just a mass of water. One Minghe especially condensed to be stronger than the rest over many thousands of years. He could make countless bodies in an instant though their strength will vary, but they could all qualify as true bodies rather then avatars. The real Minghe existed in every single droplet of the Blood Sea. "You? Yanluo?" "Hello Minghe, it''s a displeasure to see you again." Minghe''s form narrowed with distaste. He continued killing the primordial beasts rising from the Blood Sea, however he showed no joy in doing so. Even though they bled, it was blood condensed from the same resentful karmic sin that the Blood Sea was made out of. "Minghe, I''m sure you''re already aware of ghost devil''s nature as spiritual beings. Constantly respawning no matter how many times they''re put down," Da Hai said. His palms were clasped below his chin as he spoke. "I think I may have a solution to solve that." "Huh?" "I¡¯ll relay a message to Zulong. I need to study this place more, both the Netherworld and the Blood Sea. The Devilish Dao is taking advantage of this place for their reincarnation system, but I think I can get around that. I need the anti-devil alliance to hold on before I can act." Minghe nodded helplessly. "No harm will come to my Blood Sea?" "No," Da Hai lied. After studying so much, he could faintly see an artificial, regulated reincarnation system was possible. One that once created, could wrestle control of the whole process away from the Devilish Dao. He truly did not know if any change will come to the Blood Sea should a system like the Samsara cycle be established in the Primitive World. But after. Prelude to Convergence On the western front, Zulong oversaw a fragile equilibrium gradually forming. His true form hidden, hidden within auspicious clouds granted his forces perpetual overcast weather. The Devilish Dao¡¯s plan to draw him away had failed, but he too was unable to push too deeply into his enemy¡¯s territory with the presence of Hundun. Across from the dragon, a phoenix perched atop a mountain as if it were the branch of a tree. Zulin was not present as was expected, but these two alone can hold down the fort. Both watched as a wall was being constructed in the distance. It was to act as both a barricade as well as a base. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light appeared from Zulong¡¯s back. Within his clouds, Zulong sensed the presence of a fast approaching object. Zufeng peered back as well. Reaching his claw out, Zulong felt the object plummet into his clouds. It¡¯s rough handle expanded until it would fit in his gargantuan claw. Even Zulong felt the impact of the blade as his forearm flinched back after catching the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. ¡°Your master is not returning?¡± Zufeng asked. Atop the blade¡¯s surface, Zulong saw a written message. His eyes narrowed, but he still nodded all the same. ¡°He¡¯s in the Netherworld gathering his plans. I will hold the fort here in the meantime.¡± ¡°I see. This war is already winding down,¡± Zufeng lifted her head sideways to watch the southern stars. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be here longer then expected. But as thispace sets, we can afford to send more troops back to stabalize our territories. Unfortunetly, ghost devils are still spawning there.¡± Zulong continued to observe the sword his master thrown at him. It didn¡¯t take long for the faint image of a butterfly to manifest with its legs clutching the blade¡¯s hilt. The dragon¡¯s grip relaxed for the blade to fly out of his auspicious clouds on its own. controlled by its own spirit, the spiritual treasure managed a stable position above the pieces of the forming wall. Zulong was sure Yi Fei¡¯e had seen the blade as well. He¡¯ll tell her what it meant in the future, but for now he had some other things to manage. Because aside from himself and Zufeng, Qin An¡¯s glittering form emerged from devil territory. He appeared aloof despite everything. ¡°How are things out there?¡± Zufeng took the initiative to ask. Qi An only took a passing glance at Da Hai¡¯s sword before meeting with his contemporaries. ¡°No one tried to fight me, most are in hiding recovering. But I felt Hundun actively keeping an eye on me.¡± ¡°And Mt Sumeru?¡± Zulong asked. ¡°Yeah that Mara is in control now. I didn¡¯t dare approach on my own. There¡¯s nothing much we can do but hold out in the meantime as even attacking that mountain at this point isn¡¯t feasible,¡± he replied. Qi An bent his legs to lie down atop a flattened mountain peak, one of the casualties of an earlier battle. ¡°Could you do that karma trick again with the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be expecting it, it may¡¯ve not been that long but he¡¯s already essentially recovered. I know what you want to ask Dragon Sovereign. Even if all three of us unite again to encircle him, it¡¯ll be a very difficult battle. What¡¯s more, theres Hundun to consider who no one here can stop. What¡¯s more, Luohu may be in recovery but he still has that formation.¡± A moment of silence settled in as all three watched their subsidiaries continue to build their defenses. Qi An was in thought the whole time. ¡°You know, there is a formation that can go against the four swords of the Devil Ancestor.¡± ¡°The Four Symbols are gone,¡± Zulong and Zufeng reminded the qilin rather angrily. These days, any mention of that name only brought them pain. ¡°It became the sky. Remember, I¡¯ve served heaven for eons, I¡¯m aware of many of its inner workings. As a celestial phenomena, the Heavenly Dao can direct it.¡± ¡°The Heavenly Dao was shattered before the war began,¡± Zulong reminded. ¡°It won¡¯t be able to pull itself together enough to act.¡± ¡°No. But if it were to receive a major boost of the the power of destiny, it may bounce back quickly,¡± Qi An said. The power of destiny he referred to was the same as karmic luck of a nation. Ever since Zulong¡¯s coronation, such powerful luck of rulers had condensed into the shape of dragons. It¡¯s purpose was to bring prosperity and protection to a ruler and their nation. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Both the Dragon and Phoenix Sovereigns instantly understood what Qi An was saying. Sacrifice their authorities to pray that heaven will mobilize the corpses of their siblings to help them. Unlike Qi An, who¡¯s title of Qilin Sovereign was only a name, Zulong and Zufeng¡¯s titles had much greater properties attached to it. ¡°It¡¯s hard to give something like that up,¡± Zulong admitted much to Zufeng¡¯s and Qi An¡¯s confusion. But to the latter¡¯s shock, the next words he uttered couldn¡¯t have been conceived by him. ¡°But for the sake of my family, if I¡¯m forced to then I¡¯ll do it.¡± Zufeng understood his feelings. After all, when she laid her eggs those years ago, she felt a similar feeling. Qi An marveled at the changes of these two in the time he¡¯d been ignoring the world. ¡°Let¡¯s see how my master¡¯s plan turn out first. Whatever it is, the Netherworld will play a big part. So let¡¯s keep things quiet for now and don¡¯t disturb him.¡± ¡­ As the western front was settled, two figures walked side by side away from the primary site of the war. Di Jun and his brother Taiyi no longer sported armour, but resembled nobly dressed travellers. Unlike many innate gods who still stayed to fight, these two opted to leave. Surprisingly enough, there was little issue in Zufeng letting them go so readily. As a balance of power had slowly settled in, Di Jun and Taiyi¡¯s movements became alot more free. ¡°You sure this is wise?¡± Taiyi asked as they moved away from the West Continent. Despite his normally calm and reserved demenour, one could notice his agitation. Di Jun raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wise what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me brother. What you¡¯ve discussed with me, what you intend to do? Neither our current patron nor the Dragon Sovereign will be pleased with another rival.¡± Di Jun considered what Taiyi just said carefully. He understood where Taiyi was coming from, after all both of them understood what angering those two meant. Neither of these two Golden Crows could claim to be invincible in the world. If either the dragon or phoenix hunted them? There¡¯s little they could do. Perhaps Taiyi could successfully flee. But even then, it¡¯ll be a life forever on the run. Who¡¯d want to live a life like that? ¡°It¡¯s risky for sure, but it is one I¡¯ll take. This stalemate that¡¯s been set in is unsustainable. This anti-devil alliance might as well not exist with how divided these countless races in the Primitive World are.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure having a crown and the status of emperor helps.¡± ¡°It certainly is a bonus,¡± Di Jun smirked. The feeling of establish himself as a superpower just like what he¡¯d seen the Dragon and Phoenix Sovereign do. It was a majestic feeling, one he wanted to experience as well. ¡°There¡¯s another reason isn¡¯t there?¡± Di Jun was startled. His footsteps halted causing Taiyi to overtake him momentarily. The elder Golden Crow stared in bewilderment as to how his brother guessed without him even having to say anything. ¡°Not only are you strong, but your sensitivity to the change of phenomena is so sharp as well,¡± Di Jun sighed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed my Dao improving rapidly this past few years. Remember it¡¯s name?¡± Taiyi nodded and said, ¡°You named it the Reigning Sun.¡± ¡°Mhm, starting from a mere delusion as all Dao are, until now it¡¯s become a valid lawful path. But I¡¯m a bit confused as to how to make it an unquestionable truth,¡± Di Jun revealed. ¡°But ever since that discussion, the path¡¯s been revealed to me.¡± ¡°As I thought, with those words I already had a feeling,¡± Taiyi said nodding. ¡°It¡¯ll be a dangerous path.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve little choice. As cultivators of the Dao, we strive to seek what¡¯s next. Improving my Dao will never be as simple as meditating in seclusion. I can tell the path I¡¯m on is the correct one,¡± Di Jun explained rather excitedly. ¡°Helping with the war by uniting it¡¯s divided small factions into a single cohesive force, establishing my position, and improving my cultivation. It¡¯s like killing three birds with the same stone.¡± ¡°Whatever the path you chose brother. I Taiyi will support you.¡± ¡°Thank you Taiyi, it means alot that I have family as loyal as you.¡± ¡­ Across the vast expanse of the Great Wilderness, in the far off South Sea. The South Sea Dragon Palace was in a well maintained state. Around the seas, remnants of yin laced qi still flowed even without condensed ghost devils. The corpses of living devils were present as well. In the courtyard, a young boy walked past a bunch of dragons, turtles, and miscellaneous sea creatures. He was carrying a notebook containing cultivation advice he obtained from his benefactor and hopefully, future master. His name was Nanji meaning extreme south. This was because he was not part of any race, but a connate lifeform born at the far south pole. He was not an innate god, nor was he even an immortal. Just a boy who found himself in a village that got attacked by devils. He¡¯d be long dead were it not for a passing innate god. Yuanshi was his benefactor and could even be considered half his master now. He was also the one who¡¯d recently protected the South Sea Dragon Palace. The local dragon hegemon and his turtle ministers worked uneasily despite their safety. It was not that they were ungrateful. But Yuanshi had pretty much bullied them into complying with his demands. Their precious healing spring they¡¯d painstakingly restored from the South Sea¡¯s former emperor¡¯s poor management, was now being used to heal who they considered to be an outsider. Yuanshi sat in the courtyard watching Nanji leave with a vaguely satisfied look. ¡°That kid¡¯s talent ain¡¯t half bad.¡± ¡®What in heaven¡¯s name!¡¯ Yuanshi jerked his head and saw a fully functioning Taishang looking as healthy as the day he was born. ¡°You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re completely healed now?¡± ¡°I know you recovered quicker, but how¡¯re on your feet looking so¡­so fine so quickly?¡± Yuanshi said in bewilderment. He hid his momentary fright but was otherwise joyful. ¡°I¡¯ve been fine for a long while,¡± Taishang said blankly. His face betrayed no emotion as if nothing bothered him at all. Yuanshi knew Taishang often betrayed nothing of his feelings, but it was a bit unsettling. ¡°If you¡¯d been fine for a while, why didn¡¯t you help me fight any devils?¡± Yuanshi questioned with narrowed eyes. The Grand Pure One met his gaze and made a humming noise. ¡°I wanted to see how you¡¯d react.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yuanshi felt flabbergasted and enraged. ¡°You know how difficult it was find my way here in the first place? With our sister¡¯s condition, I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be more urgent as well.¡± ¡°But I did help,¡± Taishang said. ¡°I kept her status from deteriorating further.¡± The Grand Pure One proceeded to sit next to the Jade Pure One, isolating them both from passerbys with some spacetime manipulation. ¡°Our little sister Supreme Pure Tongtian¡¯s level of injuries were beyond your skill level. I stepped in to mitigate that.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°Like I said earlier, I wanted to know how you¡¯d react.¡± The two brothers sat in palpable tension. Yuanshi¡¯s bubbling temper had only somewhat relaxed, but Taishang still remained tranquil. Eventually, Yuanshi released a long heavy breath into his knuckle. ¡°Do you even consider me your brother?¡± ¡°I like you, so of course I do.¡± Yuanshi couldn¡¯t help but feel more and more confused at his fellow innate god. Why was he so hard to understand? ¡°I wanted to confirm a few things for myself and I did. I like you Yuanshi, I¡¯ll stick by you always.¡± Taishang stood up and straightened his back while undoing the spacetime seal around them. ¡°Now I must get going, Tongtian should take a few hundred more years to reach peak condition. This is also an opportunity for her, the springs here can allow her to comprehend something.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yuanshi got up and asked. ¡°A few places, but primarily Netherworld.¡± ¡°Why would you go there? It¡¯s a desolate place!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going because I felt like it,¡± Taishang said with finality. ¡°It¡¯s not that deep. Stay here, fight out there, it¡¯s your choice. Do whatever you feel is best.¡± Yuanshi continued to stare at Taishang¡¯s back as he left. At this moment, he realized one thing. He¡¯d never really known his third brother the Grand Pure Taishang. An SI-Monkey finds Enlightenment The sound of screaming barely registered to six twitching ears of the universe¡¯s only true protagonist. The true MC and the real SI who rode atop magnificent clouds. Or at least he pretended he was. In reality, Liu Er was jumping up and down as he traveled. Even now he was more or less gliding down from the sheer force of his jumps. The magical abilities displayed by his contemporaries were completely unneeded, absolute strength was the only thing he¡¯d need. Currently, Liu Er pounced across the East Continent with nothing but a cudgel in hand and armour he was still wearing since departing from the western front. The monkey innate god neither kept track of, or realized how much time had passed since he abandoned the primary site of the war. All he knew was that he alone was doing something. He Liu Er was saving the world doing what a smart and strong person MC did. Descending from his earlier jump, his body was summersaulting towards various areas that appeared to be on fire. ¡°HAIYAH!¡± The smack of his cudgel bashed through the distracted form of a ghost devil wrecking havoc. At the same time, the force of his strike smashed apart thousands of smaller ghost devils who acted under the larger one¡¯s command. His attack was so fierce and strong, it had even shattered the environment around him killing not only the ghost devils but numerous living beings. Not that Liu Er noticed, they¡¯d barely even registered as alive to him. But his actions of slaying ghost devils were still witnessed. Even of he himself did not noticed them, groups of survivors saw him as either a saviour, while some others hard darker impressions of the monkey. ¡°Heh,¡± Liu Er smirked after seeing his handiwork. Another devil killed, too bad they didn¡¯t drop loot for him. Taking further looks around, he saw a mountain in the vast distance that was also being assaulted. Liu Er considered his next move. Truthfully he was bored of killing so many ghost devils. There was no benefit to defeating them as he got nothing out of it. He wanted to be the hero who ends this tribulation and get all the merits as reward, but killing an endless horde of ghost devils did not accomplish that. ¡®Not that the dumbasses realize it,¡¯ he concluded in his own mind. Liu Er was smart, he had proper education from twenty first century earth after all. The native innate gods can never compete with his level of scheming. So in his mind, rescuing that mountain had no benefit to him. As someone who crossed over from twenty first century earth, he will not do something without it benefitting him and he alone first. He will never risk his life for some NPCs in a story. ¡®I¡¯m smart, I¡¯m strong, I¡¯m not a slave¡­¡¯ Liu Er was down to just hide away for a awhile. Even he knew it was pointless to fight devils for too long. The smart thing to do was to hunker down and wait until the very end. After Hongjun kills Luohu he¡¯ll go in and steel the devil¡¯s treasures. ¡®I need to be cautious of him because Luohu is a powerful¡­po¡­dev¡­ful¡­Luohu is a pathetic fool who failed at everything he tried to do. He is a weakling who made a sword formation when he doesn¡¯t even use swords proving how pathetic and weak he is. I will take his treasures and make proper use of them.¡¯ He would¡¯ve turned around were it not for a serpentine shape moving through the clouds. All six of his ears twitched as he had herd nothing until now. Just the sounds of the natural world, swaying trees, running water etc. ¡°Dragon? No, Nuwa.¡± The serpentine shape was indeed Nuwa who was also traveling across the East Continent helping out whenever she could. Around her gargantuan celestial body, small humanoids flew around acting as drones to help her in her efforts. After leaving the East Sea and the dragon¡¯s hospitality, Nuwa had made quite a reputation for herself. The vast majority of ghost devils was dispatched by her whenever returning powerhouses from various clans were unavailable. She was one of the few aside from the white robbed swordsman Haotian who was willing to ignore geopolitics. But Liu Er did not see a goddess helping the denizens of her world. He saw a selfish bitch who was probably scheming something fowl. Liu Er could never recall a time when Nuwa wasn¡¯t one. In all the novels he¡¯d read, she was a despicable lier who abandoned humanity at the drop of a hat for no reason at all. She was a vain and cruel mistress who was absolutely pathetic in his opinion. What¡¯s more, she¡¯d always turned out to be an enemy of the MC. Previous personal encounters with the goddess was completely ignored. ¡®Nuwa is a pathetic fool who failed at everything she tried to do. Creating humanity but never realizing their potential. I will make proper use of the protagonists of this world. I alone will teach the Three Sove¡­sov¡­sover¡­reign¡­sovie¡­Fa¡­fa¡­five¡­sov.¡¯ To the outside world, it was as if Liu Er was spasming out of nowhere. A few cautious stragglers from his latest save was approaching him to see what was going on. Liu Er had seemingly chosen to stand still while twitching all over. His lips quivered as if he was trying to say something, yet failing to. His eyes, finally healed from the bruise of Da Hai¡¯s slap was twitching their eyelids as well. The creatures he¡¯d saved was only a dozen metres away when the monkey yelled. ¡°THREE EMPEROR FIVE EMPEROR!¡± The ground shook and tore apart. The earth rippled, throwing numerous mortals into the air. Liu Er blasted off towards the mountains and Nuwa in a single jump. ¡°When humanity is weak, when the demons betrayed and killed nearly all of them. I will save the holy land unlike that disgraceful virgin Mary. Our lady of Nuwa is a pathetic useless fool so I will educate the Three Emperor Five Emperor and leave the holy virgin. Until then she must live¡­¡± From the start of his rant, Liu Er¡¯s eyes was in a frozen, almost robotic trance. After he finished, they transformed back to their regular furious orbs. He seemed to have forgotten what he was just saying as he readied his cudgel to attack. Nuwa was already looking at him. Her fanged mouth blossomed into a smile, glad to see who she perceived as a friend. She leaned back for the monkey to smash into the earth, kicking up rolls of rock that tore through ghosts devils. The mud humanoids around her tried to avoid becoming collateral on her command. ¡°I¡¯ve stored away the monkeys living on this mountain into my painting. We can fight to our heart¡¯s contents,¡± she informed him. Liu Er sneered in his mind. This woman was so stupid, you need witnesses to see your power. Not to mention she was wasting precious power. It just reminded him how dumb Nuwa was. ¡®So weak, and so dumb.¡¯ Liu Er didn¡¯t need reminders from her to get to action. More swings of his cudgels destroyed devils left and right. Nuwa flew beside him, transforming back to her half human half snake form. Though she mostly utilized her hands, her magic was more then enough to overwhelm her opponents. Ever since leaving the East Sea, her understanding to her own strength had vastly increased. That was why the current Nuwa was far more effective in utilizing her cultivation in battle. ¡®Hmph, this idiot didn¡¯t even bring a weapon.¡¯ Liu Er felt his already rock bottom opinion on Nuwa drop even further. Didn¡¯t she know that to fight, one needed a proper weapon artefact? She¡¯s so dumb. ¡°Fellow daoist, I¡¯ll distract them. Can you strike them?¡± Nuwa asked. ¡°Telling me what to do?¡± Fire, wind, water, and soil danced through Nuwa¡¯s fingers into snakes. They all tore apart her opponents or flung them away for Liu Er to crush them with his strength. His excellent hearing made coordination much easier. ¡°We make a pretty good team fellow daoist. Though perhaps you can hold back your blows a little?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡®Giving me commands? Does she think I¡¯m some sort of slave?.¡¯ It took the two of them a little while to clear out the whole mountain. Each bash by Liu Er shattered the earth and tore apart clouds. Each time he struck, the sound of glass shattering followed after thunderous explosions. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The monkey was so powerful, the Chaos Immortal ghost devil who¡¯s Dao real had reached a level comparable to Primal Origin was annihilated without a chance to fight back. The attack Liu Er used destroyed not just the creature, but also formed a deep canyon. It was only after the short conflict, Nuwa waved her hand. ¡°Sheesh, you don¡¯t do things by half do you?¡± Under her magical abilities, scores of rocks, fallen trees, and various debris rose into the sky. Liu Er watched in silence as Nuwa reconstructed the mountain range into what he assumed was it¡¯s previous appearance. ¡®So dumb, can¡¯t this idiot see shes wasting energy for no benefit?¡¯ While outwardly he showed no reaction, internally he scolded Nuwa. It just made no sense to him, as someone who crossed over. Characters her are not supposed to be like this. That was why, in his mind she could only ever be despicable. The mud soldiers around her, Liu Er did not really know what they were. They were shaped in perfect proportions like a human. But there¡¯s no way they could be, Liu Er refuses to believe it. Humans were the protagonists of the world, no way these ugly mud dolls could possibly be them. ¡®I should know, I will be the human ancestor and teacher of the Three Emperor Five Emperor.¡¯ The magical powers exhibited by Nuwa was nothing special in Liu Er¡¯s opinion, still far below his strength. He could barely hide his sneer watching her remake her collateral mistakes. ¡®Ah I see, she is creating a precaution in case this innate creatures clan betrays her. Probably installing a monitoring system. Or shes preparing to create a good environment to breed food.¡¯ Liu Er grimaced in disgust. His opinions on Nuwa dropped even lower. ¡°How evil.¡± ¡°Yes, the Great Wilderness is suffering,¡± Nuwa replied. She was appreciative of Liu Er¡¯s aid. In the next breath, she released the monkeys she¡¯d been keeping in her painting. In flashes of light, hundreds of kneeling monkeys manifested on the mountain. They looked around in bewilderment, surprised their home had not been trampled. ¡°Monkeys?¡± Liu Er gasped. The clan of innate creatures he saw before him were a bunch of naked monkeys. They didn¡¯t appear strong at all. Even Liu Er who now only cared about strength registered the, as mortals. ¡°Yes fellow daoist, these poor things,¡± Nuwa sighed pitifully. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of them has¡­what was that realm called again? Something Divinity?¡± These monkeys started crying among themselves having realized their salvation. Some of them were kissing the ground, others were dancing. The braver ones approached Liu Er and Nuwa in thanks. Seeing this submissive behavior, Liu Er felt nothing but disgust. ¡®These monkeys, have they no pride? Are they even alive? Pathetic, so pathetic.¡¯ What¡¯s more, they shared similar shape as him. They only lacked the ears and his distinctive ash grey fur colour. ¡°Oh thank you great immortals!¡± The chief monkey said. ¡°Thank you, oh thank you so much! We Flower Fruit Monkey clan owe lives to you!¡± ¡°Oh your welcome,¡± Nuwa was happy to reciprocate. She found these creatures to be adorable/ Even in her shrunken form, barely any of them reached past her waist. Even Liu Er was slightly taller then them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you capable of human bodies?¡± Liu Er suddenly said. He found them to be quite ugly unlike all the cultivators he¡¯d interacted with who were capable of transforming. Unlike Nuwa, Liu Er found their macaque type bodies to be insulting. Though he¡¯d never acknowledged it, he began detesting monkeys after wondering around the Great Wilderness as one. The reminder of this lesser form aggravated him to no end. ¡°Human(Ren)?¡± Nuwa raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah like you, only with legs.¡± ¡®How slow is this idiot? Those novels fail to mention how dumb she is.¡¯ ¡°The Dao body most suited to cultivating the Dao?¡± The monkeys replied instead. One by one, the ones who were capable began taking said shapes. Their true forms disappeared for a savagely dressed men and women. Since cultivation acted to purify the body, none of them appeared ugly. If Liu Er ignored their true forms, they¡¯d all be pretty attractive. Nuwa nodded as they took these forms. Previously within the East Sea Dragon Palace, whenever cultivators spoke to one another in relaxed environments. They wouldn¡¯t take their true forms unless forced to. Even if Liu Er was a bit blunt, she didn¡¯t find this strange. ¡°Please, we must offer proper thanks. Our mountains is bountiful in fruits.¡± ¡°Hm, I did notice that. Though I can¡¯t stay in one place long, I wouldn¡¯t mind just a little break. You Liu Er?¡± Liu Er only absentmindedly nodded. His attention had long left Nuwa and the chief monkey. Instead he was eyeing a pretty woman who¡¯d emerged from the crowd. ¡­ That evening, Nuwa enjoyed her time tasting the various fruit platter these monkeys served. They certainly knew what fruits to present, the peaches they selected tasted very good despite lacking much magical effects. ¡°So, magical commet?¡± ¡°Yes honoured lady, these fruits became far tastier after it landed on our Flower Fruit mountain not long ago.¡± ¡°I see, I see. Hm, why does this sound familiar?¡± Nuwa glanced at a distant cliff, where a large boulder sat. A sense of familiarity hit her but she couldn¡¯t quite identify where it came from. Looking around, she¡¯d noticed Liu Er had wondered off somewhere too. She remembered him being oddly cheery unlike what she perceived to be his usual grumpy side. Throughout her time here, the monkeys tried to cosy up with Liu Er even more then they did her. It wasn¡¯t shocking to her, Liu Er was a macaque just like them. Perhaps they felt great kinship with him. ¡­ A distance away from Nuwa, away the celebrating monkeys in fact. Liu Er was speaking with. Beautiful woman. They sat in a clearing, Liu Er being the one talking while the woman laughed nervously. Liu Er was quite showboating in his speech, describing his great deeds in the past years. ¡°Is that really true? Ten million clans in the world venerate you as the Dao Venerate?¡± The woman gasped. ¡°That is correct. I¡¯ve passed along the great wisdom of Dao De Jing to countless lifeforms. The Dao is fifty, heaven is forty nine. I alone possess the the position of venerate,¡± Liu Er stated with clarity. The woman felt power in his words. This stranger from beyond the Flower Fruit mountains, every action he took exuded what she could only identify as Dao. Unlike that half snake woman, this fellow primate¡¯s Dao was freely unrestrained. In terms of raw cultivation, this woman had long formed a Nascent Soul. From inheritances passed down by her ancestors, she knew to sense and enlighten herself on the natural Dao laws of the Primitive World. But this man, he appeared to be the essence of the Dao itself. The more he talked, the more she felt herself grasping deeper concepts. She was opening smiling hearing Liu Er talk. As for the Six Eared Macaque? He mistook er excitement for horniness. Naturally, being someone who knew where stories like these go. He took action. ¡­ ¡°This stone.¡± Nuwa caressed the jagged surface of the boulder. Jagged edges threatened to cut her flesh, but she clearly felt familiar five attribute energy emanating from it. The banquet had died down as she¡¯d requested to be left alone. Liu Er was still nowhere in sight so she¡¯d just left it be. The only people remaining weren¡¯t even people, but the few mud puppets she¡¯d allow to remain active. ¡°I see, so this was where you¡¯d gone. The piece broken off when I mended the sky.¡± This rock she felt a connection to. It¡¯s true identity was a piece of the the Five Element Stone she¡¯d once. Few years ago, she used it to plug the hole that connected the Starry Skies and the Great Wilderness. But for years before that, it was her precious companion. She¡¯d distinctly remember playing with it alongside Fuxi upon the footsteps of Mt Buzhou numerous times. Soft footsteps caused her to temporarily pause her reunion. Her gaze landed upon a topless sweaty Liu Er walking in long strides up to her. He raised his head after stopping four metres away from her. Under the moonlight, his sweat caused his fur to glisten. ¡°Fellow daoist, I was wondering where you¡¯d gone,¡± she greeted amicably. Liu Er¡¯s lips curled into a slight frown. Suspicion began overtaking his previous attitude. ¡°Huh? You have senses don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t typically pay attention unless I¡¯m in danger?¡± She had noticed Liu Er¡¯s mood souring in. But she chalked it up to him being overly cautious. ¡°There is no need prying into other people¡¯s business.¡± Liu Er was silent. But in his mind, he relentless lambasted Nuwa¡¯s intelligence. ¡°So trusting,¡± he couldn¡¯t help but say aloud. She was just like the other innate god¡¯s he¡¯d had witnessed. Useless pathetic weaklings who¡¯d failed at everything they¡¯d ever tried to do. The only thing she was good for was creating humanity, otherwise he¡¯d have killed her out of shame. She really was undeserving of creating his species. ¡®Why was I here again?¡¯ Liu Er scoffed and puffed up his bare chest. Once again, sweat from recent activities rolled off his body. But Nuwa was paying more attention to the rock. ¡°Grrgh!¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so dumb!¡± Liu Er quickly turned and walked away from a startled Nuwa. The mud puppets around her did not attempt to get in the macaque¡¯s way. But one of them, the one that still had burn marks turned its head. ¡°That was uncalled for!¡± Nuwa shouted back offended. But Liu Er was already jogging away. She would not see him again, nor when she decided to depart the next day. ¡­ Nuwa¡¯s departure was met with great fanfare. The monkeys of Flower Fruit mountain desperately wanted her to stay for their own protection. But she said she had other duties when she waved goodbye. She¡¯d considered taking the piece of her Five Element Stone as well but chose not to in the end. Ultimately, she concluded her fate with it had ended and she had no real use for it anymore. To say Liu Er was furious was an understatement. He¡¯d expected Nuwa to abandon the monkeys, it was what she was good at in his opinion. This was the same woman who consented to humanity being massacred for the sake of a sword. But his anger was primarily due to another reason. He¡¯d remembered a scene he quite liked from a Kun Peng SI novel where he charmed the Phoenix Sovereign in the exact same way. But for some reason it didn¡¯t work. Nuwa must truly be too stupid to realize then. The monkey chief was all smily faced towards him. He seemed smart enough to cozy up to him, but he was a weakling still. ¡®All below saints are ants.¡¯ Liu Er knew this sole truth in the world. He wasn¡¯t too aware of his current level, but he knew he must become the equivalent of a saint. Becoming a saint was a non-option, that meant slavery. Liu Er hated being slaves. That was why this monkey chief¡¯s groveling also predisposed him to Liu Er¡¯s disdain. He was a cultivator as well, but want to be a mindless slave dogmatically following his will? Disgusting. ¡°Hey, gather all your monkeys. I have an announcement to make,¡± he said. ¡°Oh? At once great immortal.¡± Soon after, the rest of the monkey clan of Flower Fruit Mountain gathered. In front of this crowd, Liu Er felt unsatisfied. ¡®These monkeys need to breed more.¡¯ He took a deep breath and roared, catching all their attention. He stomped his foot and raised his arm. Within that limb was a thin book. ¡°Look here you all!¡± He called out. ¡°This here is the Dao De Jing!¡± He announced. ¡°I shall impart the wisdom of the Dao to you all.¡± His words had an instant effect. ¡°Huh? Wisdom of the Dao?¡± ¡°He¡¯s uplifting our cultivation?¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s great. A fellow monkey is willing to help us!¡± ¡°Ah I thought True Immortals were only something our ancestors could attain.¡± Liu Er tossed the book into the monkey chief¡¯s hands and raised his hands high above his head. His eyes were closed along with a satisfied grin. He was expecting great things from heaven. After all, he¡¯d copied down word for word what he assumed was the Dao De Jing. Beside him, the monkey chief excitedly flipped through the book. But he quickly blinked in confusion. He was descended from first generation innate creatures, he spoke the same language as them. But the Godfiend¡¯s language was magical in writing so the script couldn¡¯t be comprehended by mortals. Hence, numerous post natal lifeforms created their own script to accompany their shared language. The issue was, the monkey chief did not recognized the language Liu Er wrote in. ¡°Um, great immortal? I can¡¯t read¡­¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s just english idiot, you can read what you¡¯re speaking,¡± Liu Er spat in annoyance. He was frustrated at the lack of merit descending. These monkeys were also strangely silent, they should be chanting his name as Dao Venerate just like the scene he was trying to recreate. ¡®Fucking hell, these apes are illiterate aren¡¯t they. Ah so dumb, why¡¯s everyone in this world so dumb?¡¯ Liu Er pulled back his arms and opened his eyes. Distaste rolled off his face as he snarled. ¡°Mama, are you going to make a breakthrough soon?¡± A young monkey said to a woman near the front of the crowd. ¡°Huh? Ah¡­Well I did feel the barrier to the Worldly Saint ream loosening,¡± the women began speaking awkwardly. But realizing it was her own child, she quickly turned reassuring. ¡°Your mama¡¯s gotten a great opportunity.¡± ¡°Hurray!¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t that?¡¯ Liu Er narrowed his gaze at the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t worry little Yu. Your daddy may¡¯ve abandoned you, but your mama is strong without him. Your mama will become an Immortal for sure.¡± ¡°Hurray!¡± ¡°I AIN¡¯T NO CUCK!¡± Liu Er roared out of nowhere. His rage caused the sky to darken into crimson. The sudden change could not even be registered by the monkeys in the crowd. Liu Er moved and acted too fast. PAH! The trees at the side of the gathering swayed. Blood and bits of flesh splattered across their branches. The little monkey named little Yu was still jumping in joy, his whole body was covered head to toe in remains. Silence fell upon the clan of monkeys. They were given no time to act. They didn¡¯t even realize what had happened. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°No one can be trusted.¡± ¡°I above all else should¡¯ve realized the true nature of a xianxia world.¡± ¡°Dog eat dog, strong enslaving the weak. Cultivators should not be bogged down by useless things.¡± ¡°Cultivators should be strong, else remain a slave.¡± ¡°But I. Liu Er.¡± ¡°Am Not A Slave!¡± Liu Er¡¯s eyes moved uncontrollably. His body spasmed as transcendent truth coursed through his body. Deep within him, the fruit symbolizing his revitalized Dao quaked. Its outer crust broke off piece by piece. ¡°I am the MC.¡± ¡°I am smart.¡± ¡°I am strong.¡± ¡°I will reach beyond the heavens.¡± ¡°The Dao is fifty, heaven is forty nine.¡± ¡°Yuanshi, Tongtian, Laoz¡­la¡­ao¡­daddy¡­ Yuan yuan, Tongtian, daddy, welcome, Zhunti, Nuwa are the six slaves. I shall be the real Hunyuan Daluo Fairy Wonderland.¡± ¡°I saw the teaching of Three Emperor Five Emperor.¡± ¡°I bend to no one. I bow to no one. I obey no one.¡± ¡°I alone shall rule. I alone shall dominate. I alone shall be almighty.¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave.¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave.¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± Converged Paths over 30,000 years I(Earthly Divinity) In the vast war torn lands of the East Continent, a six winged serpent flew in the air. It resembled a regular serpent if one were to ignore its six wings and six legs. More ignorant creatures often mistook this beast as a dragon. Of course in that scenario they¡¯ll get slapped instantly by both dragon and the Feiyi. This winged serpent was part of the exalted Feiyi clan, their seventh generation patriarch in fact. Though his comprehension of the Dao only stood at the level of an intricate theory, a rather inadequate stage for peak powerhouses as this level of understanding only corresponded to the Great Principle stage of Chaos Immortals. His actual combat ability, a result of his bloodline and personal treasures eclipsed many Primal Origin Chaos Immortals. Cases like the Feiyi patriarch were rare, but they were always exceptional. So why was this person in the East Continent rather then leading his clan in the west? Defending his holdings of course. A thousand years had passed since the war began, the western front had become its own ecosystem with the dragons, phoenixes, and rogue cultivators managing it. But leaders like the Feiyi patriarch were of the opinion that their own homes were of more importance. In fact, not long ago he¡¯d even massacred an army of ghost devils that assaulted his clan¡¯s territory. ¡°Northern Feiyi, I did not expect you to be here too?¡± The winged Feiyi glanced to his left. A second serpentine creature flew in conjunction to him. Unlike his own six wings, six legs, long snake body. This serpent had a single head connected to two bodies. The Northern Feiyi patriarch frowned, this other snake was an old acquaintance. He was the fourth generation patriarch of his own clan and vastly older than him. He was an elder of the Primal Origin Chaos Immortal level who had once suppressed his clan for eons until his own rise. Whats humiliated by the Northern Feiyi, was that this two bodied snake was also called Feiyi. To be specific, eons ago there was only one Feiyi clan. But something happened in the past which resulted in the extinction of the original Feiyi clan. But in the wake of its destruction, two species emerged who both claimed descent from the original Feiyi clan. This resulted in what the modern era called northern feiyi, and southern feiyi. ¡°By your presence, I assume that crow got you too?¡± Northern Feiyi Patriarch asked. ¡°Seems the exalted Southern Feiyi have fallen off.¡± ¡°Yes you over grasping worm,¡± the Southern Feiyi Patriarch confirmed with much distaste. While he felt humiliated as well, it didn¡¯t hurt as much after learning his clan¡¯s ancient rival suffered a similar fate. Both Feiyi clans were recognized as top tier innate creature descendent clans in the East Continent. Yet they both similarly fell to a foreigner who was not even the current tribulation¡¯s hated enemy. Soon, both serpents reached their destination, a fiery ring in the sky. To be specific, it was a metallic chakram that created a ring of fire which protected a central palace. Both of which basked in the light of the morning sun. ¡°The devils of the west are threatening the world and this junior pulls this stunt? The avians must be backing him!¡± The Northern Feiyi scolded. ¡°Keep your mouth shut if you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± Southern Feiyi scolded back. ¡°Given your acceptance, you should be aware of his power.¡± They both assumed humanoid Dao bodies, Northern Feiyi in a humanoid form folded his wings like a cloak while Southern Feiyi had two tails wrapped around his waist. Reaching into the palace, they found familiar faces as well. ¡°Ji Meng patriarch, Qinyuan matriarch, Ci Tie ancestor,¡± Southern Feiyi recognized the figures ahead of him instantly. All top tier Chaos Immortal powerhouses that were no longer protecting their own territories. ¡°The clowns of the Mt Hunxi arrived together? I would¡¯ve thought you two¡¯ll be too busy arguing,¡± the only true connate lifeform, the Ci Tie ancestor said with mockery. Both species of feiyi inhabited a region known as Mt Hunxi. Their territories were divided by north and south. Though over the years, the Northern Feiyi had reclaimed the taller mountain peaks, driving the two bodied Southern Feiyi down to the mountain¡¯s lower slope. ¡°Shut your mouth you old coot, you submitted as did we so don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re any superior,¡± the Qinyuan matriarch retorted in their defence. They were hardly the first, nor last clan heads to arrive. But all the same, they were those who¡¯d surrendered or had been beaten into submission by an innate god junior not even a hundred thousand years old. Di Jun was a name they had become familiar with over their time in the west. A famed general who worked for the South Continent¡¯s as well as all feathered creature¡¯s ruler. A sun crow who¡¯d emerged from the Supreme Solar Star. Years ago, he was still fighting in the west. A thousand years later, he¡¯s conquered a quarter of the east. It was utterly infuriating for these clan heads who¡¯d all had a storied history spanning a million years. Within the palace engulfed in solar flames, Di Jun sat wearing a beaded crown resting on his knuckle. To his right stood Taiyi who still sported his spectacles. But at his left, a woman with a happy smile stood. She wore bright yellow robes and rich hair ornaments, she was Xihe. ¡°Ah good you¡¯ve all come to swear allegiance,¡± Di Jun said still sitting. His body emanated power vastly greater then he¡¯d once wielded in the early stages of the war. These clan heads all simultaneously felt as if they stood before a living sun. ¡®No need to rub it in you brat!¡¯ Many old monster inappropriately thought. Standing up, Di Jun appeared very regal. Xihe and Taiyi stood on his side supporting him with their own presence. ¡°Long have I heard of the famous Ten Thousand Spirit alliance. An alliance by the countless races of the East Continent to combat the then emerging dragon and phoenix threats. I had hoped to see this unified alliance in action.¡± He took a deep breath as he said so. He scanned the crowd of powerhouses in front of him with a saddened gaze. ¡°Imagine my shock at how easily this pact was broken.¡± Despite many individuals he was addressing opening frowning, Di Jun did not stop criticizing them. This Ten Thousand Spirit alliance was made many yuanhuis ago to be exactly as Di Jun described. But even back then, it was a loose coalition. The geopolitics of the East Continent was in many ways, even more ferocious than the East Sea, South Continent, even the West Continent. It was like a battleground of numerous warring kingdoms vying for power, resources, prestige, and whatnot. They may unite against common foes, but make no mistake they will betray each other. Even as they were joined together in the ant devil alliance at the beginning of the westward invasion. As soon as their own holdings became threatened by the enemy, they abandoned the invasion for their own interest. Di Jun cannot fault them for that even if he felt negatively towards them abandoning the offensive. But what he could not forgive was what he saw the moment he arrived in the east. These post natal creatures in the east were taking advantage of the ghosts devil threat. Wether it was luring ghost devils to their rivals, sneakily attacking their weakened rivals, or forcing desperate clans to pay exorbitant prices for protection, there were schemes going on everywhere. Di Jun couldn¡¯t help but feel fury over this attitude towards the impending threat. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He did not see himself as a hypocrite for essentially doing the same in his own bid for power. Instead, he saw himself as someone who¡¯ll unite these pack of arguing children to have a coherent army that could survive the war. ¡°But rest assured, I will unite all the descendent clans of innate creatures under heaven and form a grand empire for you all¡­you have a question?¡± Di Jun addressed a cultivator who¡¯d raised his head. It was a figure named Baize, a solitary cultivator who was the last of his kind. Baize¡¯s true form was like a cross between a muscular lion with hoofs instead of paws. His head was akin to an ox with a lion¡¯s mane and goat horns. Nine eyes divided into three groups, a trio on his head, a trio on either side of his body. ¡°Daoist Di Jun, you have daring ambition,¡± Baize said. ¡°But you must know that there exist numerous stronger clans in the east than the ones gathered here. Those like the Zhujiang clan, the Nine Tailed Foxes, the Feilian, or the feared Nine Infant clan all posses far deeper foundations then the combined clans you¡¯ve assimilated.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Di Jun did not show anger at Baize. ¡°I am aware of the difficulty of my task.¡± ¡°Then you must know your actions will weaken the clans of the East Continent even more! We are all already struggling holding back the ghost devil tide. I do not doubt you are strong, but are you strong enough? These clans cannot be convinced by mere speech. They are too old, too arrogant, they will only respect strength.¡± ¡°I hear and understand your doubt. You think me young foolish, someone too ambitious and overreaching. That I would fail and leave the East Continent both scattered and weak.¡± Taiyi stepped forward but Di Jun raised his hand and continued to speak. ¡°But if I were to not act what would you all do? This world has too many races, too many factions, too many schemes, too much chaos when you should¡¯ve been united. You have no guiding centre to lead you all.¡± ¡°Can you really do it?¡± Another voiced asked. ¡°What guarantee do you have that you can defeat the greatest of the East Continent? We have survived the phoenix¡¯s and the dragon¡¯s best for years!¡± ¡°Can we really trust you?¡± From Baize¡¯s perspective, Di Jun had the right idea. But it could never work for the East Continent¡¯s many powerful clans who were used to their freedom. They prided themselves as being separate from the innate creature clans who¡¯d bowed their heads to the Dragon and Phoenix Sovereign. Di Jun was right that their continent is starting to fight themselves rather than focusing on the true enemies. Di Jun was right that they lacked a true leader to command them. But this ran counter to the east¡¯s cultural identity for the past million years. The only way to unite them would be through brutal violence. What¡¯s more, Di Jun does not want to kill, only subdue. Killing powerful opponents was far easier than subduing them. The arrogant clan heads like Zhujiang, or Nine Infants would rather die than submit. Di Jun would need overwhelming firepower. That woman certainly couldn¡¯t, she was a recent addition to Di Jun. her cultivation was still in the Great Unity Golden Immortal stage. Hence, Taiyi stepped forward unleashing his cultivation base. ¡°You can all rest assured. I will ensure everyone kneels to my brother. If any of you disagree, then prepare to face my wrath.¡± Taiyi¡¯s pressure was exponentially thicker then Di Jun¡¯s had been. If Di Jun was a sun, Taiyi was the entire solar system. Perhaps he was even further beyond that. A single ring of his bells began sending waves of fear through them but also settling the worries in their hearts. ¡°Enough Taiyi, they were only expressing their concerns,¡± Di Jun calmly informed his younger brother to step down. His posture was brimming with confidence as he continued. He paused for a moment to direct his gaze at the crowd. ¡°But Taiyi is right. I will unite the countless clans of the Great Wilderness. Together we will beat back the devil threat and restore this land. Even if today, or tomorrow your homes are devastating, with me you will not be alone to fight nor to rebuild afterwards. I only ask you to have faith.¡± ¡­ If one were to ask the Xihe studying under Wangshu where she¡¯ll be in a few thousand years, she¡¯ll not believe her current self¡¯s situation. In mere centuries after sneaking out of the East Sea dragon¡¯s watch, her and her sister found themselves in the middle of a burgeoning new nation. But whereas Changxi held reservations, Xihe was all for it. Even now, after talking with Di Jun again after their second meeting several hundred years ago, the flames inhabiting her body burned with passion. In a way, this was a betrayal to her master. Xihe had forsaken every spell and mantra that Wangshu had ever tried to impart to her for a then stranger¡¯s. Even though Xihe held some regret over that, she did not believe she made a mistake. The magical arts of the the Supreme Lunar Star was simply not suited for her. No matter how much she tried over the years since her birth, she was never able to see anywhere near the same results as what she¡¯d hoped. But now, with Di Jun and his magical techniques from the Solar Star? She felt like she¡¯d finally achieved something. ¡°Sister,¡± Changxi called out behind her causing Xihe to look back. Unlike Xihe, Changxi was dressed more modestly. She was also more uneasy compared to Xihe who brimmed with self assuredness. ¡°Um, now that daoist Di Jun has cemented himself. Should we move to more chaotic places and help?¡± Her younger, and also once upon a time more talented sister suggested. This caused Xihe to frown. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to help brother Di Jun complete his quest. The countless scattered races of the Great Wilderness needs a leader. Plus, what can us two do by ourselves?¡± She argued back. ¡°Besides, he needs our help.¡± From the beginning, ever since Da Hai departed after resetting order back to the East Sea. The two sisters had wanted to help in the war effort. Ultimately, the remaining forces of the East Sea was too busy to keep an eye on them, thus they easily snuck away. From there, they traveled throughout the nearest landmass(East Continent) to battle invading ghost devils. Xihe never said it aloud, but it frustrated her how Changxi was the only one strong enough to make a difference in those fights. As a Great Unity Golden Immortal who hadn¡¯t even have an inclining of the delusion that would signify begginnings of the Dao, Xihe could only do so much. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Changxi cut herself off but still maintained a face of concern. As she thought about it, she could see the signs clearly. The tone in which Xihe said Di Jun¡¯s name was very telling. ¡°Big sister, is it wise to tie yourself down so readily?¡± Xihe gasped sporting a brief blush. She coughed into her hands and turned around. ¡°But big sister? What would master think when she returns? Plus, you¡¯ve only known Di Jun for four hundred years,¡± Changxi said. ¡°Who cares what master thinks? Uncle master came back without her. We don¡¯t even know if shes alive right now. Besides, it¡¯s my path and I can choose however I walk it,¡± Xihe replied with force. Changxi took a step back when she saw Xihe¡¯s pupils seemingly ignite in dancing flames. To say her older sister¡¯s progress Sped up was an understatement. Though she had yet to obtain the great principle, thus cementing her as an Intricate Theory and giving rise to a tangible fruit. She had previously bested a Chaos Immortal opponent who stood against Di Jun all on her own. It wasn¡¯t like Changxi disliked Di Jun. But she didn¡¯t think this tumultuous time period was right for romantic relationships. Nor was she sure on Wangshu¡¯s reaction. Xihe had already walked away from her. Di Jun had sent her a message asking to watch the sunset together. It was an activity they¡¯ve done several times already whenever Di Jun wasn¡¯t in another battle. For the first instance in her life, Xihe felt she was on the right path. ¡­ In the Central Continent, twelve enormous figures walked into the grand structure that was the Pangu Temple. Over centuries, the temple did not appear any different then it had before. Within it, Di Jiang led the charge. He sat at the largest throne signifying his position as the leader of the twelve. ¡°Brothers and sisters, we¡¯re home.¡± ¡°We¡¯re home!¡± Yet Di Jiang did not relax. Like a certain sun crow, he grew unsatisfied with the anti-devil alliance. But his solution was vastly different. Unlike Di Jun, Di Jiang was in many ways far more arrogant. The inherent superiority for a connate lifeform that was born directly from Pangu¡¯s blood essence was obvious to him and his family. Simply by being born, Di Jiang could already manipulate fundamental rules of nature despite having never cultivated the Dao. The authority of him and his family was only lower then what the Heavenly Dao could command. While the latter was the guiding consciousness of the world, it¡¯s authority was gimped by their existence. The Primitive World had after all, absorbed Pangu¡¯s body. The creator god¡¯s flesh was apart of everything now. In this manner, Di Jiang believed himself and his bloodline to be superior. In this manner, he did not believe the denizens of the Great Wilderness to be capable enough. ¡°Brothers and sisters, I assume you all know of my plan?¡± ¡°Yes, yes big brother. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve heard it a million times,¡± Zhurong impatiently said while tapping his feat. ¡°If your IQ, who knows if you¡¯ve forgotten,¡± Gonggong mocked from his side of the room. Xizi, Shebishi, Tianwu, Xuangming all laughed at the two rival brother¡¯s banter. But Zhu Jiuying roared for their silence. The twelve of them had returned to the ruins of Mt Buzhou for one purpose and one purpose alone, to create the perfect race. Rushou, Jumang, Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuangming, Qiang Liang, Xizi, Tianwu, Shebishi all sat with barely concealed excitement. Zhu Jiuying was more calm, but even he held admiration for Di Jiang¡¯s intentions. Houtu was the only one who sat a little more solemnly. But it was not anything to do with the act at hand. Rather, her mind still lingered at the torment of the land. ¡°Rest assured little sister,¡± Di Jiang said after glancing at Houtu. Him leaning forward caused his flaps of meat to jiggle. ¡°Soon we will exterminate the devils. We the true blood of the father god will stand victorious.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Houtu muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, the sooner we create them the better.¡± Di Jiang nodded and raised his arm. His brothers and sisters too raised their arms, or appendages that were equivalent to one. They each prepared to cut into their flesh and extract their own blood essence. Despite how powerful they all were, at just twelve members their overall impact was small. But if they could spread their blood further, create a race of beings who all descent from Pangu and inherit the creator god¡¯s power. Their blood essence alone wasn¡¯t all. The area around them played into effect. At the heart of the universe, the Pangu Temple sat deep within the ruins of Mt Buzhou. The celestial mountain¡¯s remains trembled. Once, it was the pillar that held the world. It was where Da Hai found the 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification, where the Three Pure Ones found and split the 12 Petals Green Lotus of Destiny into three treasures, where the Heavenly Dao¡¯s embryo sat. So many events happened on it. Luohu shattering the celestial mountain was a tragedy the twelve spawns of Pangu will never forget. So alongside their blood, they wanted the mountain to get it¡¯s revenge as well. Even as the tribulation continued, tons of negative energy expelled from the earth and the heavens. Bloodlust was heavy and all living beings felt compelled to participate in conflict. Mt Buzhou¡¯s remains melted into maroon liquid. Atop this sea of metallic smelling sludge, the Pangu Temple appeared like a raft. Di Jiang and his siblings all sat within extremely pale. They appeared the weakest they¡¯ve ever been. If any of their foes encountered them now, they¡¯ll be able to kill them on the spot. But their extracted blood essence, the very celestial qi condensed from Pangu¡¯s ancient and mighty body seeped into the sludge. Following that, the voices of billions of living beings filled the Central Continent. ¡°We¡¯ll need a name,¡± Zhu Jiuying reminded them. ¡°We can¡¯t just be the twelve connate lifeforms born from Pangu¡¯s blood anymore.¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t want to be the same as those innate gods born of heaven and earth,¡± someone else had said. Di Jiang grunted in approval. ¡°Well said, we are born only from Pangu. We do not respect the heavens nor the deities born from it. We are the true gods of the earth.¡± ¡°Gods born and rule the earth?¡± another said. ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Di Jiang replied back. ¡°From this moment on, we are Earthly Divinities. Out clan shall be known as the Earthly Divinities!¡± His voice traveled across the continent. The sludge responded in kind, rapidly producing the twelve ancestor¡¯s dependents. Their bloodlines branched out into twelve families. ¡°Divinity! Divinity! Divinity!¡± Numerous voices cried out. These were not any post natal descendants of innate creatures. These were the voices of the new Earthly Divinities. ¡°Divinity! Divinity! Divinity!¡± Billions of limbs raised into the air like fist bumps. The Earthly Divinity clan members who¡¯d emerged were all strange looking. But like their ancestors, they possessed magical powers that commanded nature despite not possessing Nascent Soul nor the ability to connect with the Dao. Their bodies were supernaturally tough, and their appearances were monstrous. Gigantic, all of them. The mightiest among the new generation kneeled in front of Di Jiang and the others. They proclaimed them to be their lords, the Ancestral Divinities. Eleven of them reveled in happiness. They were quick to prepare their new clan members for war. A pale Houtu was the only one who remained silent. Despite all the commotion, her gaze was on something else. Converged Paths over 30,000 years II(Heavenly Demon) Wangshu sped as fast as her body could take her. No longer sporting a humanoid form, she¡¯d long assumed the form of a crawling tree. Her roots pulled her mass throughout the perpetually confused landscape of the Chaos Sea. But even after traveling for thousands of years, she could still feel the presence of the three Dao Ancestors. They were more distant now, but she could still feel them. Their attention was never on her, but the power they projected made it seem as if they were. The knowledge that something so powerful could be out there was both incredible yet horrifying. Wangshu was not sure how long exactly she¡¯d been fleeing away from them, even her internal clock was muddled by the environment of the Chaos Sea. When she¡¯d first departed with Da Hai, he¡¯d explained that because of the nature of this place, calculating time by the time flow of their home Chaos World was functionally pointless. As a matter of fact, gauging time by observing the time of a standard Chaos World from it¡¯s birth till its end was the best way to calculate time. However, Wangshu was not used to this system and had been reliant on Da Hai in their initial trip to meet Shiva. In some instances, it felt like she¡¯d been flying for millions of years while covering the same distance as several thousand. Wangshu knew she had made great distance, but it changed nothing about that feeling. She knew that despite traveling away for so long, she felt no closer to the Primitive World. ¡°Da Hai! Where did you go?¡± Her branches and her trunks felt supernatural changes around them. Bits of her wooden surface creaked as her danger senses rang uncontrollably. The currents of energy around her environment was getting fiercer and fiercer. In the forever stretching distance, the Dao Ancestors were still having their ¡®discussion¡¯. But shockwaves was bending the Chaos Sea to an extraordinary extent. It would¡¯ve been nowhere near as fierce as when Pangu cut into the fabric of reality and attempted to force the Chaos Sea into a state of decay and rebirth. But it still caused tunnels of ferocious currents to start warping into existence. From the corner of her senses, Wangshu could see what must¡¯ve been thousands of Chaos Worlds being dragged into those tunnels. Even ones that were incredibly developed with strong Heavenly Daos were helpless as their outer barrier were torn apart and their interior annihilated from exposure to the dense environment of the Chaos Sea. ¡°This is like void currents but on a tremendously larger scale,¡± she gasped. Her lower roots were being dragged as well despite her efforts to pull them back. Her divine body was too strong to be damaged, but her trajectory can be changed if she was dragged in. Her sense of direction was already not good in this place, if she were to lose her way? Who knew how long it¡¯ll take to get back. Her branches began glittering as countless fruits emerged from her like shining stars. Rays of starry rivers emerged around her creating platforms for her to pull herself. But those platforms were also suffering the same suction force she was. Beyond her notice, a rip in spacetime caused transformations of elemental qi sparkled into place. A sort of black hole opened up with a totally unobservable interior. That was until a tendril reached out from beyond the event horizon. It was a wooden tendril, one that gave of incredibly vitality while also being shaped like a gentle hand. It¡¯s surfaced was adorned with profound runes that appeared to be the product of unknown spells. Wangshu felt the unknown force wrap around her trunk, her face snarled at the sudden interaction. Her tree like true form began taking its multi armed wooden humanoid combat mode. ¡°This feeling though, familiar? It can¡¯t be!¡± Wangshu¡¯s glowing eyes looked for the first time at the hand pulling her. Lowering her guard, her resistance dropped. Immediately, her upper and lower body lurched towards the currents. But subsequently, the arm at her waist pulled her back with even greater force. The black hole it emerged from shrunk exponentially, disappearing as if it never existed in the first place. Wangshu heard countless chimes accompanying the sound of spring breeze. Dozens upon dozens of ¡®Pah,¡¯ sounds rang her eardrums. Willow fruits emerged into existence, flying towards the tide of chaotic energy flow along the direction of the arm. They transformed into bursts of complex spells that became sort of pillars. Just like that, the force pulling her diminished significantly. Even more shocking was a glass like shell growing around the pillars. They were directing the currents to take a smooth turn away from her. ¡°I did not expect us to meet again like this.¡± An elderly mysterious voice said to Wangshu. It was one she recognized from her girlhood. A senior she¡¯d long stopped thinking about. ¡°It is good to see you little girl.¡± ¡°This is unexpected Yang Mei,¡± Wangshu replied. She placed a claw around the arm around her waist and pulled it loose. Yang Mei¡¯s familiar figure appeared distant in her gaze. Physically, he hadn¡¯t changed at all. But the air he put on was completely different then before. Behind the old man, the shadow of a majestic willow tree swayed. ¡°Completing the Dao as well as finding the path of Wuji. I did not underestimate your comprehensive abilities,¡± Yang Mei praised. His mood was one of elation at having seen an old friend. ¡°I came found myself here by chance, who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d see exalted beings fighting?¡± Yang Mei mused as Wangshu came to stand next to him. Of course, he was referring to the light show put on by the three Dao Ancestors in the distance. Neither he nor Wangshu could accurately see what was going on nor did they dare. ¡°It may be dangerous, but it¡¯s a once in a lifetime oppor¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not staying to watch some spat,¡± Wangshu denied. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again but I need to leave.¡± ¡°That kid?¡± Yang Mei felt unpleasant memories arise. ¡°He¡¯s still alive? I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Towards the end, his talent finally showed itself. You are still acquainted with him?¡± ¡°For the past eleven Yuanhui since you left,¡± Wangshu said examining her surroundings. Her confusion was obvious to her lack of experience in navigating the Chaos Sea to Yang Mei. ¡°Da Hai fled suddenly, probably back to the Primitive World and I need to catch up to him.¡± ¡°Pangu¡¯s creation is that way,¡± Yang Mei sighed and pointed. At Wangshu¡¯s surprise he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve lived in the Chaos Sea for two thirds of my existence, knowing where things are isn¡¯t too hard. Here, I¡¯ll impart you my method.¡± ¡°Thank you, daoi¡­old guy,¡± she said ¡°Little girl,¡± Yang Mei said after transferring his technique telepathically. ¡°Such an opportunity to witness apex existences in action is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I sincerely doubt whatever the incident is as impactful as this.¡± ¡°Just stay and observe with me, learn a few things,¡± he said while scratching his beard. Even as he spoke, his eyes which denote deep concepts of spacetime was fully focused on the distant brawl. The current Yang Mei¡¯s mastery of such a Dao has far exceeded the Chaos Godfiend¡¯s premiere spacetime expert Qiankun. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Besides, that brat likely has brother Huoyun with him. I may not agree, but those two did form a strong bond akin to our past. It¡¯s been so many yuanhui, he¡¯s definitely reached his peak again. I doubt the trouble is all that big with him around.¡± The godfiend concluded his argument with a closing statement hoping to convince Wangshu. After, long ago he grew to see her as half a disciple. Even if he was ultimately focused on his own path, he did want the best for her as well. But Wangshu was silent. ¡°Ah¡­Huoyun is dead.¡± The constricting of his pupils was only the beginning. She watched silently as Yang Mei¡¯s engrossed observing face changed. ¡°What?¡± ¡­ Fifteen thousand years, fifteen thousand years of on again off again fighting across the Great Wilderness. It made Jiang Koiling weary. The old dragon had been around to see it all at this point. After aiding a phoenix to restore order to the South Continent for the seventh time, he¡¯d departed to help other areas. Thankfully, the new addition of the Divinity race has been a severe boon to the war efforts. Though their numbers were not too great, each member of that clan posses enormous power. They protected the North Continent, parts of the South Continent, the entirety of the Central Continent as well. The Twelve Ancestral Divinities now led the charge to gain more grounds against their terrible enemies again. Jiang Koiling was only aware of the true scope of their new ¡®allies¡¯ when some of their members came to aid him voluntarily. ¡°What a fight hehe.¡± The ruffian among the Ancestral Divinities, Zhurong was the present powerhouse assisting him. He knew Shebishi, Xizi, and Jumang all prowled around the eastern side of the world as well. The two found themselves in each other¡¯s company as they awaited a newly established force heading their way as well. Three hundred years ago, a collection of living and ghost devils breeched the western front and conquered a domain within the East Continent. That domain was a garden for powerful spiritual herbs. Therefore it was imperative to get it back. Zhurong and Jiang Koilong were here to help the local innate creature clan who¡¯d begged for it. But when they finally crossed into the East Continent, they received word that a new faction absorbed that weak clan and were now going to work with them to reclaim that territory. Personally, Jiang Koilong thought this was a concerning turn of events. He didn¡¯t know his ruler¡¯s opinions, but he doubt he was happy with the existence of the Earthly Divinities as a new faction. Now it seems the innate creatures who¡¯d retreated east had truly banded together as well. Zhurong¡¯s charcoaled coloured skin emitted blazes of fire from time to time. At his side were two young Red Dragons, a branch of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan. They¡¯ve taken to assisting Zhurong by carrying the Ancestral Divinity on their backs. Some considered it humiliating, but those two admired Zhurong so much that they considered it an honour. ¡°Zhurong, your men were impressive,¡± Jiang Koilong praised approaching the burning man. ¡°The only other person I¡¯ve seen with that much physical power was daoist Liu Er.¡± Zhurong had a smug smirk as he heard the ascendent dragon¡¯s praise. But he visibly cringed when Liu Er was brought up. ¡°That monkey¡¯s got nothing on me old timer. He¡¯s just an annoying upstart. Piece of shit who doesn¡¯t know his place.¡± Koilong felt repulsed at the description. ¡°That¡¯s what you think of him? I¡¯ll admit to not having interacted with him for a while, but he was a spectacular warrior.¡± Zhurong didn¡¯t understand the dragon¡¯s point of view. But likewise, Jiang Koilong also vehemently disagreed with Zhurong¡¯s assessment. As an ascendent dragon, Jiang Koiling was the first among a legion of foreign races that transformed into dragons through cultivation. He knew of the stigma from pure blooded dragons and themselves. Though it wasn¡¯t something openly acknowledged, nor commonly known by outsiders. As such he related to Liu Er somewhat aside from his admiration of the monkey¡¯s performance in the battles they shared together. From the dragon¡¯s perspective, Liu Er was a rebel warrior who clawed his way to power. His birth as an innate god was irrelevant as even if he did not suffer mortal cultivation, he¡¯d still had to fight tooth and nail to become a Chaos Immortal. For ascendent dragons, this was relatable. Even Jiang Koilong fought against his siblings in Da Hai¡¯s pond in order to grasp enough opportunities to become a true dragon. ¡°Hmph,¡± Zhurong grunted. The fire divinity felt Jiang Koilong was being dumb, any interaction with Liu Er can tell you otherwise. ¡°If I see that fucker I¡¯ll burn him to death. He¡¯s lucky Big brother didn¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°You dare? To strike against an ally a this time is akin to treason. You¡¯ll disrupt the harmony of the anti-devil alliance.¡± ¡°Second eldest brother says there¡¯s barely any to begin with,¡± Zhurong sneered. The two dragons beside him looked awkwardly at each other. ¡°Bah, I¡¯ve no time arguing with you, I¡¯ve got devils to kill.¡± As the situation turned sour, the long awaited third faction finally arrived. Their army was a match for both the dragons and the divinities. In fact it may even be bigger. It contained numerous different races, each with differing appearances. Some could be identified as cousin species, others were truly unique clans. ¡°Feiyi? Zhujian? Cloud Trodding Elephants? Bingfeng pigs? Nine tailed¡­how many are there?¡± Jiang Koilong had never seen so many innate creature clan descendent move in unison. They were all scattered about, nowhere were these individuals clumping together with their own races. ¡°What¡¯re they chanting?¡± Zhurong muttered. His own hearing was nowhere near as good as the cultivators beside him. ¡°Demon! Demon! Demon!¡± ¡°Long live the Heavenly Demonic Emperor!¡± ¡°Long shall the Heavenly Demons reign!¡± ¡°Heavenly Demon huh?¡± Jiang Koilong nodded. Beside him, Zhurong raised his eyebrow. At the head of this force was a man wearing spectacles. He wore armour and a long cloak hung across his back displaying the godfiend words for ¡®Eastern Prince¡¯. DING! DONG! ¡°On behalf of my imperial brother, I Taiyi greet you fellow daoist.¡± Taiyi made his presence known by ringing his Chaos Bell once. But just that made his raw power evident. Jiang Koilong felt his throat go dry even at this distance. Just what had grown in the absence of the Dragon Sovereign and Phoenix Sovereign? ¡­ Far below the Great Wilderness, on a crimson shore. A woman with seven hands and a snake¡¯s lower half slithered aimlessly. Houtu, youngest of the Ancestral Divinities and progenitor of the Earth Branch looked like a mortal who hadn¡¯t slept in years. Her eyes were sunken and her features were gaunt. Her hair was unkept as if she was haunted by something. Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuying, Xuanming and the others were all fighting on the surface. She had instead handed off her leading duties to one of her own descendents, a bull headed multi armed divinity named Chi You. Instead of fighting, she wandered the earth. Instead of staying in the Great Wilderness, she descended here. Instead, she peered into the Blood Sea without an ounce of disgust. Rather, she was sorrowful. ¡°What is it about you,¡± Houtu muttered. ¡°All of you? Why do you experience so much¡­so much¡­so so much.¡± Tears began welling in the congenital goddess¡¯ eyes. Within seconds, she was bawling her eyes out. ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡± She roared. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Houtu looked up and saw a middle aged man looked down at her. His expression was initially alarming, followed by shock, but settled on acceptance strangely enough. ¡°Why am I even surprised? Hello Houtu.¡± ¡°Greetings Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord,¡± she answered respectfully while dusting herself. ¡°This is where you disappeared off to?¡± Da Hai raised his fingers, dragging Houtu with invisible force. He led her much further along to an area of the Blood Sea that intersected with the Netherworld. An area where several other individuals sat. ¡°Minghe?¡± ¡°Healer woman,¡± the blood god replied. ¡°I¡¯m here too, I am named Yan Luo, but you can call me Lord Fengdu,¡± the red skinned man said. ¡°What is all this?¡± Houtu demanded of Da Hai. ¡°The ghost devils above, I¡¯m trying to fix that issue,¡± Da Hai said. He stepped atop a floating white lotus with twelve petals and groaned. ¡°We¡¯re making progress, I¡¯m starting to understand this cycling they¡¯re doing. But I¡­hm.¡± Da Hai eyed Houtu from head to tail. It made her suddenly feel self conscious. But she did notice a brief look cross Da Hai¡¯s eye. A look that made her feel cold. ¡°You should join us Houtu. As a creature born with command over the fertility of the earth, you can definitely gleam something. The cycling of these ghost devils is akin to death and rebirth no?¡± ¡°Rebirth?¡± Houtu muttered. That word held deeper meaning to her then expected. But she wasn¡¯t even a cultivator, she did not walk the path of comprehending the Dao. But it still resonated with her. Coiling up, she said, ¡°Very well. I will see what I can do.¡± ¡­ Twenty thousand years had gone by since the war began. In the sky above the West Continent, Taishang observed more territory gained by the anti-devil alliance. Hundun had not appeared in battle for a while making Zulong, Qi An, and Zufeng confident. ¡°Thank you daoist Grand Purity,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e told him. The reason was the woman he was handing over to her. One of the moth¡¯s younger sisters had been gravely injured were it not for his intervention at the last second. ¡°No need no need, she just found me is all,¡± he said. ¡°Even so, you¡¯ve done alot more over the years,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard news of you Three Purities. Your siblings South Continent, you here? You¡¯re making way to clearing your names.¡± The elderly man however had done his part, though not as an officer of their armies. He acted on his lonesome after leaving Yuanshi to take care of Tongtian. Killing devils brought him no pleasure, neither did helping the anti devil alliance in their battles. He hadn¡¯t really planned on participating in so many battles either. But he was also a person of the moment. ¡°Whatever the case, I am in your debt for saving Qi Fei¡¯e. Are you coming back to the fortress?¡± ¡°Hm¡­no, I want to explore a bit more.¡± Yi Fei¡¯e nodded and flew away to rejoin a horde of avians and seafolk. Taishang did not move from his position, but he did feel someone trying to reach him. Hence, he folded space around him. Placing a hand on his head, he activated a small spell. ¡°Master, what do you want?¡± ¡°Taishang, is that how you speak to me? Your junior brother is far more polite,¡± Hongjun¡¯s annoyed voice rang true on the other end. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, never met little Haotian,¡± Taishang said casually. ¡°Were you not busy resting? Why are you contacting me?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the tribulation going?¡± ¡°Hm, could be better, could be worst. The Sea Suppression Heavenly Lord disappeared from active battle though.¡± ¡°Da Hai is gone? I thought he¡¯d be gun hoe for killing Luohu.¡± Taishang did not withhold much information for Hongjun. But he spoke mostly in broad strokes and neglected to mention smaller details such as the reason behind Yuanshi being in the South Continent. Throughout the quick summary, Hongjun did not speak a word. But eventually he sighed. ¡°I am still busy, I cannot spare much time outside of this call. But I want you to go east and protect your junior brother. Haotian is capable but even he can be overwhelmed,¡± Hongjun said. Afterwards, he abruptly cut the connection. Taishang found it a bit strange. Hongjun sounded like he was being hurried. Truthfully, Taishang cannot claim to know Hongjun well. In fact, they¡¯ve only met face to face one. But even that meeting could barely be considered one. Yuanshi and Tongtian had not developed consciousness back then. Taishang hadn¡¯t materialized his body either. Unfortunately, he became awake just a little ahead of his siblings and caught Hongjun¡¯s arrival. The Grand Pure One didn¡¯t move from his location for a while. He did glance east for a bit, but then shook his head. Instead, his attention locked onto a little particle of yin qi. Quickly descending, he slammed into the earth. His wrinkly hand gripped onto a quivering ghost like entity. ¡°What are you?¡± He observed the blob of yin qi. It was simultaneously a ghost devil yet also not at the same time. Almost like it was trying to form but failing to do so. Instead, strands of it was being pulled towards the soil. ¡°Huh, fascinating.¡± Converged Paths over 30,000 years III(Builders of Netherworld) Converged Paths over 30,000 years III (Builders of Netherland) ¡°Hm.¡± Da Hai¡¯s grunt of frustration did not cause any ripple in the air. But his partners in his endeavour could feel it all the same. ¡°At least its not sharp this time?¡± The self proclaimed lord of Fengdu, Yanluo said after glancing over. Da Hai¡¯s current body was by no means small anymore. Currently, his hair had transformed into long serpents stretching for numerous kilometres. He himself already sat cross legged as a hundred and eight thousand kilometre tall giant. Within the palm of his massive hand was a mirage imprint of a hammer. ¡°Still a killing tool,¡± the Chaos Immortal said. Houtu didn¡¯t even bother replying, she was floating on a platform of red seawater paler than she¡¯d ever been. Her blood essence was constantly donated for Da Hai and the rest¡¯s attempts. However, it was mostly experiments and stumbling in the dark. Minghe and Yanluo were fundamentally warriors while Da Hai was more at heart as a peaceful hermit. Though the latter has refined treasures in the past, he was more knowledgeable on weaponry. ¡°Theoretically speaking, the hammer in my hand can smash and disperse the bodies of ghost devils. But that isn¡¯t what we need,¡± the godfiend said. ¡°This is getting absurd.¡± From the corner of his eye, he considered killing Houtu right then and there. It was not out of any malicious intent, but rather an acknowledgement to her fate according to myth. But with so many factors in play, the lack of Heavenly Dao, the unknowns were too dangerous to leave up to myth. Da Hai stood up startling after pondering for a few minutes. ¡°It¡¯s become clear there¡¯s still so much missing. I alone do not fully comprehend all this and while all of you understand pieces of death and the process of souls, it¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°Yeah? And what do you suggest?¡± Minghe called out. Over the years, he¡¯d gotten more comfortable yet also annoyed by Da Hai. ¡°We already know negative energy is a cause for deceased spirits to wonder here. We know the universe already has a preset motion for reincarnation. Why isn¡¯t it enough? What other causes do we need?¡± ¡°Causes? Vehicle of movement hm?¡± Da Hai¡¯s had to think. ¡°Cause and effect, reminds me of what that monk would say,¡± Houtu said groggily. ¡°Jieyin or Zhunti?¡± Da Hai asked before anyone could respond. This shocked the rest as they were not aware that Da Hai knew of them. ¡°Uh¡­I think it was the multi armed one. Zhunti?¡± ¡°I know how karma works,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°But if nothing else. You all wait here, continue to experiment.¡± ¡°Sure sure,¡± Minghe grunted. In his bloody hands, he was playing with moulding a primordial beast encased in red seawater. Yanluo was fiddling with his Jiangshi using yin qi while Houtu still rested. Flashing countless distances away, Da Hai teleported back to the Great Wilderness in a torrent of saltwater. Above the entire dimension, his gaze traveled across all corners of the world. He¡¯d only distantly matched looks with Mara but Hundun ignored him due to being in a tussle against Zulong, Qi An, and Zufeng. To Da Hai¡¯s relief, things had stabalized a lot more. Haotian¡¯s disobedience was aggravating but he can ignore it for now. ¡°What does Buddhist light even feel like?¡± Da Hai had little idea what kind of aura the two monks from the west would emit. It wasn¡¯t like these things came with a manual. Eventually, he identified some type of cleansing spell being used against an army of ghost devils. The blob of yin qi was being reduced by an exponential amount. He vaguely knew Buddhism in xianxia stories was the antithesis of devil qi. Hence he did not waste time teleporting in that direction. As luck would have it, he was right. A handsome long haired man sat in the middle of a battalion of cultivators. He appeared very peaceful as he chanted mantra after mantra. The feeling was so potent that it even gave Da Hai the feeling to remain at peace in his heart. Weather it was Jieyin or Zhunti that was performing the spell, it was not in the language of the Chaos Godfiends. The affects it gave off actually contained parts that Da Hai recognized when he witnessed devils in action. Not ripped out of Luohu¡¯s lineage, but things clearly made in observation of them. ¡°But instead of excessive indulgence, it¡¯s offering to¡­more of a restrained balance? Not what I was expecting?¡± Nevertheless, Da Hai manifested a flag pole in his hand. Using the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag, he created a vortex of reality rending seawater. Neither side of combatants expected this to happen. The monk chanting, Zhunti would¡¯ve been frightened to death had he not realized seconds later that this attack was not aimed for him. Afterwards, he watched as his foes were being swept away, some being crushed by the weight of Da Hai¡¯s attack. ¡°Ah benefactor, it¡¯s easier to disperse them like this.¡± Zhunti did not want to sound smug, but he deduced he was much better at dealing with ghost devils despite Da Hai¡¯s vastly superior raw power. He clasped his hands and injected his Dao of Cycling Karmic Wheel into Da Hai¡¯s attack. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Every action of a Chaos Immortal contained their Dao. It was a perpetual truth that anytime two Chaos Immortals interacted, wether it be combat or recreational activity, it was fundamentally a discussion between two Daos. It just depended on the strength of one¡¯s Dao heart, a mix of determination and belief in one¡¯s own path, whether one would suffer or not. Over three course of the war, Zhunti had used ghost devils as a whetstone of sorts. His Dao had evolved continuously as he fought. What was once a theory of a Great Unity Golden Immortal was now a law on the workings of cause and effect. Da Hai did not resist as their attacks combined. ¡°Good,¡± Da Hai uttered with a smile. ¡°Heavenly Lord!¡± The cultivators supporting Zhunti greeted Da Hai. The latter didn¡¯t pay them too much attention. He didn¡¯t waste time grabbing the monk and teleporting away. At the same time he informed the cultivators present to join up with a nearby contingent he¡¯d seen. Afterwards, Da Hai explained everything to Zhunti. Such magnitude of the task that Da Hai wanted his help with boggled the innate god¡¯s mind. So much so that the seemingly tranquil daoist Zhunti suggested his senior brother. However, Zhunti was the one who cultivated a Dao that dealt majorly in cause and effect. His understanding of it as a main subject would¡¯ve exceeded Da Hai¡¯s who¡¯s own study of it came from tertiary source through comprehending aspects of the limitless principle. Even Jieyin¡¯s Dao dealt with the refraining of all worldly desires and the promise of salvation by his presence. Both monk¡¯s Daos were tempered by their drive to bring salvation to the people of the west who they viewed as being enslaved by the Devilish Dao. Yet Zhunti¡¯s Dao of Cycling Karmic Wheel held the movement of an individual¡¯s existence through perpetual reincarnation via karma. With this in mind, even if Jieyin was equally as effective in dealing with devils, Zhunti¡¯s Dao became preferable. ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Zhunti tangentially agreed. ¡­ A thousand and sixteen years after Da Hai forcibly brought Zhunti to the Netherworld, an old man stepped through the belly button of Pangu. The brilliant light of yin and yang constantly changed from one to another throughout each of his eyeballs. As the others made experimental enchantments, the best dragon at refining artefacts was present working alongside them. His cultivation was not high, being largely supplemented by Da Hai¡¯s own power. But Taishang¡¯s appearance was enough to attract Da Hai¡¯s attention. ¡°Make yourself known.¡± ¡°Oceanic Heavenly Lord,¡± Taishang the Grand Pure One of the Three Pure Ones bowed respectfully. ¡°I was curious and followed the sudden shift in movements of yin qi and found myself here. So this is where senior had gone all this time?¡± Taishang was not lying when he said he was curious. Wether it be a true flight of fancy or some convoluted scheme did not matter to Da Hai. What was important was Taishang¡¯s ability to easily identify yin energy flow at a single glance. Da Hai thought he shouldn¡¯t be surprised, he stood before a man who was supposed to represent the change between the two extremities. ¡°Your kind has a lot of audacity to even be here,¡± Da Hai said. Though Taishang was not the true target of his anger. Though he long since sworn off judging any familiar names he meets simply based on fictional interpretations, he was unable to hold his own distaste back due to what happened with Yinglong. ¡°My brother is incredibly sorry for what happened to the senior Dragon King,¡± Taishang said. ¡°Yuanshi has since been shoring up defences for the South Seas Dragon Palace and participated in numerous battles in many settlements across the Great Wilderness. ¡°Tis true, he refined a few handy tools that assisted my nineteenth body.¡± Minghe had long lost whatever care he had towards the situation. His fear of possible existence erasure and his current main focus certainly dulled his etiquette. ¡°Refinement?¡± Without the Heavenly Dao¡¯s discrimination, Da Hai attempted divination. The secrets of heaven and earth vaguely opened up to him, but he was able to see some of the situation regarding Yuanshi¡¯s actions. ¡°He¡¯s always been good at that. My sister in formations, myself in alchemy, him in refinement.¡± Taishang looked at the gathered assortment of people. The likes of Zhunti, Minghe, Yan Luo, Houtu all seemed random to the old man. But with all the treasure lights, a combination of sinful cries and melodious hymns indicated a failed formation of a spiritual treasure of sorts. ¡°I can find my brother for you.¡± ¡°You think an innate god barely a Yuanhui old is superior to the sum total of a million years old civilization?¡± There was half a sneer and half a prayer that Yuanshi was a phoney. Yet at this point he would accept anything. Now looking a little insulted, Taishang said he could try which Da Hai relented to. The Grand Pure One¡¯s abrupt visit ended just like that. Yet Da Hai knew he would be back soon. He was proven right when eight hundred years later, Da Hai saw him return with Yuanshi. ¡°Hai.¡± Da Hai faced Yuanshi. ¡°Show me what you can do.¡± Yuanshi appeared greatly changed from what Da Hai had seen many years prior. More subdued, more thoughtful as he observed the ongoing around him. Taishang was right in that Yuanshi had contributed greatly towards the war over the years. It may not always be actively on the front lines, but he improved the situation when manpower could not be spared. After meeting and learning with Zhunti, Da Hai could also identify the gathering amount of good fortune karma around him. This was the accumulation of destiny, the result of someone who¡¯s been doing great deeds and symbolizes a potential for flourishing future. An effect from a cause one could say. Da Hai glanced sideways towards the endless void. Then he frowned. ¡­ In the void between realms, A sudden violent clash of power rang throughout the cosmos. Were it not for a few factors, the other Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals would¡¯ve easily detected it. First and foremost, the shockwave was blocked from nearing the Great Wilderness by black cloak treasure. Second, the clash lacked true ferocity. It was one side attacking and the other blocking and being pushed back voluntarily. Third, it was incredibly brief. As such, only the grunt of pain from a mighty being could be heard. At the same time, tendrils of confusing tides swarmed into the void between realms. They acted not out of malice nor even to stabalize the situation. Rather it was a form of chaos that directed what remained of that clash into another direction. ¡°I do not wish for conflict fellow daoist.¡± Out of the mass of chaos, a naked six armed faceless figure emerged. His forearms on two of his limbs were scratched leaking blood essence. Opposed to him, close to the outer barrier of the Netherworld, an ocean recondensed into a humanoid form. Da Hai held a perpetual frown, one that also contained confusion and wariness. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not here to fight,¡± Hundun said. He raised all six of his arms in a surrendering pose. ¡°But I do value my life, if you attack I will defend myself. Such a battle will rouse some people you do not want to rouse for now.¡± ¡°Luohu thinks he can just negotiate with me?¡± This was accompanied by the hissing of several different serpents. Hundun could even hear violent wave crashing against each other as though a storm was occurring in the middle of the ocean. ¡°You have true reason to be at war against Luohu. But you and I need not be enemies.¡± ¡°Betraying the devil cause?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± Hundun straightened his back but maintained a certain distance. Da Hai did the same, but in his arms the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag appeared fluttering dangerously. ¡°Speak. What can you even offer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already helped. Do you think the sudden rise in the flow of yin qi is unnoticeable? Between the last six thousand years, nine thousand before that, at several intervals there had been violent jerks that were distinctly not the recreation of bodies for deceased devils. I had been keeping things under raps.¡± ¡°Strange of you to appear now then if you had known,¡± Da Hai snorted. ¡°I couldn¡¯t confirm the exact location,¡± Hundun said without a hint of embarrassment. ¡°It was only by luck I followed those two purities.¡± Da Hai¡¯s fists tightened before relaxing. He materialized a table in the middle of space and sat down on one end of it. Hundun did the same on the other side. No further accomodations were served however. ¡°You want to create an organized reincarnation, one that will absorb the constantly returning ghost devils and even the negative karma devils tend to accumulate. You may not be aware, but Mara isn¡¯t from our race of Chaos Godfiends? He is from another area of the Chaos Sea called the Fourteen Realms.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Hundun noticed the lack of true surprise but didn¡¯t call him out on it. ¡°I do not know more then that, but I do know the current formation that of ghost devils was created from inspiration from that place by Mara. I¡¯ve studied it extensively during my tenure. I can help you.¡± ¡°I already have people experienced in sinful energies, cause and effect, yin qi and just death in general. Even a skilled artefact refiner,¡± Da Hai chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re still working from outside in. I can help you work from inside out. The method which Mara used was originally part of six total parts. Though you have a goddess connected to life, It¡¯s too all encompassing. I sense a lack of one that possess the skills of a more specificity towards mortality. ¡®Nuwa,¡¯ Da Hai concluded in his mind. He cursed the complexity of building up the reincarnation process as it was one more fighter he¡¯d have to remove from the Great Wilderness. ¡°What¡¯s your game Hundun? What do you want?¡± Hundun tilted his head. Though he had no facial expressions, Da Hai sensed his mood to be the same as Luohu¡¯s when they met on that beach over a million years ago. The very same confusion. The godfiend¡¯s answer had a similar yearning as well. ¡°What any good godfiend wants fellow daoist. To advance.¡± Converged Paths over 30,000 years(Come to Death) As millions of battles occurred throughout the entire world, death became a constant. Since the start of the tribulation, the rise and fall of heroes became part of daily life for the vast majority of living beings. Over the course of this time, billions of immortals had long perished, quintillions upon quintillions of mortal living beings had also lost their lives. Da Hai had not appeared in the Great Wilderness for a while. He only sporadically appeared leading to questions from numerous powerhouses regarding his absence. What¡¯s more, several powerful innate god heroes had also disappeared. Rumours were already circulating that those such as Zhunti or Yuanshi had fallen to the ¡®brave heroes¡¯ of the western Devilish Dao. Beneath the constellations of the Four Symbols Divine Beasts, a long if steadily breaking stalemate had set in. Too many were unsatisfied with this result. Chief amongst them was the eldest disciple of Yingzhou, Zulong himself who currently situated within an arena of his own clouds. Near the end of the yuanhui, Zulong found himself lamenting his inability to destroy all his enemies in one go. Years ago, there was an assurance in his mind of his innate superiority. No matter how much Da Hai tried to stamp it out, it remained. Multiple yuanhui of dominance, of his people enjoying great prosperity thanks to the magnificent destiny he¡¯d accumulated through his great karmic luck. Generations of powerful dragons both pure blood and ascendant grew under his eye. An entire era of pure dominance was now nearing its end. As Soveriegn, Zulong could feel it. His empire clashing for so long against the devils had exhausted themselves. The immortal tide of the enemy was far beyond his understanding. Even without Da Hai¡¯s directive, four hundred years ago he¡¯d assaulted Mt Sumeru along with his fellow sovereigns. Flashes of blinding light, a giant with numerous arms wielding his terrifying bow. An old enemy to be sure, but one who¡¯s power was still above his own. It had been a tough pill to swallow. The suppression effect was strongest around Mt Sumeru. Not even dozens upon dozens of Chaos Immortals could counteract it for long. Even Zulong could only utilize sixty percent of his power magical abilities. ¡°A¡­a¡­apo¡­logies¡­your¡­ma¡­majesty.¡± A dying dragon, one who¡¯d cultivated to the Chaos Immortal realm was on the verge of perishing before his eyes. One who¡¯s now falling post battle after being unable to hold on with his injuries. His Dao fruit was already shattered by an enemy devil formation. His true soul was damaged beyond repair and his flesh housed anything but vitality. Zulong as upon a sea of clouds high above the safer regions in the West Continent. The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword hovered by his side, one of the few reasons they¡¯d been able to maintain order. ¡°Another one huh?¡± Qi An said approaching him. The Qilin Sovereign had grown disensitized to the death of similar level mighty beings. ¡°Those Devil Yin God formations are too strong.¡± Another new deployment. It seemed even in death, devils found ways to innovate. Taking inspiration from the formations their enemies deployed to make their weaker troops able to fight on par with true experts. The Devil Yin God formation combined three dozens Devils Great Emperors into a single perfect entity. Zulong grunted but otherwise did not respond. He silently wished the deceased dragon elder a peaceful prayer before turning away. ¡°But that least that guy¡¯s machines are putting in work,¡± Qi An added. That guy referred to Yuanshi the Jade Purity. Surprisingly to the two elder immortals, the innate god had a knack for crafting. After a short stay in the South Sea, he proceeded to contribute greatly to the war. ¡°You didn¡¯t even try that karmic recalling trick on Mara,¡± Zulong suddenly spoke up. ¡°You were there, did he look like he¡¯d even entertain the idea? Trump cards only work once.¡± THOOM! THOOM! Both Chaos Immortals spread their senses out simultaneously. The shockwaves in the void between realms were ever ferocious, clear sightings of the combatants duking it out within barely visible. The sole reason the three sovereigns had the courage to attempt a raid on Sumeru despite its defences. Da Hai was keeping Hundun busy in a prolonged battle. A battle which started centuries ago and lasted until now. ¡°They¡¯ve stopped.¡± The dragon uncoiled his form, dissipating shrouds of auspicious cloud. The void had not returned to its tranquil state, but two titanic presences within it had disengaged. The one signifying Hundun was heading away while his own master remained where he was. Through his divine sense, Zulong felt Da Hai¡¯s gaze zero in on him. A momentary link between master and disciple was created and a message passed through. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± He uttered aloud. Qi An tilted his head at the invisible conversation. He¡¯d had some suspicions himself, those only grew stronger. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll direct them your way.¡± The dragon craned his neck back to face Qi An, simultaneously he sent a message to an dragon expert and told him to pass the same message to Zufeng. ¡°New plan, we marshal our forces and immediately to head to the Netherworld.¡± ¡­ ¡°This will fully swing favours to our side?¡± Atop a majestic throne decorated with feathery solar engravings, Di Jun leaned forward. By his side, his loyal brother Taiyi and his new wife Xihe appeared more unsure. Fuxi stood lower down appearing equally unsure. Beside him was his sister, Nuwa who had over the course of years found herself collaborating with Di Jun¡¯s Heavenly Demon faction. Compared to Di Jun¡¯s people who wore scholarly robes or armour, she was incredibly underdressed. Fuxi was much like her, only he had officially joined Di Jun in the last ten thousand years. Since the ferocity on the western front died, Fuxi decided he¡¯d be of more use fighting back against invading devils attacking the rest of the world. Now fully a minister who also acted as a general, he had reunited with Nuwa through. ¡°Netherworld, drawing in the souls. Hm, would it even be possible to pull the true souls of all those ghost devils? The mass must be staggering,¡± Nuwa said with a finger on her chin. Everyone, from Di Jun to his demon advisors all gazed at her since she was an authority on the subject. ¡°We¡¯ve spent nearly thirty thousand years on this, well I haven¡¯t been there that long but the Oceanic Heavenly Lord, Blood daoist Minghe and some others have,¡± Taishang the Grand Pure One said. ¡°My brother and he ran the numbers. The ritual can pull them in easily. The hard part would be to keep it in.¡± ¡°You¡¯d need things to balance it out, ghost devils are extremely volatile. The randomness of the reincarnation system would be counter productive¡­¡± Nuwa half rambled, half realizing the possibilities. ¡°Which is why the they¡¯d like you to come first, see what¡¯s been worked on.¡± Fuxi frowned, ¡°My sister has been fighting non stop for countless years. She¡¯s earned her rest. Surely a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal would know more.¡± Nuwa quickly reassured Fuxi, but the latter tightened his fist. Truth be told, he felt a bit helpless. Yet it was hard for the innate god to see the little sister he played with as a supreme powerhouse of current year. Fighting for so long, even if not physically draining, was still mentally exhausting. Di Jun meanwhile considered things wisely. The relatively young emperor had some mental conversations with Taiyi, Xihe, and ten other powerful demons surrounding them. But ultimately, they knew the decision will be for Nuwa. She was affiliated with them, but not truly part of them. She was also too powerful to be controlled by him so he didn¡¯t even bother. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a solution. Might as well head over,¡± she quickly said. ¡°Sister you¡¯ve already done so much, you¡­¡± ¡°And just keep things as they are? Come on Fuxi you¡¯re smarter then that.¡± ¡°Actually, the Oceanic Heavenly Lord also requests all of you. When the time for the ritual comes, the commotion is calculated to be extremely loud. Having you all there to defend them while they work will be crucial,¡± Taishang added. He wanted to leave now that his message was passed. ¡°Hang on, you¡¯re saying we should be meat shields for you all? You¡¯re majesty you must not commit based on so little, especially since this might weaken us for the dragons to assault the East Continent once the war is¡­¡± Di Jun¡¯s glare silenced the Nine Infants Sage who¡¯d just spoken up. The Golden Crow¡¯s aura burned with so much heat that the nine headed demon felt like he¡¯d combust. ¡°Such topics is irrelevant in a dire time like this,¡± Di Junior declared. ¡°I¡¯ll marshal my forces. Fellow daoist Nuwa¡¯s wishes are her own. But my Heavenly Demons will defend this ritual at all costs!¡± ¡­ It was not only Taishang, Minghe, Houtu, Zhunti, Yanluo had all departed on Da Hai¡¯s orders to help notify everyone on his side. The need for secrecy was important, but less so as the devils will inevitably find out in short order. Minghe with all his bodies contacted various armies that had not been informed by the higher ups. Zhunti went to the Eastern areas to notify the dragon and phoenix forces that were too far away for Zulong and Zufeng. Houtu naturally went to her family. Houtu had touched herself up before meeting Di Jiang and the rest. Her tired state buried, her melancholy mood suppressed. There was a bitter and helpless look in her gaze that also went largely unnoticed by her siblings. Houtu didn¡¯t even need to work hard to convince the rest of the Earthly Divinities. All twelve branches were eager to leap to what they assumed was her plan to end the eternally harassing ghost devil threat. With their ability to now combine into stronger formations, even more simple divinities realized the need to invest in the ritual she¡¯d told them. As such, armies of titanic weird creatures began running for the entrance to the Netherworld. Yanluo though, went to track down his old friend. Haotian was not an easy man to find despite how widespread his name was to mortals. The white robed immortal was constantly on the move. The corpse using innate god spent several decades before finally encountering him on a village in the North Continent. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you brother Haotian,¡± Yanluo said as soon as he saw him. Haotian had not changed much physically, perhaps more grim but otherwise he was unchanged. He was also accompanied by another two innate gods. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Working off his surprise, Haotian was quick to speak up. ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t lord Fengdu. These are my comrades Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu. They¡¯ve helped me greatly over the years.¡± ¡°Tis true,¡± Dong Wanggong put aside his dragon headed staff and saluted the red skinned innate god. ¡°My wife and I are sworn brothers of fellow daoist Haotian.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve heard about you, a puppeteer of corpses,¡± Xi Wangmu added with slight hints of interest. ¡°I¡¯ve always been fascinated with death related topics.¡± Yanluo proceeded to explain the situation to the trio. But while Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu were illuminated, Haotian sucked in his breath. ¡°Did he specifically tell you to reach out to me?¡± Haotian suddenly asked. Yanluo was surprised by the question, but he shook his head. ¡°Well I assume he¡¯d want to. I mean he didn¡¯t say anything specific but I figured with your strength,¡± he trailed off to something Haotian wasn¡¯t quite listening to him. Haotian reached deep within him and tugged at the semi visible strands of he and Da Hai¡¯s shared Dao fruit. To his sadness, he didn¡¯t receive a proper response. Just a simple, ¡®leave it to me, don¡¯t get involved.¡¯ ¡°Setting up samsara huh.¡± Haotian muttered with a wondering gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it needing so many.¡± ¡°You say something?¡± Xi Wangmu asked. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s imperative we go to the Netherworld. It¡¯ll be for the betterment of the future,¡± he said. ¡­ Da Hai sat in a quiet Netherworld. Only the chimes of Yuanshi tinkering with some gadgets. Beside him sat a mass of chaos, a remnant of his co-conspirator. A fact Da Hai still found confounding. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind. But I¡¯m gonna inform Luohu,¡± Hundun¡¯s remnant said. ¡°After burning his Nascent Soul for power, I¡¯m sure you know but last several thirty thousand years is too little to properly heal.¡± ¡°With the threat to their defences, I¡¯m sure even Mara will recognize the need to disturb him. And if he doesnt, I have the authority to anyway,¡± he continued despite Da Hai appearing disinterested. ¡°And he¡¯ll come on your words alone?¡± Da Hai asked. ¡°He knows he¡¯s more fucked without the formation defending him. Even if it risks further injury, you can assume he¡¯d make an appearance. Either way, he¡¯ll be weakened. You won¡¯t be too harsh on devil cultivations I take it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s war, no promises,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°No promises on my end either,¡± Hundun replied in kind. ¡°You two¡­¡± a third voice manifested in the same location. Yuanshi did not notice him as Hongjun appeared holding a swirling ball in his hand. Serpents immediately manifested along Da Hai¡¯s hair while Hundun did not visibly react. The ball in Hongjun¡¯s hand barred unending contempt Da Hai¡¯s way, but otherwise did not move to attack. ¡°You¡¯re both unwanted and unneeded,¡± Da Hai said flatly. ¡°Crawl back to where you were hiding coward.¡± ¡°Rude,¡± Hongjun replied. ¡°I did not and still do not wish to be your enemy Da Hai, I¡¯ve been recovering all the same. But I see we have similar goals to Luohu¡¯s downfall. I¡¯m just here to see what you¡¯ve planned.¡± ¡°Better then yours. Go jump in headfirst and got what you deserve.¡± ¡°You just can¡¯t help yourself,¡± Hundun muttered with no small amusement after observing the two. ¡°You are more unexpected Confusion Demon God,¡± Hongjun said to the remnant. ¡°What do you seek to gain?¡± ¡°Why do you care? I want Luohu gone just as you. That¡¯s all that matters. I have no stake in you two¡¯s grudge, as long as we all achieve our common cause.¡± Da Hai stood up with a glare. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what I¡¯ve been doing. Now fuck off!¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Hongjun snorted despite himself. Is palm clenched the whirling ball in his arm preventing some tendrils from spilling out. ¡°No my friend, he¡¯s an ally for the Primitive World.¡± ¡°Heaven,¡± Da Hai said with unsure feelings. ¡°Well I¡¯m satisfied with this. I will aid you when the battle starts. This is non negotiable.¡± ¡°Inserting yourself where you don¡¯t belong? You should follow Qiankun¡¯s example.¡± ¡°On the contrary, I¡­no we are very much part of this tribulation as you are.¡± He gestured towards the Heavenly Dao¡¯s weakened self in his grasp. His eyes flashed purple and he was gone. Only after an hour did Da Hai finally relax. Along came a monkey ¡°Incorporating this? Hai¡­look it¡¯s bit on the. How should I put it, lower quality side.¡± ¡°Sixteen thousand years and you came up with¡­I suppose it¡¯ll do for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m speechless¡­yeah just think what you will.¡± ¡°Foolish junior brother, you¡¯ve always been blind but I did not expect you to be so foolish as to not see the benefits.¡± Hands tightened into fists. Clouds of miasma around the unlit chamber echoed distant cries. For the single individual sitting in a lotus position, breathing quickened. Surrounding him, four floating swords without a single blemish hummed an irritating metallic scraping sound. Numerous strange Dao phenomena, representative of billions upon billions, perhaps even trillions of immortal cultivators struggled against one another. The Devilish Dao¡¯s core teachings continued to be read out over and over again, emanating from a Dao fruit above the individual. Serving as a core, it bound together all the Daos ever cultivated throughout the lineage¡¯s history into a state resembling a cosmos. But Luohu¡¯s eyelids quivered and he struggled to stay still. The qi around him changed from one state to another state creating a state of confusion not unlike the Chaos Sea. But it became clear that Luohu was not feeling stable. ¡°No¡­no¡­get out of my head.¡± Invisible to all but the Devil Ancestor, the dissatisfied look of an ancient burly daoist dressed in purple continued to haunt his mind. The purple clouds surrounding this old man spoke up texts upon texts of celestial concepts. But to Luohu, it all sounded like drivel. ¡°You know nothing¡­I¡¯m better.¡± ¡°I surpassed you.¡± Veins bludged of the young looking cultivator¡¯s neck and elbows. Glistening sweat somehow seeped from his immortal body. A reflection of his mental state than true excrement of impurities. A slight squeaking sound due to the forced opening of his private cultivation chambers caused him to cry out. Luohu¡¯s eyes opened to reveal a reddened gaze mixed with humiliation, agony, and indignant anger. THOOM! His power was forced out, manifesting into concussive force blowing the individual who¡¯d dared disturb him. Hundun found himself unsteady, nearly knocked flying out of the mountain if it weren¡¯t for his own resistance. As Mara made no attempts to help the godfiend, Hundun still slammed into a wall. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re¡­¡± Mara frowned in open distress upon seeing Luohu¡¯s body. Previously, he¡¯d trusted the devil to recover to peak condition and to emerge looking like his old self. But currently, Luohu appeared more like a street beggar. ¡°Good to see you my lord,¡± Hundun grunted out. ¡°Now can you please lessen the pressure? I¡¯m not keen to fight my own friend.¡± Luohu scanned around before the madness in his gaze dissipated. He frowned and immediately attempted so basic divination to tell time and world events. Immediately his head was assaulted with static. ¡°The interference from tribulation qi is calamitous especially to divinations,¡± Hundun made sure to remind the godfiend. ¡°I know, but I¡¯m a third order celestial lifeform. A Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal unrestricted by a mere Chaos World!¡± Luohu snarled while rising up. ¡°What is it you both want? I ordered myself not to be disturbed until I recovered.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been issues,¡± Mara said. Understanding what Luohu would bring up next next, he immediately continued. ¡°My ghost devils are doing well and did prevent our enemies to encroach on Sumeru for a time. But unfortunately, I believe they may¡¯ve found a way to not only take down all our defences.¡± ¡°Technically the two revolutionary innate gods had a way to deal with ghost devils,¡± Hundun muttered. ¡°Hongjun¡¯s gotta be behind this,¡± Luohu immediately concluded. ¡°Fucking old bastard, always meddling, always interfering, always with that smug¡­¡± the entirety of Mt Sumeru shook according to Luohu¡¯s inability to control himself. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Brother control yourself,¡± Mara urged. ¡°Who the fuck is your brother¡­ah.¡± Luohu took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry, that was not meant for you.¡± ¡°I know. But we need to do something. I saw the dragon and phoenix pulling back earlier. Hundun is telling me large forces are retreating towards the Netherworld. The flow of yin qi is also being distrusted. I do not trust our own forces to be strong enough to fight back that kind of firepower if they are performing a counter measure and putting their all into protecting it.¡± Luohu was silently seething as he listened. For some reason his mind always went back to the thought of Hongjun. Their final meeting and break up before Pangu¡¯s massacring of their people. The events leading up to that eventuality. All the way back to their first meeting and their ¡®partnership¡¯. ¡­ ¡°I see, while it¡¯s unfortunate I would not be able to defend the oceans for the time being. I will do as my sovereign commands.¡± Zhunti nodded along with Taishang who stood alongside him. The two did not plan to meet up, merely bumping into each other on their way to fulfil Da Hai¡¯s orders. The booming voice they were speaking to was Jiang koilong who roosted within his own layer of auspicious clouds. The ascended dragon¡¯s army was significantly smaller as they had split up over time to better protect vast areas across the Four Seas. The Primal Zenith dragon had stationed himself on the shoreline of the Eastern Sea when Zhunti and Taishang found him. ¡°You¡¯ve also informed her majesty as well?¡± ¡°I informed prince Chi Wen who said he would inform his mother,¡± Taishang said. Zhunti looked in astonishment as the amount of people Taishang managed to spread the news to was staggeringly higher than himself. He wondered how fast was the guy. ¡°But before I can get there, I have to relieve some of my friends first,¡± Jiang Koilong said. ¡°The old ghost Rippling Reflection resurrected again and now assaults Yugong village. Some of my fellow dragons are trapped there.¡± Taishang read the deep look of distress on his dragonic face and nodded. He calculated that this was probably because the trapped dragons were also ascendant dragons with no dragon ancestry. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Me too benefactors.¡± ¡°Take you two, we¡¯re still at war.¡± The gargantuan dragon uncoiled to fly away. As he moved, his clouds took the form of a school of carps. Even his scales started showing imagery of similar fishes. His posture while flying also resembled a carp swaying its body while swimming. The elderly looking Taishang couldn¡¯t help but be entranced. ¡°Are his movements that interesting?¡± Zhunti found himself asking aloud. ¡°I found it beautiful just now. Nothing else really.¡± The two, daoist and monk turned around to leave. The vast majority of their people had been informed and the top powers now made their way towards the Netherworld. Every sign pointed towards there being the next largest battle since the opening of the war. Zhunti sighed, he was looking forward to it. Not just because things seem to be ending soon, but that he¡¯d have a chance to reunite with Jieyin again. Ever since Da Hai co-opted him to the Netherworld, he had not seen his senior brother. Unlike Zhunti, Taishang found time to track down Tongtian. His ability to teleport across the Great Wilderness was unlike Zhunti had ever seen. The two passed a fair distance out from the shoreline into swampy territory. Even as the qi in the area changed, neither noticed as it was too similar to the natural disposition of the Primitive World. ¡°Hm, I could¡¯ve helped him out with that ghost devil,¡± Zhunti suddenly murmured. He regretted not thinking about it at the time. Since birth to now, Zhunti thought himself thoughtful and kind. True, he had to be devious in order to survive a West Continent who prosecuted him. But he fought back for a freer world where the Devilish Dao no longer oppressed everyone. To Zhunti, it was imperative that the Devilish Dao is vanquished off the face of the earth. Their teachings preached not only excess, but encouraged bloody power struggles that endlessly ground down the foundation of his homeland. If one did not join in their bandwagon, then they¡¯d be exterminated with extreme prejudice. Nothing but the Devilish Dao can ever be entertained. ¡®Senior brother Jieyin, sooner then later this tribulation will be over. Then the West Continent can finally be free and¡­and¡­and¡­¡¯ ¡®Oh woo wooo woooo. The west is poor and I¡¯m so weak and pathetic. I need to hide and kiss daddy Hongjun¡¯s ass. Ah wooo woooo woooo!¡¯ Beside him, Taishang sensed the emergence of water. He noticed Zhunti¡¯s expression changing, from one of hopeful optimism to something akin to one of self pity. The innate god had started crying. ¡°Ah¡­ah¡­ah¡­the west is bar¡­,¡± Zhunti slurred out uncontrollably. His hairline also started thinning. Outside he could barely speak, yet internally. ¡®Barren barren so barren. I suffer so much. All treasures in the world should have destiny with me. I will rob the robbery and take babies to revitalize the west.¡¯ ¡°Wooo wooo wooo. I hide and scheme against the robbery. Amitabha, this pathetic bald donkey has destiny with your treasures. Please sacrifice babies to me to revive the the poor barren west.¡± Taishang flung out his hand and stopped Zhunti mid flight. The sudden shock of the hit stopped Zhunti mid speech causing him to tumble through the air before crashing into a foothill. This was because Zhunti had suddenly motioned to attack the innate god. ¡°Fellow daoist what is the matter with¡­I will cultivate the most ruthless of the Heavenly Dao and scheme to absorb the Yuan Yuan and th.¡± Taishang raised his right hand and harshly rubbed his nose bridge with a groan. ¡°Why did I suddenly think that?¡± What occurred in the recess of his mind was suddenly piles upon piles of complex yet silly schemes. All to cultivate a caricature of his ¡®inaction Dao¡¯ where he would claim to do nothing but scheme against everyone and everything. It grew so needlessly complex that Taishang immediately recognized that as wholly unlike himself. ¡°The most ruthless? Why would I need to¡­¡± He stopped and turned to a rising Zhunti. He had assumed his golden eighteen armed for and grew monstrously big. Yet despite the size of mountain ranges, he was still crying and begging. Taishang naturally grew alarmed. His senses flexed hard as he took in his entire surroundings. He began noticing little things he hadn¡¯t bothered paying attention to. Things such asvillage fifty kilometres away inhabited by mortal cultivators. A confrontation which he immediately divined as between a brother sister duo, and a friend. Their histories told him they were friendly with each other since childhood with no ill will. But mere hours ago their attitudes changed. Now the two boys were fighting over who gets to use the ¡®cauldron¡¯ while the girl was spouting how she¡¯ll betray the two for treasures. This was not an isolated case as across hundreds of thousands of kilometres, numerous living beings were arguing or fighting for bizarre out of character reasons devoid of their previous dispositions. Thud! A food step stomped pass the foothill and a tiny figure summersaulted towards Zhunti¡¯s crying balding head. ¡°As pathetic as always the teacher. I saw the mountains and sea stomp by robbery. The teacher unworthy of three thousand avenue try steal from the east. The bald donkeys from the west deserve death!¡± Taishang moved immediately to interfere. Black and white extremities flashed across his body as he transformed into a massive rippling barrier in front of the golden innate god. This caused the assaulter to bounce off and land in a crater. ¡°The audacity!¡± The figure got up, revealing a six eared macaque holding a cudgel. Meanwhile the black and white barrier reformed into a startled Taishang. He gripped his chest as his skin was paler than usual. ¡®The force behind that jump. It could¡¯ve shattered a Chaos Immortal¡¯s body like sand. Even my Grand Purity Body nearly.¡¯ ¡°Liu Er, why did you attack your own ally?¡± Taishang landed and said. When Liu Er¡¯s gaze zeroed in on him, the Grand Pure One felt a sense of existential dread. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Liu Er¡¯s mouth turned into a smirk. ¡°Daddy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Monkey vs Innate gods ¡°Daddy!¡± The words were said with as much amusement as contempt. It only served to bring befuddlement to Taishang. With Zhunti crying in the background, the little macaque lifted his head until his gaze was looking down upon the taller Taishang. ¡°I saw expected Daddy to appear. The schemes of you are the most ruthless against the MC. The Dao of Inaction dictate is naturally hypocrisy. You desire the the treasures I obtain. Because I am golden fairy wonderland against the cruel heaven.¡± ¡°I saw the pathetic teacher try to attack for babies. But Tai Tai is ruthless and saw the golden fairy rich. The daddy hunger for the innate. Of course my treasures are the best. The innate the best, magic treasure of monkey king. But compared to the Great Sage Equal Heaven who was a pathetic fool, a loser who lost everything and failed in life. My the best treasures are so much better.¡± ¡°Tai Tai is a powerful adversary. He cultivates the avenue and gain great strength. He is the most powerful of the six slaves and ruthless and too strong. But daddy is weak. Daddy is a pathetic fool who fails at everything. I am naturally so much better and teach daddy a lesson and take the the best treasure¡­¡± ¡°What on heaven and earth are you spouting?¡± Taishang exclaimed. ¡°Have you taken leave of your senses?¡± Yet Liu Er continued to speak ignoring Taishang. It was as if the innate god had not spoken to Liu Er at all. Like he was only hearing one side of a conversation. Taishang took this moment to study every inch of Liu Er. The monkey had greatly changed since he last saw him. Every little spec of his body oozed perfection on a fundamental level. The vast vitality pouring out of him held layers upon layers of an enormously powerful Dao fruit. In fact, that same aura was something Taishang could clearly sense spreading into every fabric of reality in the nearby vicinity. ¡®He¡¯s doing this. They¡¯re, they¡¯re all talking like him.¡¯ Taishang felt more and more nervous. All signs pointed to a completed Dao fruit. He had seen the battle power of the monkey up close while the west when he was weaker. The dread of a more powerful Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal Liu Er who was clearly barring his teeth did little to bring him joy. ¡°But daddy will not win. I Dao Venerate shall eliminate the thieves and take the best magic treasure. Heaven is cruel and gave me nothing, but heaven is fair so I will take the the best magic baby. KILL!¡± Changing targets, Liu Er charged towards Taishang at blinding speeds. Such was the force of his movements that the wind pressure blasted a crater behind him. ¡°Are you insane? We¡¯re on the same side!¡± Taishang yelled and leapt back. ¡°Daddy may be the innate Protoss. But I am Liu Er, am not a slave to heaven, am never a slave. I will¡­¡± ¡°Traitor then. Will you cease spouting nonsense?¡± Taishang snarled while avoiding the monkey. He flailed his sleeve sending semi invisible hands to tear Liu Er apart. Of course these hands bounced harmlessly against the monkey¡¯s fur. Liu Er continued to ignore Taishang¡¯s words as if he didn¡¯t even hear him. His eyes were locked fully on the Grand Pure One with an unblinking creepy gaze. Taishang thanked the heavens the monkey didn¡¯t seem to be using any esoteric magical abilities as that made him easier to avoid. He unleashed the Heaven and Earth Exquisite Pagoda as his own defensive tool. ¡°Then I shall sacrifice my baby too!¡± Liu Er picked up his cudgel, a crude ironlike object and threw it towards the rising pagoda. The two smashed against each other causing sparks to fly. But black and yellow mist emerging from the pagoda swallowed the cudgel. Instead, Taishang used his xiantian spiritual treasure to attack Liu Er. The mysterious powers of heaven and earth seemed to form an entire universe as it slammed against a fist Liu Er threw out. The universe gave off a primordial feeling. Volcanic activity along with tectonic shifts littered throughout. The energy it gave off started rending apart the localized spacetime. The universe gave out. ¡°Gah!¡± Taishang groaned as the monkey kicked the pagoda and him along with it back. While it was not enough to cause him substantial injuries, he didn¡¯t want to be directly hit again. The pagoda and Taishang started performing numerous spells in tandem. Taishang held the pagoda like a handle as enchantments upon enchantments stacked atop each other. Rivers of black and yellow formed an axe above the pagoda. ¡°Yin Yang cleave!¡± Taishang executed one of his more terrifying offensive means. It was by no means on his sister Tongtian¡¯s level, but it was still deadly. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you deal with that traitor!¡± ¡°Daddy is weak. Daddy is a pathetic fool who failed at everything!¡± Liu Er responded. In fact this was not the first time he¡¯d said this. That entire phrase was uttered throughout the battle nonstop like a war cry or some sort of self hyping chant. His fleshy body withstood Taishang¡¯s blow but was halted in the momentum. One would expect Liu Er¡¯s posture to arch forwards. Only, Liu Er¡¯s body continued being in the same ascending position despite not gaining ground. He didn¡¯t even look as if he registered he was being hit. Beneath the golden light of a crying Zhunti, Taishang could only sigh at the sheer durability of that monkey. The point of impact for his strike was a thin gash. Liu Er didn¡¯t even seem to resister he¡¯d been injured and continued to spout something about ¡®Tai Tai¡¯, or ¡®daddy¡¯. ¡°I do not remember ever convincing a child. But if I had one as unruly as you I¡¯d die of shame.¡± Taishang¡¯s said as his body began shining in dual colours. He had his own trump cards he had never used in his life despite cultivating them. The change in his body was so mesmerising that it seemed to snap Zhunti out of his crying. Even the unchanging creepy expression of Liu Er reacted. ¡°As expected of daddy,¡± Liu Er said. Two streams of qi emerged from Taishang¡¯s physique. They reformatted into humanoid shapes one which appeared colourless while the other was perfectly symmetrical in black and white. The colourless one radiated a jade light and transformed into a version of middle aged version of Taishang holding a pearl. This was the Jade Pure Incarnation. The dual coloured one radiated a golden light before transforming into a young adult version of Taishang holding a ruyi. This was the Supreme Pure Incarnation. As for the Grand Pure One, he emerged from his own transformation with a semi transparent disc made of five interconnected colours behind him. His presence also significantly magnified. In one of his hands was a banana fan while the other held his pagoda. Liu Er smiled toothy grin. It was a knowing look as if he recognized something. He was also feeling incredibly smug, as if he became assured that he was right. ¡°Yuan Yuan is a pathetic fool who failed at everything. Arrogant hater of fur and armour. It is natural the fool be killed and absorption in the robbery.¡± ¡°Yuan yuan? You mean Yuanshi?¡± ¡°The master is a pathetic fool who failed at everything. Trash who can¡¯t even protect his own disciples. It is natural the fool be killed and absorptive in the robbery.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Oh wait, he¡¯s ignoring me.¡± ¡°Daddy is weak, daddy is a pathetic fool who failed at everything. The strongest scheming saint is a hypocrite who assassinate his brothers in the robbery.¡± ¡°You just contradicted yourself,¡± all three of Taishang pointed out. ¡°Am I a pathetic fool who fails? Or a powerful adversary? I didn¡¯t think it was possible but here I find a mentally ill innate god.¡± Liu Er didn¡¯t seem to have heard Taishang. He both looked yet did not look at him. To his fellow innate god, it was as if Liu Er saw another him when he looked at him. It was something he¡¯ll ponder about later as all three versions moved to attack. The three Taishang positioned themselves with the Jade Pure Incarnation at the middle, the Supreme Pure Incarnation at the right, while Taishang moved to the left. ¡°I sacrifice my baby and kill the strongest Tai Tai!¡± Liu Er roared. The cudgel bashed for the Jade Pure Incarnation. ¡®Does he think my Jade Pure Incarnation is the real me?¡¯ Taishang waved his banana fan unleashing flurries cosmic fire. The Supreme Pure Incarnation swing his ruyi unleashing numerous seals upon Liu Er. ¡°Sacrifice the baby!¡± Liu Er swung the cudgel against the seals. But his body became bogged down restricting his available movements. Then he was swallowed by a hurricane of fire. The tips of his fur became singed even as the monkey laughed like a masochist. ¡°My baby is innate the best. If the pathetic stick of the fool Sun Wukong who was a pathetic fool who failed at everything is strong. Then mine is so much better!¡± The rod of metal came out of the wall of fire to strike at the Jade Pure Incarnation. In response, he upheld the pearl and sung a song. From his being, pure chaos qi exploded outwards. A similar looking cudgel manifested to parry Liu Er¡¯s own attack. Bang! Both weapons were equal. The Jade Pure Incarnation frowned slightly but this was not because of the clash. As the Jade Pure One, he was interpreted as the treasure of the Dao, the source of all things. He was able to produce a perfect copy of the treasure Liu Er held in his grasp thus allowing him to fully understand it. As long as it remains within the domain of xiantian spiritual, he could reproduce it. Hence he became dismayed at the crude way Liu Er used his weapon. In its truest form, this cudgel was actually the handle of a scythe that resonated with the Lunar Star. It could manifest a facet of the moon and warp reality into a domain of that environment. Now its little more then a blunt hammer. The Supreme Pure Incarnation grew tired of the clash and clasped his hand. In the Grand Pure One¡¯s interpretation, this being was the treasure of natural law. ¡°Harmonious Natural World, I reject your existence!¡± A wave golden light washed over Liu Er seeking to disintegrate him, and failing that to expel him. Taishang truthfully did not have high hopes of killing the monkey. He could think of plenty of ways to stall him. But to kill or to even to suppress a being of such strength was beyond him. Liu Er didn¡¯t seem fazed by the light. He continued to clash against the Jade Pure Incarnation and failed to notice Taishang waving his banana fan. Unlike before, Taishang had flipped the face of the banana fan allowing cosmic wind to blow out. This fan was a top grade xiantian spiritual treasure he¡¯d stumbled across on Kunlun but never used in combat. One side, the one he showed earlier was rich in yang and spilled fire with a single swing. The other, the one he currently showed was rich in yin and spilled wind. He did not know of its origins, but in this moment he used to get rid of Liu Er. Seeing this fan, for a second Liu Er twitched. ¡°Heaven is unfair, Daddy is truly a pampered child to have one of the set banana fan from Open Heaven. But he only has one and I¡¯ll obtain the second fan to¡­to¡­to¡­one controls fire and one controls wind, as he has the one that¡­that¡­that¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t quite register that Taishang¡¯s fan did both. Therefore meaning there was only one fan. This reality did not compute, so much so that from Liu Er¡¯s perspective, two fans appeared in Taishang¡¯s hand. Even Taishang was shocked as he somehow felt the weight of another fan in his hand despite clearly holding one. ¡®The Dao of a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. He¡¯s trying to reconfigure my existence? How arrogant, I¡¯m a Chaos Immortal too. To me, this is but a trick of the mind.¡¯ Taishang roared. The echo of which ripped across this layer of localized reality beating back Liu Er¡¯s influence. ¡®My cultivation of my Dao has not reached completion. Yet it competes with his so well. It can only mean he¡¯s not stressing to fight back.¡¯ Taishang quickly merged back into one. He exploded forwards with an open palm with a swirling Taiji symbol. He used this attack to smash into the abdomen of Liu Er, flinging him a great distance away. ¡°ARGH! Daddy is strong and hard to kill. But daddy is weak and failed to kill,¡± Liu Er said. ¡°I¡¯m smart so I know. I saw the not leave with loss.¡± From his perspective, Liu Er grabbed hold of a passing mountain to haunt his momentum. Against Taishang¡¯s expectations, Liu Er somehow managed to catch himself mid air. His fingers seemed to scrape against the fabric of reality. Then he flung himself, ripping a hole in the East Continent allowing for void currents to flow in. ¡°Not again!¡± But Taishang turned out to be wrong. Liu Er did not jump for him. ¡­ ¡°Wooo wooo wooo. I¡¯m so pathetic. I can¡¯t fight any battles and I must hide like a sissy girl. Wooo wooo wooo, if no one saves me I must commit suicide else I cannot stand it.¡± Zhunti was bawling with all eighteen arms either rubbing his eyes or cowering at anything and everything. His golden head was now looking to imitate a golden globe. If the normal Zhunti were to see this, he¡¯d be deeply embarrassed. But when Taishang¡¯s Supreme Pure Incarnation unleashed his spell, he¡¯d been implicated as well. In terms of cultivation, Zhunti was below Taishang. When cultivating from the Great Unity Golden Immortal to the Chaos Immortal realms, one¡¯s own Dao will evolve as it becomes more and more concrete. Despite being on the run for countless years, his Dao had reached a stage of a Confirmed Law. This meant it had few flaws that could be used to argue against it unlike a Primal Zenith expert who¡¯s Dao was an undeniable truth that could not be argued against. Hence, if pushed hard enough Zhunti¡¯s Dao can gain cracks from which it¡¯ll weaken. When it¡¯s proven as wholly fake to the creator. When Chaos Immortals battled, outside of the trading of spells and battle techniques, every fight could be described as a discussion between two Daos. If one¡¯s Dao heart was not rigid enough, their Dao would be overwhelmed as a Dao heart was both determination as well as belief in one¡¯s own path. Zhunti had never anticipated such a colossal Dao to envelope him. It was like he¡¯d entered a dream where a different life was being lived out. The Zhunti within Zhunti was stupefied. He¡¯d faced ghost devils of the Primal Zenith class and even ran from living Devil Great Emperors. But Liu Er¡¯s Dao was so strong that it blew away any of theirs. His surface self was being rewritten to conform to what Liu Er perceives him as. The monkey essentially bombarded him without him even noticing. Tearing into him in such a seamless way not entirely unlike how some Devil Great Emperors tried to ensnare him in the past. ¡°Resist, resist, resist!¡± He chanted. The golden light unleashed by Taishang began eating away at Liu Er¡¯s Dao¡¯s perception of reality. Through this, Zhunti¡¯s efforts gained fruit. His personal treasure, the Seven Branches Treasure Tree was finally able to manifest. It¡¯s roots stabbed into Zhunti. The golden eighteen armed figure gradually stopped crying. His rounded face became more angular and his body became less chubby and more muscular. ¡°I am Zhunti, saviour of the west, learned of cause and effect and master of karma.¡± ¡°The teacher is weak. Zhunti a pathetic fool who failed at everything!¡± Zhunti¡¯s eyes snapped at a creepy Liu Er aiming for him. Deep down he was furious. What had he ever done to the monkey for him to treat him so? He¡¯d barely ever met him, yet in the few times they¡¯d interacted he¡¯d been so cruel. In the clash of their Daos, Zhunti was able to clearly see how Liu Er viewed him. It was so incredibly arrogant how he¡¯d just concluded that view and applied it to him. Just like the domineering way Devil Great Emperors will laud themselves over lesser devils. Zhunti hated such domineering people. Those unreasonable sorts who saw things their way and will only have it their way. He¡¯d even disliked Da Hai initially because of this. ¡°Bene¡­no insane beast,¡± Zhunti corrected himself. ¡°You are accursed to betray the alliance like this.¡± Liu Er did not seem to have registered Zhunti¡¯s words, only responding to the sixteen palm strikes sent his way. His expression changed to that of a grinning maniac filled with infinite bloodlust. Deep hatred rose from his eyes, though this didn¡¯t even seem to come from the monkey. Tugging at the lines of karma around them, Zhunti observed Liu Er even as his life came to danger. To Zhunti, Liu Er was even worse than devils. At least they had real desires. ¡°The teacher is too stupid,¡± Liu Er proclaimed as he shattered several of Zhunti¡¯s hands. ¡°Like a cultivator. Too dumb to recognize real power. I will kill the Zhunti and save humanity Co-Owner Three Emperor Five Emperor.¡± ¡°What else do you expect me to do? You attacked me!¡± Zhunti challenged back despite only understanding half of what was said. He knew he cannot resist the monkey. Even in his previous state, he did see the battle between Taishang and Liu Er. Even though he lacked the ability to fight back nor flee, he wasn¡¯t going to go down without a fight. He raised a fist and punched the trunk of the Seven Branches Treasures Tree. Hymns emerged from the enlightened spiritual plant treasure. ¡°Zhunti is evil!¡± Liu Er suddenly cursed far louder then before. ¡°The most pathetic of the six slaves use slave on I. But Prehistoric Liu Er is the true Great Arrogant, never a slave. Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± Zhunti clasped his hands and opened them up to a square shape. A pillar shot towards the monkey but barely slowed him down. His treasure tree abandoned its peaceful hymns to assault the monkey with its own body. ¡°Haha, I sacrifice the best baby. My blood sperm powers my baby to kill you!¡± Liu Er¡¯s cudgel smashed into the tree. ¡®This is really how I die? Against insane ramblings? My apologies senior brother.¡¯ The Seven Branches Treasure Tree crashed into his colossal body. Liu Er jumped high into the air with the cudgel raised high. In Liu Er¡¯s eyes, Zhunti was begging for his life with all sorts of pathetic excuses. None of the innate god¡¯s actual words were heard at all. ¡°Liu Er, if you have any semblance of honour left in you? Stay your hand!¡± Taishang called out desperately. He¡¯d dropped his defences and charged towards the both of them. But the fact of the matter is, Liu Er was faster then him. Not even with full mastery over magical abilities could he keep up. Reality warped along the metallic cudgel. Wether it was the act of Liu Er¡¯s Dao, or it¡¯s own innate magical properties did not matter. It grew to colossal size and smashed down onto Zhunti¡¯s head. ¡°Hai,¡± Zhunti sighed. KRAKAKAKOOOOM! The golden giant crumbled away with a peaceful smile. He was split straight down the middle through sheer brutish power. Both halves quickly started crumbling after losing their lustre. ¡°Zhunti is weak! The teacher is a pathetic fool who failed at everything. A useless weakling who¡¯s never fought a day in his life,¡± Liu Er declared. He landed proudly on the pile of rubble that was Zhunti. ¡°Now that he¡¯s killed, the east owes me karma.¡± Taishang widened his eyes. He dashed through the avalanche of falling debris and grabbed hold of a wildly moving orb. He heard a weak groan afterwards. ¡®Of course, most of his attack is purely physical. He¡¯s a Chaos Immortal so by nature he harms all layers of an individual as well. But since he didn¡¯t extent magical means to attack, spiritually it was weak enough for fellow daoist Zhunti was able to barely escape.¡¯ ¡°Die daddy!¡± Liu Er quickly turned and swung at the exposed Taishang. The elderly looking innate god planned fast. The tear in the Great Wilderness was still there and still extremely large. It¡¯s currents were becoming increasingly more violent. ¡®He actually thinks Zhunti is fully dead,¡¯ he thought in observation. Taishang made to grab the tree Zhunti left behind after being obliterated. But Liu Er saw this as well. He clawed at the innate god with his own foot. ¡°Daddy is greedy, so ruthless to steal innate root that does not belong to him.¡± The six eared macaque thought the tree will be of much better use in his own collection instead. BAM! Taishang sighed in disappointment and retracted his hand. His elbow was bent in an unnatural position. He eyed the oncoming cudgel and closed his eyes. Liu Er¡¯s strike crunched into his ribcage, tore through his flesh and out the other end. It turned his skin concave until it could no longer handle it. Pulverized his bones and bisected the man through brutal power. Taishang did not resist even as Liu Er basked in his victory. His bisected body fell into a void current while still holding Zhunti¡¯s nascent soul. The two were quickly swept away. ¡°The haul is high. The teacher is dead and the karma is owed. The Co-Owner Three Emperor Five Emperor, the twelve liches, the demons all owe me karma,¡± he proclaimed while holding the Seven Branches Treasure Tree that was left behind. Soon enough, he¡¯d realize it¡¯s cumbersome to keep hauling the tree around. Then it¡¯ll justify it as trash since it belonged to Zhunti and lose interest. Eventually, he continued his rampage towards the coast. Prehistoric Liu Er will Never be a Slave The Netherworld had always been a dreary place. Since time immemorial, aside from the redness of the Blood Sea, the mainland had always been covered by layers of white mist and black skies. The few people who¡¯d explored this land expected as such before answering Da Hai¡¯s call to defend it. Yuanshi the Jade Pure One could hear whispers from countless experts discussing the changes in this realm. Though he ignored most of it in favour of checking all the systems of the great ritual, he still felt no small amounts of pride that it was his work they were complimenting. Energy flowed throughout all sectors of the Netherworld and the Blood Sea now. Both interconnected and transforming into each other, at least two of the sub sectors of the planned reincarnation system meant to counteract the devils¡¯ endless army were ready to go. The rest just need to be injected without interruption. The Netherworld was naturally a world of yin qi, a place where discarded souls would find themselves drawn to. These natural ghosts were not anything to write home about. They barely had any intelligence and only rambled about some grievances in their past life. Eventually, they¡¯ll dissolve and return to natural reincarnation. The Blood Sea meanwhile was a place of malice, where all the resentment and hatred of all things collected over the years. However, despite being a potentially cataclysmic pool of energy, it was far more stable then the Sea Eye. Resentment here would eventually spawn into primordial beasts thus making this place the last and only true birthplace of that species. As a basis, Yanluo, Yuanshi, Houtu, and Zhunti had worked out how to allow Zhunti¡¯s understanding of karma to guide souls of any kind, even those without strong malice towards this realm. Here, they would be processed much more rapidly and in a far more stable system. It would also mean reincarnation would no longer be random. Where previously, a mortal insect in one life could reincarnate into a connate lifeform in the next. Now the cause and effects of the previous life would decide where the next life starts. This should also stop ghost devils from freely returning to the Great Wilderness. But the most important thing of all was a strong binding agent. To this, Yuanshi glanced at the woman coiled up next to him. Houtu and he were overseeing things at the moment. Houtu specifically having returned immediately upon notifying her family. ¡°What is it?¡± She asked as if sensing his discreet gaze. ¡°Are you really willing to go through with this,¡± the innate god admitted. ¡°As much as people say they¡¯re ready to give their lives. When the time comes? Things become far more muddled.¡± ¡°I would not even blame you if you were to be enraged. You don¡¯t really even have a choice in this matter.¡± He continued to lament. In a way, Houtu was his cousin. Having been the one to finally turn models into a working prototype, Yuanshi knew Houtu was not only the most ideal person to use as material. Da Hai, Minghe, Zhunti, Yanluo, Taishang, all of them figured it out along the way. Perhaps Houtu was among the earliest to come to that conclusion. Only, she¡¯d never argued a word of disgruntlement. ¡°You speak as if there was an alternative. Why ask now?¡± She said. Yuanshi hummed and looked into the distance. He spotted the titanic forms of the divinities who¡¯d come through. Each of them easily stood numerous kilometres into the air, dwarfing any other lifeform naturally born. The vitality they exuded was simply incredible. ¡°They don¡¯t know do they?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve long decided that this was the path I should take. My brothers and sister care about the world, but they do not care about it in the same way I do. They could never agree to me sacrificing my entire being. However, as the goddess of the earth I cannot allow living beings to continue to suffer like this.¡± Houtu sighed as she saw the hulking form of Shebishi and Jumang come through to the Netherworld. She was not devoid of regrets. But for the sake of the greater good, she made the decision to. Even now, she felt the distorted pain of countless life forms along with the Primitive World. ¡°I would¡¯ve said fuck everything and leave the Primitive World behind,¡± Yuanshi replied. ¡°You are already braver than I.¡± ¡°I saw your reaction to your own siblings being on the verge of death. Di Jiang would¡¯ve reacted the same way.¡± Yuanshi found his opinion of Houtu change to admiration. Yet the idea that the choice to pick different never existing disturbed him. They were all Golden Immortals at birth, by right they were free to choose their own paths. That was what seeking the Dao meant. But Houtu was not entirely truthful either. Yuanshi didn¡¯t notice, but a brief maddened look crossed her eyes as she thought about every event up till now. She hadn¡¯t told anyone, not Da Hai, nor Zhunti, and certainly not a stranger like Yuanshi what she really felt about everything. The reason why she was so readily willing to sacrifice herself for reincarnation was not because of kindness for the suffering of living and unliving creatures. Oh she certainly had some sympathy, but all of that had long died before the pain she felt every day. The twelve Earthly Divine Ancestors were all born with direct connection to the Primitive World. But Houtu above all else felt the life and lifetimes of all things. Their cries, their screams, their joys. If the others felt gentle prodding akin to a breeze, Houtu¡¯s connection was like a knife jamming into her body. After so may years, she didn¡¯t care how she¡¯d do it. She wanted it all to stop and Da Hai¡¯s plan propagated the perfect opportunity. Da Hai didn¡¯t have to bring it up for her to make that decision. The fact that it¡¯d benefit others was just a bonus. ¡°Seems everything is good here,¡± Houtu said after examining the flow of energy through the soil with her hands. ¡°I will entrust everything to you Yuanshi, I hope everything goes well.¡± Yuanshi nodded which satisfied her. The Jade Purity glanced upwards as a distinct sharpness entered the Netherworld. Tongtian had finally arrived riding atop her Qingping Sword. ¡®She and Houtu bare some similarities as congenital goddesses. But I cannot fathom her making the same decision. As seekers of the Dao, staying alive will take priority. If us three had to abandon the Primitive World, no matter how unwilling we were, we will.¡¯ Hence, Yuanshi left to greet Tongtian. The two had not seen each other for a few years hence were overjoyed to be working together again. Yuanshi could sense Tongtian¡¯s combat skills had improved after testing herself against countless devils, living and dead. Yuanshi meanwhile has greatly improved his artificer skills. When Tongtian saw the great ritual already on its way, she nodded with approval. Unlike Yuanshi, her sub skill set aligned with formations. So studying what previously been set up was beneficial for her too. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said. ¡°This reincarnation ritual I¡¯m seeing appears more like a formation. Why did the Oceanic Heavenly Lord find you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a formation for now. Think of it as a furnace if you will,¡± Yuanshi replied. ¡°We¡¯re only preparing for the actual forging stage.¡± ¡°Amazing, as expected of you Yuanshi. Looks like us three purities are advancing together smoothly. Soon enough, we¡¯d stand shoulder to shoulder with the ancient experts.¡± Yuanshi felt gratified at her praise. His greatest guilt had not wholly been absolved. But he swore to never allow harm to reach the Three Pure Ones unit. ¡°Speaking of, I expected brother Taishang to have returned already,¡± he mused. ¡°Huh? But he¡¯s faster than either of us with his teleportation.¡± ¡­ On another end of the great ritual, Zulong stepped out of a portal in his Dao body atop a spire. There was no fanfare as he arrived since he was on his own. In the distance, he sensed the presence of numerous powerful elders from his empire, this included his own sons. A fact he grew displeased at. He had expected for Gui Daoyi to arrive personally, but for her to allow the rest of them. He shook his head in disproval. An enormous turtle arrived transforming into the form of his wife mere moments after. Though a bit subdued, Gui Daoyi sensed him easily. After a brief hug of affection, she noticed his gaze. ¡°This is about our sons isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°I understand their desire, but as a parent who sheltered them all this time¡­¡± ¡°You know, when the palace we built together was attacked. Were it not for our sons, we would not have lasted as long as we did. In the years since, they¡¯ve been in battle after battle just as you have,¡± she said solemnly. ¡°To be honest, I think they have every right to make the decision to fight alongside you to defeat the same enemy that threatened us all.¡± She continued despite having the same worry in her heart. ¡°You could never have kept them from that.¡± The ancestral dragon closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He¡¯d only made the best decision for them. After so many years, even his ambitious fire died down as he settled into the role of a parent. When he opened his eyes, he chuckled. ¡°I guess I finally know how you felt that day¡­master.¡± His wife widened her eyes in shock. She couldn¡¯t sense anything until a mirage shimmered into existence. Da Hai¡¯s presence manifested a mysterious distant effect. As if despite seeing him being right next to her, he was also far out of reach. ¡°How are you disciple,¡± Da Hai said towards the dragon. ¡°Weary? Tried? Angry? Fearful? I am a lot of things these days,¡± he replied. ¡°But most of all, I want to annihilate the threats to me and mine.¡± ¡°Is that why you attacked Mt Sumeru on your own?¡± Da Hai stopped himself from berating that decision. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took so long.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have made such a rash decision either. But I cannot change the past. How long before this ritual is completed?¡± ¡°As soon as Zhunti returns. I am ashamed to say he¡¯s skilled at the ins and outs of cause and effect then me. More elegant I should say. Nuwa has already familiarized herself with it, Minghe, Yanluo, Houtu, and Yuanshi are all ready. So as soon as he arrives we can begin in full.¡± But Da Hai¡¯s predictions would not come to pass. Because not long after making that statement, he sensed the movement of the largest devil contingent since the siege of Mt Buzhou. What¡¯s more, he was instantly triggered as to the presence of Luohu at the helm of that group. Da Hai narrowed his eyes with a ferociousness Zulong had not seen in a long time. Bits of his overwhelming cultivation started leaking through startling all the defenders in the Netherworld. ¡°Change of plans. We begin now,¡± Da Hai announced. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we need that Zhunti kid?¡± ¡°I can manage the implementation of karma without him. Can you raise all the formations and form a line?¡± ¡­ Up in the Great Wilderness, two Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals brawled. One living, the other long passed on. Jiang Koilong was furious as he clawed at Ripling Reflections. ¡°You beast, you dare kill mine?¡± ¡°So what sea worm? This is war,¡± the Devil Great Emperor retorted. He clashed against the claws of the dragon with his sleeve. The area around them was torn asunder. Cliffs turned to rubble, oceans dried. The dragon filled the sky above in thick layers of cloud while the ghost devil turned the ground deathly cold. Rippling Reflections was not too concerned about his own survival. After all, he had already died and come back several times over the course of the war causing as much chaos as he could. Everything was working out smoothly. But for Jiang Koilong, this devil had killed another young talent he¡¯d raised for the ascendent dragon faction within the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan. Flashing back to the competitiveness of his youth as a carp in Da Hai¡¯s pond, he was furious at another person like him being snuffed out before their time. The two danced around each other unaware that a creature of much smaller stature had wondered into their battle. A specific macaque carrying a metal cudgel. His unblinking eyes and unnatural expression zeroed in on the dragon fighting. It was as he neared, whispers entered both Jiang Koilong and Rippling Reflection¡¯s ears. It was extremely subtle and instantly suppressed by both Chaos Immortals who were still busy fighting. The former chalked it up to an emotion based attack by the latter. ¡®The hell just happened?¡¯ Rippling Reflections retreated several steps to measure himself. He scanned the area around him and noticed the unblinking monkey watching the battle. Despite being a devil who¡¯d seen his fare share, he felt unnerved by the look. ¡°Liu Er? Is that you?¡± Jiang Koilong also saw his old comrade. He felt overjoyed at having found a strong ally in the midst of this battle. But for Liu Er, his attention was more on the battle itself. He¡¯d witnessed how Jiang Koilong was struggling with Rippling Reflections. The ghost devil was slippery and used many means to avoid damage. Instead he stalled the dragon for a long period of time. But from Liu Er¡¯s perspective, he saw the battle very differently. A normal person would see the battle and call it a short stalemate where one side clearly has the advantage and only need time to defeat his opponent. Liu Er had also been with Jiang Koilong for a long time previously and witnessed the dragon dominate against numerous devils. His powerful within the current world order was legendary. But in the Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal Liu Er¡¯s perspective. Because Jiang Koilong was not swatting aside Rippling Reflections like an insect, or killing him with a single blow. All strength and reputation suddenly became null and void. Out in reality, he said aloud. ¡°The dragon is weak, the dragon is a pathetic fool who failed at everything.¡± ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ Jiang Koilong¡¯s moment of confusion caused his opponent to smash into him with one of his attacks. Despite flinching, the dragon righted himself on a piece of cloud. ¡°Liu Er aid me. Kill this devil while I keep hold of him!¡± ¡°Liu Er!¡± Rippling Reflections eyed the unresponsive monkey with interest. He did not mind the frustration and confusion by the dragon as these emotions allowed him some leeway. But most importantly of all, he was wondering why he wanted to call himself ¡®magic person¡¯. ¡°Dragon dare? Dragon think poor Dao is pathetic puppet?¡± Liu Er suddenly roared as well as leaped into the sky. He was so blindingly fast and so amazingly strong, that a huge chunk of the ground became concave. Liu Er was already on eye level with Jiang Koilong¡¯s massive head. His cudgel raised to the side of his head. ¡®Dao venerate is illuminated. Dao venerate can kill¡­oh this is interesting,¡¯ Rippling Reflections thought. Though Jiang Koilong called for help, Liu Er failed to register it as that. The monkey chatagorized himself as the leading man. He was the one who ordered, he was the one who forced his way. In this context, the dragon¡¯s request was heard as a command. ¡°Pathetic weakling, I order you to follow the master dragon clan and kill!¡± This was what Liu Er heard. ¡°PREHISTORIC LIU ER WILL NEVER BE A SLAVE!¡± He roared. THWACK! Jiang Koilong¡¯s gigantic head swerved violently in the opposite direction. The blood he cultivated in his fleshy body was spat out as he realized what his ¡®friend¡¯ in the past has just done. ¡°You dare!¡± He was knocked back by the strike, so he moved his lower body to claw at the monkey. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± The monkey repeated over and over again as he smashed his cudgel into the bones of the dragon leg. He smashed again towards Jiang Koilong¡¯s head. ¡°After everything I¡¯ve done for you? After vouching for you? After working alongside you? This is how you repay me?¡± The first ascendent dragon blasted streams of lightning as he cried. ¡°GAH!¡± The dragon cried a second time. The lighting igniting from his mouth dissipated because Rippling Reflections started constraining his long body with his devil arts. He tried to free himself only to be hit by monkey. Liu Er entered a maddened frenzy. He smashed and bashed into the head of the roaring dragon. But even against the bones of the dragon, his cudgel could not hold out. It shattered from the constant pressure. Seeing Jiang Koilong still alive, Liu Er jumped with his mouth wide open. With one bite, his fangs penetrated the scales of his body allowing him to rip out a piece of flesh from his cheek. Rippling Reflections backed away in the wake of the carnage. Now that Liu Er had a clear hold of the dragon, he was devouring the fleshy body alive. Countless dragonic spells rained down on the furry beast, but somehow he just wasn¡¯t bothered. Eventually, a dragon shaped nascent soul erupted from the corpse. Jiang Koilong roared again creating whirlpools and thunderstorms around him. Even without his body, the dragon displayed tremendous might for the devil. ¡°Look, the dragon is getting away!¡± Rippling Reflections called out while he clashed against the dragon¡¯s nascent soul. ¡°You should kill him while he¡¯s still vulnerable.¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will¡­¡± Even before the monkey finished, the devil realised where he erred. He tried to hold the fleeing dragon back while changing his tune. ¡°Oh please exalted Dao venerate, this old slave begs great Dao venerate. The dragon¡¯s spirit must be eliminated and his Dao crushed for his complete death.¡± ¡°Devil, go die!¡± Jiang Koilong roared. ¡°This old slave is skilled crafter. Can make new cudgel from dragon bone!¡± Rippling Reflections quickly added albeit struggling with the sentence. It seemed to work as soon, Liu Er was on Jiang Koilong once more. The dragon attempted to flee but he was not fast enough. Liu Er clasped his hand, crushing the dragon once again. The popping sound of a Dao fruit being crushed was haunting. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this,¡± The dragon said as he drew his last breath. ¡°The magic race is weak and pathetic. But the magic race recognized the deity,¡± Liu Er stated. ¡°Now honour cause and effect.¡± The ghost devil was all smiles as he ripped out the bones of the ancient dragon. He squashed its mass down until it became a long white cylindrical object and presented it to the unblinking monkey. In truth, he hadn¡¯t refined a treasure at all, he¡¯d only handed the monkey a condensed dragon skeleton. But the monkey seemed to be fooled all the same. ¡°Ahem, great dao venerate. This old slave heard big event happen between magic race and others down at the Netherworld. Many benefits await, would you join?¡± Liu Er¡¯s head snapped towards the ground. ¡°The magic race in robbery? Ah, the other must be using robbery to make samsara. But I prehistoric Liu Er is smart, prehistoric Liu Er will be master of reincarnation!¡± He quickly dived down and started digging without so much as acknowledging the devil. Defending The Netherworld Humongous hordes of entities entered the Netherworld and immediately identified what they needed to attack. The illusionary disc taking form was anything but discreet to begin with. Only, these devils had to get pass hordes of immortal cultivators who¡¯d taken up defensive positions surrounding the burgeoning reincarnation disc. At the helm of it all, the 12 Petals Black Lotus of Destruction spun ominously. It released gas clouds that seemingly disintegrated anything that came within its vicinity. As if the concept something existing was removed from its being. The fact that Luofu appeared so decisively made everyone but a few take a step back. Previously, he¡¯d only been to one battle. So even though everyone knew in the back of their minds that he was the head of the Devilish Dao, the memory of this godfiend became foreign. But the moment he appeared, a fear was ignited in the hearts of numerous. As if to answer the presence of a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal, the three sovereigns who led the alliance manifested their true forms. Their aura blanketed the reincarnation disc forming an impenetrable wall. Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An have all seen Luohu fight before and knew what to expect. None of them were afraid to confront him head on. ¡°Annoying insects. Do me a favour and kill yourselves!¡± His voice resonated throughout the Netherworld causing violent storms to erupt. The temperature dropped even further, nearly plunging the already frigid Netherworld into an ice age. The courage of numerous cultivators were quickly fading. Luohu¡¯s commands seemed like the only thing in their minds as their hands reached for their own hearts. Suddenly, from admits the crowds of immortal cultivators rose a brilliant light. Fire blazed across in front of the three sovereigns before converging into the shape of an avian. Luohu narrowed his gaze, this shape was wholly different from the phoenix. This bird was less elegant and much more muscular in stature. The aura it gave off was not balanced in all aspects, but tremendously hot in yang. ¡°Sun crow Di Jun,¡± Luohu said aloud, twirling the God Skilling Spear. ¡°An overconfident little brat.¡± Di Jun appeared every bit as regal as Zulong or Zufeng. His cultivation had risen to the apex of his path thus becoming a truth, a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal in terms of raw insight in his Dao. His face tightened as his strongest followers appeared to stand with him on the forefront. He¡¯d organized the greatest experts of his new Heavenly Demon Empire to a small group. Ten Demonic Grand Sages led by the rogue cultivator Baize. Each of them had faced off and killed numerous devils. All of whom were either ancient ancestral clan chiefs or immensely powerful experts that he¡¯d tamed. Di Junior glanced at the other rulers of the Primitive World, Zulong and Zufeng. Neither of the two were paying him attention as their gazes were locked on Luohu. Not only Luohu, but at Mara who followed closely behind the Devil Ancestor. ¡°Luohu you old villain. You¡¯ve committed an unforgivable sin against your own homeland,¡± Di Jun announced. ¡°I cannot imagine¡­¡± Luohu tuned the innate god out out of sheer bafflement. Why was the sun crow talking so much? Did he think he could buy time by yapping? Neither the dragon, phoenix, nor the qilin were doing so. Not even the eight headed serpent who was eying him at the back. How could he forget Da Hai? The man who stole his place as first amongst the godfiends to reach Limitless Supreme. The man lead by an obsessive hate so large, it may¡¯ve well been his identity. Even now, Luohu identified him as the priority target to kill. Not only was he heading the ritual, he was also the strongest person present. ¡°There is no room for talks,¡± Luohu spoke out. ¡°Kill them all! Crush that thing at once!¡± Di Jun flattened his lips in anger. He drew the Sun Chakram from his possession and ignited it into a ring of fire in preparation. ¡°Taiyi, Xihe, with me. Baize, take half the sages. Zhu Jiang, you lead the rest. Victory will be assured as long as the ritual is. ¡± ¡°Yes your majesty!¡± Luohu pointed the God Killing Spear at the enemy to signal his devil followers to attack. He felt millions of uneasy gazes at his back but deemed them unimportant. Most importantly of all, Mara and Hundun were gearing to attack. Taping his black lotus flower, he began an offence by attempting to turn the Netherworld into a sea of destruction. His own true form flashed in an illusionary image behind him while the natural yin aligned air began distorting. Normally, the Heavenly Dao would probably try to mitigate the affects of his spell. Unfortunately, that child was invalid. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Zulong immediately responded by roaring, Zufeng flapped her wings to ignite an ocean of flames. Qi An¡¯s head glowed as he reversed causality to eliminate Luohu¡¯s destruction from happening in the first place. ¡°Brother, be wary of that one,¡± Mara warned. ¡°His karmic techniques are capable of dragging out old events and harming you in the present.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Devils gathered from across the world as well as ghost devils forcibly brought back to their birthplace rushed ahead in massive lines. As instructed, while living devils utilized their own power. Ghost devils pooled together their own in formations in order to bridge their lack of power in the same realm. It was shameful for these prideful beings, especially Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal ghost devils. On the anti-devil alliance¡¯s side, nine flag poles rose up and a circular formation took form. The nine princes of the four seas hurled their might to begin slaughtering devils. ¡°KILL!¡± Qiu Niu commanded at the head of his siblings. Di Jiang led countless divinities to battle on land where it suited them best. Their massive physique made it incredibly difficult for devils to deal. These fleshy bodies were formed from the laws of the Primitive World making them next to impossible to damage for the average cultivator. Even though their magical means were drastically weaker in comparison, they were the perfect walls for other cultivators to attack from behind. ¡­ When Di Jun started speaking, Da Hai couldn¡¯t help but listen in. Even as he worked in integrating karma¡¯s judgement function into the reincarnation system. ¡°What a natural. You¡¯d just wanna die for the guy,¡± he thought aloud. ¡°Certainly a way with words. No wonder he got those guys to join up.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± He wasn¡¯t surprised Zulong heard him despite the commotion, his disciple¡¯s ears were sharp. Zulong¡¯s own opinions of Di Jun were more complex however. He did feel threatened by the sun crow as any faction leader would, but to say he was envious or hateful was wrong. Da Hai would wager his ambitious fire for conquest died long ago. It may be conjecture at best, but the way he acted in the past only fuelled this thought process. Da Hai cannot say he wasn¡¯t unhappy by this revelation. If only it¡¯d come sooner. But as always, events have progressed too far now to change. As a master, he was also concerned wether Zulong¡¯s Dao heart would collapse. For cultivators who¡¯d reached this stage, the Dao fruit was key. Being grown from a sprout before manifesting as an actualized object, a strong Dao heart was crucial. A Dao heart was one¡¯s drive to seek the Dao, determination on the path of immortal cultivation, desire to study the truth, stubbornness to not give up, boneheadedness to not see another way. That last part may seem like a detriment, but if doubts clouds the mind, or if ideas and methods that you accept as disproving your own cultivated Dao. Then that Dao would begin to weaken until it collapses. It was a symbiotic relationship that feeds into one another. Da Hai¡¯s mind often wondered to what ifs such as this. If Zulong was to suffer like this, he didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do. He glanced up as the battle began to dissolve these distracting thoughts. On the foot soldiers¡¯ side, the anti-devil alliance was superior. But despite this, Luohu quickly changed things. After his first attack, he grabbed hold of his spear and rocketed for him. Da Hai¡¯s gaze erupted into hatred as Zulong and Qi An went to confront the devil. Zufeng had started brawling with Mara but her battle was much more defensive as a head on clash of power will inevitably result in her demise. ¡®The phoenix actually got stronger?¡¯ Da Hai couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge. Zufeng¡¯s light reminded him too much of Huoyun. Not like the memories he had shared with the man when he was young. But of the godfiend who roamed the Chaos Sea with Tian Hai and Yang Mei. It seemed as if the building blocks of life as defined by the Five Elements was encompassed within each flap of her wings. From her, celestial phenomena emerged in five sequences to attack the six armed Mara. Zufeng¡¯s body gave off equal reserves of yin and yang which emerged as spiralling patterns on her beak. She opened her beak and fired off lasers from that pattern. The sound was so loud that it eclipsed all the other fighting going on. From Da Hai¡¯s eyes, it was a nauseating sight. ¡°That should¡¯ve been Huoyun, not some feathered beast who stole your legacy.¡± ¡°Senior, please pay attention!¡± Yuanshi¡¯s urgent cry got to him. ¡°We need to hurry this!¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Da Hai felt embarrassed for letting himself wonder again. Houtu, Yuanshi, Minghe, Yanluo were integrating their own roles yet Da Hai was delayed. Truth be told, he wanted to retrieve his sword and go carve out Luohu¡¯s heart this instant. He cursed Zhunti for his disappearance and even Taishang who was also missing. BOOM! Zulong was using his sword to clash against Luohu¡¯s spear. Both weapons emitted dangerous destructive qi stemming from Pangu¡¯s power. Their blades caused ripples throughout the Netherworld. In terms of channeling Chaotic Sword Qi, the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword was actually superior since it was built specifically for that. But the God Killing Spear was a Chaos Treasure and once the stem of the 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus. It was better as a weapon. Zulong held the blade with his right hind leg. His upper body attack with his claws while the Dragon Pearl and Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls worked together to resist the 12 Petals Black Lotus of Destruction. Each clash caused so much damage in the air that Da Hai felt it rippling across his fleshy body. Qi An flew alongside Zulong using his own means to attack. But comparatively, Zulong was hard carrying the fight. His sword clashed against Luohu¡¯s spear with lethal intent. Memories of the suffering from the war flashes through the ruler¡¯s mind. ¡®Okay, this piece involves the recording of the past. Connecting to the lure from Minghe into the structure of Yuanshi¡¯s making.¡¯ Da Hai half glanced Zulong¡¯s way even as he worked. ¡°Luohu hasn¡¯t activated the Immortal Extermination Four Swords?¡± He murmured. But as he watched blows being traded, he saw Luohu be pushed down by Zulong¡¯s sword strike. Da Hai¡¯s eyes widened as he saw swirling blade like qi emerging from the Devil Ancestor¡¯s body. ¡°Zulong, get out of there, he wants to trap you in the formation!¡± The Dragon Sovereign did not hesitate to teleport himself immediately. In the heat of the moment, Qi An jumped back in startlement as well. THOOM! Piercing rays of light slashed in four directions faster than one could blink. Zulong¡¯s elongated body appeared further away just barely touching a spherical mass of sword light that appeared without warning. ¡°So quick?¡± He gasped. Within the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, numerous living beings suddenly found themselves within a killing array. This was as Luohu had came closer to the ground during his clash against Zulong. Even Qi An found himself within the area of the formation. ¡°What is?¡± Immortal experts who found themselves trapped were momentarily confused. They¡¯d been fighting the horde of devils when all of a sudden, the Netherworld changed into a sword world. Even the devils within were surprised. But that short time was enough for Luohu to activate his move. The sword environment turned deadly. Streams of sword light flowing across the formation¡¯s interior turned inwards and outwards. They zigzagged throughout in a slaughter frenzy. ¡°NO!¡± Numerous cultivators of weaker realms who did not have sufficient defences were made into mince meat. Immortals and devils alike suffered, dying by the millions. Even Chaos Immortal elders were not spared. Newly ascended Chaos Immortals, or just those without good body techniques and couldn¡¯t react in time. They too suffered tens of thousands of stabs. Regeneration could only go so far, and for some this meant they perished along with their Dao fruits. ¡°Luohu you think such measly attacks can harm my body?¡± Qi An roared. The strikes killing others were bouncing off his scales like nothing. He did not make an effort to attack, rather to collect whoever he could and flee. Luohu smirked at the qilin and launched his own moves at the Chaos Immortal. Luohu being Luohu, his powerful strikes were so strong that Qi An had to give up the few immortals who held onto his body for shelter in order to survive. ¡°Sovereign hel¡­¡± the speaking cultivator was obliterated before Qi An could even get a good look. ¡°So fast too? I need to regroup with the dragon. Four equal individuals need to work together to even survive this thing!¡± ¡°Scaled horse, don¡¯t think you can just run away like that!¡± Luohu cried out. He still had all his treasures on him and was soon upon Qi An like a frenzied beast. With himself alone, he could do little but wait for his death. He knew that unless someone helps him soon, his life would be forfeit. Luohu can kill him, but he couldn¡¯t so much as even touch him. By catching so many in his killing array, Luohu wiped out so many lives that Da Hai didn¡¯t even bother counting. Streams of souls was released from the deceased devils. They all flew downwards towards streams of silver light where agonizing cries were heard. High above, Mara turned around him Zufeng¡¯s flames to start chanting. Four Against Four Yi Fei¡¯e directed her gaze at the expanding Immortal Extermination Four Swords and felt dread. That dread superseded any sadness she felt for thousands of promising young talents being snuffed out. Clutching her pearl and sword, she readied herself in case she needs to move into it. She knew the situation was not ideal, but if push come to shove, she was one of the few who¡¯s power qualified her to fight somewhat against Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals. THOOM! Her sharp eyes caught glimpses of semi transparent screaming energy flowing past her. It took her mere moments to recognise them as the specific yin qi that ghost devils are comprised of. ¡°They¡¯re flowing from where Luofu activated the four swords. Towards, huh?¡± She followed the trail to where the Phoenix Sovereign and Demon King Mara was tussling a distance away. The phoenix was concentrating her focus to fire beams of hot energy towards her multi armed opponent. But he seemed to shrug the vast majority of them off. But while Mara dedicated three of his arms to hold Zufeng off, the other three on his right side moved in positions. Around him, circular rings seemed to open up like doorways. Crooked gaunt hands emerged followed by hollowed out faces. Ghost devils were emerging one after the other. In much greater speed then those who¡¯d spawned in the Great Wilderness in the few times Yi Fei¡¯e caught sight of them. She did not hesitate to launch a slash Mara¡¯s way. ¡°HM?¡± Mara raised his knee and kicked away the sword strike she launched at him. ¡°Primitive, such power but your technique is lacking.¡± Mara took a hand away from Zufeng and punched towards her. Distance became irrelevant as his hand seemed to grow. From the moth fairy¡¯s perspective, that fist transformed into an arrow filled to the brim with destructive power. ¡°A million years of cultivation cannot stop billions of years of perfection,¡± he boasted. She gritted her teeth at his taunts and revealed her wings to envelop her surroundings in her own universe. Nine rings of cosmos emerged from her physique and swallowed Mara¡¯s attack. In conjunction, Yi Fei¡¯e danced a war dance with the pearl she clasped in her hand. Numerous more arms and heads seemed to emerge from her body. Her figure was simultaneously enchanting and ferocious. A war dance that seemed to redirect all the destructive power of Mara¡¯s attack. Sweat glistened from her forehead. Mara¡¯s punching force became a storm that quickly started to tear apart her cosmos. Cutting her losses, she chose to retreat. ¡®Between him and Luohu, I struggle to tell who¡¯s stronger.¡¯ She gritted her teeth at her inability to stop the generation of more ghost devils. She absentmindedly saw Di Jiang¡¯s figure charging into the the ghost devil tide and shook her head. Even here, every enemy they kill came back almost immediately. She would continue to help Zufeng harass Mara until she saw Zulong seemingly arguing with their master. Da Hai had a serious look and was sending a message she wasn¡¯t privy to in Zulong¡¯s direction. The giant dragon seemed to grow agitated and roared anyway. Her master¡¯s sword as still clutched in his claw, being unable to penetrate the Immortal Extermination Formation. But he released the Twenty Four Seam Calming Pearls and changed their shape into twenty four whirlpools. Separated, their power was reduced, but they still formed divine soldiers who each seemed to contain entire universes within them. Once that was done, Zulong ignored Da Hai and charged into the formation towards Qi An. ¡°ARGH!¡± Da Hai screamed out. His hand hesitated to let go of ritual, but Yuanshi and the others quickly called out to him. Yi Fei¡¯e chose this moment to reach out to him. ¡°Master, I can¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it you stupid girl!¡± She had fully grasped the situation without even needing to ask. Her senior brother wanted to help Qi An since losing him would be a huge loss to their side¡¯s fighting ability. But It was also extremely risky to go into that formation, who knew if even Zulong and Qi An teaming up could escape. ¡°Father!¡± The battle formation containing the nine dragon children were starting to turn around. Obviously, Qiu Niu intended to turn the power of the Overbearing Nine Songs Formation towards the Immortal Extermination Four Swords, a terrible idea if you asked her. ¡°You all, stop this at once,¡± She said. She surrendered total control of a spell she¡¯d cultivated, allowing it to leave her body to take on an incarnation¡¯s role as a spell body. It wasn¡¯t ideal, as if that spell was destroyed, she¡¯d be unable to use it until she recultivated it. But she needed a way to block those idiots fast. ¡°But auntmaster,¡± Suanni said. ¡°You¡¯ll only be walking to your death. Turn your attention to the devil army or I¡¯ll evacuate you all myself,¡± her incarnation said. She shot a quick look at several of her own sisters across the battlefield who no doubt felt similarly. ¡°None of you will interfere with that tier of battle.¡± Zulong and Qi An were now fighting in the midst of the Immortal Extermination Four Swords against Mara. Neither had perished so far, but they were the only ones left alive aside from Luohu. ¡°Who else would you suggest master? The life of myself is not worth you leaving that ritual.¡± She flew towards Zufeng and called towards the phoenix, ignoring Da Hai¡¯s reply. ¡°Daoist Zufeng, the Immortal Extermination Four Swords have been revealed. Let us join my senior brother and daoist Qi An to defeat it,¡± she said aloud. ¡°And what about him?¡± Zufeng¡¯s talon pointed at Mara. ¡°If I let up the pressure, he¡¯ll rampage through the battlefield.¡± Luohu, Mara, and Hundun formed an impossible power block. Hundun was fighting numerous Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals led by Di Jun and his Ten Demonic Grand Sages as well as the Twelve Divine Ancestors. If any of these three were allowed to roam free, the anti-devil alliance was finished. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡­ ¡°Well this doesn''t look good, I thought you had Zhunti managing the reincarnation creation process.¡± A sudden voice broke out beside Da Hai. The sea god turned his head slightly to see Hongjun¡¯s incarnation taking form. A look of contempt crossed Da Hai¡¯s eyes. ¡°I thought you¡¯d lend your support. Great help by the way.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been alive for eleven chaos cycles. Have some more patients,¡± Hongjun sighed. ¡°Give me a break. We¡¯re moving the entire fucking sky.¡± Da Hai¡¯s head snapped to Hongjun. Yuanshi, Houtu, Nuwa, Minghe all looked with dawning realization as to what Hongjun¡¯s ¡®help¡¯ came in the form of. They¡¯d just assume he¡¯d be taking physical action in the fighting. ¡°I¡¯m in no condition to be doing the fighting myself,¡± Hongjun said as if reading their minds. ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡± Yanluo asked but no one answered. Da Hai breathed in and out, maintaining the integration of karma into reincarnation. ¡°They would not be accomplishing anything sitting idly in the Great Wilderness.¡± ¡°He is my son. Not some puppet for you to use,¡± Da Hai said in a low grave voice. ¡°I may¡¯ve suggested the idea, but I personally do not have the authority,¡± Hongjun corrected. ¡°And you realize ¡®they¡¯, are more the Azure Dragon right?¡± Zulong and Qi An were trapped together for now. Luohu was either still too injured to kill them quickly, or their own defences were high enough to resist him for now. The demons and the divinities were turning away from living devils to fight ghost devils. Da Hai felt irksome that he had to put the lives of his disciples in Hongjun¡¯s hands. He silently cursed Zhunti¡¯s absence again. ¡°Yuanshi, move on to the next phase.¡± ¡°What? But the equilibrium of the six paths have not fully set in place yet.¡± ¡°We can bind it for it to settle while we integrate the cleansing and redistribution functions.¡± ¡°Ok. Alright I understand.¡± The Jade Pure One motioned with his hands and begun the opening of the next phase. Minghe raised more water from the Blood Sea and Yanluo forced more of the Netherworld¡¯s power. The latter couldn¡¯t help but feel violated from Mara who also drew from the Netherworld. Da Hai struggled to concentrate fully. But he nevertheless helped Yuanshi invoke the shift for the Reincarnation Disc to take a more concrete form. As a result, the former illusionary energy flow congregated into a spinning disc that, while still transparent, it¡¯s features were fully identifiable. Luohu and Mara both grew alarmed, especially the latter. He folded two arms and drew a bow and arrow aiming right for Da Hai¡¯s group. But he couldn¡¯t fire immediately after suffering another barrage by Zufeng. ¡°Damn it!¡± Luohu growled. He shifted the Immortal Extermination Formation to travel upwards. He tunnelled through an army of weaker immortals. Because Zulong and Qi An were fighting within, they couldn¡¯t halt the momentum of the actual formation moving. Hongjun watched dispassionately at Luohu. The two old friends locked gazes wordlessly, but the former held only pity when he saw Luohu. It was not one a pity born of the difference in combat ability, but of their attainments in the Dao. ¡°You were injured on the verge of destruction many years ago. I believe its time to settle that debt,¡± Hongjun said. With that, the sky above the Netherworld started shimmering. Da Hai blinked at those words. He observed a stream of karma linking Luohu to the light beyond the outer skybox of the Netherworld. ¡°Heavenly Dao,¡± he whispered. Above everyone¡¯s heads, the eternal starless night sky of the Netherworld changed. Numerous constellations manifested, interlocking four enormous shapes split into four quadrants. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that?¡± ¡°But weren¡¯t they the new sky of the Great Wilderness?¡± The confusion caused fighting to pause on both sides. The devils, living and ghost alike felt dread as starry light penetrated the land of the dead. The roars and chirps of the Four Symbols Divine Beasts flooded the battlefield. Zufeng raised her head, at first in confusion then into joy. ¡°Sister?¡± She cried out. It was a sight she¡¯d prayed for but never believed would happen. How could she not be overjoyed? But soon that joy transformed into rage. A similar rage that Zulong immediately felt when he too saw the Four Symbols arriving in the Netherworld. ¡°How dare that thing,¡± he said. ¡°Dragon Sovereign, there is not point in stewing in your anger. This is good fortune for our side of the war,¡± Qi An said in reprimand. ¡®How come I wasn¡¯t aware it recovered to this extent?¡¯ He added mentally. The will of heaven, the Heavenly Dao that governed the Primitive World had pulled the Four Symbols Divine Beasts from the Great Wilderness and forced them to form the Four Symbols Formation within the Netherworld. Their power was not diluted one bit from when the Four Symbols Divine Beasts were still their own individuals. The Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, Black Tortoise were only images outlined by constellations. They possessed no flesh, nor blood, nor even a hint of cultivation. Yet their presence felt so real, it caused weak willed devils¡¯ heats to burst in fear. ¡°Is that meant to scare me? I bested that formation ages ago!¡± Luohu screamed. He commanded the Immortal Extermination Four Swords to envelope the reincarnation disc, hoping to destroy it all when they¡¯re within. But the Four Symbols Divine Beasts roared in response. They moved their own circular formation out of the skybox and towards Luohu¡¯s formation. The two formations were enormous compared to any other on the battlefield. Each one qualified as entire realms in and of itself. Both formations crashed into each other and started a power struggle. Zulong and Qi An nodded in understanding and moved while Luohu was distracted by the brawl. The trapping of their bodies were lessened to the point where they were able to move into the Four Symbols Formation¡¯s protection. ¡°With the Four Symbols, we have a really good chance of tearing the Immortal Extermination Formation apart,¡± Qi An analysed. ¡°Phoenix Sovereign, we request your aid.¡± The tides of battle had shifted again. While the Four Symbols kept everyone distracted, Da Hai activated portions of the Reincarnation disc without warning. Aside from building it, completed functions were already fully capable of drawing deceased spirits on. Mara noticed the change too, but was powerless to stop Da Hai. The gathering of ghost energy in his palm was slipping, forcibly transferred to the Reincarnation Disc. Now the silvery yin attribute qi spun on the Reincarnation disc¡¯s whims. ¡°Keep it up comrades, we may not be able to initiate reincarnation for now, but we can delay ghost devil reinforcements,¡± Yuanshi enthusiastically said. He waited a moment before side eying Houtu. For her part, she had an exited look on her face. Mara gritted his teeth, something Zufeng observed. She considered her options and came to the conclusion that Luohu is the easier target. He was already being besieged, so once she joins in there would be a good chance they can score the skill. Mara in his wrestle for control could not believe what was happening. All six of his arms had to be fully committed but even then he couldn¡¯t take back full control. The doors he¡¯d created for ghost devil resurrection were fading one after another. ¡°Mara,¡± Luohu called out through their mental connection. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice left, take your true form and fight back against that wheel of theirs.¡± ¡°But brother, if I transform I¡¯d be immobile and fully committed to that sole function. I¡¯d be vulnerable.¡± ¡°Damn it all. Hundun, protect Mara!¡± ¡°¡­sure.¡± Hundun for the first time since the invasion began, started moving back towards Mara. He easily threw off Di Jiang and Nine Infants Grand Sage. He roared and blasted Xuanming into Zhu Jiuying. With another slap, he blew Xihe into a tumble towards Di Jun. The Heavenly Demon Emperor caught his wife in anger. The Celestial River Diagram in his hands tried to envelop Hundun in a projection of the Starry Sky, but Di Jun could not catch Hundun. ¡°You brats are all good, without a doubt you¡¯ve all surpassed many of the Three Thousand Godfiends,¡± Hundun praised. ¡°Especially you.¡± He singled out Taiyi who wore a ferocious look on his face. ¡°Grand Duke Taiyi of the Heavenly Demons. You are truly a lucky star. Not like those born under Luohu.¡± ¡°Enough talk, you won¡¯t get away,¡± Taiyi said. ¡°Unfortunately, you still have some distance before you can stand on par with the apex of my generation.¡± Hundun transformed into a mass of thumping shadow and teleported toward Mara. But the latter had greatly changed. The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven could no longer be called a man anymore. Gone were his legs, gone were his arms, even his had was no longer there. No ounce of flesh remained, as if the cultivator known as Mara never existed at all. Hongjun, even Da Hai had a look of bewilderment at the transformation. Mara may¡¯ve taken the shape of something Da Hai recognized as an Asura from Hindu legends before, but now he was a towering structure. A building with a stone base but constructed entirely out of wood. It was a pagoda built with nine floors. An ominous air hovered around each floor and the cries of innumerable souls were contained within. It¡¯s doors were partially opened, allowing one to see imprisoned devils within. The gigantic pagoda stood towering over all living beings, even the true forms of Zulong stretched out could not cover one twelfth of the first floor of that pagoda. Even divinities standing at a hundred and eight thousand kilometres were ants in comparison. ¡°Is that? No can¡¯t be,¡± Da Hai muttered. Even Hongjun wasn¡¯t sure who Mara really was. He was not a living being, he may¡¯ve once been but evidently no longer. He was a treasure spirit, one that had somehow hidden his true nature. ¡°Chaos grade at least,¡± Hongjun said. ¡°I wield the Pangu Banner and Taiji Painting. The signals I¡¯m receiving are no less than them.¡± ¡°Chaos spiritual treasure. He¡¯s the Reincarnation Pagoda. Demon king Mara was never real to begin with. It has always been just the Reincarnation Pagoda,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°But, wasn¡¯t he once a deva of the Fourteen Realms? Back then, he would¡¯ve been the equivalent of a dream lifeform who isn¡¯t real outside that Chaos World. Since he¡¯s a treasure spirit, did he become realm by sacrificing everything to become a treasure?¡± ¡°By Reincarnation Pagoda, do you mean the one that belongs to the monk Kistigarbha?¡± ¡°Why am I not surprised you already know of it.¡± The Reincarnation Pagoda immediately started roaring. The movement of yin qi quickly became a tug of war between the pagoda and the illusionary disc. But as a real treasure, of course the pagoda was tremendously stronger. From all nine floors, the Reincarnation Pagoda opened up its gates. Billions of devils poured out like a bursting water hydrant. ¡°Person or Pagoda, die for me!¡± Yi Fei¡¯e struck out towards the Pagoda. Her blow carved into the wooden surface of the chaos treasure causing it to groan. ¡°Hundun, protect me!¡± Mara¡¯s voice called out. ¡°Little busy here,¡± Hundun replied. He¡¯d started brawling against Taiyi, Di Jun, Di Jiang, and Zhu Jiuying again. The number one and two from both the demons and divinities had seemingly tied Hundun down. The tide of ghost devils charged mindlessly for Yi Fei¡¯e and like minded cultivators. They were desperate to shield the vulnerable pagoda from her strikes. Luohu screamed with frustration, his hope to turn things around had not gone as well as he¡¯d hoped. All three beast sovereigns were besieging him alongside the Four Symbols Formation. He glared at both Hongjun Da Hai and worked tirelessly to push all of his obstacles back. ¡°Hundun, what are you doing? Kill those bugs already!¡± Meanwhile, In the outer layers of the Primitive World. A willow tree emerged from a portal. Cornered The gargantuan Reincarnation Pagoda groaned beneath constant barrages. It was a chaos spiritual treasure, an almighty weapon of epic proportions that in any other scenario, could easily topple Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals with ease. It¡¯s own treasure spirit was also an ancient experienced figure with substantial experience. But currently, Mara felt miserable. He had one mission, and that was to win the battle for Luohu. The lives of their devils were unimportant as he and he alone had the capability to bring them back in massive quantities. Now that he didn¡¯t have to spread out, nor did he have to opposite in the land of the living, he was supposed to be nigh unstoppable in the Netherworld. But as he pulled and pulled at strands of yin qi, he felt resistance becoming stronger and stronger. The wheel that the ritual formed was painfully familiar. To the point where Mara suspected foul play from his original home. It certainly wouldn¡¯t surprise him if they made contact with Da Hai given how often he¡¯d observed the sea god leave Yingzhou for the Chaos Sea. THOOM! The secondary problems arose once again. The pagoda trembled as Di Jiang¡¯s massive bulk slammed into its side. The thick flesh of the Ancestral Divinity had such power, that space and dimensions crunched whenever he threw a punch. Not far away, several more Ancestral Divinities continued to assault him. Their attacks were largely physical in nature, possessing staggering strength in their fleshy bodies. But their natural ability to control the full extent of a Dao from the Primitive World¡¯s core was also a problem. Zhu Jiuying put his authority over time to good use by constantly blinking his eyes. Each time he did so, time slowed to a crawl. He bypassed any temporal defences Mara had to halt the spawning of ghost devils which only added to the burden in his tug of war with the ritual. ¡®Shichen¡¯s Dao, this fucking worm,¡¯ Mara swore in his mind. ¡°Haha, take this you pile of kindle,¡± Zhurrong laughed riding on two massive red dragons. His corporation with the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan granted him air superiority as well as incredibly speed. His fists manifested divine flames that burned just as hot as the Pure Yang flames from the Solar Star. Just the head from Zhurrong¡¯s divine flames threatened to scorch the Reincarnation Pagoda. ¡°I¡¯ll show you real fire caveman,¡± Mara roared. From the pagoda, his voice sounded far more grander then one would expect. But just as promised, yin based spiritual fire ignited from the portals where ghost devils were supposed to be from. ¡°Brother, be careful!¡± Zhu Jiuying called out. Zhurrong¡¯s clash against Mara¡¯s spiritual flames seemed to stalemate at first. In fact, Zhurrong was gaining an advantage. ¡°Haha! I am the god of fire,¡± he proclaimed. ¡°Is that so? Grand Cleansing Vaitarani.¡± Water flowed from the Reincarnation Pagoda. Those in the sky like Yi Fei¡¯e, Xuangming, and Jumang flew higher to avoid the sea not understanding what it was. But Zhurrong quickly found himself submerged. His fire did not burn out, and neither he nor his dragons were harmed. He was confused as he did not feel any adverse affects. But slowly, he felt his ill contempt for Mara dying. In response, his fierce divine flames started fizzling out. Water was seeping into his flesh, penetrating his powerful divine body extremely slowly. But his soul was already feeling the cleansing effect. He did not know why he wanted to harm the pagoda, only that he should instead be protecting it. ¡°Get out, water is my domain!¡± Gonggong came to Zhurrong¡¯s rescue. He slithered his way through the water identifying it as both a spiritual and mental attack, both forms that the Earthly Divinity clan was still lacking. Di Jiang, Shebishi, and Tianwu all landed inside the flood to help Zhurrong. But only Di Jiang was able to completely resist the cleansing Mara was attempting on him. THOOM! Yi Fei¡¯e slashed with all her might across the pagoda¡¯s body. She prioritised destroying it over helping the Ancestral Divinities. As such, she brought all her spells to focus exclusively on the pagoda¡¯s upper structure. ¡®So many esoteric abilities, but in the end it all ties back to manipulations of the spiritual, and yin energy.¡¯ The moth fairy could see unexpected casualties being caught in between the crossfire, but she couldn¡¯t help it either. Another sword light cut through the area aiming for Mara¡¯s spells. A dragon and a phoenix manifested briefly and managed to simultaneously destroy one of the treasure spirit¡¯s attacks aimed at Yi Fei¡¯e while giving Gonggong some breathing room by cutting a trench into the earth. Haotian¡¯s white robed figure appeared riding on a cloud made of swords. His expression solemn when he saw all the carnage around him. He quickly made a hand seal to generate purple clouds and spread them throughout the area. He did this as an attempt to save the lives of countless weaker cultivators who were only surviving inwide reaching effects of Mara¡¯s battle against top tier powerhouses. ¡°You¡­you are daoist Haotian,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°Do you have any means to crack that chaos spiritual treasure open?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Haotian gritted his teeth. Destroying something of that calibre was easier said then done. Over on the water¡¯s edge, Gonggong wrapped Zhurrong and his mounts with his serpentine tail. His hydrokinetic powers were failing him much to his frustration. ¡®I¡¯m the water god damn it.¡¯ But help arrived when a sun appeared overhead. Water evaporated in quick succession. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°My thanks Di Jun,¡± Di Jiang greeted after running to his younger brother¡¯s side. ¡°No problem brother Di Jiang,¡± the Demon Emperor reciprocated. The Celestial River Diagram and the Sun Chakram were acting in tandem to bolster his power. Currently, despite his young age many ancient powerhouses cannot claim to be his match. ¡°Grab on, the ground is no longer safe,¡± he offered the Sun Chakram as a vehicle. ¡°We can fly on our own,¡± Tianwu insisted while lifting himself up with storm clouds. Di Jun nodded, then turned his attention back to Mara. Too bad Taiyi was distracted by Hundun, his help would¡¯ve been greatly appreciated. Many of his Demonic Grand Sages were also spread across the Netherworld battling powerful devils. He quickly flew back up to rejoin his wife and sister in law to assault Mara. The Reincarnation Pagoda¡¯s treasure spirit could see everything going on. But he was helpless to stop his targets from being rescued. He was unable to catch Yi Fei¡¯e nor Xihe nor Changxi nor Di Jun. Because of so many distractions, his attack potency wasn¡¯t enough to overwhelm Haotian. He felt cornered, the only good thing was that his innate durability was high enough to resist them. ¡°Brother Luohu, I cannot do this on my own. Use me, wield me as a weapon.¡± For a treasure, fighting on their own would never be as effective as fighting alongside a wielder. The Reincarnation Pagoda circumvented most of that by virtue of once being a living breathing deity. But his magical power would be even greater when bolstering Luohu. The only reason they hadn¡¯t done so was to cover more ground. The Immortal Extermination Formation was being pressed down. It wasn¡¯t defeated as Luohu had brought out the Destruction Mill to supplement himself, but Mara could tell the Devil Ancestor would struggle to break out of that encirclement. DONG! DONG! ¡°Hm?¡± Everything seemed to ripple before Mara¡¯s senses. His spells were being toyed with, his control over his battle lowered to a significant extent. His hold over the tug of war with the illusionary Reincarnation Disc faltering. All stemming from the ringing of a bell. A chaos spiritual treasure just like his current body, one of the three treasures that broke off from Pangu¡¯s axe. Di Jun¡¯s younger brother Taiyi was floating freely without any signs of battle. In the human form sun crow¡¯s right hand, he rung the Chaos Bell vigorously. Sweat poured down his head, a clear sign of the struggle to draw out the full power of the treasure. ¡°No no no no no! Hundun you useless thing, where are you?¡± Mara practically screamed. The faceless Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal was beside himself observing. He hovered without a care in the world after deciding to let Taiyi go. Instead, he constantly looked around in both the direction of the Great Wilderness as well as the Netherworld. ¡°Hundun, what is the meaning of this?¡± Mara cried. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t expect you two to show up,¡± Hundun said. But he did not address Mara, instead he spoke towards roots pulling apart a tear in the Netherworld¡¯s reality. From that tear, a chilling breeze that reminds one of a frigid night on the coast emanated from a female figure. This was followed by a mysterious stern presence that walked out following the woman. Wangshu was the first to step through, the first thing she did was dash towards the illusionary Reincarnation Disc. But for Yang Mei, his expression was one of pure fury. He snapped towards the Immortal Extermination Formation and immediately said. ¡°Luohu, did you kill Huoyun?¡± By this point, over eleven yuanhui had passed since Yang Mei last set foot in the Primitive World. No one except a select few even remembered his existence. Even Hongjun was stunned to see the old man who¡¯d seemingly had no interest in Pangu¡¯s creation nor his original Dao return once again. Yang Mei cut an imposing figure in the Netherworld. The moment he appeared, the image of an ominous swaying willow tree overtook the ominous night sky. Luohu had to raise his head to meet the senior godfiend¡¯s cold gaze. ¡°What about it?¡± Yang Mei descended without hesitation into the Immortal Extermination Formation. Mara cried out for him to stop. But the latter was already tied down by everyone else. Wangshu made her full appearance behind Da Hai with an expecting look. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Take a look around you,¡± Da Hai said regretfully. Wangshu sucked in her breath and looked behind her. Her disciples Xihe and Changxi were fighting alongside an unknown man. Xihe had advanced so suddenly to become a Chaos Immortal and clearly had more power than Changxi. So many unknown faces brawling against devils. Most disturbing of all was Qinglong. The Azure Dragon¡¯s presence was felt, but his life force was not. Looking at the Four Symbols formation formed by the Heavenly Dao, she saw only a corpse. ¡°What now?¡± She asked with a confused look. It was difficult to wrap her head around how so much could change from just one trip into the Chaos Sea. ¡°I kill that son of a bitch,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°Will you help me fight this war Wangshu?¡± The Moon Star Lord sighed. ¡°Someone has to watch your back. That¡¯s the Immortal Extermination Four Swords you told me about right? Zulong, Zufeng, and¡­I have no idea who that is but Yang Mei has also entered it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Zulin¡¯s son, the new Qilin Sovereign Qi An,¡± he answered. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m shocked too.¡± The female godfiend could only nod in understanding. Logically speaking, Qi An should hold a grudge, but he was still coordinating with Zulong perfectly. Her phoenix eyes glanced at the equally ferocious battle against the reincarnation pagoda. As a congenital goddess born out of the Lunar Star, she held a natural inkling towards the yin attribute. Even as a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal, she cannot say she was too well versed in the deathly aspect of yin. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure my disciple¡¯s safety first.¡± She then transformed into a beam of moonlight directly at the towering pagoda. Yuanshi and the others looked curiously at Wangshu. They¡¯d all nearly forgotten that there was once another Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal inhabiting the Starry Skies. Previously, they still felt unsure over the war, but now their confidence was bolstered. ¡°Houtu, prepare yourself,¡± Da Hai said suddenly. ¡°The Reincarnation Pagoda cannot put its all into fighting with us for now because of the Chaos Bell. We should hurry things along and finish the ritual.¡± ¡°Good, I¡­I was waiting for you to say that,¡± Houtu said. ¡°Don¡¯t back out now,¡± Minghe warned. ¡°You fuck this up and this whole operation¡¯s fucked.¡± ¡°I know what¡¯s at stake blood god,¡± Houtu retorted. She sent a lasting look at her divine siblings in the distance. ¡­ To say Luohu was not having a good time was the understatement of the yuanhui. He felt almost as worse currently then when he initially failed in the siege of Mt Buzhou. The 12 Petals Black Lotus constantly spun in order to burn away at the roots reaching for him. In the distance, Zulong roared and clashed against the Immortal Trapping Sword. His body glowed black and yellow and a swing of his tail destabilised a quadrant of the formation. In another, the cries of Zufeng deafened him as she wrestled through millions of sword strikes to get at the Immortal Ending Sword. The other two swords were also diverting large amounts of power to deal with Qi An¡¯s karmic based strikes as well as the Heavenly Dao¡¯s Four Symbols formation. The battle against the latter was considerably easier as it was a clash from both formation¡¯s outer shells. ¡°LUOHU!¡± The Devil Ancestor gripped his spear tightly. He held it up to block a palm strike that nearly threatened to throw him off his feat. Countless spirally immortal killing sword light gathered around him to lift him up. Despite being an element originally for the purpose of mass slaughter, it played defence when it came to Luohu. ¡°Yang Mei, you shouldn¡¯t have come back here.¡± The elderly man named Yang Mei couldn¡¯t control his temper. He was practically snarling with each palm strike he threw. Each one was like a new universe slamming into the devil¡¯s being. Yang Mei was trapped within the formation too, but his body was powerful enough to not be affected by the cuts the four swords¡¯ sword light were trying to enforce. His cultivated spells, born from many years in the Chaos Sea expelled from his body. In natural response, the Immortal Extermination Formation¡¯s sword light defended by parrying with brutal efficiency.Luohu swung the God Killing Spear at Yang Mei as well. The stability of this formation was legendary at this point. Even with so much chaos going on, it still could not be broken easily. But quivering signs did result from the many exchanges between Luohu and Yang Mei. ¡°So worked up as well? For a godfiend who also chose to fanatically chase the Dao, you¡¯re awfully attached.¡± Though this was said by Luohu in a mocking way, Yang Mei merely snorted at the attempt to rile him up. ¡°I treasured friendship, I treasure the Dao. I left to pursue my path but that hardly means I¡¯ve forgotten my relationships. Something I doubt you understand with your slave army.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a disgrace to Tai Chu¡¯s legacy,¡± Luohu said. ¡°How can you ever expect to achieve enlightenment in the Dao that way? None of you understood in the end, godfiends my ass. You¡¯ve all forgotten what it meant to be one of the Chaos Godfiends!¡± ¡°I should be the one saying that,¡± Yang Mei snorted. ¡°With your Dao on full display, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t notice. Ancestor Tai Chu preached the Dao must be something every individual must strive for on their own. But all that insight? None of it is yours.¡± Yang Mei fought with an anger he never thought he¡¯d been capable of. He had parted ways with Huoyun so long ago, but he never expected him to be gone just like that. First Tian Hai, then Huoyun, even for Yang Mei who steeled his heart to pursue a lonely path, the pain was immense. In truth, Yang Mei had considered his fate with his sworn brothers to be over after he left the Primitive World. He would not go out of his way to ensure their paths crossed, he would not mind if they end up strangers again. But when Wangshu revealed the truth, the guilt came back. ¡®I should¡¯ve tried harder to convince him. Could¡¯ve shown him the true way of seeking the Dao rather then obsessing over his former one and that brat.¡¯ This was the sole thought in his mind. He didn¡¯t even bother speaking with Wangshu the whole trip back. ¡°All paths are valid in seeking the Dao!¡± Luohu countered back. From his perspective, Yang Mei¡¯s words were like the judging gaze of Hongjun. What was wrong with his Devilish Dao? It worked didn¡¯t it? Luohu¡¯s insight into the wuji was even stronger then Yang Mei. Whereas the latter studied how primordial nothingness divided into two extremes, Luohu was already understanding how the source begets everything. He considered himself the furthest ahead in reaching the Dao realm, surpassing his rival Hongjun and the first person to break into this path, Da Hai. Cornered II DONG! DONG! DONG! The Reincarnation Pagoda continued to sway uncontrollably. The power theChaos Bell unleashed forced a great toll on Taiyi. This was not because he was using it at full power, but because he was actually trying to push the bell to its absolute limit. For a owners of chaos spiritual treasure, the Chaos Bell¡¯s compatibility with Taiyi was the greatest. Hongjun may own the Pangu Banner and the Taiji Painting, but he could not bring out their full potential because he himself was not fully compatible with them. ¡°Brother, is everything okay?¡± Di Jun called out. ¡°Why don¡¯t you see for yourself!¡± Taiyi yelled back in a rare moment of anger at his older brother. As if on cue, the pagoda roared desperately. He tried hard to push everyone back with a ferocious energy wave, one that Yi Fei¡¯e clashed against with her sword that now resembled a celestial river. Di Jun waved his hand to unleash a whirling hurricane of Pure Yang Sun Fire from the Sun Chakram. Di Jiang and the other divinities sued their titanic strength merged with natural laws to beat the wave back. ¡°That pagoda is so sturdy,¡± Xihe complained bitterly. Her mastery over the sun allowed her to create her own magical arts over the years. From her body, ten celestial bodies rotated. This was her supreme art, a spell she cultivated to be her greatest asset in battle. ¡®Ten Suns Birth.¡¯ This was also garnered her a title from the demons who joined under Di Jun. Xihe, the Mother of Ten Suns. Changxi did not fall far behind, around her body orbited twelve miniature lunar stars. Her own cultivated spell was ¡®Twelve Moons Creation¡¯. Alongside Xihe, she was the Mother of Twelve Moons. ¡°Sister,¡± Xihe said while covering her face a gas based spell arising from the pagoda. ¡°Help my husband. Your yin based moons are complementary to his greater yang based flames. Should feed into his flames.¡± ¡°I¡¯m barely surviving as is sister,¡± Changxi retorted. She gritted her teeth, barely holding on despite her own drastic improvements since the beginning of the war. But nowadays, she was far inferior to Xihe. Both sisters were among the weakest fighters present tussling with Mara. But while Xihe was determined to help Di Jun in battle, Changxi felt obligated to accompany Xihe. Her own personal thoughts were far more complex. ¡°You two,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e jumped in before them using her own techniques to help them resist Mara. She had already suffered significant damage since Mara¡¯s transformation. She¡¯d also made it her duty to look out for her junior sisters. ¡°Xihe, Changxi, i suggest a retreat for you two. His combat ability is greater then what most elite Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals could achieve.¡± ¡°I am empress of the Heavenly Demons, my husband needs me.¡± Xihe stood her ground. Di Jun flew close to her location as soon as she finished having assumed his true form. ¡°Wife, that devil pagoda has become distracted by the divinities down on the ground. Let¡¯s use this opportunity to regroup with my brother and launch another offensive.¡± ¡°Your majesty,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e said in an almost spitting tone. ¡°I do not appreciate you putting my junior sisters in harms way. They will not fight Demon King Mara any longer. ¡± ¡°Respectfully princess, you do not have a right to order my people around. They are demons first and foremost,¡± Di Jun snapped defensively. He quickly took a look at Taiyi and the Chaos Bell. His younger brother Taiyi was struggling despite placing the Reincarnation Pagoda in complete disadvantage. The Demon Emperor wanted to relieve him more then anything else. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡®So many Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals, top tier ones at that and the most we can do is force out a draw?¡¯ BOOM! Reality shook disturbing everyone for several moments. Di Jiang and the other divinities were thrown off their feet in surprise. The felt the surging yin qi around the pagoda fizzle out as another gargantuan source that resembled a cold star in the Starry Skies took its place. Di Jun felt a frozen chill that reminded him of Changxi and how Xihe was then they¡¯d first met. It was so antithetical to his sun based cultivation, but at the same time there was a compatibility there between both sources of energy. Taiyi held tightly onto his treasure. Out of everyone there he was the only one who saw the bolt of moonlight smash into the Reincarnation Pagoda. Even Yi Fei¡¯e was too distracted to see the attack while Haotian was too busy ferrying more people out of the way. ¡°Master?¡± Xihe and Changxi uttered in shock. ¡°You.¡± Mara¡¯s voice carried through the cold winds of the Netherworld. ¡°You want to interfere in this war too?¡± ¡°Interfere? I should¡¯ve been part of it from the start,¡± Wangshu replied. In her hideous true form, she grabbed hold of the towering pagoda and pulled it along with her. The wooden structure groaned as her sheer strength enabled her claws to dig into it. Wangshu¡¯s face opened up for blasts of moonlight. She acted to disrupt, outright swallowing Mara¡¯s attacks. He tried to do the same in response. But Taiyi acted quickly by lending support with the Chaos Bell. The epicentre of the battle became a storm where those below the Chaos Immortal realm would¡¯ve instantly died. Inside the pagoda, the main door opened up to reveal a throne within. Upon which sat the ragged form of the treasure spirit, Mara himself. He glared hatefully at Wangshu for reducing him to this state. ¡°I won¡¯t lose, I cannot lose!¡± The pagoda seemingly wrapped itself in magnificent power. Six sprouted from it while a demonic face formed on its outer walls. He wrestled against Wangshu who also posed six arms and a snarling face. ¡°ARGH!¡± While Wangshu held him back, Di Jiang unleashed thousands of punches at his side. Zhu Jiuying slapped him with his tail, Qizi and Xuangming clawed away at him. Zhurrong unleashed well earned pay back for his earlier humiliation using his flames while Gonggong did the same with water. All eleven Ancestral Divinities were working together to rip into his base. If Houtu were not busy, they¡¯ll form the Pangu Genesis Formation and rip him apart on the spot. ¡°HAH!¡± Wangshu head butted the pagoda a final time. The chaos treasure leaned back, pieces of wood splintering off. Wangshu opened her mouth to blast into the pagoda¡¯s interior. Inside, before Mara¡¯s throne, Wangshu manifested an incarnation. She stared with pity at the Demon King. He in return, began to meet her gaze with murderous fury. ¡°I¡¯ve survived the dream existence of the Fourteen Realms. I experienced countless kalpas of death and rebirth. What gives you the right?¡± ¡°Nothing gives anyone the right to do anything,¡± Wangshu replied. ¡°I just want to help my friend.¡± Reaching out, the flow of qi inside the pagoda became erratic. Cracks began forming on the Mara sitting on the throne. Outside, the pagoda started dimming. It¡¯s control over the Netherworld started dimming. It was like as if a light bulb was burning out. The lines of spirits he¡¯s been using to conduct the devil¡¯s ghostly reincarnation suddenly appeared in an erratic tangible form. Countless screams flooded the war torn Netherworld. Both immortals and devils alike found themselves flooded by vengeful spirits. But these spirits were harmless compared to ghost devils. Little more then echoes. ¡°NO!¡± Luohu screamed from within the Immortal Extermination Formation. But he was trapped beneath the Four Symbols Formation and could not go to help. Despite all of his treasures arming him, it wasn¡¯t enough to shrug off all the pressure. He would not admit it aloud, but he felt genuine despair. With all the chaos going on, Hundun watched from high in the sky feeling pleased. Immortals and devils alike were dying by the millions. Ghost devils were disorientated and couldn¡¯t maintain their forms. The despair felt by living devils was palpable through their shared ties with the Devilish Dao. Hundun started into his palms with a satisfied thought. ¡®Bout time to start a retreat.¡¯ He started at both Mara and Luohu and did not feel an ounce of guilt. ¡°You¡¯ve always said all paths are valid in order to pursue the Dao. What a genius you¡¯ve been. I fully agree.¡± In the Primitive World, the entire system of ghost devils was tied to the West Continent¡¯s defensive formation. But right now, as a result of the Reincarnation Pagoda¡¯s loss of control, that system was decaying. A knock on affect occurred as a result. Because it was so intrinsically built in to the formation, it suddenly collapsing resulted in a domino affect where the formation started collapsing in on itself. None of its hidden anchor points could sustain it in the first place. The truth was, Mara the Reincarnation Pagoda was the true pin holding the entire structure together. He tied all the laylines in the west together with himself as the epicentre. He and he alone was the most important weapon for the devils. He, the whole ghost devil system, the formation suppressing the anti-devil alliance, and the west continent were essentially one entity. But now, spiritual energy was going out of control. The flow was disrupted so bad from the formation collapsing that some laylines outright erupted with primordial qi. Some areas were so incredibly dense that it was comparable to the uninhabitable Central Continent. The west had already suffered greatly from the anti-devil alliance rampaging through it during the war. But now it¡¯s very spiritual foundation was exploding. ¡°The system for rebirth is collapsing. But it also is an opportunity,¡± Yuanshi said from inside the reincarnation ritual. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right senior?¡± ¡°Houtu, you know what to do,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°Swallow it before it collapses.¡± The sea god straightened his back and took his hands off of the ritual. At the same time, a happy smile blossomed on Houtu¡¯s face. ¡°At last, will it finally be over?¡± She spread out her arms and uncoiled from her seated position. From her position, she was originally working on stabilizing the ritual from far above the others. Once again, she looked where her siblings were, feeling relieved they survived the battle safely without her. As if sensing something, Zhu Jiuying glanced her way. His sun and moon eyes narrowed and he patted Di Jiang on the shoulders causing him to turn around. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Da Hai said impatiently. ¡°If their reincarnation system collapses completely, we¡¯ll have to start that path from scratch.¡± The illusionary reincarnation disc had stopped rotating. Right now, it resembled an empty husk, just an outline of what it was supposed to be. It was as if it was waiting for something to fill it up. ¡°I know, but can¡¯t a girl look at her family one last time?¡± Houtu said. She leaned back towards the illusionary reincarnation disc while sending a sad smile. Nuwa glanced her way with a sad look, she uncoiled herself and saluted Houtu. Behind her, her burned mud puppet stood up and copied its creator¡¯s actions. Minghe grunted but still saluted her. Yanluo was unfamiliar with the gesture as he thought it was one of greeting, yet he followed the same. Finally, Yuanshi and Da Hai saluted her. Then Houtu fell in. Samsara When did it all start for her? The pain, the discomfort, the constant feeling of being connected to every living creature across the Primitive World. The Great Wilderness, the Starry Skies, even obscure dimensions and cave worlds of cultivators had living beings. As long as they were of the five elements, she felt intimately close to them. When they transcended to celestial make up, the ease let up but didn¡¯t go away. Because fundamentally, an immortal still belonged to the Primitive World. When they ripped their true souls out and become Golden Immortals, a ripple affect would jolt her body. But afterwards would be a time of release as those third order celestial beings detached themselves from her. Well, not her specifically. They detached themselves from the greater whole that she was essentially of the same spirit with. Many tens of thousands ago, when she crawled out of the crimson ooze that was the remnants of Pangu¡¯s blood essence, the Law of Earth was forcibly jammed into her entire being just as her siblings were. As one of the Three Thousands Great Daos, it was a Dao Law that controlled everything that had to do with the soil. When a cultivator studies this Dao Law, they would gain knowledge and power over the manipulation of the soil and its fertile nature. But Houtu gained so much more. The Dao Laws, even the great ones, are all just an aspect of the Daos of the Three Thousand Chaos Godfiends. Their true power can never be obtained, sealed within the core of the Primitive World, wardened by the Heavenly Dao. But the Twelve Ancestral Divinities bypassed that. Houtu controlled the earth Dao in its entirety. Not only its fertility, not only its malleability, or its ability as a stabilizing agent. Houtu gained dominion over death as well. Vaguely, she recalled a figure from a previous era, the original possessor as well as creator of this Dao. Julong was his name, one of the Three Thousand Chaos Godfiends. A competitor, but also coworker with the Five Elements God Huoyun. In the past, Huoyun confided with Julong for inspirations to create his own Dao. The Dao of Five Elements was born out of consultation with five other godfiends. But on its own, Julong¡¯s Dao was different. The thought that all living beings returned to the earth led him to understand death as part of his Earth Dao. This contained an understanding of souls, birth, as well as the reincarnation cycle. Incorporated into the Primitive World, the congenital earth goddess Houtu was now connected to all living beings, their lifetimes of regrets and their deaths. Their woes and sorrows about their failures? Their indignity for having been murdered? Their rage at failing to find immortality? She felt all of it. At first, her bleeding heart felt sorrow for them. She wanted to defeat the Devilish Dao and restore peace. But as time went on, it built up more and more. The Blood Sea alone swallowed an uncountable number of deceased beings, enough to start spewing Primordial Beasts. Before the tribulation, it was ignorable. After the tribulation began, the weight increased a quintillion fold. And because of this, for thousands of years since the war began, Houtu cursed Julong¡¯s name. It was too much for her, she wanted to sever her connection. She didn¡¯t want to feel the suffering of all living beings anymore. ¡°HOUTU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING?¡± A part of her felt deep regret. Zhu Jiuying was the first to notice, but it was Di Jiang who reacted first. His wings flapped and portals appeared despite destabilizing dimensions. Di Jiang controlled the Dao Law of Primordial Chaos, he was wholly unaffected by all the rampant destruction affecting reality. His footsteps crossed the battlefield by carrying in and out of the void. Fortunately, him abandoning the battle with Mara did not mean much as Wangshu was already on the cusp of victory. Nothing would change, not even when the other Ancestral Divinities began abandoning that front to target her. Zhurrong patted the dragons he rode to carry him quickly. Xuanming flew with all her might, Tianwu ran alongside Qiang Liang, Xizi and Shebishi. Gonggong slithered towards her. Rushou and Jumang stopped fighting Devil Great Emperors as well. Houtu was transforming after she entered the illusionary disc spinning in the sky of the Netherworld. Her eyes glistened as numerous lines opened to her vision. So many lives, so many lifetimes, so much pain, so much suffering. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The innate reincarnation system was already terribly inefficient and unorganized, relying purely in random chances. Yuanshi, Minghe, Nuwa, Yanluo, and Da Hai formed hand seals and started the final part of the ritual, completely ignoring the Ancestral Divinities. ¡°Brothers, sister,¡± Houtu said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not informing you all. But It¡¯s easier to ask for forgiveness then to ask permission.¡± ¡°Houtu explain yourself, why is your vitality depleting?¡± It didn¡¯t take an detective to see that Houtu¡¯s body was paling. Bits of her flesh was breaking off resembling dust particles. She was horribly skinny, looking like a ghost with clearly visible ribs beside skeletal arms. Houtu was an immortal undying being. But she was also rotting. Di Jiang was furious and confused. He demanded more explanations from his sister, praying that whatever obvious conclusion to what he was seeing was a lie. ¡°I want the suffering to end,¡± Houtu said. ¡°Reincarnation must be perfected. With my physique as the earth goddess, I shall sacrifice my being to become the Reincarnation Disc.¡± ¡°Madness, get out of there sister. This need not be you!¡± Shebishi demanded. Out of all the divinities, Shebishi actually learned some techniques based around souls. He saw lines of deathly concepts written all over Houtu¡¯s body. ¡°I am the only choice to become the Reincarnation disc,¡± Houtu vehemently doubled down. ¡°I am life, and I am death. Accepting the dead and instilling life. As reincarnation must embody both aspects, I AM the only choice.¡± She said so with hints of madness and expectation. Everything hurts, but it was only physical pain as opposed to the mental anguish she¡¯d suffered. She knew none of them would understand, and all of them would try to stop her. And she was proven right as Di Jiang made to rip her out of the ritual. He clawed into the void but couldn¡¯t find reach her through spacetime. His muscles bulged as he made to punch the ritual. ¡°How sad, the most successful opposition to us ended up being our own side,¡± Nuwa sighed. ¡°Can you blame them? Put Fuxi in the same situation,¡± Yuanshi retorted eyes closed. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to the brewing conflict, only at helping Houtu through the process. Instead, Da Hai reached into his sleeve with his free hand. He chucked a white lotus flower like a frisbee towards Di Jiang. The 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification quickly expanded into a shield. BOOM! Di Jiang¡¯s flabby body jiggled, reeling from the impact of hitting the xianxia spiritual treasure specialised in defence. ¡°Da Hai! What is the meaning of this? You betray us?¡± In his mind, he began rationalizing that Houtu could not have chosen herself as a sacrifice for the ritual. It should¡¯ve been the others, those filthy innate gods who did not appreciate Pangu¡¯s gift like they did. Da Hai must¡¯ve been motivated by spite due to what happened to Qinglong. This was the common consensus among the Ancestral Divinities. Zhurrong without thinking charged forward alongside Jumang, Rushou, Gonggong, and others to break through the lotus. This lineup caused even Da Hai to frown. Da Hai eyed the Immortal Extermination Formation to check up on Zulong¡¯s condition. Then he lifted his focus out of the ritual and drew the Xuanhuang Water Control flag from his pocket dimension. A single double handed swing of that flew sent a tsunami at the divinities. Opportunistic devils looked on with anticipation. They couldn¡¯t break into that fortified area, but they hoped their enemies would turn on each other. ¡°This is the unity you all boast? What a joke, you¡¯ll all fall to emotions and desires and fight among yourselves.¡± Mara laughed despite his crumbling state. ¡°Your taunts cannot change this outcome. Besides, I have faith in him.¡± Wangshu on the other didn¡¯t seem to care, fully engrossed in executing the Reincarnation Pagoda¡¯s treasure spirit. Da Hai with his own flagpole continued to wave it around, generating increasing currents of water. Swirling and swirling, he eliminated Zhurrong¡¯s divine flames again and washed every divinity not named Di Jiang or Zhu Jiuying out of the way. Those two were the only ones to remain on their feet. ¡°Civil war already?¡± Hongjun¡¯s vice echoed beside Da Hai, his incarnation appeared once again. ¡°They won¡¯t cause any issues,¡± Da Hai said. His lips were downturned as he spoke, a clear look of sympathy in his gaze. ¡°Earthly Divinities, this choice was non but Houtu¡¯s. I will not lie and say I didn¡¯t hope for it. But she and she alone made the final decision.¡± ¡°It had to stop brothers, I don¡¯t want to keep feeling this suffering anymore.¡± Despite whispering, both Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuying heard her. Di Jiang gripped his feet in fury. He simply could not accept those answers. But Zhu Jiuying was slightly different. The torch dragon analysed the chain of events and realized the bigger picture. No matter how much he hated it, he understood why it specifically had to be Houtu. Sitting a great distance away, in the middle of ferocious fighting was a field of tranquility. Devils hesitated to approach it, cultivators used it as a safe haven of sorts. The pure field deployed by Jieyin acted as a protective shield for the injured. Jieyin sat in the centre of this pure land with hands clasped. His projected himself as a giant red humanoid sitting crossed legged, still as a statue. But in this moment, he turned his look to the ritual and Houtu. ¡°Zhunti, did you also plan to sacrifice that woman?¡± He pondered aloud. ¡°Though, I suppose it makes sense considering what I¡¯m sensing. It¡¯s tragic, her very nature and current events. Fate is cruel indeed.¡± The moment Houtu reached halfway in her transformation, almost all cultivators above the True Immortal realm realized what change had taken place. The higher in realm, the higher their comprehension to the ongoing. Despite the carnage of battle, Jieyin took this moment to ponder on his Dao. With Di Jiang nearly lost in reason, Houtu met Zhu Jiuying¡¯s eyes with a pleading look. The Ancestral Divinity of Time turned furious. Despite growing to understand, at that moment he hated how selfish Houtu was to not approach any of them. Did she not consider how any of them would feel? Of course she did, she just didn¡¯t care. For the twelve brothers and sisters who swore to always look out for each other and shared a true bond, it was utterly infuriating. ¡°Fine then. You are no longer my sister.¡± The water around them wasn¡¯t necessary to stop his brothers. Zhurrong and the others felt their bodies slowing tremendously. ¡°Zhu Jiuying why?¡± Di Jiang found himself coiled by his second brother. ¡°Zhu Jiuying, what is the meaning for this?¡± ¡°Houtu has betrayed the Earthly Divinities for her own cause,¡± Zhu Jiuying said shaking his old looking head. ¡°She is not divinity, not worthy saving.¡± Da Hai retracted the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag. A brief glance back told him that Houtu was managing the final steps of the ritual on her own. He no longer needed to actively participate anymore. ¡°Remember, one chance to do this. Swallow their path, then enact your own. I trust you to complete reincarnation?¡± He promised pain in those last words. Yuanshi and the others merely nodded. Houtu¡¯s body disintegrated entirely. The moment this happened, the spinning disc straightened horizontally. It¡¯s illusionary aspect solidified into a solid object, but no features could be identified as it was cloaked completely in white light. ¡°NOW!¡± The Primordial Man Across the vast Netherworld, a long river of dark silver light coiled throughout the sky. The agonizing cries of what must¡¯ve been quintillions of true souls belonging to devils throughout history echoed from within. Their ethereal arms outstretched, begging for the Reincarnation Pagoda to return them to the real world. The system deployed by Luohu and Mara was as such. Ordinary, when a cultivator advanced to the Golden Immortal realm, they absorb their true souls and gain full ownership of themselves, thereby breaking through together to a higher planet of existence. Devil cultivators was much the same. But due to having cultivated devil scriptures, the moment they begin creating their Dao, they unknowingly draw from Luohu¡¯s Dao. Luohu¡¯s Dao served as the foundation instead of their own delusions. Luohu¡¯s Dao is what they would grow form, their own Dao being an extension of the Devil Ancestor. In their moment of death, their Dao will continue to exist even without a Dao fruit. In the same way, their true souls are arrested along with their Dao. Their destruction is prevented and they¡¯re shoved into a pseudo river of time created by Mara. Essentially a massive catalogue of everyone who¡¯s ever cultivated the Devilish Dao. Flowing in and out of the Great Wilderness and the Netherworld. Anchored by the Reincarnation Pagoda, sustaining itself by the yin qi of the Netherworld. From the moment Mara lost his grip, that river became erratic. Like a membrane about to burst due to it¡¯s components violently convulsing. Now that same river was being pulled towards the heart of the Netherworld. Hundun sat crossed legged in the air watching patiently for the transformation to occur. Da Hai was unwilling to let him anywhere near the ritual, but that was to be expected. However, as a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal, Hundun gleamed much just by observing. ¡°Houtu sacrificed to become the Reincarnation Disc, is that true death though. Would she end up like Mara, a treasure spirit?¡± He pondered aloud. As he did so, he wasn¡¯t idle either. Hundun had acted in a similar way to Jieyin, only on a much larger scale. The devils side was losing badly due to the chain of events leading up to Luohu¡¯s besiegement and Mara¡¯s downfall. Their moral was all but crushed leaving many individuals desperately trying to flee. Unfortunately, too many were caught up by the immortal cultivators who wished to kill them. Out of everyone present, Jieyin, Hundun, and Haotian were the only ones trying to limit casualties. Others have just accepted them as a necessity. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Cold and hot at the same time?¡± ¡°Praise be the heavens! The disc is becoming real!¡± The Reincarnation Disc roared suddenly. It sounded young, it sounded old, it sounded masculine, and it sounded feminine. The outline of a face and a gaping mouth emerged a the centre of the disc. A band of ethereal light stretched out like a frog¡¯s elongated tongue. ¡°NO! Stay away from my devils!¡± An old voice cried out. It was a heavily injured old devil who¡¯d been fighting in the background against several of the Demonic Grand Sages. Hou Pi who¡¯d dogmatically followed Luohu into the Netherworld. ¡°Children of the west, we must advance!¡± He cried desperately. ¡°If that river is destroyed, eternity is lost to all devils.¡± His words brought about confusion in the lower ranks, and doubt int he higher ranks. The still living Devil Great Emperors like the Orca Patriarch all eventually figured out the flaws of their cultivation system. Some pondered if destroying the river could enable them to advance freely. The Reincarnation Disc on the other hand, did not care for what living beings wanted. Houtu¡¯s sacrifice had been complete and the disc¡¯s true power was now showing. It easily pulled the entire convulsing pseudo river of time into it¡¯s mouth. Many were shocked at how fast this had taken place. Wasn¡¯t it too simple? The reality was, if Mara could fight wrestle the river back then he would¡¯ve. But even the Reincarnation Pagoda could not do anything but watch helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s no use, my reincarnation system isn¡¯t even a complete one in the first place. It¡¯ll lean too much into ghosts existences. That disc will collapse in on itself,¡± he rationalized. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize Moon Star Lord? Your allies¡¯ ritual will fail.¡± Wangshu scoffed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop resisting and die?¡± Seeing the Reincarnation Disc devouring the river, Yuanshi smirked. ¡®This¡¯ll be a masterpiece.¡¯ In the real world, he commanded the others aloud. ¡°Minghe, draw the Blood Sea in. Yanluo, anchor the power of the Netherworld in. Nuwa, prepare those dolls of yours.¡± The Jade Pure One started chanting a spell. He was once one third of the Nascent Soul of Pangu. He was a celestial being that was both an innate god and a heaven in and of himself. His inner cosmos was a colourless void, his Primordial Beginnings Dao fruit was like the primordial state before heaven split from earth. From that origin, anything could be created, as long as he puts his mind to it. Out of the Three Pure Ones, Yuanshi was the most skilled in refining treasures. He created a conceptual path similar to the river of devil souls. But this one focused on the celestial, using concepts from innate lifeforms such as himself. ¡°The system of the devils are evil ghosts, but reincarnation must feature innate life.¡± He opened up the Reincarnation Disc in time for a winding trail of Blood Sea water to pour in. Minghe waved his hands alongside Yuanshi, he began drawing out the very essence that birthed him. Unlike thousands of years ago, the blood god had no fear of dying. He did not need to destroy the Blood Sea in order for the ritual to come to fruition. Like Yuanshi, Minghe studied death and rebirth. He began to understand Primordial Beasts more and more, and he understood how they were both living beings as well as mindless machines of hate. The Blood Sea was giving rise to their existence through countless wondering souls drawn to it. Now Minghe will get rid of all those souls and divert them into the Reincarnation Disc. Along with water containing essence from the Blood Sea, Minghe will create another path for reincarnation just like Yuanshi. ¡°Innate life is right, it¡¯s about time I clear the Primordial Beast infestation.¡± Yuanshi and Minghe merged their efforts to form two rivers that entered the Reincarnation disc. Alongside the river of ghost devils, they cycled through like koi fishes swimming in a pond. Yanluo brought about immense streams of yin qi. He poured them into the Reincarnation Disc. It too began cycling alongside the three rivers becoming a path of its own. Yanluo, self proclaimed Emperor Fengdu utilized a similar principle to Mara and his ghost devils. Though they may not be living beings, creatures that will be born in the Netherworld are a form of existence. Like this, two thirds of the Reincarnation Disc was filled. The light cloaking its surface began breaking away revealing engraved images. The lowest areas featured a hellish prison, alongside it was a greyed out hollow world of pale ghosts. Reigning above them were innate lifeforms born out of the energies of heaven and earth. ¡°Copy cats,¡± a crumbling Mara spat. ¡°Naraka, Preta, Asura, Deva. What a joke.¡± But the ritual was not done as Nuwa floated towards the surface of the Reincarnation Disc. Her oldest mud puppet floated right behind her, its charred head expressed no thought at what was about to come. ¡°Go on,¡± Nuwa said. She held out a ball containing her own understanding towards living beings. She gave it to the mud puppet. ¡°A hundred and twenty nine thousand five hundred and ninety nine of your brothers and sisters sit within. Them and all the records of innate creature clans, well I suppose it¡¯s the Demon Clan now.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Despite supposedly possessing no will, the charred mud puppet nodded. It jumped in willingly, almost shaking in giddy. A stream of light containing Fuxi traveled unopposed to Nuwa¡¯s side. He looked at the project in amazement. ¡°Those puppets and your Dao. Did you have any inkling this was what will happen?¡± ¡°None,¡± Nuwa shook her head. ¡°Everything was happenstance. But everything has a way of working out for the better.¡± Unseen by the two, Da Hai watched the single mud puppet travel through the Reincarnation Disc. knowledge of his inherited human memories surfaced. ¡°No,¡± he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not one of them. I never was.¡± He felt absolutely nothing. His expectations, his focus remained fully on Luohu. Now that the Reincarnation Disc was fully set to complete itself, he fully walked away. After all, he could barely contain his own excitement. On the surface of the Reincarnation Disc, an enormous amount of qi flourished. It¡¯s spiritual power continued to rise, causing the Netherworld to tremble. Even the drained Blood Sea descended into a furious maelstrom. A pale Minghe sighed in relief having felt his connection with the Blood Sea still in tact. ¡°You okay?¡± Nuwa called out after taking notice. ¡°I feel like someone who¡¯s just burned seven eights of my existence. I will not be doing anything for a long time,¡± Minghe said. A look of regret flashed through his eyes when he said so. Abi, Yunatu, and the 12 Petals Red Lotus had long been retrieved and stored inside his body. But at his current condition, he could not do anything if any of his contemporaries tried to rob him. ¡°We made an oath to work together. No one will harm you under my watch else I am not the Jade Pure One,¡± Yuanshi said. Unlike the ill looking Minghe, Yuanshi appeared extremely prideful. This was because the energy cloak had fully broken apart. The Reincarnation Disc surfaced in its full glory. The formerly blank areas were now filled with forestry where countless species of animals roamed about. What was more intriguing were a new type of lifeform. These resembled the Dao bodies that cultivators assembled to better connect with the Dao. Two arms, two legs, hairs in various places, nude in all their glory. At the center of the disc, the featureless head morphed into a more demonic form. It now sported three massive eyes above a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth. It was then that the face of the Reincarnation Disc opened its mouth again. ¡°Watch brother, I can¡¯t wait to see them whole,¡± Nuwa said. ¡°Those mud creations, they were the final piece of this ritual? I understand postnatal lifeforms being tied into it, it¡¯s a natural process. But why an additional path?¡± Fuxi couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Balance brother, its all to balance each other out. The heavens have two paths, the Netherworld have two, the sum total of postnatal lifeforms as a single path wasn¡¯t enough. A new path with its identity was needed. ¡°Senior Da Hai explained to me a while back. In every Chaos World, at some point a species possessing natural Dao bodies will emerge. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. So we figured that since the Primitive World lacked one, and we needed a sixth piece to fully balance out the other five paths.¡± Nuwa shrugged whimsically. A figure had grabbed the edge of the Reincarnation Disc¡¯s mouth, a smooth human hand. A nude man walked out in what she¡¯d normally consider someone¡¯s Dao body, but in this instance she knew that this was his true form. The same charred mud puppet looked brand new and was no longer made of mud. His shape was moulded by Nuwa¡¯s own hands, a doll made who¡¯d been enchanted and had fought in countless battles. But now, he was truly a living being just like his creator. The man met Nuwa¡¯s own gaze with a strong one. He instantly knew who this was, his inherent memories as an innate lifeform kicking in. Cupping his hand, the yet to be named nude man bowed first to Nuwa. ¡°Hello there child,¡± Nuwa said with a wide grin. Wheras Fuxi, Yuanshi, Minghe and the others saw a curiosity, Nuwa saw something greater. ¡°Hello crea¡­¡± the man stopped to consider his words. Nuwa raised her eyebrow at the odd silence. She wondered what could be going on in his head. Soon, more and more nude men and women followed through to stand by him. All of them were innate beings, the first generation of a new species. All of them possessed varying cultivation levels. Only the first man stood at the realm of True Immortal Immortal. However, his physical body was exponentially greater than that. ¡°This one greets you, Mother Nuwa,¡± the first man said instead. Nuwa¡¯s eyes widened in shock at this declaration of motherhood. There seemed to be a resonance between heaven and earth as he said so. ¡°Greetings, Mother Nuwa!¡± The people behind him mimicked the first man¡¯s actions. Standing across from Fuxi¡¯s wielded out gaze, Nuwa shook her head in resignation. She didn¡¯t truly mind, she was their creator after all. She turned around from Fuxi to give a glance across the entire Netherworld battlefield. ¡°Today I declare the creation of a new race. I dub mine creation the Human Race, the final path of reincarnation as the Human Path.¡± ¡°Thank you mother Nuwa! We are humanity.¡± ¡°And you my child,¡± Nuwa held the face of the first human who stepped through. She saw him as the remnant of her first batch of mud puppets, one that was charred. Within him she saw a great potential to control fire. ¡°You deserve a name. I¡¯ve been thinking of one for so long now.¡± ¡°Whatever Mother Nuwa decides is best.¡± Nuwa grinned, ¡°Welcome to life Suiren.¡± The Reincarnation Disc roared in triumph. All six of its sections exploded in power, drawing primordial qi from across the Netherworld in. After the ritual was completed, the disc began spinning as well. It was a new chaos spiritual treasure, the first one born in the Primitive World. Da Hai widened his eyes at the name spoken, he truly had no idea. ¡°Unacceptable!¡± Hou Pi shouted from across the battlefield. He raised his fist and smashed Grand Sage Zhu Jian in the head to throw him off. Then the hairy ape devil reached for the center of the Netherworld. ¡°How dare you, how dare you innate filth. How dare you take away our hope?¡± Da Hai scoffed at what he was seeing. ¡°Hou Pi, how sad it is for you to fall to Luohu¡¯s delusions.¡± ¡°What do you understand? Your kind have only ever destroyed mine. Only Ancestor Luohu protects!¡± Hou Pi turned his body into a massive giant. He made to smash the Reincarnation Disc to pieces. In his head, he only thought of salvation for the Devilish Dao. In his mind, the Devilish Dao and innate creatures were synonymous. ¡°ROAR!¡± Hou Pi in a desperate attempt burned his own Nascent Soul for foul, more then that he burned his own existence. He brushed passed past several high ranking demons, divinities, and dragons. Nuwa and Fuxi exploded into action by assuming their true forms. Minghe stayed back with the Reincarnation Disc and Yanluo, but Yuanshi drew the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi jumped into battle. After studying in the Netherworld for so many years, Yuanshi¡¯s Dao realm had also became truth making him a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. He, Nuwa, and Fuxi pushed the massive Hou Pi back from his charge. ¡°Innate filth!¡± He roared. But before he could act again, a flag pole smashed into his abdomen. His bones caved after the metal dug through his flesh. ¡°GAH!¡± Da Hai had an unsympathetic look as he attacked. His single strike crated a wave of power that extended pass Hou Pi¡¯s body. That wave smashed into devil lines, killing billions of them in a single slash. Only Hundun, who teleported towards the blast and met it with his own palm, was it fully stopped. As they watched Hundun¡¯s back, the surviving devils felt truly grateful for his involvement. But Hou Pi was not so lucky. Da Hai¡¯s palm grabbed the ape¡¯s head, his fingers transformed into serpents who bit down on the devil¡¯s shoulders. Da Hai himself had grown to a giant matching Hou Pi¡¯s height, his hair flowed down his back and transformed into hissing serpent heads. Hou Pi glared at Da Hai hatefully. In the sea god¡¯s grasp, he couldn¡¯t move. ¡°I should¡¯ve known you¡¯ll want to finish the job.¡± ¡°You blamed me, and by extension all innate gods for your traumatic past. I don¡¯t begrudge you for that. The reincarnated godfiends of the first generation cared for nothing but cultivation. But do you hear the hypocrisy? You willingly joined under someone from the very same group.¡± ¡°LIES! Luohu is the only one who helped innate creatures. Without him, we¡¯d all be dead.¡± Da Hai shook his head. He could not believe how much of a fanatic this man had become. He could practically see the chain of events that occurred. Hou Pi was rescued, and found a saviour in the form of Luohu. This convinced him that Luohu was the saviour, and since then he¡¯d only been looking for confirmation bias through other innate creatures who naively believed Luohu had their best interest at heart. Reject all outside opinions, only accept that conclusion. Da Hai pitied Hou Pi. He was like a cult member, utterly convinced in what he thought was the truth. Yet that pity was not enough for Da Hai to spare his life. Hou Pi was a Primal Zenith Chao Immortal of substantial power. Da Hai didn¡¯t originally kill him as that¡¯ll risk a healthy ghost devil. But that would no longer be the case. Da Hai¡¯s snakes tightened their grip. The godfiend twirled the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag and raised it high into the air. This top grade treasure smashed down with full force. The moment it touched Hou Pi¡¯s head, universes full of seawater condensed into its shaft and smashed together through the ape¡¯s skull. One of the oldest devils alive perished just like that. But what¡¯s worse. This entire time, Luohu didn¡¯t even pay attention to Hou Pi. ¡­ As one devil died, another confrontation was reaching it¡¯s finale. The Reincarnation Pagoda had stopped glowing. It¡¯s doors hung loosely like a decrepit husk of its former self. Wangshu¡¯s body gradually let go of the chaos spiritual treasure. But inside, her incarnation and Mara were still facing each other. Motes of light broke off from the cracked body of the deva turned demon king. Mara sighed sadly at how everything turned out. ¡°Deva, Asura, manushya, tiryagyoni, preta, naraka. A world away and they appeared too.¡± ¡°You speak of the Fourteen Realm¡¯s version of perpetual reincarnation,¡± Wangshu said. ¡°It is excruciatingly similar, but that¡¯s because its a perfectly balanced system.¡± The Reincarnation Disc in the distance had already stretched out its arms all across the world. It¡¯s function in controlling the movement of souls were even greater than the Reincarnation Pagoda. When comparing the two treasures, it¡¯s clear the disc was superior. ¡°You are mistaken.¡± Da Hai¡¯s voice was heard by both. ¡°Those names belong to another Chaos World. This is the Primitive World¡¯s reincarnation cycle.¡± The Reincarnation Disc looked like it was grinning. It¡¯s paths each served a different direction for a deceased person to go in. Each decided by their accumulated karma. The Heavenly God path stood at the highest point. Those sorted here became celestial life forms at birth. That was to say innate lifeforms formed by heaven and earth. Second order celestial beings who¡¯s not bound by the Five Elements, they could be anywhere between Heavenly Immortal realm and True Immortal realm. The second was the Earthly God path. Those sorted here were also innate lifeforms. But they fell below the Immortal Tribulation, being born within the mortal realms of cultivation. Nevertheless, they would also be deific creatures compared to an ordinary mortal. Third and fourth were together the mortal paths of cultivation, Human and Animal path. The Animal path included all decedents of innate creature clans while the Human path was exclusive to humanity. As for the final paths, they belonged to the realm of death. The Ghostly path, purely spiritual beings who could not return to the state of living. Yet they also exist as a form of life. Unlike the others, their destinies are yet to be decided. The Hell path was not like the others. It was exclusively a prison, a domain of punishment designed to be penance for those with great karmic sin. Over time, denizens of path would wash away their karmic sins and reenter perpetual reincarnation. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­brother Luohu¡­Despite¡­your best efforts¡­I¡­could¡­not¡­¡± Mara¡¯s form crumbled away fully before he could finish his speech. Motes of light dissipated signifying the end of a truly ancient being. ¡°NO!¡± Luohu¡¯s cries could be heard even outside the Immortal Extermination Formation. Despite the pressure offered by the Four Symbols Formation, Luohu was shifting his own to slide out from underneath. Nuwa, Fuxi, followed by Suiren flew into the air beside Da Hai. They were curious to the next course of action. For all intents and purposes, they¡¯d won. The logical next move would be to clean up all the devils. As for Da Hai, he grinned maniacally in Luohu¡¯s direction. After every important action has been completed. Da Hai felt he could finally give his all to complete his wish. The demise of Luohu. He didn¡¯t even answer the sibling innate gods before heading towards the Immortal Extermination Formation. Within said formation, Zulong laughed joyfully. He was injured, blood leaked from gaps in his scales. The Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword in his claw was constantly being used to beat back enemy sword light. But he felt fully confident for the first time in a long time. ¡°Come join the fun master. We¡¯ll kill this fucker together! ¡°Hm?¡± Even within the formation, Zulong¡¯s senses picked up a signal. A very distinct power heading towards the Netherworld. He grew angry as a result. ¡°Jiang Koilong, after all this time, now you show your face?¡± The Dragon Sovereign thought back to when he commanded all his troops to march for the Netherworld. But one of the greatest dragons of all time, Jiang Koilong never arrived. ¡°You better have an appropriate explanation for this tardiness.¡± Into the Immortal Extermination Formation Beneath the brilliant yet ever shifting light paths of the Reincarnation Disc, Da Hai descended towards the isolated battlefield where Luohu was tied down. His skin gave way to scales, his hair connected to ferocious snake heads, his face locked in a maniacal grin. Qi tinged with bloodlust oozed off of his body like a serial killer or a fanatical avenger. ¡°LUOHU! I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡± Da Hai¡¯s roared emanated throughout the Netherworld, drowning out all other noise. It deafened countless cultivators below the Chaos Immortal realm, nearly causing Golden Immortals¡¯ to also fall into a state of bloodlust along with Da Hai. By this point, all ghost devils vanished due to the Reincarnation Disc swallowing their rebirth system. But countless living devils still remained. Even across the Netherworld, Haotian who was defending the injured against devils, felt an oceans worth of bottled resentment. The innate god felt sweat trail down his face. For so many years, Da Hai always held on to that hatred. The pain, the anguish he felt at losing what he perceived as the light guiding him in his early life. That hatred fuelled vengeance he¡¯d always had never went away. Hongjun schemed against Huoyun, Luohu dealt the final blow. They put him in the position where he ultimately met his demise. For someone like Da Hai who valued relationships like precious jewels? A collision course was the expectation. Training himself, trying to come up with a plan despite never being a methodical type. Eventually raising disciples and creating a linage made him value relationships again. But that burning hatred never went away. At the core of his Dao heart, the very basis in his reasoning to seek the Dao, was the desire to see the two he held responsible for Huoyun¡¯s demise be destroyed. He learned to bury it, ignore it in order to see to much more important goals. He bore with standing next to Hongjun without lashing out in order to carry out the necessary steps to help his disciple win the war. He practised self control and excised said skill more so then he¡¯d ever done in the past. But with the Reincarnation Disc completed, he can finally unleash. Unfortunately, Hongjun was not a valid target at the moment, but Luohu was far higher on his hated list anyway. This man was also responsible for the death of his third disciple. As a being connected with Da Hai on a fundamental level, he perceived everything Da Hai had felt with much more scrutiny than most. Da Hai¡¯s hatred was immense, only growing beneath the sheer powerlessness he¡¯d felt in completing said goals. There was even disdain for his clone. A lot of the barriers Da Hai had up were thinner now that he¡¯d been so consumed by that thirst for vengeance. It allowed his disappointment turned disdain for Haotian to leak through. ¡®Planting him for so many years, but he never learned anything substantial. Expunging myself from the Primitive World for such a waste.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as if Haotian wasn¡¯t aware of such a conclusion. One would only need to look at their conversations over the years. But the confirmation did hurt. ¡°Disciple,¡± Hongjun¡¯s voice ranged through Haotian¡¯s ear. ¡°This battle looks to be settling into its finale soon. I suggest you retreat back to Zixiao Palace.¡± ¡°Master, you know I can¡¯t. If I¡¯m not here, who will protect the invalidated from the blasts spilling over from that battle?¡± He pointed at Da Hai approaching the Immortal Extermination Formation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my capabilities. I will not approach where I am unqualified.¡± ¡°Hm good disciple, good disciple,¡± Hongjun¡¯s incarnation nodded. ¡°Then chose what you feel is best. Our journey of cultivation is all about choosing for ourselves. It¡¯s your choice.¡± ¡­ Luohu did not have time to grieve. Battling against Yang Mei hindered his ability to kill the three sovereigns, but also prevented him to slip out from the Four Symbols in time. The interference of this one man was the main reason he could not reach the Reincarnation Pagoda. ¡®If I deactivate the formation, I could¡¯ve¡­¡¯ he quickly shot down that line of thought. If Yang Mei was fully subdued, probably. But the two were still fighting in the heart of the formation. The sword light within trailed everywhere, the image of the four divine beasts hung atop both godfiends¡¯ heads. Spear in hand, lotus in the other, Luohu clashed again and again with Yang Mei. The older looking godfiend roared fiercely. His palm strikes failed to injure Luohu, being repelled time and time again by the sword light. But whereas his clash with Luohu were relatively even, he can¡¯t hurt the Devil Ancestor but he can hurt him. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A spear strike shot past, slicing through Yang Mei¡¯s finer and grazed his shoulder. Starry Dao essence bled out from his flesh, but was instantly destroyed by the Immortal Extermination Formation¡¯s sword light. Roots, spacetime attacks, palm strikes, nothing seemed to be able to pierce Luohu¡¯s defences. In the great distance, the three sovereigns could potentially help him rectify this issue. But they were also preoccupied with surviving in the formation. ¡°RARGH!¡± Yang Mei chose to reveal his true form. His body began stretching out, high into the sky until it reached the roof of the formation. Much like Wangshu, Yang Mei was also a tree based lifeform. His current body was a willow tree born at the beginning of the first yuanhui of the Primitive World. His body emitted heavy amounts of qi stemming from his Dao. He began the effort of pushing apart the Immortal Extermination Formation by force, hoping to tear it apart. ¡°You think you can pierce my formation with size? Dream on!¡± Luohu stabbed into the bark of Yang Mei causing him to groan. Tendrils of roots reached out to perform powerful magics at Luohu. Two more stretched out to hold him in place. Within the formation, the sword light could not pierce his body, but they can tie down his offensive means. The Devil Ancestor struggled a bit with pushing Yang Mei down with the help of the formation. The black lotus in his hand spun into a wheel, then generated a ball of destructive gas. He begun tearing away at Yang Mei¡¯s vitality. ¡°Such a great and powerful godfiend, always looking down on the rest of us because you were top four,¡± Luohu sneered. ¡°But what did you amount to in the end? Did we not all end up the same? And look at you now? No match for me alone, had to resort to besiegement to fight me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh Luohu, your foundation was built upon the labours of others. You led an army here because you were too scared to fight alone, just like you hid behind Hongjun¡¯s skirts in the Chaos Sea,¡± Yang Mei bit back. ¡°You killed someone you should never have, and you did so when they couldn¡¯t even fight back. I swear I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± ¡°Huoyun had it coming, I¡¯ll make sure you two can reunite in oblivion,¡± Luohu replied. ¡°What a four great godfiends? Yang Mei, Huoyun, Shichen, Demon Ape, I alone have killed three. The last didn¡¯t even make it to the new world.¡± ¡°Patting yourself on the back already?¡± Yang Mei grew furious at being wrote off so readily. THOOM! Luohu¡¯s eye leaned sideways and glared. He did not let up the pressure on Yang Mei, but Da Hai had just lashed out against the surface of the formation. Luohu quickly ordered the formation to tighten it¡¯s surface so as to not let him penetrate his way through. Metallic clashes followed by wave crashes were heard as Da Hai smashed into the Immortal Extermination Formation with the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag. His maddened gaze pierced through numerous veil to look at Luohu¡¯s physical form. ¡°Luohu, roll out here and face me!¡± He demanded. Water surged around him to a dragon and impacted the dome around the formation. The disdainful glare of the Heavenly Dao switched from Luohu to Da Hai. The four divine beasts from the Four Symbols Formation growled his way. The sight of the Azure Dragon of the East roaring at him momentarily froze Da Hai, a sense of guilt washed through him. ¡°Great one please.¡± The Heavenly Dao¡¯s consciousness slackened slightly as its chosen partner¡¯s voice called out to him in a pleading way. Hongjun¡¯s voice placated the pride of the Heavenly Dao who deigned to hear him out. ¡°I know you hate him for his betrayal. But we must stop Luohu first. Until I can complete my breakthrough, we need to work with him,¡± Luohu explained. In another location, a sitting Hongjun stopped his cultivation and kowtowed towards the Heavens. The four beasts stopped growling at Da Hai and continued to press down on Devil Ancestor¡¯s formation. Da Hai narrowed his eyes, but he otherwise ignored them as well. Unexpectedly, a pain equal to the loss of Huoyun welled up inside him at such close proximity to his disciple¡¯s corpse. ¡°Master, you¡¯re here,¡± Zulong called out from within the formation. The dragon coiled in on himself after a barrage of attacks launched his way. ¡°Hold on Zulong.¡± Da Hai gripped his flagpole with both hands and stabbed down. Sparks from the impact alarmed Luohu who was still fighting Yang Mei. Even if he¡¯d been much stronger than the sea god in the past, Da Hai was the first to become Limitless Supreme. Luohu could never doubt Da Hai as being weak either. He raised a finger and pointed Da Hai¡¯s way. Each successive strike of Da Hai contained all his understanding towards the Dao. Distant Seas, forever in sight, forever out of reach. Concepts like impossible distance, closeness, water movement, unreachability all merged into a primordial origin similar to the archaic state of a Chaos World. ¡°HAH!¡± Da Hai smashed down with the tip of the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag. It¡¯s tip formed into a spear head by way of water. Da Hai¡¯s Dao fruit manifested around him, resembling a brilliant yet haunting body of water forever out of reach, but eternally in sight. The sheer force of Da Hai¡¯s Dao was enough to cause ripples throughout the Primitive World. Not only the Netherworld, but the Great Wilderness and the Starry Skies felt the tremors. Since time immemorial, the Primitive World had grown to withstand destructive forces once capable of ripping apart it¡¯s layers of reality. But to Da Hai, these layers might as well be paper. PAH! The Immortal Extermination Four Swords simultaneously vibrated from the final strike. Da Hai breathed out a long breath, feeling the mental fatigue of exerting so much. But he¡¯d broken the outer shell. ¡°You want to come into my formation?¡± The launched his chaos spiritual treasure, the Destruction Mill towards Da Hai. ¡°ROAR!¡± The four divine beasts controlled by the Heavenly Dao descended along with Da Hai. Unlike the godfiend who¡¯d entered into the formation, the Four Symbols Formation squashed itself along the Four Swords. They resembled two pieces of different coloured slime merging into one another. The Destruction Mill¡¯s complete name was Absolute Nothing Mill of Destruction. As it moved, sent out waves of gas at Da Hai. The sea god waved his hand to create Pellucid Divine Water, allowing the gas to pass through him. But the mill wasn¡¯t without it¡¯s own tricks. It began to grind down at the divine water surrounding Da Hai. Despite shifting its creator constantly through numerous different dimensions, trying to prevent him from touching the mill. The chaos spiritual treasure reduced each one to nothingness at accelerating speed. ¡°Destruction is a misnomer,¡± Da Hai spat. ¡°You should have used grinding.¡± ¡°Master catch!¡± Da Hai flinched feeling his sword sail through the formation¡¯s depths. His snake head reached out and grabbed the handle of the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword with its teeth. The Dragon Sovereign on the other hand was left disarmed. He turtled in even more as a result of the barrages. With sword in hand, Da Hai immediately began channeling Chaotic Sword Qi. Unlike the sword light of Luohu, or the deteriorating gas of the Destruction Mill, Chaotic Sword Qi was a fiercer violent force. It didn¡¯t grind things down, or stab in squads of quintillions, it simply wanted to tear things apart. Da Hai¡¯s snake head swerved around the formation, allowing countless sword light to bounce off his scales. Against a cultivator of his stature, the Immortal Extermination Formation had no ability to hurt him in the first place, it¡¯s greatest strength was it¡¯s stability and defensive capabilities. The top grade xiantian spiritual treasure sword armed full of Chaotic Sword Qi stabbed into the back of the Destruction Mill. Chaotic Sword Qi channeled into it causing the the greater treasure to jolt away. It¡¯s flinch gave enough time for Da Hai to move to Zulong¡¯s location. His eldest disciple was struggling against chains of sword light that were trying to pull him apart. It enraged Da Hai to see his disciple like so. Zulong was supposed to be a fierce warrior, an emperor among peasants, it was humiliating to be forced so far into a turtling in on himself to resist attacks. ¡°Leave.¡± Da Hai said as he threw his all into striking the Immortal Trapping Sword. BOOM! The entire formation trembled while Luohu felt a sense of dread. The Immortal Extermination Formation was to meant to have so many malefactors against it like now. Yang Mei truly was an unpredictable nuisance. Da Hai grabbed Zulong and helped him up. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Of course, I just need to catch my bearings,¡± he said. ¡°Zufeng and Qi An, they are in a similar situation as me. An SI returns The Phoenix Sovereign and the Qilin Sovereign were both tied down by sword light. There they were not chickens waiting to be slaughtered, they weren¡¯t exactly in an ideal situation. What¡¯s worse is that the Destruction Mill is swerving back around to fight Da Hai again. ¡°Luohu intends for that treasure to buy him some time? Who does he think he is?¡± Da Hai half sneered half smirked. The reason was not only because the Four Symbol¡¯s pressing ever further into the sword formation. Da Hai¡¯s eyes glanced past all of them to see the Reincarnation Disc. Now complete, the chaos spiritual treasure was its own entity as no one had refined it yet. Da Hai was not aware wether Houtu had become a treasure spirit, or if the disc formed its own. But that face adorned on the disc was clearly snarling at Luohu¡¯s formation. ¡°Get out, get out of my Netherworld.¡± This was heard subtly by Da Hai. Immediately, he understood that the Reincarnation Disc was not Houtu. But it also saw itself as a governing executive of the Netherworld. If it¡¯s treasure spirit appeared, it¡¯ll likely be some form of king. Whatever the case, the disc was here to help him. Like the Four Symbols, the Reincarnation Disc rolled across the sky towards the Immortal Extermination Four Swords. As the Destruction Mill neared Da Hai, the sea god attached his sword to the polar of the Xuanyuan Water Control flag. With both, he swung them like a baseball bat into the Destruction Mill. Digging in his feet, Da Hai felt his arms tremble from the force of the treasure. The mill was blown back from its advance, right in the way of the Reincarnation Disc. Comparatively, the disc was far larger in size. It¡¯s six paths roared in unison, changing the environment from one of sword radiance, to one of hellish inferno. The destruction mill acted to grind down the hell it found itself in. However, legions of hungry ghost emerged from the Ghostly path. Luohu was shocked to see visages of Devil Great Emperors emerging. Both the Hell path and Ghostly path were joined by celestial lightning from the Heavenly God path. The Reincarnation Disc wasn¡¯t only a treasure, it drew power from the Primitive World itself. The power of reincarnation completely overwhelmed the Destruction Mill. Zulong nodded at Da Hai, the latter wasted no more seconds to rush further down towards Luohu. ¡°No!¡± the Devil Ancestor exclaimed. Why was everything so against him? He leapt back from Yang Mei and used a devilish palm strike to stagger the great willow tree. He kept his eye on Da Hai and raised a hand. ¡°Luohu, your treasures cannot save you from justice.¡± The Xuanyuan Water Control Flag generated a tidal wave within the confines of the formation. A butterfly manifested slightly above the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. As Da Hai moved, the shadow of his Dao fruit appeared contained within an even larger shadow of his true form. He resembled the primordial ocean, a factor where so many mythologies attribute to the creation of the world. Da Hai was the primordial origin dividing into archaic elements. This was the Wuji principle at play. Behind Luohu, a shadow of his own true form appeared. The Dao fruit representing Seven Emotion Six Desires was also contained within appearing no less majestic than Da Hai¡¯s own. But unlike Da Hai, Luohu¡¯s Dao fruit had an aura like the current world where every phenomena were already split off from the primordial origin. With Yang Mei knocked back for now, Luohu appeared to braise for Da Hai. His hand not holding the God Killing Spear was still raised, but the 12 Petals Black Lotus was hovering around him rather than in said hand. Distantly, Da Hai heard the cries of the phoenix and the roars of the qilin. ¡®Zulong must¡¯ve freed them from their respective swords. Between the Four Symbols, Yang Mei, and the Reincarnation Disc, it shouldn¡¯t be long before the formation is torn apart.¡¯ Da Hai raised his weapons high for an overhead strike. Sword light sword into and around him, but none could stop his way. Luohu gripped his spear tightly as sword light converged around him. Then. BOOM! The Netherworld suffered a cataclysmic impact. Ripples of reality were obliterated as the ground caved away into the void between realms. The Blood Sea was thrown into turmoil. Crimson sinful water dripped into the void, destination unknown. Chunks of rock disintegrated and many fell into the chaos opened up. The heaven and earth of the Netherworld screamed in pain. The Netherworld threatened to break cleanly in two. The ground where Da Hai had struck became the epicentre of a world destroying impact. It was a testament as to how durable the Primitive World¡¯s dimension barriers were, that the Netherworld wasn¡¯t shattered on the spot. Immediately, the Reincarnation Disc let go of the Destruction Mill. Tendrils of light emerged from it¡¯s six paths and grippe tightly onto the Netherworld. A panicked Yanluo could also be seen helping the disc by stabilizing the realm. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Di Jiang and his Earthly Divinities were thrown off their feet, but quickly got back up to assess the situation. The Heavenly Demons led by Di Jun also suffered backlash, but quickly regained their bearings to assess things. Suiren and the newly birthed humanity huddled together inside a miniature universe hastily created by Nuwa and Fuxi. Both human faced servants watched in shock at the sudden destruction. Da Hai had struck the ground. He stood on shattering earth and gazed into the void between realms. His eyes widened at the sudden change of environment. The sword light around him were all gone. Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An all gasped as the atmosphere brought about by the Immortal Extermination Formation disappeared. Then they were all enveloped by the Four Symbols that quickly fell forward. The Four Symbols Formation piloted by the Heavenly Dao was like a river formerly blocked off by a dam. Suddenly, it rushed forward to fill a void, leading to it crashing into the soil. The three soveriegn dug themselves out of the formation feeling revulsion. Two of them did consider it to be their siblings corpses after all. Da Hai stabbed his flag pole into the ground for support realizing what had just happened. Behind him, Yang Mei¡¯s hulking form raised upward. Both of them saw Luohu fleeing into the sky in a series of footsteps. ¡°He dispelled the Immortal Extermination Formation?¡± If the four swords had been an impenetrable wall to their unstoppable force before. Now that wall suddenly disappeared leading to everyone crashing into the ground. Da Hai was practically snarling. Luohu raised his hand because he was retrieving the four swords. He could even seen them shrunken in Luohu¡¯s palm. He immediately stomped the earth to take off. His body transformed into a torpedo of water as an effect of him using his own movement technique to catch up to Luohu. The Devil Ancestor gritted his teeth. He knew many devils had just now seen him running, but he payed no mind to them. Da Hai was going to gain on him if he did stop. He called for the nascent souls of many devils still alive currently. Before, he would not do this as they were his cultivators and soldiers. But he casually burned those nascent souls as sacrificial fuel and diverted them to himself. Thousands of devils suddenly knelt feeling week. They could not comprehend what was going on. One after another, Golden Immortal devils disintegrated away. Chaos Immortals realized that their existence was wiped out for the sake of their ancestor. A startling revelation, as they had no idea this was even possible. Hundun who stayed observing sighed in sadness. ¡°How sad, how sad indeed. Cultivating only to realise you¡¯re someone else¡¯s resource.¡± ¡°Luohu, get back here!¡± Da Hai roared. Luohu ignored him and get moving. Anyone who tried to get in his way, he will kill. As he was trying to flee into the void between realms, more cultivators who¡¯d noticed ran towards him. Those trying to catch up never will, but those who were already in front? ¡°Devil Ancestor!¡± The Nine Infants Grand Sage said in challenge. His nine heads made to bite at Luohu. But a single swing of his spear separated all nine from the base of the neck. A Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal among the top of the demons perished just like that. The Zhu Jiang proceeded to shoot arrows at Luohu, but this immortal found his tail sliced off. A kick to the head bludgeoned his skull in and his Dao fruit was crushed on a conceptual level as well. Two Demon Grand Sages died. Taiyi was too far away, so he rung the Chaos Bell to slow down time. Luohu saw this and sent a wave of destructive energy from the black lotus at him. This forced the already fatigued sun crow to stop and defend. Another band of light flew at Luohu revealing the figures of four woman holding a ribbon. Moth wings sprouted from their back and each female immortal made impressive spells to slow Luohu down. ¡°Are you all stupid? You¡¯re Primal Origin small fry,¡± Luohu practically laughed. He grabbed one, brushing past her icicle spell, crushed her face and dragged her corpse into another. He lashed out with successive techniques and killed three at once. ¡°Sisters!¡± Yi Fei¡¯e screamed from further away. The last moth fairy was terrified, but she held her ribbon treasure and stood her ground. ¡°As a disciple, it is my duty to help my master.¡± Four of the seven moth fairies of Yingzhou charged Luohu despite vastly inferior power. They knew they could not stop him. But they also knew Da Hai was chasing Luohu. If they could slow the devil down and allow Da Hai to catch up. In name disciples, granted the status for their work as maids. But Da Hai never showed them the same affection to his true disciples. Yi Fei¡¯e was the only one to gain recognition and become beloved. But in hindsight, she was really the only one. The others didn¡¯t express jealousy at the time. But their actions just now was driven by a jealous desire for recognition. Would their master hold them to high esteem if they could aid him achieve his ultimate wish? The sea god witnessed their deaths and felt his rage elevate. ¡°Liu Fei¡¯e, Er Fei¡¯e, Qi Fei¡¯e, Wu Fei¡¯e.¡± Their Dao essence splintered across the Netherworld, some splattering across Da Hai¡¯s face. ¡°NO!¡± Yi Fei¡¯e screamed louder then then Da Hai striking the Netherworld. Wangshu could not stop the moth for blitzing towards Luohu. Her tear stained eyes landed squarely on Luohu. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Cinnabar Phoenix raced after her with a flap of his wings. ¡°DIE!¡± She didn¡¯t care for anything at that moment. Her sword slashed towards Luohu¡¯s head. He dodged it and grabbed her by the throat, exertion of his physique crushed her flesh in an instant. Yi Fei¡¯e coughed, but she elbowed Luohu in the face anyway. The blow made him flinch and he subsequent sword strike with his lotus¡¯ petals. Two petals gripped onto her sword tightly forbidding her to pull back. Holding his spear high, he stabbed through the blade severing it completely. Yi Fei¡¯e extended her wings and tried to envelop Luohu. Cinnabar Phoenix also arrived at that moment and breathed fire. Luohu¡¯s trie form appeared as a shadow, his eyes released a place light as his Dao fruit rotated. The universe Yi Fei¡¯e attempted to create went out of control, changing into Luohu¡¯s. the Devil Ancestor reached out and grabbed Cinnabar Phoenix by the neck. It bent unnaturally in Luohu¡¯s grasp. Yi Fei¡¯es eyes held great anger, but she couldn¡¯t speak. Da Hai was just about to catch up, so she threw her all into a palm strike for Luohu¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯re too green to deal with me girl,¡± Luohu grabbed her wrist and used his power to annihilate her flesh. Cinnabar Phoenix lit himself on fire to burn Luohu, but he simply couldn¡¯t harm the Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. He released an energy blast point blank and disintegrated Cinnabar¡¯s body. The God Killing Spear stabbed straight through Yi Fei¡¯es chest, through her Dao fruit. She opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. It splattered onto Luohu¡¯s face, then he quickly leaned back to avoid Da Hai¡¯s swipe. Da Hai appeared scared, frantic in his attempts to hit him. Seeing Yi Fei¡¯e in that condition had shaken him to his core. It was even worse than Qinglong as this time, he¡¯d watched it happen. ¡°Have her back,¡± Luohu said. Yi Fei¡¯es body was thrown off of his spear with a kick, right into Da Hai¡¯s grasp. The sea god stopped and hurriedly cradled her body, which were precious time Luohu took to flee. Luohu felt lucky, those moths placed themselves in the right situation for a psychological attack. He glanced at Da Hai who transformed his head into a serpent¡¯s one. Stretching out to bite him while his body held onto Yi Fei¡¯e searching for ways to stabilize her. The void opened up as long protrusions came through. The qi belonging to Jiang Koilong entered the Netherworld where Da Hai confronted Luohu. Zulong who was comparatively far slower gasped when he both saw and sensed Jiang Koilong. Those were ribs and a spinal column. A little furry figure stepped out into the Netherworld followed immediately by a strange air. Cultivators with weak cultivation had their eyes glaze over. Suddenly, they begun yelling very strange things. ¡°Sister was taken, no cauldron for you. Unleash the baby!¡± Someone yelled to their fellow daoist. ¡°Heaven earth there is me, join the sect and be supreme.¡± ¡°Bald donkey deserve death.¡± Even Haotian gripped his head hearing something like, ¡®ambitious ambitious so ambitious.¡¯ It caused even further confusion as people started acting unlike themselves. ¡°What is?¡± Luohu was shocked at a figure strolling into the Netherworld with long strides. It was a six eared monkey who looked at him with an unchanging face, forever frozen in a smug grin. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Liu Er began. ¡°Mori.¡± An SI’s Desire ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Mori.¡± Liu Er held a creepy grin on his face resembling a golem more then monkey. It was so uncanny that it did genuinely disturb the Devil Ancestor. ¡°Six eared macaque?¡± He out of recognition of this figure. However, he never expected this monkey who supposedly was born after his death against Hongjun to appear now. In fact, he never planned to die according to history and never expected to interact with this monkey. Supposedly, he¡¯ll try to listen in on Hongjun¡¯s lecture of the Dao without permission and be punished for it. This lead to him being unable to find tutelage in the cultivation world, cultivating in him only reaching the power level of a powerhouse much later then those from his generation. ¡°Who the hell¡¯s Mori?¡± ¡°I saw the robbery has handled Mori,¡± Liu Er said. ¡°The magic race is a pathetic fool who failed at everything.¡± ¡®What? Magic what?¡¯ Luohu was terribly confused as to what Liu Er was spewing. But he did feel the aura leaking from the monkey¡¯s body. However, unlike the individuals on the ground, Luohu didn¡¯t experience anything. Unknown to Luohu, this was because Liu Er had no opinions of Luohu from the novels he read. ¡°I do not have time for this,¡± Luohu spat. Though this interaction was incredibly brief, Luohu knew Da Hai¡¯s presence was right behind him. The sea god had held Yi Fei¡¯es prone form in his grasp. While she was collapsing into Dao essence, Da Hai made several attempts to catch Luohu. But he hadn¡¯t actually moved from his position. ¡°The magic race is weak. The magic race and the Mori are top tier dangerous with Hongjun. The daddy is gone but Hongjun will kill Mori. I must act for benefit,¡± Liu Er continued to yap while Luohu turned around to fight off Da Hai¡¯s snake head. ¡°HISS!¡± Da Hai activated numerous spells at Luohu. In turn, the Devil Ancestor bashed against the sea god and pierced Da Hai¡¯s eye with the God Killing Spear. Both of them ignored the monkey¡¯s ramblings. Despite having an eye stabbed out, Da Hai¡¯s tongue lashed out instead. Prepared for it, Luohu grabbed the tongue and used some sort of grey fire to damage Da Hai¡¯s vitality. Both of these Limitless Supreme cultivators danced around each other causing the barrier around the Netherworld to distabalize further. Liu Er seemingly saw the battle, but it was hard to tell with how frozen his expression was. The dragon spine in his hand was like a whip as it swayed throughout the sky. In Liu Er¡¯s eyes, it was a normal cudgel that was constantly glitching. Liu Er¡¯s Dao was working, but Jiang Koilong was once a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal. Even in death his body cannot be overwritten so easily. Still, Liu Er treated the bone weapon as if it were just a normal cudgel. ¡®Mori is weak, Mori is a pathetic fool who failed at everything. Mori pathetically lost the fight and his babies stolen. Only Hongjun killed Mori¡¯ Liu Er understood the danger Luohu posed. After all, he had a formation that needed four saints to break. Only Hongjun managed to defeat him when they were both at the Saint to Be realm. Liu Er was smart, he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to get in the Devil Ancestor¡¯s way. But as he saw Da Hai, he recognized him as the other competitor with an even earlier start. But he couldn¡¯t comprehend why Da Hai would be fighting Luohu, was he dumb? Didn¡¯t he know Hongjun was going to kill Luohu? He should be waiting on the back like to him gain benefits, just as others of their kind should do. His mind worked tirelessly alongside his Dao to make up the ¡®correct¡¯ conclusion. ¡®I saw the rival must be antsy for babies,¡¯ he concluded. ¡®He must not be like me, he must be poor. My baby is innate, so much better then that Sun Wukongs.¡¯ Liu Er thought his next course of action was natural. He jumped down from the battle towards the heart of the Netherworld. There the Reincarnation Disc was working towards fixing what Da Hai inadvertently broke. All six of its paths acted as branches in which quintillions of tiny arms worked from. Liu Er smirked as he approached the chaos spiritual treasure. It was the whole reason he¡¯d thought to come here. Reincarnation was a tremendous resource. Every single person who crossed over to the prehistoric world managed to gain control over its paths. As a lord of reincarnation, they hold authority over anyone else reincarnating in that path, at the same time they¡¯d also receive tremendous amounts of merit. Liu Er also crossed over, naturally it was his responsibility to act the same way. He greedily eyed the Reincarnation and stretched out his hand. He deserved it more then anyone, not that two faced lier Houtu, not that bitch Nuwa, not the scheming bald donkeys from the west, and definitely not that racist Yuanshi. As for Da Hai¡¯s body below the neck, he was funnelling power towards his head. At the same time, he did not wish to let go of Yi Fei¡¯es body. What kind of master/foster parent would he be, if he just abandoned it? He should transfer it to Zulong for burial first. Already, the giant dragon was making his way over. But his lack of speed compared to Da Hai and Luohu postponed him greatly. ¡°Master¡­¡± Yi Fei¡¯es tiny voice called out to Da Hai. A delicate finger was raised which Da Hai instantly noticed. His head far above near the void gasped, his body stilled when he sensed her waning life force. ¡°Do not worry about me, I¡­I can manage on my own.¡± ¡°Foolish girl! Your everything is on the verge of collapse,¡± Da Hai¡¯s desperate voice immediately transferred to what remained of her mind. As she was, Yi Fei¡¯e was incredibly fragile both mentally and physically. She probably wouldn¡¯t even survive a teleportation. Da Hai had to think quickly, since she was still somewhat alive he could stabilize her. His hand reached over her chest and he concentrated, sending his own energy to forcibly bind her existence in one piece. His head who had been trying to keep Luohu in place weakened as a result. Taking advantage, Luohu pulverized that snake head with his own spell. In Da Hai¡¯s hand, radiant fiery qi gathered with the chirping of a phoenix. The tune resembled a song that was commonly sung by those who practised the Phoenix Nirvana manual. In the past, Da Hai and Yi Fei¡¯e had tried to find a way to cultivate that cultivation art. Back in the day, the dragons and phoenixes were still at war, reverse engineering this manual for others to use would¡¯ve been very beneficial. However, over time the two had lost hope. This was because the Phoenix Nirvana was incredibly restrictive compared to the Dragonic Dao. It required Zufeng¡¯s own authentic phoenix blood essence, the Nanming Divine Fire in order to work. What¡¯s worse was that phoenixes born out of cultivation did not produce that blood essence. Perhaps if Da Hai were to transcend the Chaos Immortal realm, he¡¯d be capable to cloning a perfect replica of the auspicious phoenix born from Pangu¡¯s yin qi. ¡°Master¡­¡± Da Hai¡¯s reformed head flinched. The voice came from such a weak source, he¡¯d mistaken it for a spirit entering the Reincarnation Disc. ¡°Cinnabar Phoenix, your willpower held yourself together,¡± Da Hai said in observation. He thought was a true miracle that the phoenix mount of Yi Fei¡¯e could survive a point blank blast from Luohu. Then again, phoenixes were notorious for their survivability. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. However, the phoenix couldn¡¯t survive long and wasn¡¯t entirely coherent. But his presence alone gave Da Hai an idea. As he contemplated, two immense presences traveled beside then past him. Yang Mei followed by the Four Symbols Formation had finally gotten their bearings back to pursue Luohu. ¡°Are you committed or not?¡± Yang Mei growled. The Heavenly Dao merely sent a disdainful look. The two continued further towards the void between realms where they immediately launched attacks at Luohu. The Four Symbols specifically activated the power of four starry movement techniques. It rose up at such blinding speeds that it exceeded Da Hai and Luohu previously. Da Hai gritted his teeth, it was like everything was conspiring to halt his vengeance. But Yi Fei¡¯e comes first, he refuses to lose anymore disciples. He took hold of the moth fairy¡¯s disintegrating body and what he salvaged from the nearly extinguished Cinnabar Phoenix and got to work. ¡°Thought you¡¯d be pursing him?¡± Hundun suddenly transmitted a message into Da Hai¡¯s head. ¡°Fuck off, I¡¯m busy. I¡¯ll catch up later¡± ¡°Hm, you¡¯re lucky Yang Mei and the Heavenly Dao is making their move.¡± Hundun¡¯s current position was near where numerous surviving devils were gathered. His presence kept the encroaching madness at bay. He truly appeared to be a messiah saving his devil kin. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to get far, not with the Heavenly Dao back to full power and the Four Symbols at its beck and call. With all the nutrients it¡¯s no doubt absorbed, it¡¯s power is even greater than before.¡± ¡°You going to deal with this foreign Dao fruit¡¯s domain? Cause I¡¯m bout to leave the Netherworld.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Distantly, flashes of light indicated explosions taking place within the void between realms. Obviously, Luohu could not shrug off Yang Mei and the Four Symbols Formation. His desperation was apparent when the walls of the Primitive World itself strengthened against a potential exit. The Devil Ancestor was forced to turn his way towards the Great Wilderness where he¡¯d make his final stand. The devils who saw his escape felt betrayed. Many of them perished as a result of Luohu¡¯s actions. Under Luohu¡¯s leadership, so much of their power base was wiped out as well. At that moment, their faith in their founding ancestor collapsed. If Hundun had a face, he¡¯d smile. ¡­ Liu Er¡¯s robotic grin turned into a giddy smile the closer to the Reincarnation Disc. Landing with a loud ¡®THUD¡¯, he landed atop a cliff created when Da Hai struck the Netherworld¡¯s soil which uprooted tons of sediment. ¡®Reincarnation, I saw the two faced bitch Houtu finally died. Once I am lord of reincarnation, I will prevent the witches from taking over. In this world, only me!¡¯ Liu Er stabbed the end of his perceived cudgel into the ground in an attempt to look cool. The higher end of the dragon spine flopped to one end. The ribs and skull of Jiang Koilong ended up crushing quite a few unsuspecting individuals. ¡°Today, I Liu Er declare myself the master of reincarnation!¡± The monkey proclaimed with an outstretched arm. The war went on around him. Second order celestial lifeforms canablized each other, forcing their leaders to run interference in order to preserve their own people. The devils were much like the anti-devil alliance, running around making insane accusations. Di Jun and Taiyi along with many demons flew across the Netherworld either breaking the wierd phenomena affecting their underlings, or drawing them into their pocket dimensions to stop them from killing each other. Overall, it was tiring work for these people who¡¯d just come out of a battle. The Earthly Divinities clan were less affected by the others. Their existence were naturally protected by the Dao Laws of the Primitive World, as such there was a passive force beating back the encroaching influence. But this did not mean they were completely free. ¡°Hahahaha! Me kill me kill,¡± a divinity roared at another before body slamming into a large boulder. His intelligence seems to have dropped several degrees. This was the common effect for divinities. They started acting mentally handicapped much to their leader¡¯s rage. As their emperor, Di Jiang was furious beyond belief. He was still reeling from the lost of his sister, the knowledge she didn¡¯t trust her own siblings with her issues stung. Then his proud clan devolved into mindless cavemen. What¡¯s worse is that there is a voice screeching at him to stop thinking. He is a witch, and he should be stupid. He is naturally dumb and does not posses critical thinking. Witches like him are supposed to be wild and mindless. All those went on while Liu Er stood upon the same cave expecting a result that never came. Liu Er stood like a statue. The next natural sequence he will perform never triggered, the descent of merit never came, hence his mind was struggling to comprehend what had gone on. ¡°Declare myself the master of reincarnation¡­Declare myself the master of reincarnation,¡± he repeated again and again like a video on loop. In his own world, merit descended and elevated his cultivation as a master of reincarnation. But some forces in this world were too powerful for a course of action to be decided just like that. Liu Er¡¯s own delusion and the actual truth did not match, his Dao was incapable of forcing them to match. ¡°Liu Er!¡± Nuwa was the first and only one to approach Liu Er¡¯s prone form. After resisting the phenomena and the near collapse of the Netherworld, she was in a great state of confusion. ¡°You finally made it?¡± Her voice snapped Liu Er out of his loop. His head snapped to Nuwa, then rolled back to the disc out of disgust. ¡®So stupid, shes so dumb, so dumb! And ugly, so dumb and ugly.¡¯ He immediately concluded. Nuwa didn¡¯t even have arms or breasts, she was a beast with a woman¡¯s face. Even her elegant human teeth were nothing more than fangs, she was truly a demon. But Liu Er¡¯s reality had already accepted that. The truth was that Nuwa was nothing more than a filthy two faced entitled demon. Liu Er¡¯s sharp ears immediately heard praying voices near Nuwa. All six of his ears flickered, separating different kinds of noises and identified living beings she¡¯d carried within her. As they were stuck on Nuwa¡¯s being, they were fully protected from the chaos outside. But Liu Er felt his eye uncontrollably twitch, his vision suffered black spots as he glanced through different layers of reality to peek at the human race. Just as soon as this occurred, his Dao acted to fix what he was struggling to see. The image of Suiren leading his people in praying for their lives were replaced by humans cursing Nuwa for abandoning them to their deaths. In this version of reality, Suiren was making rude gestures at Nuwa and screaming about humanity¡¯s independence. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Nuwa asked curiously. Despite everything, she still held an optimistic view of Liu Er due to remembering all the times they¡¯ve worked together. The fact that he¡¯d saved her life on Mt Buzhou was a scene engraved in her heart. As Liu Er had kept his gaze locked on the Reincarnation Disc, Nuwa mistook his inaction for awe at the structure. ¡°I know, those guys really worked miracles crafting that treasure. Six paths where a soul could walk through the rebirth on the scale of the Primitive World, I can¡¯t even imagine constructing something that potent on my own.¡± ¡®Six¡­six¡­one¡­paths each,¡¯ Liu Er¡¯s mind started incorporating Nuwa¡¯s words as he listened in. In keeping in line with his Dao, Liu Er suddenly had an epiphany. He wasn¡¯t like the other transmigrator protagonists he loved to read about, he made a huge error in declaring himself the master of reincarnation. In those stories, you don¡¯t just say you¡¯re the master of the whole thing. A protagonist who crossed over from earth like Liu Er should specify specific paths. These paths needs to be ones he had a relationship with. Liu Er was not Minghe unfortunately, he could not access the ¡®asura¡¯ path. He was also not the Jade Emperor and hence couldn¡¯t access the ¡®g**¡¯ path. But he was the six eared macaque, a famous demonic creature from the journey to the west. ¡°I am Ancestor Liu Er, in this earth, only me. Today, I have come to the land of samsara. I declare myself the master of the Animal Path of reincarnation!¡± He exclaimed with an outstretched hand. Instantly, the sky turned golden. Glorious merit descended on his person elevating his already majestic cultivation from Golden Fairy Wonderland to Saint to Be. In the real world, a static sound was heard by those nearby. But nothing changed from the chaos occurring around the entire Netherworld. At this moment, Fuxi arrived beside Nuwa asking her why she had stopped. ¡°This monkey?¡± Fuxi narrowed his gaze. He was reminded of what Di Jun would say about him and his arrogance. ¡°Yes, you remember Liu Er right? He¡¯s been fighting the war on his own as well, he¡¯s helped me push back a devil invasion in the past,¡± Nuwa¡¯s eyes were slightly glazed over. She was seeing a bit of static ever since Liu Er spoke, but had not fallen to his tricks. She blinked a few times to expel the foreign influence. ¡°I am Ancestor Liu Er, in this earth, only me. Today, I have come to the land of samsara. I declare myself the master of the Hell Path of reincarnation!¡± Liu Er then exclaimed with an outstretched hand. ¡°I am Ancestor Liu Er, in this earth, only me. Today, I have come to the land of samsara. I declare myself the master of the Hungry Ghost Path of reincarnation!¡± He exclaimed with an outstretched hand. ¡°Sister, let¡¯s leave him. This ape is clearly not thinking straight. We have more duties to do,¡± Fuxi said. He gestured to the demons brawling against each other other over something irrelevant, oblivious to a set of devils about to come at them. ¡°I am Ancestor Liu Er, in this earth, only me. Today, I have come to the land of samsara. I declare myself the master of the Human Path of reincarnation!¡± He exclaimed with an outstretched hand. ¡°The fuck?¡± Nuwa was about follow Fuxi after feeling slightly disturbed. But she snapped her head towards Liu Er. ¡°Human Path, you master of my creation? What is the meaning of this?¡± Liu Er seemed to acknowledge her as his face snapped in her direction. But unlike his previous robotic grin, he appeared to be triggered. Despite his Dao¡¯s attempts, he cannot deny the reality of his word¡¯s ineffectiveness. The Reincarnation Disc acted as if it hadn¡¯t even heard him. All this culminated in a monkey who felt incredibly aggrieved. Liu Er was smart, he wasn¡¯t dumb the native inhabitants of the prehistoric world. He had a proper twelve grade education unlike these cave people. He instantly concluded ¡®rightly¡¯. Nuwa and the others must¡¯ve declared themselves the master of their respective paths before he arrived. Be couldn¡¯t deny the timeline making no sense, hence murderous intent rose up within him. But he also knew he can¡¯t kill one of heaven¡¯s favourite daughters. Nuwa was practically a spoiled princess who had everything given to her. Outside from Zhunti, she was the other one among the six saints who never knew hardship and never fought any battles. Favoured by heaven with saint destiny, Liu Er knew he can¡¯t touch her until she commits a grave sin. Liu Er knew he was smart, he knew not to offend the important powerhouses like Luohu and Hongjun because they were powerful. But a bitch like Nuwa truly deserved to die for stealing his benefit. It just wasn¡¯t right, it wasn¡¯t how the story should go, it wasn¡¯t the life he is supposed to live. It was a pity he can¡¯t do so for now. ¡°The holy virgin Nuva is stupid. She had the foresight to become master of human reincarnation. But I will reincarnate as martial ancestor and take humanity¡¯s destiny in my hand. Break free from the slavers of prehistoric.¡± Liu Er growled into her face. He didn¡¯t and never wanted to play nice with this woman, if she wants to make herself his enemy then he will reciprocate. Nuwa¡¯s pupils morphed into reptilian slits in response. Her coiled up body started waving around the air menacingly. But understanding the greater picture, she quickly calmed down. ¡°I don¡¯t believe this. After all we¡¯ve been through this is what you think of me?¡± She spat turning away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to you after all these years, but a devil must¡¯ve hit your head a little too hard. ¡°Come on Fuxi, let¡¯s sort out this madness. And you monkey? Make yourself useful and get rid of the straggling devils would ya?¡± SNAP! Liu Er¡¯s eyes constricted, his breathing stopped, and his body stilled. Nuwa¡¯s final words poured through his psyche like a raging tidal wave. SHING! CRUNCH! ¡°ARGH!¡± Fuxi jolted when he heard his sister¡¯s scream. He glanced back to see a sight that horrified him. Like a hose uncontrollably spraying water, Nuwa¡¯s massive body flailed sending volumes of blood in every direction. Her cries and injured presence had a booming effect across the Netherworld Her Dao fruit manifested without her control possessing cracks lining a severed piece. The essence of life and creation forced its way through the very earth itself. Nuwa¡¯s face scrunched into an agonizing look. Fuxi couldn¡¯t find the words to describe what he saw. Nuwa¡¯s beautiful face was marred by blood. The flesh on the upper left side of her head was missing exposing her skull and brain. Even the bone above her eye socket had a piece taken off. Nuwa did cultivate a strong physical body that provided some defence, but the flesh and bones she¡¯d condensed were carved away so easily. The innate god followed where he saw Nuwa convulsing away from. His breathing turned rapid and his gaze turned murderous. There, standing on the same cliff face was a hunched Liu Er. His fur was drenched in blood, his cloths were soaked and pieces of flesh from Nuwa clung to his body like grime. His expression was now an angry one, but one that didn¡¯t acknowledge the filth he had on him. ¡°SLURP!¡± Strings of muscle tissue, blood vessels, and nerves stuck onto a big piece of flesh were sucked into his mouth like a noodle. Handing off from the right side of his mouth was a dangling eyeball. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will NEVER BE A SLAVE!¡± An SI’s Battle I In a sea of blood, the lone monkey crunched down on the eyeball as if it were just another snack. Rich amounts of energy flowed down his gullet, invigorating his already immensely powerful physique to astounding heights. Even if Liu Er himself didn¡¯t quite comprehend how his own body worked, that did not matter to his instincts. His body underwent a glowing transformation where the twisting figure resembling a snake danced around his body. Of course Liu Er¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t see this transformation, his perception ¡®fixed¡¯ itself after denying Nuwa¡¯s words. ¡°SISTER!¡± Fuxi was the first to react, the only one to react within one second of Nuwa¡¯s screams. It took quite a few moments for other people to realize what had went on, being too busy with their own troubles. No one really payed attention to the tiny monkey. Experts were gearing up to head back to the Great Wilderness. Leaders where imprisoning their own to prevent the mass slaughter. Some one mediating to resist their rewriting, while others were battling against retreating devils. Fuxi¡¯s head was bloodied by the gore from his own sister. Each splatter both horrified and enraged the innate god. His gaze was bloodshot, locking only on Liu Er. Fuxi¡¯s head attacked Liu Er. Around his body, eight distinct light waves glimmered around symbolising all his cultivated spells. His attacks at full power held enough power to tear through the bodies of Devil Great Emperors. In one of his fangs, mountains, and thunderstorms emerged simultaneously. In another emerged hurricanes and blazing flames. His lower teeth were bursting with power from the spiralling water, quaking earth, golden clouds, and boundless lake. Spactime seemed to collapse al around where Fuxi struck down. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Not nearly enough. Liu Er didn¡¯t even dodge Fuxi, from his perspective there was no possible way Fuxi could ever attack him. Fuxi pre reincarnation was a stupid fool, nothing more than a dog to whatever Di Jun says. He had no reason to be his enemy. The fact that Nuwa may be the cause was an impossibility in the monkey¡¯s thought process. Yet when the strike did land, Liu Er grew enraged. ¡°Fuxi the pathetic fool who failed at everything. Fuxi has betrayed humanity, unworthy of three emperors five,¡± Liu Er practically screamed. His fist buried itself in Fuxi¡¯s check, shattering the innate god¡¯s cultivated bones within the innate god¡¯s body. His spells cracked tot he point of being lost with such a point blank strike. Fuxi¡¯s trail looped around to attack, but Liu Er grabbed hold of it and swung him into the cliff he was formerly standing on. Liu Er did not have a gleefully cruel expression, instead he seemed disappointed. ¡®If the Fuxi have chosen to leave humanity, then I shall find new co owner the three emperor five emperor. I shall become the fourth martial ancestor, so it is my karma to train the three emperor five emperor. Co owner of humanity shall be free.¡¯ The decision was made in accordance to the ¡®truth¡¯. Liu Er did not even hesitate raising the corpse of Jiang Koilong. By this point, only three more seconds had passed since Nuwa started screaming. Enough time for Fuxi¡¯s dangerous situation to be fully comprehended by his emperor, Di Jun. Fuxi was blinded by a combination of grief, shock, rage, and a desire to both protect as well as to avenge his sister. His decision in this brief clash was full of recklessness and irrationality spawned from such emotions. Were he not bogged down, Fuxi would¡¯ve stayed very far away and worked to suppress Liu Er. ¡°MONKEY!¡± Di Jun roared. His body transformed into a stream of fire towards the two, completely abandoning any prior responsibilities. He was quickly followed by his trusted prime minister Baize, and his own wife Xihe who did not hesitate following her beloved. Fuxi was beloved by Di Jun due to how much he contributed to setting up the Heavenly Demons as a faction. He was right up there with Baize, Taiyi, and Xihe and was also the one to help him in better understanding his Celestial River Map. He was a friend and a brother that he truly valued. That was why he screamed for Liu Er to stay his hand. His, Xihe, and Baize¡¯s spells rose from their body and combined into one large firebird. It struck at the dragon skeleton on Liu Er¡¯s hand. ¡®I saw the Fuxi is a pathetic fool unworthy of demon race.¡¯ These words suddenly rung through Di Jun¡¯s head and a execute urge to kill Fuxi himself surfaced. Simultaneously, Liu Er seemed to have a knowing look at Di Jun¡¯s slowing speed. But when Di Jun did not repeat the same words in reality, Liu Er seemed to freeze. His neck twitched ever to slightly. Di Jun had one hand on his head, his right eye starting to go red. The fire around him cooled as he groaned. ¡°Trying to mentally attack me?¡± Di Jun grew furious, not at the attempt, but at the sheer inferior degree of the attack he had perceived aimed at his person. ¡°Husband?¡± Xihe also suffered a similar mental assault. But the words going through her mind was full of vanity and betrayal towards Di Jun. This was followed by a strong desire to offer herself up to the obvious superior mate in Liu Er before betraying him too for riches. But to Liu Er, this brief hesitation made him appear to have a small seizure. His head snapped suddenly to the struggling Fuxi. Fuxi¡¯s wiggled in his grasp, but began to build a hasty formation in front of his head. His Dao fruit could be seen illuminating from right above his head. Inside Liu Er¡¯s body, his Dao fruit reacted violently. It¡¯s invisible influence was like the ocean, submerging any and all things in the vicinity. Five luminous lights and a sixth approaching flashed brightly however, remaining steadfast in rejecting it. Spacetime appeared to distort around the monkey and the dragon skeleton straightened admits the flames dancing around it. Briefly, the image of a cudgel flashed across its surfaced before the object in question returned to normal. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Almost as if it was rejecting the image superimposed upon it. But that did not stop the corpse being used to bludgeon into Fuxi¡¯s flesh. BOOM! Jiang Koilong was an exalted elder of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan. Not only was he a top decision maker, but he was also one of the strongest dragons to have ever lived. From his life as a koi fish, he¡¯d been amongst the first to cultivate the Dragonic Dao. Among the Primitive World, numerous cultivation techniques existed. Zulong¡¯s Dragonic Dao mimicked his own physique, combining aspects of internal spiritual construction and physical tempering in order to build the body of a genuine dragon. As such, the result was one of the strongest fleshy bodies in existence. Fuxi on the other hand, was an innate god born from heaven and earth. His flesh was naturally far stronger then average. But as a cultivator, Fuxi always specialized in spell work and formations. His flesh fell behind many of his contemporaries. So even stripped of its flesh, Jiang Koilong¡¯s bones was filled with power great enough to overwhelm Fuxi. Even in death, the roars of a peak dragon caused the Netherworld¡¯s heaven and earth to shudder. As soon as Fuxi¡¯s gargantuan snake form was smashed to red gore, Liu Er straightened his body. ¡°Emperor Jun is too ruthless. Killed the subordinate. But that is to be expected from the demon who obey the law of jungle. Dog eat dog, strong survive and weak die.¡± Liu Er nodded grimly. Yes, he had held up Fuxi to taunt Di Jun, but never expected the Demon Emperor to be so ruthless as to kill his own subordinate to get at him. But that was to be expected of a man born in a xianxia world. BANG! Liu Er¡¯s head snapped back from being hit by the Chaos Bell. Taiyi was even better then Di Jun at remaining stable, he appeared apocalyptic as he assumed his true form and beat into Liu Er. Liu Er couldn¡¯t even fight back in the assault. Taiyi did not give him any moment of reprieve, continuing to claw and peck into his fur. His own spells merged into a river of time to assault the monkey. His Pure Yang Sun Fire lashed out in fury. Multitudes of spells arising from his understanding of the universe attacked Liu Er. The two plummeted past Di Junior and the others towards the Netherworld¡¯s floor. There, Taiyi resembled a vengeful god of war tormenting Liu Er. ¡°GAH!¡± ¡°ARGH!¡± ¡°GUH!¡± Liu Er clawed at the earth, but all three of Taiyi¡¯s claws stomped into his back. His beak came down transforming into an meteor with he capabilities to collapse worlds. ¡°Just what are you made of?¡± Taiyi gasped in shock as even that attack, along with all others failed to break through Liu Er¡¯s flesh. The eyes on the monkey¡¯s head rolled upwards to gaze at Taiyi. They recognized the younger brother of Di Jun. However, something was clearly wrong as the monkey continued to twitch. Within Liu Er¡¯s head, a multitude of static played out. It just didn¡¯t make sense to him, even he could tell that this bird was far stronger than Di Jun. But Di Jun was emperor, the strongest of demons. Liu Er had read many novels. Di Junior WAS the strongest, Taiyi was just a stupid fool who followed his like a lost puppy. He was so dumb that he didn¡¯t even know how to use the ¡®Chaos Clock¡¯. ¡®I am Di Jun¡­what?¡¯ Taiyi flinched back at the sudden intrusive thought. The mental image of himself wearing imperial regalia and a crown while another Taiyi stood obediently behind was rejected immediately. But this particular image was much stronger then what other people were experiencing. In reality, glitches appeared around Taiyi¡¯s body, the image of Di Jun started superimposing upon the younger golden crow. ¡°Daoist Taiyi! Flex your Dao, recite your enlightened point of view!¡± Haotian exclaimed from across the Netherworld. Sword in hand, he was accompanied by Yanluo, Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu. All three of their Dao fruits were spinning above their heads, resembling entire planes of existences. Displaying their Dao like this made them extremely vulnerable. But where they stood, Liu Er¡¯s invisible influence was essentially gone. Di Jun witnessed this scene and his eyes widened in understanding. ¡°My demon, it¡¯s not a mental spell. It¡¯s the influence of a Dao fruit!¡± He first scanned his surroundings to make sure no devils were in place, then released his Dao fruit from his body. Haotian gripped his sword tightly, ¡°Dao brothers and sister, please aid our soldiers from killing each other. I¡¯ll help against that monkey.¡± He took a brief glance Da Hai¡¯s way and felt angry at how disinterested by all the chaos he was, his focus was still on Yi Fei¡¯e. ¡°Alright, best of luck brother Haotian,¡± they replied. On Taiyi¡¯s end, a bright light began emerging from his body. Cracking sounds could be heard despite no visuals. Taiyi¡¯s slacking to free himself was also the time Liu Er took to craw out from under the crow. He was twitching all over, the image of Di Jun kept flickering beyond his comprehension. ¡°The¡­the¡­the¡­Di Jun is¡­the Di Jun is ruthless,¡± he groaned out. ¡°You think I¡¯m Di Jun? I¡¯m so much worse!¡± Taiyi summoned the Chaos Bell and smashed it down towards Liu Er. Liu Er was like a schizophrenic person, even so he instinctively raised the hand holding Jiang Koilong¡¯s corpse. ¡°Sacrifice my baby!¡± BANG! The dragon skeleton ended looping around the chaos spiritual treasure and dragged its path to just next to Liu Er. The impact kicked up a dust storm which blanketed them both. From above, Haotian, Xihe and Di Jun descended together while Baize was ordered to leave. The three didn¡¯t speak but immediately attacked Liu Er, resulting in him jumping out of the cloak of dust. ¡°Ah the bell boy.¡± Haotian¡¯s appearance broke Liu Er out of his trance as any attention of Taiyi was lost. ¡°Haotian is a pathetic fool who failed at everything. He is so ambitious and ambitious. Sell everything for ambition.¡± Haotian felt mocked at those words, but he knew exactly what the monkey was referring to. He raised his sword and pierced with blinding speed. Black merged into white at the tip of his blade. Beautiful petal like radiance seemed to emerge from Haotian¡¯s body as he stabbed right into Liu Er¡¯s forehead. All the force in his body, all his cultivation up till now culminated into Haotian¡¯s single strongest strike. ¡°Extreme Singular Point.¡± Liu Er¡¯ flew back as a result, Haotian charging still. The innate god¡¯s momentum pushed both him and the monkey because the sword point never penetrated the bones. Only a slightly line of blood fell from the small cut on Liu Er¡¯s forehead. Haotian became an unstoppable force pushing an object back instead of ripping through the monkey. ¡°A direct hit from that attack could¡¯ve cleaved through my defences for sure,¡± Taiyi said. ¡°Even that didn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°Even you?¡± Di Jun was beginning to see the monkey as an unbreakable object that could only be restrained. ¡°Perhaps my Sun Chakram can bind him.¡± Then a giant palm stretched out from behind Liu Er before any of the three cultivators or Taiyi could act. Belonging to Di Jiang, the emperor of the Earthly Divinities grasped Liu Er in his grip and squeezed with all his strength. ¡°You think you can come down here and cause chaos without consequences?¡± Di Jiang roared with his siblings. If there was one emotion aside from sorrow that they shared, it was rage that they didn¡¯t even know who to direct towards. Liu Er sending everyone into a frenzy made for an easy target. Di Jiang smashed Liu Er back into the ground. The eleven Ancestral Divinities began beating into the crater Liu Er fell into causing the Netherworld to rumble. The dragon skeleton dropped onto the ground. Liu Er was only able to somewhat meet Di Jiang¡¯s fist, but he got quickly overpowered. His own strength was far from being able to compete with them. ¡°Holy fuck what is he made from?¡± Zhurrong roared after pulling back his fist. The indent of the monkey on his skin disturbed the god of fire. ¡°This is like striking the Reincarnation Pagoda!¡± Shebishi exclaimed. The others upon hearing this felt dread. Just the comparison alone was insane. With that durability, wouldn¡¯t it mean they¡¯ll be unable to destroy him? ¡°The witches are stupid.¡± Liu Er yelled from below the beating. He rambled about stupidity again and again before turning to convincing them. ¡°The witches want dominion over the world and hate all life who don¡¯t respect Pangu. I am willing to help claim the lord of reincarnation!¡± The witches were stupid, they would agree in a heartbeat because they were non thinking idiots. PAH! Di Jiang¡¯s fist smashed into Liu Er again. After that, Liu Er¡¯s Dao fruit vibrated with unheard of ferocity. It painted the picture of the events Liu Er stated would happen, but it quickly broke down because Liu Er got beaten again. This happened again and again that were Dao fruit not already complete, it would¡¯ve degraded on the spot. Liu Er¡¯s eyes glazed over and a new picture painted. In it, he stretched his muscles and overwhelmed Di Jiang with ease due to him intelligently cultivating a mazinger body. Such strength belonged to the three thousand mazingers from chaos period, so much better then the losers of the primordial. He rose to meet Di Jiang¡¯s fist and got smashed into the ground again. ¡°The witches a dumb brutes who are all strength and nothing else, the mazinger are daoism and lack in pure strength,¡± he uttered following along the changing picture. Shaking desperately, Liu Er¡¯s Dao was like a spoiled child being told no. It lashed out with a scream across the surface of the Netherworld. The dragon skeleton arched back before rising out to wring Zhurrong¡¯s neck. It was like a puppet as its like body smashed against the other divinities. A sword sashed across the bone¡¯s surface stemming from Haotian fighting to free Zhurrong. Di Jun and a furious Taiyi descended to unleash fire at the unoccupied crater, but Liu Er leapt through it and onto the dead dragon. ¡°Ah my disciple is loyal unlike the fools of the primitive world,¡± Liu Er said. ¡°The witches are no match and scared of me. They are stupid and not want lord of reincarnation merit. In this world only me.¡± Haotian held onto the dragon¡¯s spinal column as he thought about the monkey¡¯s reactions. His own Dao fruit was also receiving messages from Liu Er¡¯s. There, a fizzing image of the monkey raising an abandoned dragon to both of them defeating the witches who were too stupid to fight back could be observed. ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s rationalizing everything and reinterpreting the things he didn¡¯t like,¡± Haotian muttered. Liu Er then caught sight of Haotian and jumped up to meet him. ¡°Ah the ambitious. If you help me, I will help you claim the throne of heaven,¡± Liu Er proclaimed. But Haotian received a disdainful images of himself, one that depicted Liu Er beating him to an inch of his life after Haotian¡¯s inevitable stupid betrayal. An SI’s Battle II While multitudes of mighty individuals began to battle Liu Er, the devils of the west gathered around Hundun. The mass retreat was largely successful as even the three Beast Sovereigns cannot stop Hundun¡¯s advance. Hundun¡¯s protection stretched across several billions surviving devils, a paltry number compared to their initial invasion. All the ghost devils were also gone, shattered by the Reincarnation Disc. ¡°The ancestor, he has¡­he has betrayed us,¡± a brave devil uttered fully expecting Hundun to pinch him to death. ¡°Luohu has raised you all as sheep for his harvest,¡± Hundun said instead. ¡°My child, you are enlightened in the darkness. But Luohu took advantage of all of you, his first fanatical followers like Hou Pi only enabled such from their lack of understanding.¡± ¡°The war great elder,¡± another devil, this time a Devil Great Emperor. ¡°It is lost for us isn¡¯t it. The anti devil alliance will destroy us all.¡± Hundun could feel himself smiling at the lack of faith these devils had for Luohu. He was thankful he lacked a face else his joy will be apparent. He made a quick glance Liu Er¡¯s way while covering all the surviving devils in an orb of chaotic colours. His other in the Great Wilderness already informed him of Liu Er a while ago. The monkey never did end up contributing in the way he¡¯d hoped, but he did make for good distraction for him to retrieve his devils. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Zulong, Qi An, and Zulong roared his way. ¡°Saving my people,¡± Hundun heroically said. This stirred the broken hearts of the remaining devils. They chanted Hundun¡¯s name even in the face of imminent death. Hundun raised all six of his arms and clasped them together. ¡°The Devilish Dao will not end today.¡± ¡°Hundun,¡± Wangshu appeared back in her Dao body. Between Liu Er and Hundun, the latter was the obvious bigger threat. The two Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals looked to be starting another fight. ¡°I no longer care for your conflict with Luohu, he is a traitor to devil kind,¡± Hundun said. He created a cloak of energy around himself and his devils. ¡°I am not your enemy,¡± he answered sincerely. Wangshu raised an eyebrow at the odd exchange. There was no malice, no lies from Hundun. Hence she did not stop him from teleporting away. Instead she turned to face Da Hai. ¡°Master and junior sister,¡± Zulong flew up from beside her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what either of us can do. Luohu shattered her entire existence,¡± Wangshu said. ¡°Whatever it is doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Zufeng and Qi An said. ¡°Let¡¯s pursue Luohu, the sooner he perishes the better. Our people can take care of things here.¡± ¡°YOUR MAJESTY!¡± Zulong turned his gaze to meet Leize¡¯s urgent cry. ¡°Look what they have done to brother Koilong,¡± the thunder dragon pointed at the former leader of the ascendant dragons. Zulong also felt great pain seeing the very first to succeed in his dragonic cultivation project being reduced to this state. But as he considered things, he closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°Avenge your fallen comrade, my own hands are tied.¡± Zulong indicated beyond the Netherworld at the very distant clashes between Luohu and the Four Symbols. Leize gritted his teeth but nodded still. Gui Daiyu and Zulong¡¯s sons have made it out of the battle without heavy injuries. The later safely in their battle formation and now actively resisted the effects of Liu Er¡¯s Dao. His wife glanced his way and sent him a message informing him that she was all right and that he should do what he promised. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Then the three beast sovereigns left Netherworld after that. But Wangshu lagged behind. ¡­ Haotian witnessed Leize and several other dragons descending from the sky. The demons and the divinities regained their bearings to focus on Liu Er. ¡®Ambitious, ambitious, so ambitious.¡¯ This repeated in his head again and again like a nagging parent to their apathetic child. ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Haotian spat. ¡°Eh?¡± Liu Er tilted his head in confusion. Haotian suddenly teleported in front of Liu Er with a hand around his throat. His body flashed into blinding light as both shot towards the sky. ¡°The vast sky is stupid!¡± Liu Er exclaimed. ¡°The body too weak against the mazinger strength. I teach the idiot bell boy a lesson.¡± ¡°Haotian can¡¯t die because of heaven, but he can be beaten bloody just like how I beat up the teacher and Fuxi and daddy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the reason Zhunti and Taishang wasn¡¯t here?¡± Haotian exclaimed aloud, his voice heard by a Jieyin who was lending humanitarian aid. The monk perked up with shock. Yuanshi and Tongtian were much the same, stopping whatever they were doing. ¡®What did he do?¡¯ Was the collective thought. But Haotian did not let that distract him from his destination. His Vast Heavens Mirror appeared to take a punch from Liu Er. Haotian could see and hear both demons and divinities crying after him on what he was thinking. He could see the skeleton of Jiang Koilong falling limp in Leize¡¯s grasp. But he already knew no one could damage Liu Er. They can restrain him sure, but his Dao was another problem as it¡¯s reality altering effects perpetually exuded from Liu Er¡¯s body. None of them could reach him, they¡¯d have to imprison him in a remote location and quarantine him in the future. Liu Er was more touch then he was strong, so unkillable but far from unbeatable. Haotian transitioned from his movement technique to one similar to a baller. Then he threw Liu Er towards Da Hai and Yi Fei¡¯e. Liu Er flailed in the air, sailing across the Netherworld before smashing into an iceberg curtesy of Da Hai¡¯s instinctual reaction. The sea god paled, he glanced over and sucked in his breath. Yi Fei¡¯e body was no longer there, having been long since broken down into particles leaving behind the mirage of a woman. Da Hai clenched his palm then opened his empty hands. Near him, Wangshu flew close with a quiet Changxi in her grasp. Liu Er quickly got back up to see Da Hai and smirked. ¡°Ah my brother.¡± Da Hai was just like him, someone who crossed over from planet earth. He must¡¯ve already become lord of reincarnation and gained all the benefits. So as fellow transmigrator, people inserted into this setting it was natural that he¡¯ll take advantage of everyone and use them to his benefit. It was the only logical choice. ¡°The fuck are you doing here?¡± Da Hai answered impatiently. ¡°You have any idea what you interrupted?¡± Liu Er looked down with a perverted knowing smirk. Though Yi Fei¡¯e was gone, an imprint of her remained allowing the monkey to see her beautiful features. ¡°The brother is smart using dual cultivation to raise strength. Good quick benefit method while I hunt for innate baby,¡± Liu Er said. ¡°The stupid natives are too dumb to realize the smart choice. They hunt for¡­¡± ¡°What the fuck are you on about?¡± Da Hai interrupted. But as he remembered Liu Er¡¯s words, he took a moment to translate them as the monkey¡¯s manner of speech threw him off. ¡®Take the female stream. Unworthy natives are stupid. Kill everyone for baby. Kill that guy for looking at you. Suave end effortlessly cool. Bashing. Tons of lemons. Benefit, benefit, benefit.¡¯ Da Hai frowned hearing intrusive barking. Unlike the others, Da Hai experienced these noises differently. His own Dao fruit was completely relaxed, like it didn¡¯t even notice Liu Er¡¯s. However, he understood the insinuation and grew furious. ¡°This is my disciple¡­¡± he didn¡¯t even finish before images of female disciples and male masters having sex came from Liu Er¡¯s direction. Da Hai recoiled in disgust, this was like the equivalent of father daughter relationships. ¡°The brother is smart for mmmmhhhh.¡± Da Hai¡¯s hand found itself clasped around Liu Er¡¯s mouth. Da Hai appeared positively apocalyptic as he squeezed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you last time to be careful with your words?¡± Da Hai increased his strength to its peak, aiming to crush Liu Er¡¯s jaw. But he frowned as he found himself unable to with raw strength alone. It was like mortal man trying to squeeze a brick. ¡®This durability, it¡¯s on par with. Wait it could even be better then chaos spiritual treasures.¡¯ ¡°You sly little dog, you entered Primal Zenith and made your Dao an unquestioned truth,¡± Da Hai spat. His previously suppressed fury rose from within. Stopped from pursuing Luohu, watching his dear disciple die in front of his eyes after knowing his other disciple died without him being able to protect him. Da Hai¡¯s anger transferred to the person who interrupted him. Hearing the word, ¡®dog¡¯, used to describe him, Liu Er¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°PREHISTORIC LIU ER WILL NEVER BE A SLAVE!¡± He bit into the inside of Da Hai¡¯s palm only to find his mouth submerged in water. He pulled away but water snakes swam around him. Up his arm, around his thigh, across his waist. Liu Er found himself completely restrained by snakes. Da Hai chuckled darkly as he brought Liu Er close to him. A sadism unlike him emerged. The restrained anger exploded out, not in an inferno, but in a blizzard. ¡°Luohu can¡¯t get far so I¡¯ve got some time.¡± Da Hai patted Liu Er¡¯s shoulder as he starred into the monkey. His Dao fruit pulsated through his tendrils of water, some of which seeped into Liu Er¡¯s mouth. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± Liu Er roared. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a SLAVE!¡± A few seconds passed before Da Hai leaned back in shock. He was speechless, utterly speechless. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± Liu Er roared one more time. But this time Da Hai started laughing. ¡°Pfff, haaa. Haha, hahahaha. HAHAHAHAHAHAH!¡± Da Hai burst out uncontrollably. He raised a hand in Wangshu¡¯s direction to signal he was alright. Then he took a few moments to hold himself together. ¡°Haha, gah hahahaha!¡± He failed as he laughed some more. ¡°Eh?¡± Even Liu Er was confused. As Da Hai finally stopped, he kept a mirthful grin. He rubbed Liu Er¡¯s furry head like an adult would a little child. ¡°What a guy,¡± he said. Then he raised a finger in front of Liu Er and began waving in an extremely condescending way. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave?¡± Da Hai began. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave?¡± He repeated while emphasising, ¡®slave¡¯. He tapped Liu Er on the nose much to the monkey¡¯s humiliation. What was worse was that he was unable to see any other reality but this one. For some reason, he could not react properly to what Da Hai was doing. Even his struggling stopped as he struggled to comprehend his newfound reality. ¡°Pre¡­¡± Da Hai started again. This time talking slow as if he was addressing a mentally handicapped person or an extremely young child. ¡°Historic Liu Er.¡± ¡°Is.¡± ¡°EXACTLY,¡± he suddenly roared. ¡°A SLAVE!¡± An SI’s revelation Let¡¯s wind back time for a few moments. When Da Hai¡¯s water interacted with Liu Er¡¯s body, this was for a few reasons. First of which, the monkey¡¯s body was so unbreakable that any direct assault did virtually nothing. Neither Da Hai, Hongjun, or even Luohu repeatedly bashing into him would do enough damage to kill him. However, this was only in the case of direct assault. Da Hai¡¯s water wasn¡¯t some planned attack on a specific weak point to obliterate Liu Er. He knew perfectly well once Liu Er was in his grasp that his own firepower wouldn¡¯t heavily damage him. But Da Hai has been having a terrible day. Motivated by suppressed anger and frustration at all the annoyances that has disrupted him, he wanted to vent now. If Liu Er was too tough to kill, he¡¯d just humiliate him instead. These tendrils towards Liu Er¡¯s face were in truth, just a spur of the moment. A quick test to see other defences Liu Er had. For immortals of their calibre, aside from fleshy bodies, their physiques also held myriads of defences. Magical barriers cultivated into their soul, mystical arts they kept active to supplement themselves etc. focusing purely on strong fleshy bodies like Liu Er were just one among many. Da Hai was fully expecting magical properties of his immensely powerful flesh to emerge. Much to his brief shock, they shot cleanly onto him. Splashing across the monkey¡¯s furry face without resistance, even entering the interior of his body. That was when everything changed. In an incredibly short amount of time, Da Hai¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly. He quickly felt himself entering a new layer of reality. His perception of everything was placed within a weird lens. Within him, on another plane of existence, his Dao of Distant Seas hummed. It¡¯s grand existence spun as it started interacting with another immense Dao fruit. ¡®He let me in so easily? What? Trap?¡¯ Da Hai was confused as he felt no assaults on his psyche. As his Dao touched Liu Er¡¯s, a bridge formed. Much of the sea god¡¯s primary conciseness refocused itself into this interaction. Ordinarily, cultivators would not bring out their physical Dao fruits, manifestations only occurred as byproducts of their effects. A cultivator guarded one¡¯s very existence religiously as any damage to it could spell disaster. Liu Er¡¯s body offered no resistance as Da Hai entered. This was how direct contact between Daos was formed so easily. In this world of two Dao¡¯s, Da Hai witnessed what in laymen¡¯s terms was a debate. Two perceptions of reality summarized into mystical fruits trying to influence each other. More accurately, it was Liu Er¡¯s Dao fruit loudly yelling while Da Hai¡¯s fruit merely listened. The comparison of two immortals fighting being a discussion on a Dao was an unarguable truth. The Dao, meaning the way is a path in which an immortal cultivator tries to interpret the cosmos. This path filled with meaning is where a cultivator could derive power from. A battle between Chaos Immortals would hence be two perceptions of the cosmos clashing against one another. Any spell launched, any martial arts, anything the Dao¡¯s owner does would essentially be an argument. Liu Er¡¯s Dao was like an area of effect spell, a passive argument broadcasted wherever he went. It used to wash over Da Hai until a direct contact formed between their Dao fruits. In its most basic form, it is a set of principles that defines an aspect of existence. At it¡¯s strongest, in the form possessed by Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals, such a Dao was a fundamental rigid truth that could apply it¡¯s own laws in reality. All existence, the Chaos Sea, was governed by what the Chaos Godfiends referred to as Grand Dao. The supreme principle where all things emerged and the guiding rule that dictates how things generally worked. It decided cause and effect, when and how Chaos Worlds come and go, how connate life forms can come into existence. When Taichu began the Chaos Godfiend civilization, he passed down his own method of cultivation. Ancestor Taichu was a visionary who slight to learn from Grand Dao. The nurturing of an independent Dao. If the Grand Dao was the governing force of everything, then one¡¯s independent Dao should become a way to do just the same. At it¡¯s weakest, its embryotic state, a Dao was in fact a delusion. When a Great Unity Golden Immortal prepares to seek their own Dao, they must first come up with a concept. A concept that must make sense to them even if it¡¯s entirely ridiculous to anyone else listening. A concept that must be formed from one¡¯s own conclusion, independent of another person¡¯s words. For example, a personal Dao of fire is created from a cultivator coming up with a ridiculous idea that fire sustains itself from moonlight after contemplation on the subject matter. But this idea cannot be a result of another person telling them the case. This was why the embryotic state of a Dao is referred to as Delusional Thought. A seed in which the cosmic tree that contains numerous ideas to grow the Dao until it fully comes into form. Delusional Thought is ridiculous unsubstantiated thought that only briefly crossed the mind. Only by sticking by it, and continuously pursuing it can it solidify into something real. This was why a cultivator¡¯s Dao heart was so crucial. It was not only their reason to cultivate, but their belief in their own Dao. This was their path that they would walk, if they were to develop any doubts, it¡¯ll collapse into oblivion. Da Hai, Hongjun, Zulong, Si Hai, all of them went through this process at some point. From a Delusional Thought, the cultivator continues to study and incorporate more concepts into their Dao. If the Dao at this point is just a topic heading, this is them adding substance to the text, turning Delusional Thought into Illusional idea. As an idea, the Dao would posses some weight to it. As a method to perceive existence, it now has enough concepts to retain existence, but not enough to actualize. A transparent model of an evolving concept, hence Illusional Idea. Corresponding to a fully formed cosmic tree, this is the pinnacle of Great Unity Golden Immortals. Da Hai remembered a time where his own Dao of Distant Seas was at this realm. He¡¯d just come out of the first tribulation and lost his treasured friend. Huoyun was one of the greatest reasons he has to cultivate, but it was Pangu¡¯s mumbling that caused him to come to a conclusion and actualize his Dao. The relationship between a cultivator and their Dao was a symbiotic one. One nurtured the Dao, and Dao empowers in return. So connected that they can influence each other, yet not be ruled by each other either. Separate but one, this was the underlying cultivation method taught to all individuals within the Chaos Godfiend civilization. So when the Dao fruit actualizes, when the cosmic tree births the fruit and disappears, it becomes it¡¯s own separate entity contained within the individual. Illusional Idea becomes Intricate Theory, corresponding to Great Principle Chaos Immortal. A Dao fruit becoming real is what it meant to obtain the great principle. An Intricate Theory was a topic with great amounts of evidence. However it still posses aspects that needs to be ironed out, still imperfect, still unable to wholly convince everyone of it¡¯s validity. When two individuals debate on such a Dao, it was easy to see holes in its make up. As a theory, this type of Dao fruit is identical to al others from across the board. The next step was Confirmed Law, a stage where a Dao fruit transformed out of its fruit shape. A Confirmed Law is supposed to be a Dao that has almost no doubt in. Similar to a scientific Law, it is essentially a phenomena that is correct to anyone who sees it, only possessing some exceptions. It was called the Primal Origin stage of Chaos Immortal because laws that controlled functions of worlds were a part of the natural order in Chaos Worlds. Taichu was a true genius to recognize this aspect of Chaos Worlds. To him, cultivating the inherent Dao Laws within a Chaos World as a second order celestial lifeform was like training wheels for cultivating an independent Dao. Stolen novel; please report. But all stages of these steps were subject to one weakness. The belief part of the Dao heart dictated how strong one¡¯s faith was in their Dao. Any doubt was cause for said Dao so start degrading. If at any moment where Da Hai stopped believing in his Dao¡¯s view of reality, the Dao of Distant Seas would immediately degrade. Over the course of his journey, Da Hai¡¯s relationship with Zulong unknowingly allowed him to comprehend much more of his Dao. He never intended to, but his desire to keep them at arms length, but warming up to and loving them enlightened him to near and far. This influence on his Dao caused it to evolve past the point of law into truth. A Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal¡¯s Dao was an Unquestioned Truth. A truth being something one is fundamentally unable to argue against, at this stage the Dao is perfect. It is fully in a state where it can no longer degrade as it logically possesses no loopholes anymore. Absolutely no loopholes. ¡°Within the context of¡­yeah you really do not see any,¡± Da Hai murmured as he watched the Dao-Dao interaction. He walked forward out of the domain of his Dao and into Liu Er¡¯s. What greeted him was an intoxicating fantastical world. One where he was the center of the universe, the top dog, the top G, the overpowered supreme one. It was exhilarating. The xianxia world was stupid. Everyone was stupid. Everyone was a weakling in front of his power. He can do whatever he wants and no one can stop him. He is the strongest being ever, far more powerful then anyone else. The demons were a pathetic lot fighting over dominance but could never win. They were not strong at all because they can never win. The liches were also pathetic weaklings because they died. Everyone else was also a stupid weakling because they are weak. Only he was strong. He was overpowered. He could beat all of them with just one hand. It was¡­ ¡°Pure comedy,¡± Da Hai said expressionlessly. Everything he as seeing was clearly from Liu Er¡¯s perspective. But Da Hai was fundamentally not Liu Er, he was not some lesser being easily broken down by the strength of Liu Er¡¯s Dao. That¡¯s why, rather than ¡®is¡¯, or ¡®was¡¯, Da Hai read every argument with ¡®should¡¯. Da Hai continued walking while looking around. Slowly, his expression turned into one of confusion. Something was so very wrong here. This Dao, the strings connected it to Liu Er, the entire world it projected was disturbingly familiar to him. Not to the current Da Hai as he¡¯d never truly read such stories. But to one of his progenitors, it was intimately familiar. Da Hai¡¯s face turned to one of bafflement as he analyzed what he was seeing. ¡°This Dao¡­what the fuck am I looking at?¡± He exclaimed. Liu Er¡¯s Dao was practically roaring in his face. It¡¯s gargantuan body waved around constantly displaying a hyper specific view of certain people. His eyes widened to their limit as he realized Da Hai stared through the Dao and into it¡¯s connection with its owner. Inside Liu Er, the connection he shared with his Dao sent back and forth messages non stop. Da Hai felt compelled to rip out his own eyes to grow new ones at the sheer absurdity of what he was seeing. A cultivator and their Dao were one and split. A symbiotic relationship where both not only benefitted but influenced each other. But influence was the keyword. A cultivator was not ruled by their Dao, they grew, used, and followed it, but never ruled by it. Cultivators such as Yang Mei were very easily able to abandon their old Dao and follow a new one. ¡°How did this happen? With the mental fortitude of us perfect inborn beings it shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Da Hai stopped himself as he realized something. Liu Er was a ordinary human kid who somehow crossed over to this prehistoric world. He was just a normal human, born and bred normal human. A mortal suddenly shoved into an innate god¡¯s body. There must¡¯ve been so much wrong because of the dissonance between both types of life. Liu Er the innate god was a higher dimensional lifeform who¡¯s brain power is dedicated to understanding the higher dimension he lived in. His sense of time was built to experience yuanhui like they were decades. His inborn instinct was to control his great power and cultivate further. The normal human mortal kid was just that, a normal kid. He was just another user of an online machine translation WebNovel website who loved to read a specific type of power fantasies. In fact, it was the only works he did read. Da Hai considered his own human progenitor. Would that human have suffered the same fate were he successfully reborn? Liu Er¡¯s Dao was truly a wonderful sight. It was certainly similar to other Daos, being an actualized way to define the cosmos. But unlike Dao Hai¡¯s, which was closer to broad concepts, Liu Er¡¯s hyper fixated in specific people and a specific place. Within this monkey¡¯s Dao, the figure of Haotian floated. He was arrogant, ambitious, ambitious, ambitious, and so ambitious. He was a pathetic weakling who never won any fight and cowardly hid under the table. There was Zhunti, an utterly pathetic crybaby who cried to get benefits. There was Nuwa, an female stream and arrogant young missy who was a pathetic weakling who never won any fights. So many others with a hyper specific description of what they¡¯re like and how their lives will turn out. The most important one of all, was the MC. The protagonist the story, the transmigrator, the top G, the self insert, the MC. The answer could only be obvious. Liu Er¡¯s Dao was built upon his own fantasy. Da Hai had to sit down. Liu Er¡¯s perception, if it could even be called that was incredible. His Dao functioned on a few universal truths. The MC cannot lose, was not allowed to lose. To lose, to tie in a fight, to struggle for a win, to do anything except one shooting the opponent was proof that you are a pathetic weakling who will never amount to anything. ¡°¡­ is a pathetic fool who failed at everything.¡± Every character that human would¡¯ve read about would¡¯ve been a villain and lost to the protagonist at one point. Therefore they¡¯re weak, they were pathetic fools who failed at everything. This world was a xianxia cultivation where one chased immortality and enlightenment into Dao. Therefore everyone is stupid and horny. It was only natural to expect everyone as such. Above all else however, was that the MC was always right. But therein lay the issue, this Dao was fundamentally dictating how Pangu¡¯s Chaos World worked. It was trying to dictate how certain individuals was supposed to act. It dictated how the protagonist was supposed to act. Liu Er¡¯s Dao was built upon his former human¡¯s self¡¯s dreams and desires. At it¡¯s very core, it was a nonsensical power fantasy forcing its way into reality. Except, Liu Er was truly an incompetent cultivator. A cultivator and their Dao were one and split. Liu Er and his Dao were one and combined. A cultivator is influenced by their Dao, but as its creator and nurturer they rule over it. Liu Er was ruled by his Dao and ruled over it the same. Da Hai made several hand gestures within Liu Er¡¯s Dao, doing so allowed him to peer into its history. Despite his desire to take his anger out on the monkey, he had to wrap his head around how such a result could¡¯ve happened. It was incomprehensible to the sea god for such a method of Dao cultivation to occur. Cultivators by their nature can be described as insane as they must bring about an abstract concept into universal truth. But Liu Er was insane in an utterly broken way. Somehow, his personal vision of a fictional depiction of this reality became one with his Dao resulting in this mess. Eventually, Da Hai understood. ¡°This is¡­my fault?¡± He uttered in bewilderment. Liu Er¡¯s Dao was not originally like this. In fact, the monkey had no idea how cultivation worked int he first place. The human mind did not understand how to tap into his inborn memories being unable to fully acclimate into the higher dimensional innate god body. But when he began the path of cultivation, he devoured others for food and his bodily instincts reacted. The Six Eared Macaque¡¯s inborn instincts were always skewed towards godfiend cultivation as it was one fourth of the Chaos Demon Ape. Deep down, these instincts already knew everything to do with cultivation as it had become akin to a reflex. To Liu Er, the ability to formulate a Dao path was like breathing. He didn¡¯t notice he was doing it cause he never thought about it, missunderstanding cultivation to be following preset Dao avenues like his favourite novels. Unconsciously, him devouring others assimilated their existences into a chimera Dao fruit. Liu Er¡¯s Dao lacked a name, but if Da Hai were to name it he¡¯d call it Dao of Endless Assimilation. His everything was taken from someone else¡¯s work, repurposed to become a unique existence. In this way, his unknowingly made eating a primary goal. But then, Da Hai attacked his Dao. Liu Er offended Da Hai, so Da Hai forcibly tore down his Confirmed Law, reducing it to the level of Intricate Theory. This was when a catastrophic incident occurred in the monkey¡¯s psyche. As a human, Liu Er once had an extremely strong desire to experience that aforementioned power fantasy. It was the only lens in which he viewed the setting he know found himself in. When he reincarnated, much of his personality as a human was still intact, that fantasy was only a dream. When his assimilation Dao began, patient zero was not whoever Liu Er ate. It was actually himself. His everything became the base of the Dao, including this dream. However, at the time, this dream was nothing special beneath the enlightened materials he ate. But as time went on, it grew from all the materials the assimilation Dao consumed. When Da Hai ripped apart Liu Er¡¯s Dao as punishment, that dream had the perfect opportunity. Already in an evolved state, it took over as the primary concept of the Dao. Spreading it¡¯s tendrils, it completely transformed Liu Er¡¯s Dao. What occurred next was the most mesmerizing negative feedback loop Da Hai has ever seen. The roles in that fantasy what Liu Er fulfilled was naturally the MC, his behaviour shifted to align under that. But since began acting in that manner, his belief in that fantasy strengthened, becoming the centre of his Dao heart. Every action, every statement, every sequence of events he¡¯ll ever do became an extension of his Dao now commanded by his fantasy. His conclusion(the power fantasy) was already set, therefore his mind worked backwards to justify it. He has justifiable reasons, therefore that conclusion about this world was set. He doubled down, tripled down, quadrupled down, quintupled down. After all, Liu Er is always right. Without realizing it, Liu Er enslaved his Dao under his fantasy. In turn, that Dao enslaved Liu Er by transforming him into it¡¯s perfect puppet. This thereby only reenforces the fantasy. A never ending cycle of control sending the monkey deeper and deeper down the proverbial rabbit hole. ¡°But you couldn¡¯t complete the Dao,¡± Da Hai chuckled. ¡°Reality is different from fiction. Even if you believe the likes of the dragons, the innate gods, or the devils to be pathetic stupid weaklings for you to bash on, that doesn¡¯t compute with reality. You¡¯d be forced to rewrite all of this reality so that they can fulfil these roles. ¡°However, these people are not any lesser than you. Their cultivation is relative to you, even greater than yours. You are not strong enough to rewrite their entire existence. What a joke of a Dao. ¡°But I do have to say, you completed it in the end. You fled from the west to stop interacting with these people all together. That way, without reality running interference, you can double down on your vision and reach the final conclusion.¡± Da Hai didn¡¯t believe Liu Er himself knew what he subconsciously did. His bodily instincts now connected to his Dao understood on some level that as long as Liu Er encountered situations where his expectations ran contrary to reality, it can never reach its Unquestioned Truth State. Liu Er cannot fully be convinced, his Dao will always have flaws. But away from them, Liu Er fully convinced himself. He rose meteorically to Primal Zenith precisely because his belief in that dream of power fantasy could no longer encounter contradictions. How could a few True, Profound, or Heavenly Immortals resist his rewrite? In Liu Er¡¯s mind, everything changed to match what he read. Because he¡¯s only ever read machine translations, those terms became the default method he spoke as well. The Earthly Divinities became liches and witches, Luohu was Mori and his devils the magic race, female cultivators became streamers, the Grand Pure One became daddy. Just like cultivation, the language of the Chaos Godfiends inbuilt in his innate god body was also like an involuntary muscle. Liu Er never questioned how he talked, therefore he never noticed he wasn¡¯t speaking his native tongue. Under the affects of his Dao, he¡¯d just think he¡¯s speakingEnglish. Since this is the prehistoric xianxia world, it was only natural he talked in the same machine translation way. Liu Er physically could not comprehend another way. ¡°Haha, this is why one¡¯s mind and one¡¯s Dao path should not become one,¡± Da Hai couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. The Dao of Distant Seas has had enough, it pulsated a nauseating affect on Liu Er¡¯s warped Dao. As a Dao steeped in the Wuji principle, it easily pushed back the Unquestioned Truth level Dao. Unlike Liu Er, Da Hai¡¯s Dao has already started the road to become everything. In real space, Da Hai heard Liu Er¡¯s mad raving. He know saw what his words really were, merely affirmation of his(Liu Er¡¯s) reality. A rejection of the things he saw that didn¡¯t align with how his fantasy viewed it. Liu Er¡¯s Dao was already a truth, it cannot degrade anymore. But as it experienced contradictions to its truth again, this Dao turned violent. It wanted to swallow everyone else, push them into that same fantasy, force them to live those roles for the MC to bash. In the most condescending manner he could manage, Da Hai screamed back. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er is EXACTLY A SLAVE!¡± An SI’s Demise In that one sentence, Da Hai¡¯s voice carried everything he¡¯d learned. The compressed message pierced the minds of everyone affected by Liu Er within the Netherworld, destroying their warped selves temporarily. But Liu Er¡¯s desire to live out that fantasy encroached them again. Da Hai¡¯s hand found itself around Liu Er¡¯s throat. Being this close, Liu Er could not move at all. Since he was so incompetent as to not know how to defend himself without physical combat, Da Hai will attack him in all other manners. His greater cultivation suppressed Liu Er¡¯s own, his water cut across Liu Er¡¯s immensely durable flesh. The monkey was far more durable than he was strong because of all the physiques he¡¯d assimilated over the years. But the monkey didn¡¯t understand cultivation, he didn¡¯t know how to consolidate his gains. Despite his durability, his flesh was more akin to numerous materials stacked on top of each other. A heterozygous mixture rather than a homologous one if Da Hai were to use an analogy. He just needed to use his own seawater to separate these bonds. ¡°Pellucid Divine Water, let us show everyone what this monkey really is.¡± Across the monkey¡¯s body, his dimension hopping water soaked through his flesh. ¡°A pathetic worm who never bothered to learn.¡± Splitting the bindings between all aspects of this physique. ¡°A selfish worm who¡¯d betray everyone if he got some benefits.¡± Liu Er could not speak as his mouth was muzzled by Da Hai¡¯s other palm. ¡°A clueless worm who doesn¡¯t even understand he¡¯s doing any of this.¡± Both men looked into each other¡¯s eyes, Liu Er seemed to look through Da Hai to stare at what he wants to see. Da Hai being far too great for him to rewrite, hence his mind tried tricking his eyes to see something more accepting to the fantasy. ¡°Worst of all, it¡¯s only because Liu Er believes this is just how the world is.¡± Da Hai shook his head in disgust, then he let go of Liu Er. The monkey backed away from Da Hai, completely free from his bonds. He uttered an odd, ¡°eh?¡± Then his expression turned disdainful. ¡°The brother is stupid!¡± He declared much to the approaching cultivator¡¯s shock. Were he logical, he¡¯d realize it was incredibly dumb to talk smack to a superior. But his own internal logic disparate worked overtime to rationalize how easily he was defeated just now. ¡°The Dao brother is weak, is a pathetic fool who failed at everything!¡± Da Hai bit back a chuckle. Liu Er connected Da Hai letting him go and not killing him in a single blow as weakness and the inability to amount of anything. After all, in his internal logic one had to easily one shot their opponent to be classified as strong. ¡°The poor Dao see the female stream is not strong cauldron,¡± Liu Er said raising a fist. ¡°I shall¡­¡± ¡°Let me stop you right there monkey,¡± Da Hai interrupted. He bit back another laugh as he realized Liu Er hadn¡¯t even understood how Da Hai attacked him. In the end, a Dao was a source of perception as to how an aspect of existence worked. A Dao was not however natural battle instincts. Nor was it direct understanding to spell work or martial arts. That¡¯ll need one¡¯s own brain to infer from the Dao. ¡°You seem to be under the assumption that I am unable to kill you. Or that I failed to kill you so I¡¯m weaker then you.¡± Da Hai suddenly disappeared from Liu Er¡¯s sight. Not giving the monkey¡¯s Dao time to rationalize, Da Hai touched the monkey¡¯s shoulder from behind and spun him around. Then he gave him a slap, sending him tumbling through the air. He reappeared at the monkey¡¯s location and began ping ponging Liu Er across the Netherworld. Finally, he stopped the dizzy monkey¡¯s movements with two fingers on his chest. ¡°An actual warrior could¡¯ve easily stopped himself. An actual cultivator could¡¯ve resisted me just now even if they had a weaker body then you. I did not kill you, because I just don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t want to,¡¯ this phrase echoed through Liu Er¡¯s mind. His Dao worked again to rationalize this. ¡°The Dao brother is stupid! Doesn¡¯t understand the xianxia world,¡± he proclaimed again. ¡°The good person easily taken advantage of printing joy and superhero. Western cringe, western cringe! I sacrifice my baby to obtain baby. The master of reincarnation is unworthy of the retarded too early or the female stream Golden Fairy Wonderland. I shall¡­¡± ¡°Honestly,¡± Da Hai interrupted again. ¡°You really learn to stop jumping to conclusions. Have you ever considered that there are other ways of thinking then yours?¡± ¡°No who am I kidding,¡± Da Hai rubbed his forehead. ¡°You physically cannot comprehend that. It¡¯s like I¡¯m speaking another language to you. You hear me but can never comprehend what is being said. Oi Wangshu, can you believe this level of ineptitude?¡± ¡°But in truth, I have no reason to kill you. My fellow variable, what have you ever achieved in all your time here?¡± Da Hai asked. ¡°You ran around like a loon saying this and that but what have you really done? The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You¡¯re not nearly as important as you think you are. You¡¯ve hardly undermined the dragons or the phoenixes. You failed to grasp any opportunity and failed to make any legend for yourself, you even failed to stay lowkey. You even failed to contribute in the defeat of the devil, sorry ¡®magic race¡¯. ¡°And now, you only come after all the action is done. Luohu, sorry ¡®Mori¡¯, is fleeing for his life. The reincarnation Disc is already finished. The tribulation is practically over so tell me monkey what have you achieved?¡± Naturally, Liu Er¡¯s brain switched on to justify it as how he was staying lowkey and gathering power. But that wasn¡¯t even true cause he landed himself into the attention of the greatest players in this game. But Liu Er simply could not comprehend that he was being torn down in front of everyone. ¡°Why should I dirty my hands on the likes of you?¡± Da Hai continued. ¡°Besides,¡± he side eyed an enormous approaching shadow. ¡°I don¡¯t nearly have enough reason to bother in the first place. Go right ahead my dear.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Liu Er was confused as Da Hai backed away to stand at Wangshu¡¯s side. He concluded he must be running away, his mind tried to flush out every word he¡¯d heard and rewrite his own perception having given up on rewriting Da Hai. But then, out of the corner of his eye, a massive rubble coated mass smashed against his side. CRACK! ¡°Eh?¡± Liu Er¡¯s eyes turned sideways to see his arm bent at an unnatural angle. The image of a straight arm tried to overlay on top of this broken limb, but an even greater Dao bore down upon his down. The affects of Liu Er¡¯s Dao suddenly could not reach his arm. The massive turned around, rubble falling off revealing a horrifying face. Half beautiful half mauled, Nuwa¡¯s fury was evident no matter how she looked. She only possessed one eye, but that singular eye was bloodshot while she hissed. ¡°The female stream is stu¡­¡± Liu Er couldn¡¯t finish as a blunt force smashed into his jaw, dislocating it. From far away, a disdainful Dong Wanggong stood alongside hand outstretched having thrown his Nine Dragon Staff. ¡°You gonna join?¡± He asked Haotian who rested beside him. ¡°Nah, had enough of him for one day,¡± Haotian replied. ¡°Just as well, there are those with far more reason then either of us,¡± Xi Wangmu said holding up her Kunlun Mirror. On Liu Er¡¯s side, curtains of praising wrapped around him preventing him from moving. ¡°Go ahead sister.¡± Nuwa did not reply as she roared Liu Er¡¯s way. Her Red Hydrangea normally disgusted violence, but now this ball of thread transformed into a shower of needles to stab through Liu Er¡¯s skin. Nuwa herself charged down and bit into the monkey. ¡°Give me back! Give me back! I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± She roared through her bite. Her empty eye socket was right in Liu Er¡¯s face. This congenital goddess flashed back to mere moments ago when her brother was healthy and hale, when she herself was whole. She was too trusting, too ready to believe in the best of others. Who was this filthy beast to dare desecrate her so? ¡°Poor girl,¡± Da Hai commented after seeing Nuwa¡¯s full state for the first time. He stared into his sleeve no longer paying attention to the suffering Liu Er. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave. Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave.¡± ¡°RAGH!¡± Through Liu Er¡¯s screams, Nuwa ripped a chunk of his shoulder right out of him. It took a tremendous amount of effort and her fangs nearly broke. She quickly spat out that piece of meat in disgust. Just the taste of Liu Er triggered her. ¡°His body broke? Then it must be greatly damaged by senior,¡± Di Jun concluded quickly. The enraged demon emperor rose up alongside Taiyi and Xihe to get their revenge. Di Jiang and his siblings jumped into the air for their own pound of flesh. After being riled up so much, there was no way they¡¯d let this monkey go. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Liu Er seemingly ignored his missing chunk of flesh when he saw the approaching demons and divinities. ¡°The liches and demons are stupid. They think they can¡­¡± But his reality broke when Taiyi maliciously stabbed his talon into Liu Er¡¯s side. His fleshy body being pierced by a glowing hot sword like talon was a shock to Taiyi as well as Liu Er. ¡°His physique is broken,¡± Di Jun¡¯s brother said. Di Jun flew in next with the Sun Chakram to slice through Liu Er¡¯s right arm. At the same time, Taiyi pulled out the chunk of flesh he¡¯d stabbed into. Blood essence splattered across the Netherworld. Liu Er¡¯s body despite having it¡¯s sturdy bonds broken by Da Hai still contained an enormous amount of nutrients. Everywhere his blood spilled absorbed tons of vitality. Liu Er could not believe, refused to believe what had happened. Taiyi and Di Jun cannot possibly have injured him, they were pathetic weaklings easily bullied. Yes he had just injured them instead, he was the one who caved their sides in. ¡°GAH!¡± Liu Er couldn¡¯t help but yelp as the Demon Emperor ripped out a chunk of flesh from his side. He deliberately kept it small and tossed Liu Er towards Nuwa. ¡°Piece of trash,¡± Nuwa said. ¡°You think you have the right to hurt my brother, hurt me? You think you¡¯re some sort of god dictating how I should live my life? How any of us should live our lives?¡± With hatred in her eyes, Nuwa transformed her tail tip to a precipice and stabbed through Liu Er¡¯s chest. She screeched into his face, the force of which slammed him towards the earth. But this wasn¡¯t before a whole chunk of his chest got torn off. ¡°Never be a slave? You¡¯re the only slave here!¡± Liu Er wasn¡¯t clear who out of those innate gods said that. Nevertheless he yelled back what must¡¯ve been his catchphrase at this point. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never¡­¡± BOOM! Zhurrong¡¯s muscular fist grabbed Liu Er before he could finish and torched him. He squeezed causing the monkey to cough up his internal organs. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him so fast brother. This ape is too arrogant thinking he can tell us how to behave?¡± Di Jiang ordered Zhurrong to and the rest to all take a piece of flesh. Let¡¯s see how amazing his body is now. Zhurrong, Gonggong, Jumang, Rushou, Zhu Jiuying etc were all in a state of absolute fury. First Houtu, now this guy, they would savour this moment. Fist, claws, talons, teeth, the Ancestral Divinities showcased a savagery not unlike the animalistic demons. ¡°Prehistoric Liu Er will never be a slave!¡± ¡°Threhistoric Hu Er ill wever ve a ave!¡± ¡°Hehahohi hu ha hi heha he ha ave!¡± As he became more and more injured, Liu Er¡¯s gaze kept their non changing stare. His wailing tongue kept going as if he still had a proper mouth. But at this point his jaw might as well be torn entirely off making clear speech impossible. Di Jiang didn¡¯t use any esoteric abilities either, merely relying on his pure strength to rip Liu Er¡¯s leg off before beating him over the head with it. He raised his fist to smash him to bits when a sword light pierced the monkey¡¯s chest. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°That beast is the reason our brother went missing, you think we¡¯ll stand on the sidelines?¡± A furious Tongtian retorted. She gripped her hand and turned Liu Er¡¯s body into a pin cushion with dozens of swords. Liu Er screamed, unable to deny the reality of his pain. This was not supposed to happen. This isn¡¯t how the story is supposed to go. A drained yet equally as angered Yuanshi appeared above Liu Er. He created mountains of new flesh and knitted Liu Er¡¯s body into a recognizable primate form. But this was so that his ruyi can be used to cave his head in. He did so repeatedly while making sure to not injure the monkey¡¯s soul. He did not stop until Tongtian stabbed Liu Er through the back. More and more cultivators with deep grievances headed to deal with Liu Er. Dragons, phoenixes, demons, divinities alike swarmed him. Jieyin was the only one who sat a great distance away with his back turned. His nostrils were flared up and his skin boiled a crimson red. He breathed heavily as he continued to meditate to control his rage. ¡°I cannot be like this, I cannot be like this,¡± the innate god said. Even so, his palm raised ever so slightly to kill Liu Er. He wanted the monkey dead, but he didn¡¯t like gratuitous violence as that leaned to heavily to how depraved devils acted. Even so, he wanted to participate after figuring out what must¡¯ve happened to Zhunti. ¡°Hehahohi hu ha hi heha he ha ave!¡± ¡°Hehahohi hu ha hi heha he ha ave!¡± ¡°Hehahohi hu ha hi heha he ha ave!¡± Liu Er, now little more then a tiny chunk of gore dropped out of the dogpile. He continued to chant, unaware of Leize rising up from below him. The thunder dragon opened his gaping maw seemingly to eat the monkey. But instead, bright electricity emerged in a gigantic blast right as Liu Er landed in his mouth. He sent the sky of the Netherworld into a thunderstorm. ¡°For Jiang Koilong,¡± he spat. The remaining particles that were once Liu Er held almost no vitality left after that. Just a confused Nascent Soul drifting in the wind. But even that Nascent Soul was on the verge of total collapse having had chunks torn out of it as well. ¡°Fuxi,¡± Nuwa cried coiling into herself as she watched. Clutched in her body was a tiny spiritual presence, all that was left of her brother after Liu Er smashed him to bits. The other scoffed at Liu Er¡¯s disintegrating remains. They found it dirty to even approach it. Liu Er¡¯s Dao emerged fully from the Nascent Soul still in tact. But it was viewed with such contempt that no one wanted to look at it. Only a purple mouth manifested to devour it. ¡°Heavenly Dao?¡± Da Hai said in shock. ¡°You actually want that?¡± The Heavenly Dao was almost omnipresent in the Primitive World. Though its main consciousness piloted the Four Symbols, this mouth of the Heavenly Dao devoured all that was left of Liu Er. In the end, the monkey became food for the Primitive World¡¯s growth. Nowhere to Run ¡°Now then, let¡¯s go take of Luohu,¡± Da Hai said to Wangshu. ¡°Right,¡± she said but didn¡¯t follow him immediately however. ¡°You go on ahead first, I need to say a few things.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Da Hai scanned an approaching Xihe and decided it was none of his business. He then broke through the void and left the Netherworld. Seeing this, the Ancestral Divinities did not hesitate jumping through the same spatial tunnel to follow through. Various other dragons and phoenixes who were strong enough decided to head towards the Great Wilderness as well. But when Di Jun and his wife Xihe acted to do the same, Wangshu appeared in front of them. ¡°Master?¡± Xihe exclaimed. Seeing Wangshu again after her life¡¯s changed so much brought about an unsureness in the demon empress. Her palm gravitated towards her abdomen. ¡°Oh? Mother in law,¡± Di Jun was quick to show respect to the ruler of the Starry Skies. She held great status before the tribulation kicked off. Even though she wasn¡¯t there for the vast majority of it, she still contributed greatly to the war. She was worthy of his Demon Emperor¡¯s respect. However, Wangshu did not look happy when she scanned Xihe. This was evident enough to make Taiyi weary. The younger sun crow understood more then any other how overwhelming Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals were. Changxi flinched unable to look at either Xihe nor Wangshu. She met a tense Taiyi¡¯s gaze and shook her head. ¡°Why are you fighting while pregnant?¡± Wangshu blunting told Xihe. A million other things she wanted to ask. Why was Xihe using another school¡¯s arts, why was she married without her consent, why she embroiled herself in another world superpower, why she was even fighting so far away from home. She also felt hurt when she failed to detect an ounce of her lineage¡¯s cultivation techniques in her eldest disciple. But she disregarded all of that to address her disciple¡¯s health. The burgeoning live within Xihe¡¯s belly was well hidden in a wall of fire, but Wangshu¡¯s gaze penetrated that easily. ¡°What?¡± Di Jun exclaimed at Xihe. Wangshu felt a wave of mixed feelings running through her. At the foremost was disappointment. She didn¡¯t even know what to say at this point, especially not now at such an urgent event. Her rush to get back, the current war, and the final battle with Luohu that was just about to erupt. He gave both of them a cool gaze. ¡°Xihe, I know I haven¡¯t been the ideal master for you. But please understand me when I tell you what the risk you¡¯re taking is monumentally stupid¡­¡± ¡°But Di Jun needed my help.¡± ¡°Not to such an extend.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right wife,¡± Di Jun said with a displeased look. He wasn¡¯t sure to the validity of Wangshu¡¯s words, nor could he see through Xihe¡¯s belly, but from the reaction of his wife it became quite clear. ¡°What possessed you to join me here if you were with my child?¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Wangshu interrupted. She felt decisively unprepared for the inevitable couples drama. ¡°Remove my disciple from the battlefield, make sure shes protected at all cost. Personal matters can be settled after the battle is won.¡± Di Jun nodded but still felt dissatisfied at her just ordering him around. He was the Demon Emperor, not an average immortal without status. Nevertheless he ordered some of his men to take Xihe away. ¡°Di Jun you can¡¯t do this,¡± Xihe called out. ¡°Without me, who will watch your back? I need to fight beside you!¡± ¡°Xihe, this is for your own protection,¡± Di Jun protested. As Wangshu watched from the side, she asked Changxi. ¡°What happened to your older sister?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t claim to fully understand the emotions in her heart,¡± Changxi answered as she¡¯s never experienced what Xihe felt. ¡°But she seems to have placed Di Jun as the centre of her whole universe. Probably because he was the reason she is who she is today,¡± Changxi surmised. ¡°Center of¡­¡± Wangshu trailed off in thought. She looked back into the void. ¡°Changxi, guard your sister. I¡¯m going to confront Luohu.¡± She ripped a new hole in reality and teleported into the Great Wilderness¡¯ West Continent. The Great Wilderness was not like it was in her memory anymore. Wangshu could feel a sense of brokenness in this archaic piece of land. The earth, the sky, countless living beings were all crying in unison. In the distance where Mt Sumeru stood, four pillars of sword light manifested once more converging into a solid dome. The Four Symbols Divine Beasts were also present fighting against the Immortal Extermination Four Swords. It¡¯s four bestial constructs clawed ruthlessly against defensive sword light. ¡°Da Hai, what did I miss?¡± She asked. Surrounding Mt Sumeru, a ring of dimension alternating seawater entrapped the mountain. The shadow of a willow tree was assaulting one side of Luohu¡¯s stronghold. Beside the tree shadow, both Yang Mei and Da Hai stood side by side. They didn¡¯t speak to each other, but worked together all the same. Wangshu appeared beside them in a flash of moonlight and repeated her question. Da Hai turned to her with a barely suppresses fury that she knew wasn¡¯t directed at her. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Not much,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve surrounded him so he can¡¯t run like last time. Was about to go in though.¡± He took notice of Wangshu¡¯s mood but didn¡¯t pry further, now was not the time. ¡°That formation of his has proven incredibly difficult to break,¡± Yang Mei said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything last time and nearly lost my life.¡± ¡°That formation was said to need four sai¡­four equal cultivators as the caster to break I think,¡± Da Hai corrected himself. ¡®The closest equivalent to saints in stories would be Dao realm beings. But there¡¯s no way that kind of power is needed.¡¯ Zulong, Zufeng, and Qi An approached the three transforming into their humanoid Dao bodies. All three appeared incredibly weary. The dragon sovereign walked up to Da Hai. ¡°I¡¯ve looked around, the laylines of the West Continent is converging on Mt Sumeru. Whatever¡¯s left of the ghost devil reincarnation system is pooled towards it as well. Looks like Luohu wants to make an impenetrable stronghold.¡± As of this moment, the Immortal Extermination Formation had resumed an egg like structure to block out everything. Even Luohu was not visible underneath the dome. ¡°Hmph, he want¡¯s to turtle in? What can that achieve, at best he¡¯d be trapped here forever,¡± Zufeng scoffed. ¡°For one thing, he clearly doesn¡¯t even want to risk combat. It¡¯ll take some time to make it back inside,¡± Qi An said. ¡°If anything, it proves he¡¯s scared.¡± ¡°Undoubtedly,¡± another voice interrupted. ¡°The fuck do you want coward?¡± Da Hai spat. Zulong turned around and emanated an unforeseen bloodthirsty. The others did not react aggressively, merely in confusion. ¡°Hello Da Hai.¡± Qiankun, the man who ran away after the disaster at Mt Buzhou occurred. After learning of this thirty thousand years ago, a part of Da Hai couldn¡¯t help but blame him for Qinglong. But Zulong¡¯s own anger was beyond even his master¡¯s. ¡°The audacity to show your face,¡± Zulong growled. If he weren¡¯t aware of the bigger picture, he would¡¯ve captured the man for punishment. ¡°Peace dragon sovereign,¡± Qiankun surrendered. ¡°I¡­I too have unresolved business with Luohu.¡± He flashed back to the guilt he felt at fleeing when Sichen was killed and subsequently broke his promise of aid to Hongjun. No matter what, they were still kin as Chaos Godfiends. It was that same guilt that was why he didn¡¯t flee from the Primitive World right away. He chose to remain hidden to recover from his injuries, but also to see how things played out. Now he¡¯d reemerged to join the fight. ¡°Unresolved hahaha,¡± Zulong chuckled. ¡°You had thirty thousand years to make up your sin.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Yang Mei told off the dragon. ¡°Qiankun I sense part of the Wuji principle in you. You(pointing at Zulong) would be wise to accept his aid and not cause further conflict.¡± The oldest godfiend present then turned his unimpressed gaze down at the sword at his throat. Then turned to Da Hai who held out said Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. ¡°Have care how you speak to my disciple.¡± Whatever affection he had for Yang Mei that he¡¯d inherited from Huoyun and the original Tian Hai, none of it restricted his own dissatisfaction. The tension between them built up reminding Wangshu of how it was like when they¡¯d last met before the Shenni war. ¡°Everyone please,¡± Wangshu mediated. ¡°The you and the Heavenly Dao is holding Luohu in place right now. But we still need to puncture through.¡± ¡°Daoist Wangshu is right,¡± Yang Mei said with a proud smile. ¡°Qiankun, use your Spacetime Sundering Arrow and combine it with my Element Piercing Spiral Roots. Wangshu, bring the Lunar Star¡¯s chilling yin qi and the combined¡­¡± Da Hai wordlessly cast a spell before Yang Mei could finish.. Giant water dragon constructs emerged and impacted the Immortal Extermination Formation. Though it was as harmless to the formation, it drew Luohu¡¯s gaze When their gazes met, Da Hai taunted Luohu. He conjured up an image of the Reincarnation Pagoda and an image of Mara. The Devil Ancestor¡¯s eyes went mad with anger. ¡°Hiding when he¡¯s got nowhere to run. A coward till the end,¡± Da Hai added. He summoned the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag and twirled it around before pointing it directly at Luohu. ¡°In comparison to him, always was and still is Hongjun¡¯s second.¡± The moment Hongjun¡¯s name was uttered, Luohu roared. ¡°Come fight me if you dare!¡± ¡°There, I¡¯ve opened a way.¡± ¡°I do remember him trailing blindly behind the Chaos Cricket,¡± Yang Mei idly commented. He proceeded to follow Da Hai with Qiankun and Wangshu. The three beast sovereigns assumed their true forms and followed. ¡­ Luohu calculated why he¡¯d so hastily opened a path. He was severely outnumbered, but thankfully was still fully intact. The Four Symbols doesn¡¯t have the firepower to pierce through and can eventually be defeated. Inside his formation, he¡¯d have the home ground advantage against the other cultivators. If Mara can back him up, he¡¯d win even in this situation. But the thought of his latest sworn brother brought back a hauntingly empty feeling. His grip on his spear tightened until his knuckles went white. ¡®For his sake I can¡¯t fall here now. I must escape, achieve Dao and find a way to bring his spirit back.¡¯ It was a miracle that brought him and Mara into contact. He a lost soul who¡¯d just learned his inevitable fate and betrayed by his long time brother and mentor. Mara an illusional being on the verge fading away who¡¯d somehow escaped from his former prison. They became kindred spirits, Luohu using his natal treasure to combine with Mara transforming it into the Reincarnation Pagoda. Numerous yuanhui¡¯s worth of friendship ended because of Da Hai and his ilk. And to top it off, Hongjun saw it all with that disdainful gaze of his, as if he hadn¡¯t been beaten on Buzhou. Luohu roared, fuelled by his own emotions. The shadow of his own true form flashed alongside him, showcasing a dragonic head connected by a thick neck to a lion¡¯s head. His eight tails waved through the expanse of sword light, while his four arms and two gargantuan leathery wings made him seem like a mutant dragon. ¡°Don¡¯t you all ever learn? I¡¯m untouchable in here!¡± He was surrounded by sword light, by the qi he¡¯d drained from the West Continent. After all, he was it¡¯s master. He¡¯d refined the western lands of the Great Wilderness over countless years. Da Hai snorted and swung a blast of Chaotic Sword qi. The power that split heaven from earth spilled out to envelop the Devil Ancestor. The roars of a dragonic connate lifeform and an eight headed serpent could be heard throughout the formation. Qiankun felt fear wash over him as he witnessed Luohu¡¯s presence again. How could the gap had gotten so far? He watched as Zulong roared alongside his master and clawed towards the Devil Ancestor. He struggled to imagine himself fighting in their place. Shaking his head, he went after his objective of clearing away the Immortal Extermination Four Formation. The fire from Zufeng also reached around Da Hai to burn Luohu. While Qi An when to help destabilize the formation, the phoenix chose to fight Luohu head on. Her sense of urgency only increased with the knowledge that her eggs are kept inside the Great Wilderness. From Da Hai¡¯s head, his serpent heads transformed out of his hair to grapple with tails emerging from Luohu¡¯s body. The shadow of his own serpentine true form started clashing against Luohu¡¯s own on a metaphysical level. The clanging of sword against spear was also heard as they disappeared into a mess of water and sword light. Only beings with immense defences like Zulong and Zufeng could resist the aftershocks of their clashes and help out with their own moves. Yet with the formation still in the way, none of them could inflict true harm on Luohu. Overhead, Wangshu and Yang Mei worked together with Qiankun and Qi An. The light of the Lunar Star shone outside, pulled by Wangshu¡¯s presence in the Great Wilderness. Not even the skybox could block out it¡¯s radiant light. Both of them released spells with of incredibly vitality, sourced from their essence as trees. Their power drilled through Luohu¡¯s sword light to grab his remaining swords. Luohu sensed this and felt dread. Just as they could not hurt him through the formation, his formation cannot hurt them. Maybe if it were focused in one place, it could do damage. But it was being dragged apart again. As Da Hai drew the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag, Luohu felt a wave of water slide against his being. He felt his armour of sword light flicker at contact and knew his formation was weakening severely. He threw a spear strike at Da Hai through the gaseous form of Chaotic Sword Qi. He wanted to pierce Da Hai¡¯s body but found it impacting a flat white surface. Then his spear¡¯s own destructive power began being dispelled. ¡°12 Petals White Lotus of Purification.¡± Loose particles resembling petals broke off from the barrier into a scene resembling leaves falling during autumn. Da Hai gritted his teeth as he held out the flower to cover himself and the two sovereigns fighting by his side. ¡°Now¡¯s our chance!¡± Zulong and Zufeng attacked from behind the barrier. The energy form of a gargantuan dragon and a titanic phoenix manifested by their will. Luohu felt as if he were a peasant looked down upon by kings. The two images swam through his sword light and smashed against him within the formation. Though physical damage was not dealt, he found his footing pushed back as a result. Da Hai took this chance to withdraw the flower and blasted Luohu with his spells. He screamed as he fought releasing years upon years of rage and frustration. ¡°This is for Huoyun!¡± He roared as sword met spear. ¡°You¡¯ll join him soon enough!¡± Zulong roared as he circled around. He ignored countless sword strikes assaulting his body all for a chance to draw blood from Luohu. His famous ¡®Nine Clawed Killing¡¯ was used at full power. His claws smashed into Luohu¡¯s back before retreating to avoid being caught in Luohu¡¯s grip. ¡°You think that¡¯ll be enough? My Immortal Extermination Formation¡¯s defence is unbreakable!¡± Luohu screamed. Zulong gazed down at the claw he attacked with and saw a crack. As Luohu twirled around to launch a wave of destruction energy at him, Zulong¡¯s scales flew gold and black. It formed a scaled dragon construct around him to resist the blow, albeit with difficulty. This was his physique¡¯s power at work. Da Hai knew he could not afford to be hit like Zulong could. A direct hit from Luohu could very well kill him. He continued to dance around Luohu looking for ways to attack. He simply had to hold him long enough for the others to work. The Formation Breaks Falling behind only a few steps, the Ancestral Divinities and leaders of Heavenly Demons touched down on the lands of the West Continent for the first time since the final battle started. The hulking forms of Di Jiang and his siblings caught sight of Mt Sumeru and immediately understood. ¡°Let¡¯s join hands and form the Pangu Genesis Formation. Our power will magnify to the amount needed to context with Luohu,¡± Di Jiang ordered. The others commented how wise he was. ¡°Didn¡¯t you need Houtu for that?¡± Di Jun reminded him with a sour look. ¡°As far as I can see there are eleven of you.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± the other divinities were speechless but Zhu Jiuying was different. ¡°We needed her bloodline as all of us are full manifestations of our bloodline splitting from Pangu¡¯s own,¡± the candle dragon said. ¡°Chi You.¡± ¡°Yes ancestor,¡± a bull headed divinity greeted. He was one of the first spawns of Houtu, a great divinity who inherited a large portion of her her bloodline. ¡°You want him to substitute our sister?¡± Xuangming was sceptical to Chi You¡¯s ability. After all, he only held roughly one eighth the purity of Houtu herself. ¡°We have no choice,¡± Di Jiang reminded her. He ordered the others into formation and began chanting. As energy pulsated through their body, the natural Dao Laws pushed their full power into their bodies again. Their bloodline roared as Pangu¡¯s physical form emerged from their unity. The demon leadership could only marvel at how spectacular this looked. Di Jun turned to Taiyi and the latter understood what the former wanted. The two Golden Crows flew into the sky and pulled. Di Jun released the Sun Chakram and the shadow of a shining sun appeared in his place. His demon generals looked up feeling unstoppable warmth penetrating the Great Wilderness. ¡°It¡¯s the Solar Star!¡± Someone called out. Just as Wangshu pulled the Lunar Star, the two brothers pulled the Solar Star. As one of Pangu¡¯s eyes, it¡¯s fiery gaze spilled through the skybox in the form of a beam. In the distance, it barrelled it¡¯s way into Mt Sumeru. Unlike Wangshu who¡¯d only used the Lunar Star to send power. Di Jun used the Solar Star as an orbital weapon. The Four Symbols Divine Beast simultaneously held an angry expression. The Heavenly Dao directing their bodies had felt the constant tremors caused by both stars unleashing their power. This wasn¡¯t even mentioning the dual Da Hai and Luohu was engaging in. Around the Great Wilderness, the chaos was still roughly contained inside the Immortal Extermination formation. But tremors were spreading out causing massive earthquakes and tsunamis. With the light of the Solar Star piercing through, the West Continent was practically set ablaze. As the Pangu Genesis formation formed from the Ancestral Divinities plus Chi You, it¡¯s presence caused another massive tremor felt throughout the realm. More and more high level individuals pushed through back to the Great Wilderness. They were half horrified and half ecstatic. While Luohu looks to be contained, it looked like the apocalypse was occurring. Inside the Immortal Extermination Formation, Da Hai pushed towards Luohu alongside his chief disciple and Zufeng. In a sea of swords, destruction, seawater, alternating dimensions, and numerous natural transformations these great immortals continued to clash. Da Hai felt all his hate directed at Luohu to the point where thoughts of Hongjun was ignored. The Devil Ancestor looked upon Da Hai with a similar expression. Memories of their first meeting leading up to Huoyun¡¯s death sprung up in their minds. To Da Hai, Luohu really was the root of all his despair, the idol of his hate. In his current fighting stance, the 12 Petals White Lotus did not glow with purifying lustre, but a haunting chill. The Xuanyuan Water Control Flag gripped in one hand and worked with the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword to force a standstill with Luohu¡¯s spear. CLANG! Da Hai grit his teeth feeling his muscles ache from the clash. Magical power coursed through he and his weapons, just barely withstanding the world destroying power held inside Luohu¡¯s God Killing Spear. After all, that thing was still a chais spiritual treasure and the stem of a former Dao artefact. Scales and fire broke out from the corners of his vision. Zufeng and Zulong seemingly formed a perfect harmony to snipe at Luohu¡¯s head. Despite his superior cultivation, the Devil Ancestor was one step too slow and suffered the blow head on. He snarled despite suffering no damage. Da Hai could see untold trillions of tiny blades resisting their attack. He took a quick glance Wangshu¡¯s way and prayed she¡¯d hurry up, he cannot wait any longer. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The corners of the sword formation was a chilling sight. Wangshu approached the Immortal Ending Sword un interrupted by it¡¯s sword light. The others reached for their targets as well, continuing to draw the total sword light away from the epicentre where Luohu fought. ¡°Damn it!¡± Luohu knew he was in a bad spot. The combine force of Da Hai¡¯s group was far more troublesome than Yang Mei by himself. THOOM! THOOM! THOOM! The Devil Ancestor sucked in his breath uttering, ¡°Pangu?¡± But he realized his mistake after seeing the Pangu Genesis formation and the Solar Star¡¯s assault. He grew tremendously angry. ¡°Bunch of newborn ants, what right do you have to interfere?¡± The Pangu Genesis formation was gigantic, it pulled at the outer areas of the Immortal Extermination formation. It¡¯s appearance was identical to the real Pangu, so much so that all godfiends present felt a chill. ¡°Come on out and die!¡± A voice roared from within the giant. High above, the two Golden Crows unleashed hell from the Solar Star. The Four Symbols got out of the way as heavy rains of fire poured across the Four Swords. ¡°RAGH!¡± Luohu slammed his palms down. Drawing from his connection to the west, he forcibly drew all its vitality towards his formation. Expressions of the sword¡¯s might extended out to forcibly stop the two faction leaders from making their advance. ¡°Using the west¡¯s vitality? How can you be so cruel?¡± It was none of these people who said that. Rather, a devil cultivator from within Hundun¡¯s protection said out of despair. They watched from within the void still inside Hundun¡¯s protection. ¡°Were our efforts for nothing?¡± Da Hai meanwhile aimed for Luohu¡¯s downed palm. Hoping to take the limb quickly, he used his movement technique to greatly increase his speed. ¡°Hmph,¡± Luohu clenched his fist to call back the four swords. Da Hai widened his eyes at the same trick Luohu was pulling. For his part, Luohu began to smile. This feature of his version of the four swords never appeared in the future he saw, he doubt anyone could counter it. ¡°NO!¡± Declared a union of voices. ¡°We will not let you dispel it so easily!¡± Lunar qi froze across the Immortal Ending Sword¡¯s path. Despite it suddenly spinning in an arc, Wangshu caught it¡¯s blade in a moment of exposure. Sensing danger, the sword unleashed hideous primordial beast like incarnations from its handle. The absolute hunter of immortals during a bygone era. One bit into Wangshu¡¯s shoulder while another skewered through her chest. The goddess didn¡¯t appear startled however. She gabbed these monsters with roots emerging from her back to further her hold on the blade. At her level, the sword did not have the power to truly damage her. It wanted to break out above all else. It¡¯s siblings all desired the same thing. But Yang Mei, Qiankun, and Qi An were using their own means to intercept the swords and hold them in place. Luohu¡¯s gambit had inadvertently pushed his swords into an exposed position where the formation could be distrusted. ¡°No.¡± Momentarily distracted, his body became trapped in Zulong¡¯s coil. Da Hai smashed his flag pole across the trapped Luohu¡¯s face for some satisfaction before performing his own trapping spells. Zulong grabbed the exposed God Killing Spear and began wrestling with Luohu. Were it not for the formation still in place, Da Hai would¡¯ve sliced that arm off already. THOOM! One of the Pangu Genesis¡¯ punches left a sizeable dent in the weakening Immortal Extermination formation. It started at its fist in wonder before grinning. Before doing more punches, it¡¯s controllers decided to grab some earth and mould it into an axe. Then it used that to start slicing into the formation. While the eleven Ancestral Divinities within roared with approval, Chi You panted. The formation was an incredible experience, but the substitute was not ideal. Inside the formation, envelopments of sword light was opening up to reveal the outside air. Da Hai stopped to look at it and laughed maniacally. ¡°So much for invincible formation.¡± The Immortal Ending Sword was encased in spherical ice alongside Wangshu. The Immortal Slaying Sword could not exert it¡¯s will anymore buried beneath layers of peaceful karma under Qi An. Yang Mei¡¯s sword was constricted in spacetime, isolated it from the others. Without these pillars of control, the formation was collapsing in on itself. The sole pillar remaining belonged to the Immortal Trapping Sword currently combating against Qiankun and his Cosmic Ruler. The spiralling galaxy the godfiend transformed into took up an enormous amount of space. Qiankun looked like a blackholes trying to suck in the Immortal Ending Sword while his ruler beat its back. Luohu screamed in agony but did not let go of his spear. Sword light flickered throughout his body and suddenly the dragon¡¯s claw made brief contact with skin. Both immortals widened their eyes in urgency. ¡®I don¡¯t want to do this. Last time was an emergency. This time is even more so an emergency. Curse you Hongjun, curse you Da Hai!¡¯ Luohu starting burning his Nascent Soul for fuel. It was an act that could cause irreparable damage to his existence, but he was left with no choice. Da Hai stabbed forward but Luohu had already breathed out toxic mist. Empowered by his act, he caused Zulong¡¯s scales to dim as they lost much of their vitality. He instinctively loosened his body in a jerk. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Luohu leapt out of the grip but immediately raised an arm to block Zufeng¡¯s fire breath. She switched tactics and unleashed numerous elemental energy attacks towards him in the form of rainbow light. This caused the skin of Luohu¡¯s fleshy body to start peeling off. Da Hai roared at Luohu and reached for the devil. Chaotic Sword Qi rose out from his sword like smoke. Now it was even more dangerous to Luohu without the Immortal Extermination Formation¡¯s full defensive capabilities in place. ¡°Burning his Nascent Soul? What of the Dao?¡± Da Hai heard Yang Mei gasp. Luohu already had previous injuries, with this burning it would be doubtful if he could ever recover. Nevertheless, the power boost it gave him made him a different monster entirely. BANG! Sword and flag was in a crossed position in it¡¯s clash against Luohu¡¯s spear. Unlike previously, Da Hai felt his heart skip several beats. He leaned back and narrowly missed Luohu¡¯s breath attack. ¡°Worry about someone else then!¡± Luohu in his empowered state created a phantom replica of his God Killing Spear. Raw destructive energy emerged in the shape of a dragon, rousing such a presence that a spectre of the Great Wilderness disintegrated on the spot. Echoes of this phantom carved lines throughout the world, causing the Pangu Genesis Formation to jump. Luohu chucked it at Zulong¡¯s dimming form. ¡°You own stupidity for bringing another disciple into battle. But hey, he can accompany the others in oblivion right?¡± He was in so much pain from the burning that he sounded like a crazed maniac. Da Hai blinked out of his rage, he was determined not to repeat what happened again as well. So he threw the 12 Petals White Lotus, his sole defensive treasure towards his most beloved son. This flower wrapped itself around the dragon who immediately took control of it for the sake of his own survival. The two forces met causing a destructive clash that quickly spilled out onto the Great Wilderness. The returning experts gasped at how much power was being thrown around. The Four Symbols had a stoic expression as chunks of the Great Wilderness was ripped asunder as a result. When Haotian returned alongside Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu, he was horrified at the destructive battle. Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieying all stepped out and all three held grim expressions after feeling the chaotic air. Da Hai observed the destruction dragon being held back. He flipped his attention back to see Luohu punching aside Zufeng¡¯s claw. It was obviously broken from the angle the impact left it in. Luohu¡¯s head meanwhile bit into Qiankun¡¯s incredibly size. The yelp from the old man signalled the quivering of the spiralling galaxy. Luohu took immediate advantage and dug a huge wound inside his fellow godfiend. His free hand landed on the Immortal Trapping Sword¡¯s pummel. ¡°No! How could you even use such a risk.¡± Qiankun¡¯s emerging body was fearful as he spoke. He couldn¡¯t comprehend the burning of oneself the first time and still didn¡¯t understand how some people could be so mad. At that point, they might as well give up on cultivating the Dao. And for what? Some extra combat power? ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned? Risks are needed to our journey,¡± Luohu spat with disgust. ¡®When did godfiends get so cowardly?¡¯ Before Da Hai, Yang Mei, Wangshu, or anyone else could reach him, he drove the spear into Qiankun¡¯s head. The Cosmic Ruler fell from Qiankun¡¯s grasp. The giant godfiend groaned from the piercing strike. The momentum caused him to fall so hard on the ground that spiderweb like cracks came about across the entire Great Wilderness. Devil Ancestor’s Fury `None of the third generation innate gods wanted to approach final battle. Just the aftershocks were terrifying to behold. They all concluded their road of cultivation was far from complete. All around the Great Wilderness, spatial currents leaked through causing another natural disaster. Storms, waves, quakes, even fires. Haotian couldn¡¯t stop himself from screaming at the sight. Xi Wangmu and Dong Wanggong glanced at each other and sighed. Their friend had always cared about the wellbeing¡¯s of lesser lifeforms. For kind Haotian to witness this was a nightmare. Even if they too felt it a tragedy, they¡¯d become too used to it throughout the war to be anything other than stoic. From the epicentre at Mt Sumeru, chunks of earth lifted into the air. Some disintegrated into the void between realms, others crashed back like meteorites. Even the Pangu Genesis Formation and the Solar Star seemed small in the middle of the apocalyptic scene. The the distance, shadow of Luohu¡¯s demonic true form appeared burning. But his presence was so vast that it was like an anvil pressing down on the Great Wilderness¡¯ crumpled paper. Luohu¡¯s Dao fruit was not scene but definitely felt. It¡¯s myriad concepts were such that it seemed to give rise to countless worlds. At such a distance, it felt less like a singular Dao but more akin to numerous smashed together. But unlike Liu Er¡¯s assimilation, it was such masterfully merged that one concept bled into another in a never ending chain. Despite its devilish nature, it was a Dao above all others gazing upon it. All the more juxtaposed, the beauty of the Dao and the decaying earth. Unlike the innate gods or high level experts, the denizens of the Great Wilderness desperately prayed for their survival. Haotian scanned through the scene and made a decision. ¡°Friends, we need to mitigate the damage. Stop things before every living being is crushed under all this destruction,¡± he said before moving to action. ¡°So this is how a destructive a battle of Limitless Supreme is like. The only reason the Netherworld didn¡¯t disintegrate was because of your Reincarnation Disc¡¯s labour.¡± Tongtian said after Haotian departed. Her grim tone was much like all other people watching. The dragons and avians made decisive actions to leave for their bases of power. It was pretty clear they wanted at least their territories to survive while Da Hai and his ilk dealt with Luohu. They needed to do something else even if it wasn¡¯t purposeful, there wouldn¡¯t be anything left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong brother?¡± Tongtian asked after noticing Yuanshu¡¯s expression change. The Jade Pure One¡¯s gaze seem to glaze over. His power of the primordial origin traced a familiar energy from within the void between realms. It was like two revolving coloursHe frowned and reached through it using his Chaos Immortal cultivation. In one stroke he pulled an frail old figure out from the chaos while Tongtian gasped. Taishang flopped onto Yuanshi¡¯s arms and breathed a sigh of relief. His body had been bisected even though he was alive. ¡°Phew, you would not believe how dizzy it is in there,¡± he said. ¡°Glad you finally saw my beacon.¡± ¡°You¡­today has just been one surprise after another.¡± Yuanshi was too tried to feel anything anymore. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Taishang?¡± Jieying teleported into their immediate circle. ¡°You were with my junior brother. Hurry, tell me what happened to Zhunti?¡± At this, Taishang made a regretful noise. Taishang was carried by Yuanshi as he began speaking. The latter injected his immortal qi into the Grand Pure One to temporarily recreate his legs. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s alive anymore. He was reduced to the state of a damaged Nascent Soul when we fell into the void. But then all the tremors began and I couldn¡¯t hold on. I could barely drag myself back to the Great Wilderness in my condition.¡± He referred to the aftershocks echoing out from the Netherworld. All that fighting and later on, Da Hai splitting the entire realm did not bode well for the stability of the Primitive World. Jieying could already imagine the chances for Zhunti to be astronomically low. ¡°How? How could such come to be?¡± ¡°That six eared macaque of course. Looks to have went insane following his Dao path. I¡¯ll have my reckoning on him once I heal.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Yuanshi added. ¡°You just missed it.¡± ¡°Unfortunate. Zhunti withstood too much damage fellow daoist.¡± Taishang mourned his lost of vengeance but quickly moved on. ¡°You should search the void now before more aftershocks ruins its geography again.¡± RUMBLE! All felt another ferocious clash split the clouds in the heavens above them. The skybox consisting of the twenty eight mansions suffered a blow this time. The brilliant stars seemed to fizzle beneath the weight of the attacks thrown around. ¡­ The Immortal Extermination Formation was collapsing fully. It¡¯s previous lustre shattered as three of the four swords fell out of Luohu¡¯s grasp. The remaining Immortal Trapping Sword was useless in formations on its own, even its application as a combat tool was not as good as anyone else¡¯s weapons. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Perish Luohu!¡± Yang Mei, Qi An, and Wangshu emerged near in from streams of light. The light of the Solar Star shot bands of hot sunlight at him while the Pangu Genesis Formation grabbed towards him. He was well and truly alone aside from his own power. Luohu resisted the pain of his self burning in time to pummel the reaching hand of the Pangu Genesis Formation. The shockwave sent ripples throughout the giant¡¯s makeup and his hand to ricochet. He brought his spear down to cleave through its fingers before jumping away. ¡°Damn it!¡± The Ancestral Divinities roared. When Luohu breathed a massive inferno at them, the giant raised its hands to block. It¡¯s structural integrity groaned from the damage it received. Without Houtu making it perfect, the Pangu Genesis Formation was forced onto a knee. Yang Mei, Wangshu could respect the effort. But the giant took too early of an initiative due to their close distance and sheer size. The moon goddess reached for her crown while Yang Mei weaved spells around a light shadow of a willow tree. Zufeng, Qi An, and Zulong all appeared together and used their greatest attacks against. They knew that of everyone present they were the weakest link. But their offensive output was still more than enough to kill Luohu were he to be hit now that the formation protecting him has been torn down. Da Hai wanted Luohu¡¯s head most of all and he wanted it personally. He traced his ringers across his sword and unleashed a wave of Chaotic Sword Qi at Luohu¡¯s. He also waved the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag to enhance his own hydrokinetic abilities in order to unleash a celestial wave that blocked Luohu¡¯s path. ¡®I need to flee. I need to flee. I need to flee.¡¯ Luohu roared and stabbed out with his spear. Revenge could wait, healing could wait, mourning could also wait. The determination to maintain his life filled the spear which shattered Da Hai¡¯s wave casing rain to flood the earth. Zulong¡¯s claw could not reach far enough, not could Qi An nor Zufeng. The former quickly threw up Da Hai¡¯s lotus when Luohu roared in his direction. At this point, even Zulong¡¯s scales were on the verge of giving out forcing him to resort to his master¡¯s treasure. ¡°Master, if we just need to outlast him. He¡¯ll kill himself at this rate,¡± Zulong advised in the middle of the assault. But as he spoke, he noticed the petals of the notice taking on a darkened colour. It was almost as if it were rotting. ¡®This was a piece of the 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus.¡¯ Zulong glanced at Luohu and considered burning his own Nascent Soul should it come down to it. Luohu¡¯s breath was an apocalypse all on its own. His gases wrapped around the dragon¡¯s flower shield and forced him away from the thick of fighting. ¡°Zulong,¡± Da Hai frowned. Wangshu and Yang Mei had engaged Luohu from a distance with starry chains, and reality warping flowers, too afraid to get in close. All of them were keenly aware that any direct hit would spell instant death and Yang Mei would not even consider it anymore. In all this bombardment, Luohu was like a titular hero revolting against heaven. The Four Symbols Divine Beast formed a net under the Heavenly Dao¡¯s command. Four roars threatened to distabalize spacetime of the West Continent even further. Evidently, the Heavenly Dao had also given up maintaining the Great Wilderness¡¯ structural integrity. The fury of heaven channeled through its four sacred beasts was zealous in their offensive. The only difference was they did not coordinate with the other Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals. As such, the positioning of the White Tiger and Vermillion Bird got in the way of Wangshu and Yang Mei. Luohu continuously waved through these bestial constructs while screaming in pain. Wangshu tried to restrict him but his burning had given him such a boost that he broke away from her starry chains. Their shattered pieces splintered across Yang Mei¡¯s manifestations causing the godfiend to feel backlashes. The Black Tortoise construct suffered an explosive spear through it¡¯s forehead and suffered an explosion that rocked the West Continent again. The continuous blast headed towards the core of the formation, and only the timely intervention of probability manipulation from a distressed Qi An managed to save the Heavenly Dao. Luohu panted at his work, gripping his chest in pain. It hurt so much, but he couldn¡¯t stop. He was so close now too for the collapse of the tortoise had left the Four Symbols disabled. Da Hai felt the glare of heaven scan him and couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated by the it. Even after all these years it was still a short sighted arrogant child. Closing in, he launched attacks towards Luohu. In the middle of rampant fire, turbulent waves, and an all around hectic sounding. Da Hai traded a Chaotic Sword Qi cloaked sword against Luohu. The destructive gases that tore through the Chaos Sea now settled along the body of the Devil Ancestor¡¯s spear. Da Hai dug in his feat, a manifestation of his true form appeared behind him sitting atop a throne of water. He roared in Luohu¡¯s face and channeled more Chaotic Sword Qi. He wanted that spear to break, to reach Luohu and annihilate him just as Pangu annihilated the Chaos Sea. ¡°DIE!¡± Wangshu landed not far and manifested a beam of moonlight in her hands. If Da Hai would attack from the front then she¡¯d attack from the back where Luohu was exposed. Luohu roared n frustration, he chanted a spell to respond. Winglike manifestations swirled around him withstanding the brunt of Wangshu¡¯s attack. He could feel his soul stinging, his will weakening, in moments the spells he¡¯d cultivated after countless years were shattered to bits. What¡¯s worse was that Yang Mei was catching up. The phoenix and the qilin were also in the area. CLANG! Another whack by Da Hai¡¯s sword sent another round of backlash throughout the land. The God Killing Spear refused to break, but the Great Wilderness did. Chunks of the West Continent broke off along with seawater into the vast expanse in the void. ¡°No,¡± Zufeng turned her head and cried. The south, the east, the north, everywhere was suffering damages due to the constant clashes. ¡°Damn this spear.¡± Da Hai couldn¡¯t care less about the continents. His Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword just couldn¡¯t break through. Even Chaotic Sword Qi wasn¡¯t affecting it too much. Once Luohu resisted Wangshu¡¯s assault, he stabbed the Immortal Trapping Sword forward. It wasn¡¯t any means of offence, but a pure use of the sword¡¯s name. Wangshu brought the Lunar Star¡¯s power close to defend an expected attack. But instead found her surroundings locked into a sphere. Illusionary spears tunnelled through her body doing no damage. Instead they pinned her position. Guiding Da Hai¡¯s sword to the side, Luohu unleashed a wolf head manifestation from his arm to rip Da Hai apart. Thinking quick, water snakes appeared around Da Hai¡¯s body and clashed against Luohu¡¯s spell. Using the Immortal Trapping Sword again, Luohu seemingly impaled Da Hai with illusionary chains. ¡°Die!¡± He raised his spear and aimed. Zulong cried out from the distance, he uncoiled his form and breathed lighting against the gas trapping him. But a wave of Nanming Divine flames splashed across the area forcing Luohu to stop his attack. Zufeng knew the greatest powerhouses were the Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals. Even if she didn¡¯t particularly like Da Hai, she still acted to save him. Da Hai struggled in his bindings, he gripped the against chains holding him and felt their links breaking. He glanced up and saw the sword used against towards Zufeng¡¯s flying form. The Phoenix was huge and resembled a colourful pheasant with tail feathers like a male peacock. The transformation of the five elements around her crashed against the Immortal Trapping Sword¡¯s power. But Luohu also helped his blade, repulsing her light. She gasped as she tangled against the bindings forced upon her. Her feathers raining down as arrows of light as they detached from her body. Luohu used this chance to eradicate her body. But Luohu did not move on immediately, he reached into the aftermath of his spell. In the smouldering ruin, wings flapped again and a new Zufeng drew breath. ¡°You¡¯re trick is too famous to be unknown,¡± Luohu said as he grabbed hold of her neck. She screeched at Luohu translating her normally beautiful song into an ear busting noise. But with her in his grasp, Luohu felt her defences easily cave away when he eroded her form again. After all, Zufeng¡¯s flesh was comparatively extremely weak. In her second death, Zufeng emerged again as a new being weakened even more. Luohu was determined to end her however and grabbed towards her again. But this time Zufeng split herself willingly. Much to the Devil Ancestor¡¯s shock, when he grabbed hold of a a single bird, a second bird split off. The bird in his hands was male, the one who flew off was female. This was Huang and Feng, the two aspects of the king of all birds. This was also how Zufeng fertilized herself. Their power level however was greatly diminished from before, merely at the early stages of a Chaos Immortal. Luohu immediately crushed the Huang half of the phoenix in his grasp. He targeted the Feng half and shot out a piercing bolt. Zufeng tried to manoeuvre out of the way and it was then that Qi An arrived to lend support. The Qilin did not ask any question and traced the lines of karma to force a desired result from probability. He managed to swerve the attack from Luohu away from its trajectory, but the attack scraped across Zufeng¡¯s belly and right wing. She tumbled out of the sky gravely injured. Qi An immediately breathed streams of karmic fire at Luohu but did not linger longer. He had no confidence in confronting Luohu like this. The Devil Ancestor likewise didn''t pursue. He ran further, launching into his true form to flap his wings. Great Wilderness Shattered ¡®If I could just break into the Chaos Sea, I can teleport away.¡¯ In his path, the Lunar Star¡¯s radiance focused on Wangshu. The Solar Star¡¯s power can be avoided but Yang Mei was already hot on his heels. The Pangu Genesis Formation also jumped to body slam Luohu. The two titans were near equal in size. ¡°Devil, today you pay for breaking the father god¡¯s gift!¡± Di Jiang roared from the formation¡¯s head. Their great physiques were all combined into a titanic force. Even if Luohu burned his Nascent Soul for power, he¡¯d still be crushed by all that strength. ¡°But you aren¡¯t Pangu.¡± Narrowing his gaze, Luohu fought against the burning pain. He knew formations better then most could hope for, he used that experience to analyze the Pangu Genesis Formation ¡°Bunch of amateur, the flaw is as clear as day.¡± Zhu Jiuying and Di Jiang gathered the power of their siblings to further increase the formation¡¯s strength. But while the others were roaring, Chi You was drenched in sweat. Luohu easily identified his sub section as a weak link. Before the Pangu giant made contact with him, Luohu¡¯s arm dug into the giant¡¯s waist. His corrosive destruction easily punctured the weak structure of what was supposed to be the earth divinity¡¯s position. Then he ripped Chi You out of the formation. The bull headed divinity screamed. He bit down on Luohu¡¯s tail, crunching his flesh and bones apart via the raw exertion of his physical strength. Then he flailed in the air as he fell back down to earth without enough force to send a portion of it breaking into the void. Luohu didn¡¯t care he lost a tail, the Pangu Genesis Formation was already breaking from that single loss. Di Jun noticed this and sent down torpedoes of sunlight to assist. But Luohu was still too close to the divinities. The Pangu giant¡¯s face was one of defiance. Luohu jammed his spear through its eye and ripped it¡¯s outer shell off to expose the divinities within. The suddenness of the formation¡¯s breaking caused enormous backlash for the denizens inside. Mouthfuls of blood was spat out as their formerly harmonized energies suddenly recoiled throughout their bodies. Down below, Da Hai rose in a torrent of water dragging a freed Wangshu and Zulong with him. ¡°No,¡± he uttered as a spear jammed its way through Tianwu¡¯s body. Luohu emerged from his true form with one purpose, to kill the annoying interlopers. The Earthly Divinities must¡¯ve thought very highly of themselves. Their bodies were incredibly strong, but Luohu undoubtedly had the greatest offensive prowess of anyone present. Tianwu¡¯s body rotted despite his great vitality. Then, that spear came down on Xuangming, Xizi, Shebishi, and Di Jiang. His arm burned with so much power, that Luohu would like to think he could even block the real Pangu¡¯s axe. He cleaved through Xuangming¡¯s neck, Xizi¡¯s torso, and Shebishi¡¯s face in a clean arc. Di Jiang was their leader, so Luohu aimed to finish him off as well. ¡°Big brother!¡± Qiang Liang jumped towards Luohu despite the dizziness he felt. The backlash from Chi You being ripped out had left this Ancestral Divinity twitching and groggy. He grabbed hold of Liu Er¡¯s spear and wrestled with him. For his efforts, he got blasted point blank by Luohu¡¯s mouth beam. ¡°Qiang Liang no!¡± Di Jiang aimed a punch towards Luohu¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t even have time to process his siblings deaths. His meaty fist impacted Luohu¡¯s stomach, easily ripping a whole through the Devil Ancestor. His devilish blood spilled onto Qiang Liang¡¯s broken husk of a corpse. ¡°GAH!¡± Luohu dispelled his body into mist and tried to teleport away. But Di Jiang pushed his hands together to lock down space around him. ¡°Brothers, beat him to death!¡± He demanded in grief. Zhurrong, Jumang, Rushou, Gonggong, and Zhu Jiuying were the only ones left alive. They were also shocked at what just happened to the rest of their brothers and sister. ¡°HAH!¡± Luohu roared, myriad energy transformed around him into infant universes that exploded in these divinities faces. Luohu grabbed Di Jiang¡¯s and burned him before spearing him through the nipple. He would stab further were it not for Zhu Jiuying wrapping his tail around him and pulling him away. The time divinity expanded the muscles in his trail hoping to crush the devil to paste once and for all. But just as quickly as he tried, the God Killing Spear pierced his eyeball and into the skull. ¡°Guh.¡± Zhu Jiuying jerked back. He hurriedly tried blinking his eyes to turn back time, but neither Luohu nor his spear were having it. He sliced his spear sideways taking the top part of Zhu Jiuying¡¯s old head off. Zhurrong gasped in at the state of his eldest brothers. Mighty Di Jiang and intelligent Zhu Jiuying were both down. He wanted to pummel Luohu to death, but the fire divinity held himself back for once in his life. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± he said. ¡°What? Are you insane?¡± Someone, Gonggong, Rushou, or Jumang said in disbelief. But seeing the surety in Zhurrong¡¯s eyes, they complied. They leapt away from Luohu and grabbed their injured eldest brother and expiring second brother. ¡°No, for the father god, for Houtu,¡± Di Jiang said in a daze. But Zhurrong shook his head, he and Gonggong dragged the faceless divinity away from the sky. The light of the Solar Star flashed across Luohu¡¯s gaze so he looked away. He did not bother pursuing either for he didn¡¯t even have time to catch his breath because Yang Mei was already onto him. Yang Mei had formed a spatial tear in his hand and tried to rip the injured Luohu apart. In response, Luohu shattered spacetime around him completely and utterly. Shards of reality cut across Yang Mei¡¯s face. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. His true form of a willow tree took form along with Luohu¡¯s bestial one. The God Killing Spear waved around, cutting through Yang Mei¡¯s roots. The barks across the godfiend began peeling off from the sheer power of Luohu. ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± Yang Mei grumbled. ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Luohu replied. Brilliant moon light and seawater crashed towards him again. Da Hai and Wangshu closed their distance with the former channeling larger clouds of Chaotic Sword Qi. Zulong still held a rotting 12 Petals White Lotus and played support for his master. Di Jun sucked in a heavy breath. ¡°Taiyi, fuse your Chaos Bell¡¯s power with the Solar Star. We¡¯ll burn the devil while they distract him.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Luohu glanced up feeling an enormous amount of heat. Even in his state, he recognized the threat the Solar Star posed. As it built up power, it could unleash a devastating laser capable of eradicating tens of thousands of Chaos Worlds at once. ¡°All of you¡­fuck all of you!¡± Luohu cried. ¡°I will win. I will reach Dao.¡± Luohu lurched forward, Yang Mei raised himself to eliminate him. His branches formed a halberd that stabbed through Luohu above the wound Di Jiang made. Yet Luohu pushed himself along that blade and bit Yang Mei¡¯s bark. The entire tree groaned with splinters falling off becoming meteorites. Luohu raised Yang Mei above his head and swung the willow tree. He carved into the void between realms using Yang Mei¡¯s body, slammed the net of the remaining three Symbols using Yang Mei¡¯s sheer length. The bark splintered into pieces as Wangshu cried out. Luohu took a breath and blasted Yang Mei¡¯s body with pure destructive energy. The godfiend¡¯s bark glowed with all his defence spells, but was pushed away into the violent spatial current. Da Hai felt a small pain when he saw Yang Mei¡¯s injured state. Despite everything, a part of him that was inherited from Tian Hai cared about the man. He released the clouds in his sword at Luohu and mentally dedicated them to Yang Mei. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s enough Da Hai? Did you forget my spear is the Chaos Green lotus¡¯ stem?¡± Luohu raised his spear. With a single slam, he smashed apart the qi that split heaven from earth. Roaring turned into crying as he gripped his bleeding chest. ¡°Fire now!¡± Di Jun formed a triangle with his palm. The heat of the sun burned hot, so much so that the Demon Emperor felt backlash. With Taiyi channeling a chaos spiritual treasure¡¯s qi into the spell, Di Jun used the Sun Chakram as a medium to fire. Yang Mei glanced over despite his injuries. ¡°Lu Ya? A legacy then.¡± Around him, the shimmers of the Starry Skies were not too far away. Such a sight reminded him of the last him he battled alongside the Sun Demon God inside the Starry Skies. The sky was lit ablaze. A towering inferno shot through the Great Wilderness at a sixty degree angle. Di Jun gritted his teeth feeling as if he were burning from the inside. Taiyi was not much better, feeling incredible strain from steering the Solar Star. ¡°Bunch of brats.¡± Luohu flapped his wings around the beam. Skirting its surface, he avoided the beam that followed his route. Di Jun guided the pillar of fire as fast as he could. Da Hai, Wangshu, and Zulong followed the same path Luohu did as they also took care to not be hit by the Solar Star. ¡°The sun was always more destructive than the moon,¡± Wangshu whispered. ¡°My authority has already faded.¡± ¡°Lament later,¡± Da Hai reminded her. ¡°Damn it how can Luohu still move?¡± Trailing along in the form of smoke, Luohu rose up directing onto the platform Di Jun stood upon. The palace of the sun sat behind him appearing majestic. A heavenly court for demon kind which Di Jun normally ruled from as an emperor. The Chaos Bell descended to smash Luohu immediately. Taiyi appeared before his brother with a place face and burnt clothing. He immediately attacked Luohu while pushing Di Jun back. ¡°Flat haired beast.¡± Luohu didn¡¯t have the desire to dual Taiyi. He clasped his hands and burned more of his Nascent Soul. His mind became drowsy and he struggled to keeps his eyes open. A sharp bolt of lighting streaked him to. Taiyi stood his ground in the face of Luohu¡¯s blast much to his shock. In a roar, he transformed into a Three Legged Golden Crow whose radiant light was so powerful that he forced Luohu to dig his heels in. Di Jun quickly assumed his true form and joined in harassing Luohu. Taiyi was incredibly powerful, more so then even the Ancestral Divinities. He could also sense Da Hai about to reach the platform. So Luohu vaulted over theduo using the God Killing Spear as pole. Landing behind Di Jun, he threw a palm strike motion. Di Jun flinched and brought his shields up. But this was a feint as Luohu strike towards Taiyi with his other arm from below. Taiyi was coming to Di Jun¡¯s side to defend his weaker older brother, but was struck instead. He tumbled a great distance towards the edge. ¡°Di Jun no!¡± He cried when he say multiple black dragons pierce through Di Jun¡¯s body. Luohu lifted the Demon Emperor and threw him. Then he slammed his spear down to create a wave of destruction. During the attack, Da Hai and Wangshu appeared over the edge. They felt like evaporating being this close to the Solar Star. Both Di Jun and Taiyi were completely enveloped however. Da Hai could sense one of the two life signatures being completely erased. Leaping into action, Luohu¡¯s slashed his spear in all directions. Da Hai raised his hand sending his fingers in the form of of sea serpents to weave through said slashes. But around them, the palace of the sun was torn asunder. A snake head bit into the God Killing Spear¡¯s shaft. Luohu quickly chopped it apart causing Da Hai to jolt from the loss of a finger. The Devil Ancestor¡¯s Dao fruit emitted transcendent light and completely overtook Da Hai¡¯s body. In response, Da Hai¡¯s own Dao fruit alongside Wangshu¡¯s manifested themselves to beat back Luohu. Da Hai himself ran forward just as Zulong flew over the edge alongside a recovering Yang Mei. ¡°You all cockroaches!¡± Luohu said between coughs. He jumped back from Da Hai slamming towards him, an act that made a water platform. Da Hai ripped out thousands of serpents from the make shift sea and commanded them forward. Zulong opened his dragonic mouth to breath lighting while Yang Mei channeled a singularity and pushed it towards Luohu. ¡°GRAH!¡± Luohu put his all into his spear and swung it upwards towards the combined attack. The God Killing Spear out of all others was his truest companion until the end. BOOM! The resulting explosion in the edge of the Great Wilderness affected mainland as well. Finally, the very soil of all four continents could not longer remain semi still. Like the aftermath of an earthquake, they caved in. The barriers of the Great Wilderness had been shattered as a result of the aftershocks from this battle. The entire great realm broke apart with no one able to stop it. Pieces after pieces broke off to drift in the void. In the void, Hundun placed down the small world he created with all the devils inside. He then flew away towards the clash between Luohu and the others. In the void, Hongjun stepped out watching the main piece of land of the Primitive World be destroyed. His eyes turned to see his disciple Haotian desperately racing across the world grabbing whatever he could. Dragons and phoenixes were grabbing the territories of their respective empires just as Haotian did it for random people. The demon higher ups desperately raced to salvage their homelands and kin. The divinities did not posses as much supernatural means so many tumbled into the void. Haotian had a face full of despair. His pocket dimension was already full of millions in the short time he raced about. But the destruction of the Great Wilderness was killing untold quintillions. ¡°Foolish disciple, can you not see you can¡¯t stop the inevitable?¡± Hongjun reached with his right hand and grabbed hold of Mt Yujing from a crumbling East Continent. ¡°Master?¡± His second disciple Yaochi said from within Zixiao Palace. ¡°Where is senior brother Haotian?¡± ¡°Haotian is a truly kind boy. Unfortunately, even he cannot stem the flood that is the Great Wilderness¡¯ end.¡± Hongjun sent a message to Haotian to recall him. He wished for him to join back with him in the void while business with Luohu was being settled. ¡°Master, oh thank heavens,¡± Haotian replied. ¡°Please help me. The Great Wilderness is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Hongjun said stoically. ¡°The Great Wilderness is simply transferring from one era to the next. This tribulation is ending and it¡¯s time for the primitive age to become the age of Three Realms.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t¡­Master, there are numerous people dying out there in this chaos.¡± ¡°That is regrettable. But the Heavenly Dao has already accepted this loss. Now only nature must take it¡¯s course as the heavens decree,¡± Hongjun explained. ¡°Come Haotian, come to my protection before you¡¯re caught up in this madness.¡± ¡°NO!¡± ¡°No?¡± Hongjun frowned. He shook his head and sighed. Haotian was always more empathetic then connate life forms typically were. But its slowly becoming a weakness. How could his disciple be able to wholeheartedly pursue the Dao like he if he was so concerned about lesser life forms? Hongjun did not want to get in the way of Haotian¡¯s journey, but he felt a lesson needed to be taught. He reached through the void and pulled. ¡°No master, please just let me¡­¡± But Haotian was helpless in Hongjun¡¯s grasp. He struggled but could not stop the purple clouds from pulling him to Hongjun¡¯s side. His eyes widened at how easily Hongjun did so. He turned his head and gazed at Hongjun in a mix of shock and terror. Hongjun did that a little too easily. One Limitless Supreme while the other Primal Zenith, but they were still both Chaos Immortals. Weren¡¯t they? I Want You Dead FOOM! The Solar Star¡¯s surface was embroiled in chaos. Liquid fire pulsated out causing fiery anomalies in spacetime. Luohu flew up from the aftermath of his clash. The others were blinded by the light which he used to break off. That clash that had thrown everyone off their feet had brought him precious seconds to escape. He was so close he could taste freedom. On the remnants of Di Jun¡¯s sun palace, everyone sans the crow brothers got to their bearings again. Taiyi was unconscious over the still form of Di Jun. The platform they all stood on quickly disintegrated allowing the two sun crows, one living one dead, to tumble back to earth. ¡°Damn it,¡± Zulong was the first to speak. His gaze downcast at the sight of the Great Wilderness. His dragons, his wife, his sons were all pouring into the void. Some protected themselves while others held patches of water containing parts of his empire. As a sovereign with divine authority, Zulong felt an unquantifiable amount of people in his empire losing their lives from the collapse of the entire world. ¡°Unbelievable, I never thought he of all people would have such tenacity,¡± Yang Mei whispered in what sounded like admiration for Luohu. Da Hai scoffed at Yang Mei¡¯s words. He loosened his shoulders and breathed out. Then he ignited his own Nascent Soul. A daunting change took place. Though he didn¡¯t seem outwardly damaged, one could smell the inferno raging on across the existence named Da Hai. The result from the combustion was a dramatic increase in force. Da Hai felt as if he could tear the Primitive World apart with a single swipe of his hand. ¡°Hm?¡± Zulong and Wangshu turned around in shock. ¡°Master/Da Hai what are you doing? You¡¯ll damage your existence.¡± ¡°Go save your empire Zulong. I¡¯m sure your people will be happy to have your support in such circumstances,¡± the sea god said. In his own empowered state, he raised a hand at the shocked dragon. One push launched the defenceless dragon far from the Solar Star. In the same instance, the 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification returned to him. It¡¯s damaged state trembled in Da Hai¡¯s palm. Yet it¡¯s powerful purifying capabilities acted upon his being, trying to erase the burning damage he was doing to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Da Hai barked. ¡°I need the power.¡± He clamped his hand around the palm but found a pair of soft feminine hands suddenly grabbing his. ¡°This is foolish,¡± Wangshu said. ¡°I can¡¯t let him get away. I refuse to let that happen again,¡± Da Hai said and yanked his hand away. Yang Mei took one look at Da Hai¡¯s self immolation and shook his head. Da Hai glanced at the old man and only scoffed. ¡°If you don¡¯t have the will to avenge Huoyun no matter the cost, then why did you even bother coming back?¡± Da Hai¡¯s body dissolved into pure water and shot up in a geyser. Yang Mei eyed him but did not reply. Instead, he held a complex look on his person. ¡­ Luohu looked down after sensing Da Hai¡¯s presence take on a new quality. It didn¡¯t necessarily grow larger, that would be sign of a breakthrough. It was the same burning smell as himself which enlightened him to what Da Hai had done. They were now both beyond the crumbling Great Wilderness. The chaotic void around them being incapable of moving their bodies despite the turbulent spatial waves. In truth, Luohu had reached what could be considered the edge of the Primitive World. Now, his downturned gaze became one of pure loathing. Da Hai held the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword with both hands. It¡¯s jagged blade was encased with so much Chaotic Sword qi, it was literally carving a gash through the void. Priming the God Killing Spear, Luohu roared in agony. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t you just give up? I¡¯m on the run, you¡¯ve already won. Just Leave me be!¡± No matter what, even if he wanted revenge for Mara, even if he wanted to carve Da Hai apart for the troubles he¡¯d given him. Luohu had to survive first, recover from his injuries, then breakthrough before planning his return. He no longer cared what tactic he used to achieve that. But just the same, Da Hai had Luohu in his grasp with no other distractions. He wanted Luohu dead no matter what and as of this moment, didn¡¯t care how he¡¯d achieve it. Even if he put his entire being at risk, it¡¯ll be worth it. Luohu felt wobbly on his feat as he lifted his spear again. He concentrated with his numerous years of combat experience, focusing fully on Da Hai¡¯s approach. His Dao fruit pulsated, revealing itself in a light shadow behind Luohu. The begetting of all things. Or rather, the coming together of all things to derive the primordial. Luohu¡¯s way of cultivating the Wuji principle was the reverse of everyone else. But this method also made his Dao appear far bigger then everyone else. It was an entire universe in and of itself. It was everything and it was you. All of reality, embodying everything that was part of the natural universe. Within the interpretation of the Devilish Dao, Luohu was the supreme god who encompassed all things. The surviving devils all felt their heartstrings tug. Some were forced to their knees, overwhelmed by a sense of hollowness. Those who¡¯d cultivated a Dao to its apex above all others experienced this feeling. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. In the distance, they could see their own Daos. Domains defining aspects of reality cultivated by hundreds of thousands of years of study, experimentation, experiences, and enlightenment. Dao fruits that were themselves cogs of a massive machine that was Luohu¡¯s Dao fruit. ¡°Great Ancestor, save us,¡± on devil desperately cried. ¡°Foolish,¡± a Devil Great Emperor said from his sitting position. Even in Hundun¡¯s protection, such a powerful Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal felt powerless as his life¡¯s work acted without his consent. It was a violating, humiliating feeling. But one befitting of their society¡¯s attitude towards power. ¡°Damn you Devil Ancestor,¡± he said. But deep down, he wished to be in commanding place. With the full weight of his Dao fruit, with all his strength, Luohu clenched his teeth and clashed against the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. The Dao of Distant Seas revealed itself as well, becoming its own universe where it was the one, the primordial state from which everything eventually arose. Sword and spear dug their way into the Chaos Sea, tearing even it¡¯s chaotic energy to splintering qi. Two Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals pushed to their limits, now forcing each themselves to go even further. The amount of energy they exuded made some recall how Pangu split heaven from earth. CLANG! THOOM! A multitude of complex spell work, martial arts, and just weapons smashing into each other subsequently took place. Transforming into streams of brilliant light, they resembled twin comets shooting through the Primitive World. So huge was each shockwave from any instance their attacks met, that the pieces of the Great Wilderness splintered even further. Screams of those mortals unfortunate enough to not find shelter in such a scenario were silenced as their very beings disintegrated upon reaching the void. ¡°Get off me!¡± Luohu¡¯s eyes flashed with his Dao. The image of the 12 Petals Black Lotus manifested like a spinning saw. Each of its petals were like blades slicing across reality and into the Chaos Sea. At the same time, it¡¯s petals emanated with concepts originating from his Dao. One petal pulsated with ¡®instant¡¯, destruction taking place in one moment. Another held ¡®eternity¡¯, destruction from aging in the grand passage of time. Another held ¡®turmoil,¡¯ it¡¯s destruction was akin to the annihilation of one¡¯s psyche with intrusive mental thoughts. ¡°I recognized that. That¡¯s Emperor Flash Existence¡¯s Dao and his twin, Emperor Forever Ago¡¯s Dao,¡± a devil observing said. The devils he stated were two famous figures who perished early on in the war in confrontation against Zulong himself. ¡°Hey isn¡¯t that Rippling Reflection¡¯s Dao?¡± ¡°I think I see Dying Ember¡¯s as well. All those, our Daos are used as attacks? No he¡¯s melded them all together as one Dao. The peak of the Devilish Dao.¡± The highest emperors all understood why Luohu stood as a Limitless Supreme while they could never obtain that height. Da Hai roared, his Dao flashed brilliantly to resist the power from Luohu¡¯s. But if one were to compare the two Daos. Though they were both incredibly high concept existences lording over all lifeforms. Luohu¡¯s Dao was an astronomically larger then Da Hai¡¯s. The 12 Petals White Lotus contained Da Hai¡¯s Dao and spun in counter to Luohu¡¯s lotus. His Dao only chased one lane, but had already reached the point where it was the primordial blank slate. In its one form, it was significantly more powerful then any individual part of Luohu¡¯s Dao. In the physical universe, both lotus were like gears grinding against each other. Once black and white brothers born of the same lotus, they obeyed their masters and tried to rip the other apart. Compared to Da Hai specialized expert, Luohu was like a expert who¡¯d dabbled in all fields. Even when clashing as equals, Luohu¡¯s field of influence utterly dwarfed Da Hai¡¯s. The Heavenly Dao was invisible beside Hongjun. It gave the godfiend a signal like an owner commanding it¡¯s pet. Hongjun did not show any outward expression, merely putting Haotian back into the Zixiao Palace and flying towards the brilliant lightshow that was Luohu¡¯s clash against Da Hai. Both of them had burnt their Nascent Souls, both of their existences were being carved away willingly just for a little extra power. He was of a mind with Yang Mei in that this action was foolish. He could never see himself doing the same and would never allow his beloved disciple Haotian to do something that foolish. ¡°Watch disciple,¡± he called out to a hunched Haotian sitting with one knee to his chest. ¡°This is the self destructive damage obsession does to you.¡± Seeing the cloud of destruction that was the clashing blades, Wangshu hesitated to approach. Powerful beings who still hung around like Qi An merely watched with anticipation. The Feng bird of Zufeng had disappeared entirely to parts alone. Wangshu knew she couldn¡¯t keep up unless she burned herself too, but was entirely unwilling to do so. However, if Luohu reveals an opening she¡¯ll take it. After all, Luohu may be outputting more power then he normally should. But his durability was still the same. This applied to Da Hai as well. Against each other, they were effectively glass canons. In the seas of the shattered Great Wilderness, Zulong uncoiled with fury. Finally freeing himself from the force of the push, he beat down his anger at his own master enough to asses his situation again. He quickly reached out to other dragons loitering around to salvage what was left of his empire. His wife and children were already on the job, so he did not worry. But personally, he flew into the void again. ¡°Husband, you cannot mean to go back there!¡± The mental message from his wife read. But his sons were far more encouraging in this endeavour. Zulong was just like Da Hai in that his sole hatred focused on Luohu. Too much had taken from him by the man to the point where he felt more justified than his own master. ¡°Wife, generals, this is my order. Take charge of my empire and shelter my people,¡± he broadcasted to all his underlings. Though it wasn¡¯t as if they weren¡¯t already all independently doing that. ¡°GRRH!¡± ¡°NGRH!¡± In the heavens, neither sea god nor godfiend budged. The metallic blades of their weapons ground against each other, channeling all their magical might. Slowly but surely, shards of metal began chipping off. Da Hai¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly as cracks started forming along the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. Such a scene caused Luohu to smile. ¡°Need I remind you? The God Killing Spear was the stem of the 36 Petals Chaos Green Lotus. Something very used to the Pangu Axe¡¯s Chaotic Sword qi. It¡¯s a chaos spiritual treasure as well, a level higher than your sword. ¡°Beneath all its uses as a sword, that Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. It¡¯s really just a conduit in the shape of a sword isn¡¯t it. A tool designed specifically to channel Chaotic Sword qi. A hyper specialized weapon thats not really good at anything else,¡± Luohu said aloud every fact he¡¯d figured out. ¡°Which did you think was gonna give out first?¡± Luohu pushed ever so forward. In terms of strength, he and Da Hai were the same right now. But the breaking of Da Hai¡¯s weapon meant he can push ahead slightly more. If Da Hai¡¯s sword breaks fully, he¡¯d have a clean strike. Da Hai had to chose his next course of action carefully. The Cosmic Butterfly whispered unpleasant statements to him as his sword body was being crushed under the superior God Killing Spear. In these moments, Da Hai¡¯s hatred for the polearm intensified. He tilted his body, lowering the sword to guild Luohu¡¯s spear to his side. He summoned the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag to his side and merged it with his left hand side. Together, they struck towards Luohu¡¯s body with the sole goal of annihilating him. Knowing lifting his weapon wouldn¡¯t be fast enough, Luohu released his hand from his spear. His right arm touched the flagpole, using his fleshy body to guide the momentum to be above him. His hand caved away along with his forearm. But the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag was successfully redirected to be above him. Yet Da Hai was not done, myriad seawater gathered along the uncoiled flag itself. Angling down, they became a scythe that curved towards Luohu¡¯s head. ¡°Gah!¡± Luohu gasped and leaned back as much as he could. Whatever remaining defensive spells activate in droves. All crumbled away as the blade sliced into the side of Luohu¡¯s cheek. ¡°This is for everything you¡¯ve ever done. For my brother Huoyun, for my son Qinglong, for Yi Fei¡¯e and her sisters. For trying to assassinate my grandson and forcing my son into this!¡± ¡°DIE!¡± Da Hai yelled gleefully. Fangs enlarged, skin replaced by scale, crimson bloodlust. His humanoid face, if it could even be called that, was akin to a shrieking demon. ¡°Not on your life!¡± Luohu used all his might to bring the God Killing Spear in his left hand up. ¡°Do not blame me for your disciples stupidly resisting me! They could¡¯ve fled to the Chaos Sea any time. And again blaming me for this war? It was your disciple who launched the first shot!¡± Luohu remembered those events vividly. He had bided his time and patiently accumulated power. His body was still lacking but he had chosen to lay low and work on other prospects for now. That was why absorbing the Primitive World was put on the back burner. However, Da Hai¡¯s lineage not only attacked him out of nowhere, but also accused him of something as demeaning as assassination via a third party. As if he¡¯d ever need to resort to such. Da Hai¡¯s instincts screamed when the chaos spiritual treasure¡¯s blade approached. Da Hai instinctively leaned back as well narrowly missing the oncoming blade. But in doing so he failed to land the finishing blow. This allowed Luohu to twirl around and bring the God Killing Spear again for a second clean strike at Da Hai¡¯s upper body. ¡°In a fight, you¡¯re still too green.¡± The sea god roared. Pellucid Divine Water washed over him, sheltering him in numerous layers of dimensions. But here, the destructive properties of the God Killing Spear emerged. It wanted only one thing, to kill. Pellucid Divine Water could not stop it¡¯s trajectory that pierced through faster than it could shift dimensions. So Da Ha released his true form manifested out from the right side of his body. Snake heads, fins, all of his scales emerged alongside massive waves. All seemed to tangle around one another like numerous serpentine beasts instead of the single creature they were. He¡¯ll meet the extremely close strike as best as he could. BANG! Grand Finale, Obtaining Dao ¡°GRAHHHHH!¡± Luohu felt the impact of splattering flesh. Pieces of scales flew past his face and he was sure he¡¯d shattered Da Hai¡¯s physical body. Torn off snake heads, broken fins, pieces of flesh and bone cultivated by Da Hai¡¯s body technique hung in the void. A sea of blood basically blinded Luohu, but he could feel the vitality of the other great immortal fall. Just as well, a severed snake head¡¯s fangs pierced into Luohu¡¯s left arm. It¡¯s reptilian eyes still glaring despite being severed by the spear. Luohu starred into those eyes with something akin to fear. He could not stop his arm from peeling away from its socket. Mentally, he commanded the God Killing Spear to turn around and destroy that irksome head. Needless to say, he was gaining an extreme distaste for snakes. With Da Hai falling, himself missing arms, he could not properly wield the God Killing Spear anymore. He could sense the Heavenly Dao and other individuals approaching him. Ominous clouds already manifested. The Dao¡¯s of the Chaos Godfiends mobilised by the Heavenly Dao made their presence known. The will of heaven rumbled with thunder. Across it, myriad bridges leading to a high palace manifested containing enormous presences. Light images of people long since passed appeared sitting in a lotus position within the palace. The Chaos Godfiends of old appeared lifeless in their serenity. When heaven demanded, a single individual drifted to the front. Luohu growled at the sight of him. Though it was a man he¡¯d not held hatred against in the beginning, he¡¯d grown to despise him for what he represented in his current predicament. The light image created by the Heavenly Dao was that of Huoyun, the God of the Five Elements. The light image of Huoyun was not the real Huoyun. It was a projection of his Dao, a memory of its creator embedded just as all other Daos within the core of the Primitive World. It opened it¡¯s eyes heartlessly. It was then that the shine of Five Coloured Treasure Light broke through towards the weak Luohu. It¡¯s brilliant shone was unavoidable for him. The technique still being developed by Huoyun when the civilization fell, the light that could potentially sever a treasure¡¯s bond with its owner. Luohu was horrified to find his mental connection with he spear be jammed. It didn¡¯t break, but he¡¯d have a tremendously hard time wielding it. He dreaded what it¡¯ll be like if it could fully split him from his treasure. However, rays of light now flew towards him as the Heavenly Dao took the initiative to act. Wangshu, Yang Mei, Zulong, Qi An, even lesser cultivators watching from the distance. ¡®No time, I have to flee¡­¡¯ Luohu gritted his teeth and roared towards the fabric of reality. He could feel the Chaos Sea beyond and made an intelligent move to tear apart the walls of the Primitive World. In ripples of lightning, the void between realms was torn apart just like the Great Wilderness, exposing the Chaos Sea to the Primitive World¡¯s interior. The consequences were even more dire for beings below the Golden Immortal realm. No one bothered to calculate how many would die as a side affect from this act alone. Though it seemed even the Heavenly Dao did not care for this development. Then spacetime warped around Luohu, this time from six directions and Luohu felt anger followed by a hint of despair. Expressive heads stacked atop one another emerged to chain up the escape route Luohu wished to use. ¡°Hundun, what is the meaning of this?¡± He called out again. ¡°Why do you betray me?¡± On the other side of the rift, Hundun manifested in his true form. His faceless head tilted to one side while his six limbs were relaxed. ¡°Betrayal? That implies I was ever loyal,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? I agreed to work for you. Never said anything about giving my heart to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you not remember your own mantra? Everything is valid in order to obtain the Dao.¡± ¡°The code of us godfiends?¡± Luohu frowned but couldn¡¯t understand how this would benefit Hundun¡¯s path. He made that same question known. In the distance, others watched this interaction. Hundun calmly raised a single hand to broadcast an image of an old devil. Luohu and Hundun both recognized this image. It not an alive devil, but a ghost one. ¡°Emperor Rippling Reflection?¡± ¡°Right, my clone turned avatar,¡± Hundun nonchalantly explained. ¡°Well actually still a clone considering he has autonomy. ¡°You know Luohu, it¡¯s so convenient for to cultivate in the way you did. I¡¯m not ashamed to admit that I¡¯m nowhere near as talented or intelligent as you. Cultivating Wuji in reverse was truly ingenious. ¡°I must thank you as well for setting up the devil system. It¡¯s hierarchical nature and it¡¯s ownership over its users. Made my path a lot more clear. ¡°A long time ago, I entered a piece of me into your system. Cultivate again from scratch and obtain the Dao inside the Devilish Dao. A young devil named Xinmo,¡± Hundun said in a nostalgic tone. ¡°It took a long time to make things work. Sometimes I even had to force things to progress. You never did like getting off your ass or going down the mountain.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Luohu grew so angry he could vomit blood. Despite his injured state, he was still the great Devil Ancestor. He made his status known by releasing his Dao fruit again. He and he alone commanded all devils. He was the be all end all of the Devilish Dao. It¡¯s immense presence pulsated through him as he worked to empower himself again to crush Hundun. Unlike him, Hundun did not commit the act of self immolation. However, a funny thing took place. His manifested Dao did not reach back to him. It spun in all its glory, a universe of devils. The grand authority of all things devil then detached itself from his grasp. The power that made him an immortal, a third order celestial lifeform on the road to full enlightenment simply ignored him. ¡°Obey me! I am your master,¡± he said. But he could only watched helplessly as Hundun shook his head. Instead, he watched as the complex concepts of his Dao emerged from Hundun¡¯s body. It was like he was witnessing himself at his prime. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The mental image became a demon in his mind. One that he noticed resembled a cross between Da Hai and Hundun. Gazing up, he saw Hundun wagging a finger at him. He felt incredibly weak all of a sudden. Even the act of burning his Nascent Soul became pointless now as he struggled to put forth any power. His muscles loosened and he could only contemplate his situation. Luohu widened his eyes in realization. ¡°All you then. This war, your performance just then. Beneath my nose all this time¡­hack!¡± SPLURCH! From Luohu¡¯s back, his own God Killing Spear pierced through his chest. Da Hai¡¯s cold breath chilled Luohu¡¯s back. The sea god did not look healthy at all, half his face was gone and his entire right side was missing. His one eye drifted from Luohu to Hundun and back to Luohu. ¡°Still alive?¡± ¡°It takes a little more then what you managed to kill me,¡± Da Hai said coldly. A snake head rose from his back holding a heavily damaged Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. Da Hai grinned with whatever face he had left before jamming the blade through the front of Luohu¡¯s chest. Chaotic Sword qi channeled through Luohu¡¯s body like the flow of blood within a human. Except it caused him an immense amount of pain. Da Hai refused to use enough to disintegrate him, only to torture the devil until he inevitably gives out. Hundun leaned closer at this scene. ¡°What a tragedy, someone so talented falls just like that. The cultivation world is truly a cruel place.¡± In the distance, shielded by the Heavenly Dao. Hongjun appeared to be meditating. He was also listening as well as lamenting his foolish former friend¡¯s fate. If only he¡¯d been obedient. ¡°The fuck you mumbling about?¡± Da Hai asked. ¡°Just lamenting the fate of a colleague. Well, my greatest benefactor that is.¡± Hundun lifted his hand and a Dao fruit appeared, his new Dao fruit that he cultivated independently from the one trapped in the Primitive World¡¯s core. In another hand, Luohu¡¯s Dao fruit appeared. Much to Da Hai¡¯s confusion, Luohu¡¯s grim lamentation, the Heavenly Dao¡¯s confusion, and a crossed legged Hongjun¡¯s realization. The old godfiend stood a great distance away beneath shining purple light and finally understood what Hundun wanted. The devils placed under Hundun¡¯s protection did not know how to feel. Impressed? Angry? Betrayed? Satisfied by Luohu¡¯s comeuppance? ¡°The Devilish Dao is hierarchical, the Devil Ancestor stands at the top in command of that Dao.¡± Hundun explained while both Daos entered his body. Inside, they seemingly began melding as one. A Dao that embodied that existence of all things alongside a Dao that contained the original monochromatic single primordial state. Only a slight factor was missing, else it¡¯ll look exactly as the Grand Dao should. ¡°In this war, Luohu lost the legend of his invincibility. He lost the support of his allies. And finally he betrayed the support of his own people. With me having back door access by entering his school, it made it all the easier to wrestle this Dao away.¡± Da Hai frowned at Hundun¡¯s explanation. ¡°So you stole his work just as he stole everyone else¡¯s. how devilish.¡± ¡°I am one,¡± Hundun said. ¡°As a godfiend, I am Hundun. But as a devil, I was born Xinmo titled Rippling Reflections upon ascension to emperor hood. Haven¡¯t used my actual daoist title in a very long time though. ¡°Heart Devil.¡± Da Hai¡¯s eyes widened into discs. He tilted his injured head towards a speechless Luohu. ¡°You and I both know the significance of that name right. The demon of Luohu¡¯s heart taking over. Hehe, how pathetic of you Luohu.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Luohu felt the last strands of his Dao leaving him. He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening, refused to believe. It had to be a nightmare. The Devil Ancestor felt incredibly unwilling. Tinges of regret emanated from his psyche. Mot regret about how he¡¯d lived his life, but mistakes that in hindsight cascaded into his current situation. The little innate god named Da Hai he¡¯d laughed at. Him choosing to personally end Huoyun instead of leaving him to Hongjun. Approaching Hundun to convince him of Shenni¡¯s madness. That night on the beach with Da Hai. But the determination to live carried on. Hundun basically confirmed himself to be the root cause of the tribulation, the key factor that lead to the event that got Da Hai¡¯s beloved second disciple killed. Da Hai was extremely one track minded about revenge, he could use that. ¡±Did¡­did you¡­not hear?¡± He said between heavy breaths. The weapons impaling him caused him tremendous pain, especially the broken sword. ¡°Hear what he did? He made this war happen. He¡­he manipulated your dis¡­disciple into war. Their deaths¡­my hands and his.¡±\ Just one moment, one small chance. He was already in the Chaos Sea anyway. If Da Hai starts fighting Hundun now, he could slip through. ¡±I heard,¡± Da Hai said with a grim expression. He proceeded to push his sword in deeper causing Luohu to howl in pain. ¡°You still forced Qinglong¡¯s hand.¡± Luohu¡¯s face turned ugly. Da Hai chuckled at his horrid expression. He let go of both weapons and placed a palm softly on Luohu¡¯s head. The image of Huoyun flashed across his mind. Not the light image that the Heavenly Dao propagated, that one he desparately ignored else he might fly into a rage. The real Huoyun he so cherished even after all these years. He disintegrated Luohu with nary a protest. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ THOOM! Just then, a massive explosion of light emanated from the heart of the Primitive World. The Heavenly Dao dispelled the Four Symbols feeling no need to keep them any longer. The denizens around the world all suddenly felt an enormous presence unlike anything they¡¯d ever witnessed. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± But Da Hai more then anyone recognized this feeling. It was the same feeling as he¡¯d felt when he encountered Shiva and Vishnu. A grand presence that was akin to an omnipotent god. Even Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals felt small. At once, he thought Hundun had done it. It made sense as he merged his Dao that had also reached the primordial blank slate with the Devilish Dao that contained myriad transformations. But Hundun was only standing there without changing. He double checked Hundun, but saw that he was just as shocked as he. Both of them, glanced around but only saw the receding form of the Heavenly Dao. Yet the titanic presence was ever growing, far surpassing anything they¡¯d ever fought before. It was ancient, wise, potent, mighty, and above all else, it was transcendent. From nothing was the state of one. One divides into two becoming the dual extremities. Both shifting into each other becoming three. Three begets all things. Da Hai heard Pangu¡¯s words again, he also felt Pangu again. In the distance, both he and Hundun witnessed the standing of an archaic nearly nude hairy giant wearing nothing but a loincloth. The ancient figure responsible for creating the Primitive World was no longer a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal yet to step on to the supreme ultimate throne, he was now on the throne fully embracing the limitless ultimate. ¡°Master, what am I seeing?¡± Zulong reached Da Hai first. But any thought was his were captured by the extraordinary sight before him. Uncountable mortals were dying, second order celestial lifeforms were torn apart by the Chaos Sea. Even weak third order celestial lifeforms could not withstand the backlash of the Great Wilderness¡¯ collapse and perished throughout the Primitive World. Even admits all this chaos, the Dragon Soveriegn could not take his eyes off of ¡®Pangu¡¯. He felt as if he were going insane. ¡°Dao realm,¡± someone whispered. It was the only logical answer. ¡°Pangu great father god,¡± another proclaimed. All the dragons agreed, their bloodline originating from Pangu¡¯s yang qi. The phoenixes agreed as their bloodline originated from Pangu¡¯s yin qi. All kinds of post natal life forms felt their blood call out to their creator. While many people continued nodding along, the godfiends suddenly shook their heads. ¡°No,¡± Da Hai said. His single eye glared hatefully though the image of Pangu. The giant appeared serene, not sign of its monstrously battle obsessed nature. It may appear like a dirty hairy naked man, but there was a regality to him that just seemed wrong. Wangshu teleported to Da Hai¡¯s side and crossed her arms. She was born from a tree that was born from Pangu¡¯s eye but had witnessed the giant herself in her early days. Even if her bloodline told her it was Pangu, she felt it was wrong. Simultaneously, Hundun and Yang Mei both shook their heads. The phantom pain of the axe striking them was still fresh. But they could both tell that the Pangu before them invoked none of that traumatic memory. ¡°Hongjun,¡± Da Hai said slowly. ¡®Pangu¡¯ smiled, he clasped his hands and bowed. Then that image faded from view leaving a simple purple robed man. He appeared neither big nor small, his presence archaic and new. He was so perfect that no aura was emitted, leaving no distinction between he and a common man. Yet a single micro gesture could send all existence into frenzy. All hail! Dao Ancestor Hongjun. Dao Ancestor Hongjun The glory of the Dao was on full display. Hongjun released a short breath with his head tilted slightly up. A single gesture that seemed to breathe life into the very fabric of reality. The Chaos Sea in his vicinity stilled, it¡¯s endless energy transformations converged into a single state that was not dissimilar to Hongjun¡¯s own. Completely perfect, above all others, harmony with not a spec of imbalance. To even the greatest of Chaos Immortals, Hongjun¡¯s current existence put them all to shame. They were gods lording over all things. Even in the Chaos Sea, figures like Da Hai, Heart Devil, Wangshu, Zulong etc would still reign supreme. But in front of Hongjun, they suddenly all seemed as insignificant as ants. The combination of the enormous proportions of Luohu¡¯s Dao, which resembled all things in post creation, and Hundun¡¯s current Dao which reached a state of the most primordial was the most advanced Dao previously. But the moment Hongjun reappeared in his true body, his eyes flashed with a perfect Dao. He did not posses a Dao fruit as that cannot not define his path any longer. Instead, it was a profound concept from which all things arose and emerged into an ordered existence. To Heart Devil, this was the most perplexing sight possible. He did not know what to say or what to think. Hongjun should be in hiding healing the injuries he¡¯d sustained int eh aftermath of Mt Buzhou¡¯s collapse. He does not have the ability to work on his cultivation, much less breakthrough. In addition, Hundun actually roughly knew how advanced Hongjun¡¯s Dao was. He¡¯d seen him in combat after all and remembered the distinct nature of it. Just from his deduction alone, he could tell it still chased after the Wuji principle. It had yet to reach a state where it could beget all things. Without the ability to transform into any other Dao, Hongjun simply did not have the qualifications to reach the Dao realm. The one with the most qualification to create that majestic throne was actually him, the Ancestral Devil Heart Devil. But to Da Hai, things were far more clearer. While the others stayed in various distressful confusion, Da Hai had a look that was split between enraged and disdain. ¡°So much for cultivating your own Dao,¡± he spoke aloud. Hongjun glanced over with an irritated look. In that instance, even though Hongjun did not act, Da Hai felt every instinct in his body flinch in terror. The half of his face that was still in tact struggled to be still as he knew that any action from Hongjun would be more than capable of annihilating his entire existence. Despite this known fact, Da Hai couldn¡¯t help himself but desire to tear Hongjun apart. Now that one of his targets were gone, his fixation landed on the next. There were countless individuals who were witnessing this scene. All of them were awed by Hongjun¡¯s appearance. While there was the expected fear one would expect from lesser lifeforms meeting a vastly superior one, the vast majority were glad. Demons, avians, and some loose cultivators alike held more positive opinions of Hongjun. Dragons and seafolk on the other hand had decidedly less so. However, memories of Hongjun fighting alongside them against Luohu directly in the initial stages of the war was still fresh. Hongjun was an immortal cultivator staunchly against devils. He¡¯d defended Mt Buzhou and was only forced to retreat after sustaining heavy injuries. Even after Di Jun established the Heavenly Demons, he was still a respected figure in the East Continent as well as the rest of the world. But they also heard Da Hai crystal clear. For people who didn¡¯t immediately chalk it up to jealousy, it got them confused as to what Da Hai meant. Didn¡¯t he also see Hongjun make the breakthrough into Dao realm just now? Granted, they were all less knowledgeable in the Dao then a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal like him. Could he have sensed something they missed? ¡°Has your injuries raddled your brain?¡± Hongjun spoke softly with a raised eyebrow. Each word announced a profound change within the cosmos. Heaven and earth flipped as if they were unable to handle the magnitude of Hongjun speaking. Reality appeared to warp around Da Hai without Hongjun even needing to do anything. As if his words could become truth and cultivate Da Hai into a drooling idiot. ¡°Show some respect!¡± Yaochi called out from within the Zixiao Palace. Hongjun¡¯s only female disciple had an agitated look towards Da Hai. ¡°My master is an honourable majestic Dao Ancestor.¡± ¡°Yaochi that¡¯s enough.¡± Hongjun erased the sound coming from his home thereby shutting Yaochi up. Haotian glanced up and raised a finger to his lips, an action directed at his junior sister. ¡°Me? Were you not the one cultivating Three Corpses? Why do I not see it?¡± Da Hai asked. He chuckled at Hongjun who was beginning to frown. A brief look of shame and unwillingness came about from the elderly purple robed immortal. Above Hongjun¡¯s frowning head, three lights shimmered before rotating. The bodies weren¡¯t clearly perceived, but people understood this as the Three Corpse method. Good, evil, and obsession, ugly things inhabiting the body that must be cleansed to reach the Dao. This concept was apparent whenever Hongjun would display his Dao. Da Hai shook his head. ¡°Authentic it may seem, but that¡¯s something else transforming into it. That throne isn¡¯t yours. It¡¯s Pangu¡¯s.¡± Hongjun nodded and allowed the Three Corpses above him to change into a primordial abyss. Such effortlessness in changing from one all encompassing concept to another suddenly registered in those observing¡¯s minds. Hongjun was a Dao realm omnipotent being, his Dao was capable of begetting all things. Of course it was capable of becoming any other Dao. ¡°I had little choice. Decisive victory of this tribulation forced my hand,¡± Hongjun explained. ¡°Your plans have thus far proven lacklustre. That they succeeded was chance. We still needed a sure fire way.¡± Hongjun spoke as if he made a terrible sacrifice. It made Zulong, who floated beside Da Hai growl in anger. Who was Hongjun, who¡¯d hid for thirty thousand years to speak in such a manner? ¡°You abandoned your Dao again,¡± Da Hai said chuckling slowly. ¡°Oh great Hongjun who then decided to steal Pangu¡¯s life¡¯s work. And you let it happen?¡± ¡®You,¡¯ was directed straight at the Heavenly Dao. As the consciousness of the Primitive World, it stands to reason that the will of heaven had access to the Dao Pangu left behind. Da Hai had first hand experience with Pangu, he knew roughly what kind of Dao it was. Unlike him, Wangshu, Yang Mei, or Heart Devil, Pangu was not simply a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. Nor was he a Quasi-Dao realm being with half a foot into the Dao realm. Pangu¡¯s Dao had already reached the Dao realm level. He could¡¯ve sat atop the throne and transformed into a higher existence at any time. He¡¯d only perished because he deigned not to ever make that breakthrough. But as an omnipotent concept, his Dao remained unchanged even after it¡¯s creator¡¯s demise. It was the limitless ultimate that was contained within he Primitive World¡¯s core. Now Hongjun sat atop it instead. The Pangu Dao Ancestor¡¯s position, was instead occupied by Hongjun. Pangu¡¯s final breakthrough, was instead done by Hongjun. Pangu¡¯s Dao had effectively been adopted by Hongjun allowing the latter to take Pangu¡¯s place as its master. Da Hai felt whatever tiny hope he had in the Heavenly Dao¡¯s character plummet to nonexistence. At the same time, he side eyed Haotian who sat under Hongjun¡¯s protection. ¡®Did he know? Would Hongjun trust him enough to tell him? Why didn¡¯t he notify me?¡¯ ¡°Pangu¡¯s Dao? You can do that? Usurp a Dao realm level Dao?¡± Yang Mei uttered with no small amounts of awe. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t anyone do it?¡± Da Hai snorted. ¡°Think about it. At that point a Dao fruit becomes akin to a position, a throne one can sit on. Doing so transform one¡¯s existence, elevating them to the Dao realm.¡± ¡°If that final realm is akin to a position you create through the Dao, then anyone could sit on it. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Wangshu asked. It was a depressing thought to her. Hongjun neither confirmed nor denied it. But Da Hai merely pointed to Heart Devil as his confirmation. Wangshu thought about it herself and thought it made sense. After all, Heart Devil usurped Luohu¡¯s position in his final moments. Luohu¡¯s Dao was taken and absorbed Heart Devil¡¯s. Then Heart Devil sat comfortably on Luohu¡¯s position. This notion of taking other¡¯s Dao for their own benefit has happened before when Pangu arrested all the Chaos Godfiend¡¯s Dao fruits. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°But this is ascending to the Dao realm in someone else¡¯s place!¡± Yang Mei exclaimed with a frenzied look. Looking at Hongjun, despite the awe he also couldn¡¯t help but feel disdain. Of all things, why did he use Pangu¡¯s Dao instead of improving his own? Even Heart Devil¡¯s actions was to combine his Dao with Luohu. What Hongjun has done was essentially discard the Dao he¡¯d created and worked on since the Primitive World¡¯s inception to instead use the Dao Pangu left behind. It was cheating of the highest order and morally against what the vast majority of godfiends believed. ¡°Fellow brothers of the daoist path,¡± Hongjun suddenly said with a sharp look. ¡°It seems the our destiny with the primitive world has come to an end. ¡°The damages caused by this accursed war was too much to bear. The poisonous gas of karmic sin sees no separation between justice and evil, just the ones who caused harm. We are all bathed in it after so many years of senseless destruction. Da Hai bit back a noise of confusion. Zulong tilted his head, not understanding what Hongjun was getting at. Devil Heart, Yang Mei, Wangshu etc were more or less the same. This was the case as well for every being who¡¯d actualized their own Dao. ¡°Heaven is fair and just, the Primitive World of Pangu¡¯s making can no longer tolerate such sinners.¡± Behind Hongjun, the brilliant light of the Heavenly Dao manifested in the form of ominous clouds and thunderous cries. The Dao Ancestor cast his gaze sending chills down every individual¡¯s spines. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Zulong called out. ¡°We fought and bled for this world¡¯s, our home¡¯s existence. You dare sully our sacrifice?¡± His form grew larger than his normal true form. His antler like horns appeared sharper as bloodlust rose from his body. As the ruler of all sea life, how could Zulong not feel insulted by Hongjun¡¯s words just now? Was the Heavenly Dao just going to let it happen. He could sense his avian counterpart briefly from somewhere in the Primitive World¡¯s void and knew she felt the same. ¡°Valiant sacrifices of countless dragons, phoenixes, demons, and divinities cannot be denied. But karmic sin clung to all who¡¯d wantonly destroyed, chief of all the dragons and phoenixes who¡¯d initiated conflict,¡± Hongjun sent a cool gaze towards Da Hai¡¯s faction. ¡°Bullshit,¡± Zulong snarled. But Da Hai did a quick scan through the Primitive World and felt an even greater rage. The Dao realm¡¯s power was truly magnificent yet dreadful. Every word of Hongjun¡¯s had an effect. It wasn¡¯t aimed at any specific individual, nor did it change anyone¡¯s memories. From the looks of things, Da Hai could see that no one outside of those with high cultivation had even heard him. It was instead changing how the world remembered these past thirty thousand years. This would result in the case where if one tries to divine the past, they¡¯d find what Hongjun wants them to see. ¡°You think you can rewrite history just like that?¡± Da Hai spat. ¡°This tribulation brought about the end of an era, it is the shifting of eras,¡± Hongjun aid undeterred. ¡°In accordance to the will of heaven, the age of the Primitive World is over. I have become one with the will of heaven, ascended to the exalted position of sanctification. ¡°I exist as the spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao and I declare the end of the Dragon-Phoenix-Devil tribulation. From this moment on, the most primitive era is OVER!¡± Hongjun took a long sigh before giving all the dragons a solemn look. ¡°But¡­for the crimes against the Primitive World, the Heavenly Dao cannot allow the beast sovereigns to continue into the new age.¡± ¡®There it is.¡¯ Though Da Hai could see what Hongjun was getting at, he was powerless to stop him at this moment. If he wanted to kill his disciple though? Da Hai would give his all to give him a chance to escape. Any lesser man like Liu Er would¡¯ve long since ran calling everyone stupid. But Da Hai loved Zulong too much to dare to such a thing. ¡°But, I am not without mercy,¡± Hongjun said much to Da Hai¡¯s shock. ¡°Though heaven has been displeased with the performance of the sovereigns and thus wishes them gone. I am not heaven¡¯s meatsuit. I am gracious enough to allow your continued existence so long as you behave. After all, it has become clear that the two empire¡¯s existence suppresses and threatens the safety or living beings.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± numerous dragons and phoenixes all simultaneously contorted into ugly expressions. Though he worded it flatteringly, Hongjun wanted to defang them, force them to go into hiding and never interfere with the world again as the Heavenly Dao¡¯s punishment for damaging the world in their war. All under the guise of mercy. Were Hongjun not a Dao realm being, he would¡¯ve been swarmed no matter his cultivation. The more ballsy dragons and phoenixes voiced their objections immediately. Cries of rage and insults were thrown Hongjun¡¯s way. The older the dragon or phoenix, the more indignant they found themselves. Even Zulong wanted to say something but Da Hai grabbed him by the back of his neck. The sea god had sensed something bad the moment Hongjun flipped a palm. Zulong reeled back but did not question Da Hai. SPLAT! The heads of dozens of dissenting dragons exploded. No matter if they were Chaos Immortals, they died immediately when Hongjun clicked his fingers. ¡®Ao Sufu, Ao Liguan, Ao Yanyuan¡­¡¯ Zulong listed the elders who¡¯d perished in his mind. They were all at least Great Principle experts, but were killed easier than a mortal slaughtering chickens. Such was the difference between omnipotent beings and they. ¡°Limitless Supreme, one realm but I¡¯m not even close to Dao,¡± Yang Mei spoke softly as he watched. From Hongjun¡¯s gaze, all of them amounted to little more than flies buzzing about. ¡°Undisciplined children, don¡¯t they know not to interrupt?¡± Hongjun sighed like a dissapointed parent. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank for now, I have nothing but respect and gratitude for you dragons and phoenixes for your actions this past war. I have no desire to harm you and frankly, I have no need to,¡± Hongjun spoke in what Da Hai could only identify as absolute confidence. The justified arrogance of a vastly superior lifeform. ¡°In truth, the Heavenly Dao have grown sick of you all for taking so long to rid this world of Luohu. On this matter, I don¡¯t entirely agree. But as I owe it as you¡¯ve already guessed. Bow your heads and live in peace. I don¡¯t really care anymore.¡± Seeing how whimsical Hongjun suddenly turned, Da Hai felt sick to his stomach. A single breakthrough changed his dynamic with his contemporaries entirely. ¡°Unacceptable,¡± Zulong muttered. ¡°Absolute unacceptable. You want me, you want my people, you want us all to abandon our rightful place in this world and disappear from sight?¡± ¡°The Heavenly Dao don¡¯t really mind some youngster traveling about. But you all, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve all grown a little too big to play around? Today has marked a glorious event, I have no desire to sully it further with needless bloodshed. As long as your people all retreat and live in accordance to the will of heaven, I don¡¯t care what you all do.¡± ¡°You want us to disappear?¡± Wangshu¡¯s face turned ugly. ¡°The universe has no need for Limitless Supreme existences,¡± Hongjun said cryptically. ¡°You, Yang Mei, Da Hai, you are all too big. You¡¯re all far more fitting for the Chaos Sea don¡¯t you think?¡± A feminine sigh was suddenly heard from the void within the Primitive World. A tacit agreement from Zufeng was met with disbelief from the dragons, but a strained understanding from the phoenixes and stronger avian cultivators. Hongjun nodded at Zufeng¡¯s actions. From this day onward, the phoenixes as an empire was effectively dissolved. Even if it continues in some version under Zufeng, she¡¯ll find herself hard pressed to reenter the geopolitical scene of the Primitive World under the Heavenly Dao¡¯s gaze. The Dao Acnestor swept his gaze towards Zulong. ¡°It is a good deal no? As I have explained, I have no reason nor value nor desire to exterminate your kind. I am not Luohu.¡± His gaze pierced towards Da Hai with the same expecting look he gave Zulong. ¡°Da Hai, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to put old grudges to rest? I offer this mercy as thanks for dealing with Luohu. But I don¡¯t mind destroying you if you choose this self destructive path¡­¡± ¡°Is this your pathetic attempt to make yourself the merciful kind good guy? Don¡¯t make me laugh you old thief,¡± Da Hai snapped before the older cultivator finished. Da Hai already knew his decision in his heart. ¡°It¡¯s your choice,¡± he told Zulong. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°I¡­I cannot give up, will not allow myself to. But I will not drag you into it my son. For the sake of your empire, your people, your wife and son. Don¡¯t follow me into oblivion,¡± Da Hai said. ¡°Today¡¯s consequences are creations of my own. In this war, I focused so much on Luohu that I neglected what Hongjun was doing. I never could¡¯ve imagined, had no chance to react. So this was his plan all¡­¡± ¡°Backup,¡± Hongjun corrected him. ¡°Always have backups. I did not want this ending either.¡± Yet from the air around their vicinity, it was clear no one outside of Da Hai and his group could even hear him. Despite his awe inspiring performance just now, there were undertones of embarrassment in Hongjun. Despite all the power, the prideful elderly godfiend could never shake off the reality that he did not obtain that height through his own Dao. The dream of the three corpses path transcending to encompass all things was nothing more than a dream. Da Hai measured the old man and felt he truly didn¡¯t know the guy. For years, his impression on him had always been based upon blind hatred. Everything amounted to little more than assumptions. ¡®It¡¯s ironic,¡¯ Da Hai concluded. Not too long ago he saw the death of a transmigrator who saw the world through nothing but assumptions and never attempted to learn anything because he ¡®already knew better¡¯. But wasn¡¯t Da Hai somewhat the same in this regard? Assumptions truly were a dangerous thing. ¡°Zulong¡­¡± ¡°Speak no further master,¡± Da Hai¡¯s eldest disciple said. ¡°I can not tolerate living in this world without you. Nor can I tolerate living in the same world as your foe.¡± The dragon however called out to clarify. ¡°But my decision is not the Primordial Celestial Dragon¡¯s. I am sovereign of the sea and all scaled creatures, not just dragons. Yinglong is the true head of the dragons.¡± ¡°Your majesty.¡± Numerous dragons, old and young, ascended or pure blood alike looked unsure by his words. ¡°Husband/Brother,¡± Yinglong and Gui Daoyi said at the same time. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I refuse to live in the same world as this Dao Ancestor,¡± Zulong said. ¡°If my master or I are forced to live like dogs to heaven, never welcomed to the world again, then I¡¯d rather leave for the Chaos Sea.¡± ¡°Exile then? Futile.¡± Hongjun could respect that loyalty. At first he thought the dragon wanted to fight him, a hilariously stupid decision. But it seemed he wanted self exile instead of living in heaven¡¯s restriction. If the dragon wanted to live the life of a wanderer then so be it, he couldn¡¯t affect him anymore either. A half dead phoenix watching from the void shook her head. ¡°Is it pride or loyalty?¡± ¡°Wife, my sons. What say you all? I will not force you to come with me or not, your holdings are all within the Primitive World¡¯s seas. I will not ask any dragon to give up their homes to join me in exile. But know that I will never return to a universe where Hongjun exists.¡± Zulong¡¯s decision was not born solely from the adversarial relationship between Da Hai and Hongjun. It was a combination of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s desire to defang his people, strip him of his position, and remove the dragons from Wordly events. Zulong just couldn¡¯t stomach the two in conjunction. It was something surmised by most dragons as they too felt anger at heaven¡¯s ¡®punishment¡¯. But many were also reluctant to abandon their homes. Nothing was truly known about the Chaos Sea other than its dangers and the fact that no one below Golden Immortal could survive there. In spite of that, thousands upon thousands of dragons suddenly flew into the Chaos Sea. Third order celestial lifeforms who could survive in its environments dragged those who couldn¡¯t into reinforced pocket dimensions and joined their sovereign with a decision made. Hongjun observed this and couldn¡¯t help but be amused by their silly protest. Zulong met a resting Yinglong¡¯s eyes and sent a message to him. ¡°Brother, you should stay and look after my clan. I already know many will not follow me.¡± Then he turned to his wife and told her the same thing. That she should continue to lead as empress of the seas and not follow him into uncertainty. However, Gui Daoyi shook her head. ¡°Do you think that less of me?¡± She said as she teleported to his side. ¡°Father¡­¡± the nine sons of Zulong all appeared reluctant. They¡¯d only known the Primitive World their entire lives. After fighting for that place for so long, the idea to abandon it was a difficult one. ¡°Ah screw this,¡± Suanni spat. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest of you but I didn¡¯t fight a war to see repayment in exile and territory lost. Father, please forgive this unfilial son. I do not wish to leave the Primitive World.¡± Zulong shook his head. ¡°What unfilial? You¡¯re all adults with your on decisions. Protecting my people and safeguarding their homes is a righteous act. Filial piety runs both ways, I am the unworthy one.¡± Before long, Chao Feng, Qiu Niu, and Denglong were the only ones who joined by Zulong¡¯s side. The rest of his children opted to stay in the Primitive World. The Heavenly Dao¡¯s presence grew heavier. Though it was not in anger, but one of delight. Hongjun received a message and nodded before speaking. ¡°The Dragon Sovereign was unworthy, but the nine spawns are beings with the potential to propagate new species for the animal path. The sins of the dragons may not affect them.¡± ¡®Bastard,¡¯ the princes all scolded in their heads. Of course the Heavenly Dao would want to parade their exalted bloodline as another auspicious beast to its collection. Look at the qilin, already dogs of heaven. For his part, Qi An did not speak up acting only as a bodyguard of sorts to heaven. ¡°In the end he was the biggest winner,¡± Heart Devil contemplated. He was extremely terrified as to what may happen and didn¡¯t dare make any sudden moves. ¡°Let¡¯s go master,¡± Zulong said. ¡°Auntmaster Wangshu, we should all leave this place.¡± ¡°Hai, at least what I came here for is achieved,¡± Yang Mei said. ¡°Fellow daoist, this is a fine ending as any. Thank you for your mercy Dao Ancestor.¡± He cupped his hands and bowed towards Hongjun. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I have never been a needlessly cruel person. I have already achieved everything I wanted,¡± Hongjun replied. Whatever karma Yang Mei thought they¡¯d had, it was irrelevant to a Hongjun who could do whatever he wanted. Hongjun waved his hand and immediately forced the Solar and Lunar Stars to retreat into the recesses of the Primitive World. Wangshu felt her connection to her birth place drift apart but could only watch helplessly. The difference one realm made was the difference between omnipotence and everyone else. She knew she was free to reenter, but would be little more than a background observer. Not exactly a bad life for her. She stepped forward despite Da Hai gazing at her back. ¡°Oh?¡± Hongjun tilted his head. ¡°I had thought those of your stature would be too arrogant.¡± ¡°I never cared much for cultivation to begin with. I only want what¡¯s mine to stay as such. And¡­¡± she turned towards Da Hai. ¡°The mission you¡¯ve embarked on so long ago has ended. Living peacefully from now on isn¡¯t so bad.¡± Luohu was already dead. Hongjun ascended beyond their reach. Wangshu calculated the risks and thought it not worth it anymore. ¡°Auntmaster,¡± Zulong nodded in understanding. Da Hai likewise did not begrudge her. From a purely logical standpoint she was absolutely right. ¡°I wish you well my friend.¡± ¡®But unfortunately my emotions are too great for me to make that choice.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go master, we¡¯ll something out,¡± Zulong advised. His body shrunk back to man shape as did all the dragons who¡¯d followed with him. But Da Hai didn¡¯t move to accompany him. He remained standing in front of Hongjun with his single arm relaxed by his side. What he said next shocked everyone bar a few. ¡°You go on ahead, I¡¯ve some business to settle.¡± The End of Da Hai? ¡°So be it then.¡± Hongjun said with no small hints of pity. As the old man looked upon Da Hai¡¯s advancing form, he couldn¡¯t help but see him as a cautionary tale of the dangers attachment. At the end of the day, too much emotions getting in the way. Hongjun¡¯s closed closed for a brief second in the real world. But in his mind, countless years went by as he recounted every moment he¡¯d ever known Da Hai. For an ancient being like him, any and all things, even those that caused him harm brought him a sense of nostalgia. His entire cultivation journey throughout the Primitive World. All the actions he took, those that became fruitful and those that turned out pointless. Even though he had a goal and a plan to reach that goal, these were all things subject to change. In retrospect Hongjun was never some kind of ultimate schemer. And neither was Da Hai. He was even worst in that regard. Now that he¡¯d reached the ultimate realm, he saw through all of Da Hai at a single glance. All the pain he buried yet carried for so long, the single minded pursuit of hate, the love he¡¯d grown despite it all. It seemed so tragic to the purple robed immortal. At his state, he no longer felt any strong desires anymore. Despite the humiliating method it took to get there, once he¡¯d made the breakthrough, everything before had seemed so childish. Even Da Hai who had been close to his power for the longest time, perhaps even stronger appeared little more than a child throwing a tantrum over small matters. He opened his eyes sadly. In his view as he was now, Da Hai had truly been a talented individual. Every cultivator who belonged to the third order of celestial beings, that was to say those above Golden Immortality, had to rely on themselves. They could not afford to listen too deeply on others lest their Dao paths diverge from originality. Look no further than the trap that was the Devilish Dao, so many people who inadvertently trudged along the same pathway. By doing so they lost the ability to advance after a certain point. People like Da Hai, like the Chaos Godfiends, like the elders of all living beings were all talented people who found their own way way and ascended to a higher state of being. But those who reached their peak, then broke that peak to walk the truly boundless path was nigh unheard of. In the history of the godfiends, who had done so before Da Hai? The great ancestor Tai Chu was the only one in recorded history to have done so. Even if Hongjun discovered the path forward, and invented the three corpse method to help himself reach it. Da Hai was the one who got there first. With all that considered, when he opened his eyes Da Hai¡¯s situation was truly disheartening. ¡°What is this?¡± Da Hai spat while his pupils constricted. Hongjun was the Dao and the Dao was Hongjun, it was painfully easy to see how the old man was feeling considering the conceptual changes around the Chaos Sea. Da Hao felt his anger boil at being shown such pity. ¡°Master¡± Zulong called out with a slow and pleading voice. The dragon knew it was over the moment Hongjun ascended. Gui Daiyu placed a hand on his body with a bitter look at the situation. ¡°Husband, it¡¯s a miracle we even got this chance¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll at least watch,¡± the former sovereign of the Primitive World¡¯s seas said. ¡°He is my mentor, my father.¡± All the dragons who floated in the Chaos Sea felt bitter at the situation. It was split weather they understood why Da Hai decided to foolishly stand his ground instead of turning away. But when Gui Daiyu waved her hand, they knew it was time to leave. Within the Primitive World, despite the collapsing of countless landmasses and the deaths of countless living beings who could not resist the void or the backlash from the Great Wilderness breaking apart. The innate gods of the third generation and other mighty experts watched the ensuing confrontation with mixed feelings. This was not exactly the hopeful conclusion to the war they¡¯d just fought. The innate gods who¡¯d worked on the Netherworld project in particular did not know how to react. Within the void, as Nuwa uncoiled to reveal the primal humans under her protection. The congenital goddess¡¯s celestial eyes zeroed in on Da Hai, struggling due to the intense phenomena that was Hongjun¡¯s Dao. ¡°Mother Nuwa, what is happening?¡± Suiren said taking her gaze away. Her creations, humanity made to complete the Reincarnation Disc. The blood god Minghe sat pale as snow in the ruined Netherworld. He felt profound respect despite a hidden hate for the sea god. To truly fight to the death as was only fair in bloodshed. From the very beginning Minghe, who¡¯d known of his own unkillability since brith, cannot truly claim to have thought of such no matter how much the thrill of battling and drawing blood enthralled him. Yuanshi out of the three pieces of Pangu¡¯s Nascent Soul on the other hand was deeply confused by the sudden shifting of events. Why? Why were Hongjun and the alliance designed to take down the devils suddenly at odds? Why was the Heavenly Dao supporting him over them? Yuanshi felt a deep connection to the cause despite his initial arrogance due to being so integral in the conflict. What could this mean for them who while not part of the dragons and phoenix factions, were integrated into their relationship. He glanced at his newly returned brother Taishang the Grand Pure One questioningly. Perplexingly, Taishang was completely at ease despite his weakened state. He returned Yuanshi¡¯s gaze with an assuring gesture. ¡°Do not worry, master has no other intentions,¡± he said. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think he do.¡± ¡°Master? When did you have time to take a teacher?¡± Tongtian suddenly spat. Her grip on the Qingping Sword was enough to make her knuckles white. ¡°From the beginning,¡± Taishang casually said. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was sitting idly as a gas cloud did you?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°You never told us.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I?¡± As Hongjun¡¯s presence expanded again in the face of an approaching Da Hai, Taishang hummed a strange sound. ¡®I guess those memories ring true? Then is he¡­¡¯ he glanced quickly at Yuanshi without him noticing. ¡®Another time, another.¡¯ Within the Chaos Sea, Da Hai walked into Hongjun¡¯s boundaries. His face filled with the intense emotion living beings associated with HATE. His form flickered between that of his regular form and the appearance of a majestic sea serpent. One that was supposed to appear mighty and mysterious. An unreachable yet visible being who wielded true power. Da Hai had lived for countless years by this point. His scales gleamed with the colour of the East Sea. His fangs sharper then the greatest of immortal swords. Profoundly boundless concepts emanated from him showcasing that even in this state, he could annihilate ordinary Chaos Immortals with but a glance. Yet he appeared wrong, wounded, tiny next everything that was Hongjun. As Da Hai walked forwards, he was like one simple man walking against the barrage of a sandstorm. To the unobservant, he was barely even visible. ¡°For Huoyun, for Huoyun¡± Da Hai muttered. His true form was clearly seen despite maintaining his Dao body. His lack of all of his heads on full display as a tangible shadow for all to see. But he cared nothing for his disheveled state, none of the pride and immortal of his stature naturally had. Da Hai hardly came out of his fight with Luohu unscathed. The light shadow of his true form showed only five heads. Three stumps littered one side of his body, hanging loosely as if they were completely dead. It was hard to watch for Zulong or anyone who were close with Da Hai. ¡°Patriarch,¡± a dragon said uneasily to Yinglong who rested in a body of water floating in the void. ¡°Gather all the seawater towards me, no use standing idly by,¡± the winged dragon commanded. Yet his eyes never left his master¡¯s advancing form. ¡®Why? Just why must you choose this? ¡°Huoyun, I¡¯m so close,¡± Da Hai muttered. He clasped his hand and roared through the cloud of myriad concepts projecting from Hongjun¡¯s form. His Dao fruit spun as fast as it could, turning away the encroaching influence of Hongjun. This was far from the likes of Liu Er. That monkey¡¯s Dao would¡¯ve been nothing compared to Hongjun. Should Da Hai¡¯s mind even ponder of the monkey, he¡¯d find it hilarious the that transmigrator ever thought he had a chance. ¡°How sad, how sad,¡± Hongjun merely shook his head. ¡°Observe dear disciples. This is what obsession does to a cultivator¡¯s path. Talented he may be, such things is inevitably the end of one¡¯s journey towards the Dao.¡± The disciple being addressed, Haotian did try to meet Da Hai¡¯s eyes but the latter did not notice. Haotian appeared passive, not revealing what he was feeling. There was no hint of sadness, regret, nor satisfaction at what was happening. Even the connection hidden beneath layers of the Distant Seas Dao was devoid of feelings. ¡°That so,¡± he softly uttered. Da Hai¡¯s roar was combined with all five of his remaining heads screaming to high heavens. The Chaos Sea twisted and turned at his command, yet his own influence was minuscule compared to a genuine Dao Ancestor like Hongjun. The enormous Chaos World of Pangu¡¯s making seemed to bask in his suffering, specifically it¡¯s living will the Heavenly Dao. Compared to its pre war counterpart, the Heavenly Dao was drastically different. Despite playing the role of audience, it alone had power to exceed Da Hai after it¡¯s latest transformation. Too many life¡¯s had been lost, all mighty individuals perished during the war. Their corpses, their cultivation transforming into nutrients for the universe¡¯s growth. Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao were partially one as well. In a way, the Heavenly Dao itself had the power of the Dao realm as a result of the tribulation. In a way, it and it alone was the greatest winner out of all involved. This same being sent messages after messages towards it¡¯s spokesperson. ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯ll draw it out.¡± Hongjun straightened his back and sung a hymn of profound concepts. All stemming from the inferring of Pangu filtered through his cultivation of Pangu¡¯s Dao fruit. ¡®Hai, this petulant child. Does it know how hard it is to hold back all this power?¡¯ Despite himself, Hongjun¡¯s hand shook uncontrollably. One of Da Hai¡¯s hands grabbed his head as a wave of nausea assaulted him. He dealt felt as if his entire being was laid bare and torn apart. His very identity being destroyed on such a level that he¡¯d be erased from existence. His hand reached forwards and the blooming form of the 12 Petals White Lotus appeared in his hand. Yet instantly, it¡¯s white petals were blown back, making the lotus a convex shape in Da Hai¡¯s palm. The sea god gritted his teeth, the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword appeared once again in his hand. The light of the lotus merged into the cracked blade as Da Hai stabbed it into the Chaos Sea to prevent his body from loosing its footing. ¡°Da Hai,¡± Wangshu whispered with concern. ¡°Hongjun, today either you die or I will!¡± Da Hai challenged the first Dao Ancestor to be born in his living memory. In the middle of the wave of power surrounding him, this Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal raised his sword into the sky. His body became shrouded in water. A giant half man, half sea serpent appeared holding the sword with both hands. He stood in the middle of a vast sea of Dao like a lone man trying to fight a hurricane. No, it was even more ridiculous then that. All the immortals watching could see it, they could all see the end result. Yet they could not look away. ¡°RRRAAAAGGGHHH!¡± Da Hau swung down with everything he had left in his own body. He felt nothing but hate for the man he held responsible for causing him so much grief for hundreds of thousands of years. He desired nothing but to fully avenge the life of a brother who meant so much to him. His sword swing amazingly enough cleaved through the sea of Dao, reaching for the purple robed Hongjun. To the eyes of the beholder, it was a magnificent display of insight into the Dao. A beautiful attack from a mighty immortal cultivator. ¡°Such resilience,¡± Hongjun nodded with approval while the Heavenly Dao scoffed in disdain. Hongjun raised a single finger and waved it sideways. In simple, quick, and very much insignificant motion a small cone of fire manifested in front of Da Hai¡¯s attack. A quick manifestation that brushed against Da Hai¡¯s offence. It was like a quick breeze. The world became silenced in that same instance. The Chaos Sea became orderly and no phenomena changes occurred in its depths. Da Hai stood still breathing heavily observing at his handy work. Hongjun returned his uninjured hand to his back. ¡°Good effort,¡± he praised in what sounded to Da Hai like mockery. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake.¡± Da Hai raised his head to the edge of his blade. It¡¯s tip that had already cracked from his battle against Luohu was already disintegrated. In his hands was no longer a top grade xianxia spiritual treasure, just a hunk of spiritual metal. His body on the surface appeared fine, but the light shadow around him displayed his true condition. A long scaled limp body. Seven motionless stumps attached to a body with multiple patches of scales torn clean off. Holes in the flesh revealing bone and muscle underneath. Rotting patches of skin around a single remaining head. It¡¯s hissing was barely audible. ¡°Master,¡± Zulong and Yinglong alike gritted their teeth. They barely held themselves back until Da Hai¡¯s last remaining gaze landed on them. ¡®Don¡¯t.¡¯ Nuwa and Yuanshi who¡¯d both worked with Da Hai felt the urge to say something to plead for Da Hai. But neither could find the voice to do so. A single small butterfly stood along the handle of the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword. Its shape slumped in tiredness. The 12 Petals White Lotus hung loosely by its stem along the hilt, seemingly devoid of vitality. ¡°That attack,¡± Hongjun began as he started walking forward. ¡°It was barely ten percent of what you managed against Luohu just now. For a man who self immolated, it was impressive what you pulled off despite the state of your being.¡± He stopped right in front of Da Hai. A hand was raised, poised to slap Da Hai¡¯s brains out. Quickly, Da Hai dashed a distance away from the slow raise. The sea god¡¯s injured form crouched admits the Chaos Sea with a look of unwillingness. As he straightened his form out, his unwilling did not change. He seemed to think briefly. Hongjun shook his head and approached again. But Da Hai reached into his sleeve and pulled out a lustrous orb. ¡°Here.¡± He tossed it. It never reached Hongjun as it was never meant for him. Instead, a surprised Wangshu caught the orb before it impacted her chest. She instantly understood as she saw the orb and nodded in agreement. ¡°Wise, she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer your fate,¡± Hongjun said. ¡°I am curious where she¡¯d go. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill her. I don¡¯t think heaven even minds her continued existence.¡± Her, was not referring to Wangshu. Da Hai scoffed at Hongjun¡¯s words. The ruined sword in his hand was slowly let go as he drew a new weapon while grabbing hold of the lotus. The butterfly on the handle glanced one last time at Da Hai and made a salute with its small limbs. ¡°The Xuanyuan Water Control Flag? What makes you think that¡¯ll perform any better?¡± Hongjun asked. ¡°As it once belonged to Pangu, I will try not to harm it. It too is an existence of great destiny.¡± The Heavenly Dao hummed in approval. Da Hai only raised the flag like a polearm. It¡¯s banner coiled itself into a makeshift spear edge while Pellucid Divine water sharped into a dragon wrapped around its shaft. ¡°Dimensional displacing liquid. Curious yet effective before my current realm. Now useless.¡± Hongjun glanced over and easily reached Da Hai across all dimensions no matter how he tried to shift away. His Dao that tried to make him unreachable couldn¡¯t function properly and Hongjun could easily touch him. ¡°Talking was all you do wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Without words, we¡¯re nothing more then uncivilized barbarians.¡± Da Hai, all five of his remaining snake roared in unison. ¡°Fuck you and your words Hongjun!¡± In a motion similar to a monkey king of the far flung future, Da Hai raised the flag pole with both hands and swung down at Hongjun¡¯s head. Wangshu chose that moment to look away. Many of those who¡¯d respected him did the same. Zulong felt a cry wallowing up within him. In response, a index finger raised in pity touched Da Hai¡¯s forehead. Hongjun met Da Hai¡¯s furious one with that was akin to a seasoned teacher watching a promising youngster destroy himself with devastating lifestyle choices. A single motion before a burst of radiant light. ¡°MASTER!¡± Zulong cried. And Da Hai was gone. An End to the Old Unbelievable. It was an unbelievable sight. As simple as the gentle breeze blowing during the onset of spring. Da Hai was completely eviscerated. No trace of him, down to from the most minute of particles that had once made up his existence. In an instant, the Chaos Sea was drawn into Silence. There as an expectation of one to hear remnant sounds. Since Da Hai was an immortal born from the sea and cultivated a Dao that originated from water, one would expect the hear crashing waves. These were the last echoes of his existence. But there was nothing. Just empty silence. No grand spectacle when Hongjun made his move. Just a dimple, ¡°blink and you¡¯d miss it,¡± moment when the short burst of light occurred. It was so simple, so easy that the mighty beings who¡¯d fought an entire war to kill a single Chaos Immortal in Luohu couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. There was power. Then there was Power. Then there was POWER! No, it couldn¡¯t even be defined like that anymore. It was utterly ludicrous how immense the difference was. From the eyes of any Chaos Immortal who watched this particular confrontation, it looked as if crushing Da Hai was easier then a human would accidentally crush an inspect. ¡°Unreal.¡± ¡°This is, beyond the Chaos Immortal realm?¡± The living beings of the Primitive World had long gotten used to Chaos Immortals being the summit. Great Principle Chaos Immorals were mighty figures, Primal Origin Chaos Immortals were towering rulers, Zenith Heaven Chaos Immortals were untouchable absolute existences. Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals were nigh unheard of until the tribulation. But fundamentally, they were all Chaos Immortals. These experts watching, the third generation of innate gods, rogue experts who¡¯d cultivated to the summit, dragon elders, avian elders, demons and divinities higher ups. All of them understood somewhat that Hongjun existence had transcended theirs. Yet they never could¡¯ve imagined that the gap would be so big. Zulong was silent the whole time. His gigantic eyes resembled discs with how wide they stretched. His whiskers flickered in the wild wind of the Chaos Sea as he watched where his master once was. Wangshu, who visibly gasped at how quickly Da Hai had fallen was in a similar state. But unlike the dragon, she recovered quicker and tucked the orb she had received into a many times folded pocket dimension. She turned her eyes to Hongjun but couldn¡¯t release her breath. He may¡¯ve not been looking her way, but she could sense that he probably knew exactly what she was doing even if she hid the act. In fact, even the many layers she¡¯d just added to her pocket dimension could be unraveled by him flicking his eyelids. In the air, the damaged form of the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag floated pitifully. A xianxia spiritual treasure beaten to a near breaking state. It¡¯s bond to the master who¡¯d refined it were furiously destroyed before anyone could blink. Though as if magnetically attracted, it made for Hongjun¡¯s still outstretched hand. Hongjun saw this and turned his hand up into a palm, accepting the treasure into his grasp. As sudden as this occurred, the flag disappeared out of sight, no doubt into whatever place Hongjun would store his belongings. With that accomplished, everyone waited with breath as to what he¡¯d do next. However, the old man only retracted his hand to clasp it behind his back like a seasoned respectable gentleman. She could not tell what he was thinking after finishing off Da Hai. But as for Zulong? His own gaze rose to a floating object. The handle attached to the lower half of the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword with the 12 Petals White Lotus. The butterfly standing on the sword turned its body around and faced the dragon with an unreadable look. Zulong had no words to offer the treasure spirit as he too was coming to terms with Da Hai¡¯s quick demise. ¡°¡­¡± Zulong¡¯s claw grabbed hold of the sword¡¯s handle. Not long ago, it was a magnificent work of craftsmanship and a deadly weapon. But now its just seemed like a decayed relic found in some archaeological dig site. ¡°Ahem¡­well,¡± Hongjun coughed. ¡°Quite a shame, a shame indeed. Let this be a warning to all juniors who shall embark on the road of cultivation. It is a cruel path and one must also be cruel to oneself. Lest one be caught up in useless karmic ties, thereby leading to unnecessary thoughts and emotions that lead to inevitably pointless confrontations.¡± He turned to look at his dear disciple Haotian who had a look of perplexity. Haotian¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t focused on him, but where Da Hai used to be. Hongjun didn¡¯t need to use his powers to know his awe at how easily he destroyed a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. Then Haotian¡¯s attention turned to Hongjun. However, his line of sight trailed slightly off as his attention was caught by something. Hongjun quickly realized what as he hurriedly moved his hands to a fold in front of his chest. He underestimated Haotian¡¯s observational ability. The hand that had destroyed Da Hai, the one that had unleashed his powers just now. That hand was trembling. His lips turned to a slight frown at that realization. He¡¯d have to think of something later on else he might lose some respect from his disciple. But it was Haotian, hence Hongjun didn¡¯t think the lad would think lesser of him. ¡°Haotian?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ah yes.¡± The white robed cultivator did not meet Hongjun¡¯s eyes nor respond in full. ¡°I plan to announce something. You and your junior sister should go and prepare Zixiao Palace for guests.¡± ¡°I se¡­¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. He could not stop his stuttering response. On the other side of the Chaos Sea, a dragonic roar thundered throughout heaven and earth. The Dragon Sovereign, the former ruler of all seas in the Primitive World arched his head back and roared an anguish sound. It was so deafeningly powerful that even the landmasses within the Primitive World were vibrating violently. Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao narrowed their attentions his way. It was overly dramatic in Hongjun¡¯s opinion. However the Heavenly Dao thought lesser of its former chosen. He was a ruler wasn¡¯t he? Where is the dignity to show such a public display of emotions? The Heavenly Dao scoffed thinking he pathetic. Naturally, despite his dutiful role until now, he was tainted by that filth Da Hai. The Heavenly Dao expected him to turn tail and run now that he¡¯d lost everything. There was no point to his existence anymore. He should be thankful he was allowed his life after such a poor performance in stopping Luohu. That it was the same conflict that allowed so many to feed the Heavenly Dao and allowed not only its recovery, but also its evolution was lost on it. The fact that without Zulong¡¯s efforts, the Heavenly Dao¡¯s entire existence would¡¯ve been erased was also lost on it. Nevertheless, the Heavenly Dao commanded Hongjun to get things in order. The old man¡¯s already vexing frown turned downward ever so slightly. A feeling of irritation flowed through his mind but he forcibly crushed it. ¡°Hm?¡± Hongjun paused seeing a titanic tail stretch towards the Primitive World. The body of Zulong manifested an even larger snarling dragon filled to the brim with killing intent. ¡®Idiot, he cannot possibly be this stupid.¡¯ Hongjun felt astounded by the dragon¡¯s sudden lack of judgement. He felt compelled to annihilate the dragon now that he¡¯s bit the hand that fed him. But he then realized the attack was not meant for him. Zulong roared and raved, but his ill intent headed towards the chaotic Primitive World. An act curious enough for Hongjun to momentarily halt himself. The denizens within saw the attack and were all startled. The dragons and seafolk stared in confusion at their former ruler¡¯s actions, the avians felt fear for this may be the dragon releasing the last bit of resentment he had for their kind. The Heavenly Dao turned its focus around feeling Zulong¡¯s weight crash into the Great Wilderness¡¯ exposed edges. As its will spread across all of Pangu¡¯s creation, the Primitive World in its entirety could be considered its body. It was sorta like the equivalent of a mosquito bitting into a person¡¯s skin. In the apocalyptic scene of the Great Wilderness, Zulong¡¯s attack broke through the heavens and into the sea. A trench was dug so deep that it ripped out a whole portion of the Great Wilderness¡¯ East Sea¡¯s seafloor. Just like that, the eastern side of the Great Wilderness was losing its structural integrity. More and more earthquakes occurred while legions of soil and water fell through the void. The cataclysmic whirlpool that was the Sea Eye shook. The dragons within flinched, nearly vomiting at the natural disasters that assaulted them. But being Chaos Immortals, they held firmly onto their charge even as the sea around them broke into the void. ¡°What is happening?¡± A dragon elder who had not received word from the outside world exclaimed. The Sea Eye, unlike may chunks of the Great Wilderness did not drift into the void. It held onto whatever remaining land the archaic world had despite everything going on. Instead, Zulong¡¯s attack dug out another pile of water and soil out from the breaking areas that fell into the void. Within a huge dragon claw, water and sediment parted from the gaps of his fingers leaving behind a single landmass. The celestial island Yingzhou was the only thing left in that claw. ¡°This sacred place shall not suffer the taint of you any longer,¡± Zulong growled towards the shining echoes of the Heavenly Dao. ¡°You are an ungrateful, shirtsighted, petulant child. I am ashamed to share an origin with you.¡± As a connate lifeform born directly out of Pangu¡¯s yang qi, Zulong was an innate god directly spawned from Pangu. But he was also born directly out of the heaven and earth of the Primitive World. In this regard, he and the Heavenly Dao were somewhat related. Retracting his claw, Zulong turned to leave. But the Heavenly Dao scoffed at what he had done. Sure, Yingzhou alone was not a great loss. But the dragon had struck it and needed to be punished. In the centre of the Chaos World, numerous folds of clouds manifested around a single shining temple. A vague figure cursed from within that structure. Then, pillars of light shot into the sky, uniting into a single phoenix shaped being. The wrath of the heavens shot out into the Chaos Sea. ¡°Hm?¡± Zulong turned his body around with gritted teeth. The treasures of his belonging manifested around him to protect him. The Heavenly Dao has been feeding off of all the conflict all this time. It was said that what arose from the earth must return to the earth. Cultivators weren¡¯t really different. Really, cultivators were more like investments. Born from the Chaos World under the purview of heaven. They gather energy from the world, then transcend to become immortals before finally breaking free of the Chaos World by becoming Golden Immortals. At that stage, they become their own producers and no longer need energy from their origin. Then they cultivate the Dao becoming even more exquisite. When they perish, all the things they¡¯ve gathered were released back out and absorbed by the Heavenly Dao for the sake of the Primitive World. All their achievements post Golden Immortality were all new, incredibly nourishing substances. If they cultivated a Dao fruit that the world had not seen? That was even better. Like this, the Heavenly Dao devoured every deceased that from the tribulation. Their Dao fruits broke down into fundamental essences and empowered the Heavenly Dao. In its current state, it was no longer what it was many years ago. Being it¡¯s spokesperson who made a deal with it in order to gain the necessary ability to reach the Dao, Hongjun understood where this current Heavenly Dao stood on the hierarchy. While the Heavenly Dao absorbed many things, a large portion of it all went into Pangu¡¯s Chaos World. The Heavenly Dao, being also a form of life inhabiting this Chaos World, albeit one with great authority, could summon a large portion of it but not all. In terms of power, if all of the Primitive World was factored in, it was essentially Dao realm being like him. Perhaps not as refined, nor as knowledgeable, nor could could it unleash all that omnipotent power. But it was still powerful, easily surpassing the vast majority of Chaos Immortals. It¡¯s power tunnelled throughout the Chaos Sea easily catching up to the dragon. Zulong roared holding his pearl and Da Hai¡¯s sword in his clutches. But the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls shot out alongside his master¡¯s longtime treasure, the 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification. Both treasures had suffered greatly in the war but still manifested in full. Blooming alongside the pearls, the white lotus and the other treasures formed a strong shield in the phoenix creature¡¯s way. BOOM! The clash ended in a spectacular downpour in energy and the resounding grunt of pain from Zulong. The attack¡¯s power was not fully stopped, merely filtered to an incredible degree. To begin with, it wasn¡¯t as strong as what Hongjun unleashed against Da Hai. But it shattered the shield Zulong put in place and blew across his scaly body. Being far into the Chaos Sea, Zulong¡¯s figure could not be fully seen in the aftermath. Yinglong only caught the slight swishing of a tail that quickly disappeared further into the Chaos Sea. In it, hundreds of shattered scales floated around forming a pseudo asteroid belt outside the Chaos Sea. A single detached antler floated alongside dimly glowing stars. These were the treasures that were blown out of Zulong¡¯s hands after he¡¯d suffered the Heavenly Dao¡¯s wrath. The set of beads known as the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls and the 12 Petals White Lotus were sucked into Hongjun¡¯s palm. Despite their badly damaged states, they were not beyond repair yet. In his right hand, Hongjun received a message from the Heavenly Dao that it was going to rest for a wild to fully digest its gains while he should bring order for the new era. Hongjun agreed with the command, though he¡¯d prefer to interpret it as a request. Looking at his own slightly trembling hand, he sighed. ¡®I still cannot control it.¡¯ There were many problems with his cultivation. But for now, he had more to be concerned with. Due to the actions of Zulong just now, the dragons were terrified. But Hongjun did not pay attention to them. Instead, he pulled with his hand and Heart Devil flew out of the Chaos Sea powerless to stop him. ¡°Hongjun, let¡¯s talk about this,¡± Heart Devil quickly said. ¡°Enough, your contribution to Luohu¡¯s demise was well done,¡± Hongjun congratulated first. ¡°The Heavenly Dao told me to tell you that Luohu¡¯s sins are not the Devilish Dao¡¯s sins. In addition, the Heavenly Dao also sees value in you all as adversaries. As such, your lineage is allowed to exist for the benefit of this Chaos World¡¯s growth.¡± Heart Devil could not move nor could he argue against him. All the power he¡¯d obtained seemingly amounted to nothing. ¡°However, we wouldn¡¯t want any big movements while things are still dying down do we?¡± Hongjun placed a hand on Heart Devil¡¯s chest. ¡°As an obstacle, the intense mad emotions of your Dao is pretty useful. Let¡¯s do it like this.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Heart Devil¡¯s body exploded in a shower of ghost like entities. All echoes of his Dao and his shattered psyche that were then blown into this universe¡¯s structure. Hongjun nodded, the concept of a heart devil originating from Heart Devil could be useful as a training tool for newer generations and facilitate conflict for future tribulations. He looked at his hand, still trembling, and sighed. The next step will have to begin. He snapped his fingers and channeled power directly from the world around him to mend the damages to the Primitive World¡¯s walls. He did nothing for whatever was left of the Great Wilderness however. All the spectators realized that things were truly coming to a close as Hongjun worked like a creation deity. The Great Wilderness¡¯ remnants were pulled up by Hongjun along with the Starry Skies much to Wangshu¡¯s chagrin. Everyone watched as the small pieces of the Great Wilderness were forming systems of their own. Little by little, they realized that these small landmasses alone would form their own independent world. Unlike the single gargantuan landmass of the past, they could be looking at a future of trillions of minor worlds. It seemed that Hongjun was uninterested in piecing the Great Wilderness back together either, merely deciding too smooth out the remaining chunk of that once great world. Things will never be the same again with the Great Wilderness shattered like so. ¡°Today should¡¯ve been a joyous day as I have ascended to omnipotence,¡± he began again. ¡°In this joyous occasion, I wish to share my gains with all the hardworking now that everything has been settled.¡± ¡°I am a cultivator, a warrior, an investigator, and also a teacher. It is only right I help the world heal and help accomodate you all into the path of cultivation. So, in three thousand years, I shall preach the Dao in my Zixiao Palace to three thousand guests who wish to attend.¡± He waved his hand to manifest the Zixiao Palace just outside the Chaos World. The only connection being a thin strip of space, otherwise his palace would truly be in the Chaos Sea. ¡°Haotian, come.¡± At long last, Hongjun brought Haotian away for a period of rest. In his determination to enjoy his success, he did not notice Haotian continuing to alternate between staring at where Da Hai stood his ground and his own master¡¯s back. Aftermath ¡°Oh senior brother, oh master, its a wonderful day. A truly wonderful day,¡± Yaochi joyously praised as she walked alongside a silent Haotian behind their shared master. The otherwise silent halls of the Zixiao palace was like a stage for her to recount the triumph of the day. It aligned well with the chaotic energies just outside the windows of the palace. Yaochi didn¡¯t think much of Haotian¡¯s silence. Surely he must be amazed as well. From here on out they were the personal disciples of the top most being in all creation. She was completely ignorant of the frown adorning Haotian¡¯s face. ¡°Master is so amazing and smart. It must¡¯ve taken countless years of perfect planning right?¡± ¡°Enough Yaochi, do not exaggerate things.¡± Hongjun cut her off with a wave of his hand and a parental tone. ¡°My plans in the beginning were already blown to smithereens and this is simply the result of working with what I have left.¡± It sounded so humble to Yaochi that she thought even highly of Hongjun¡¯s methods. ¡°But only someone as smart as master could adapt to all that right Haotian? ¡­ Haotian?¡± She glanced his way for the first time in a long while but didn¡¯t find the same him in the same mood as her own. ¡°What¡¯s wrong senior brother?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Senior brother Haotian?¡± With a frown, she swiped her hand in front of Haotian¡¯s face. To any outside observer, she was like a pouting little girl trying to get her senior brother¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh.¡± Haotian perked up yet could not meet Yaochi¡¯s gaze. He focused on Hongjun¡¯s expectingly. His shoulders slumped with a resignation that Yaochi couldn¡¯t identify. But whatever Haotian was expecting never came. Hongjun didn¡¯t seem to pay him any mind. In a leisurely pace, they reached the main hall of the palace. There, Hongjun sat in an elevated platform with a cushion. Manifesting by his very will, spacetime distorted and the space of the hall enlarged to an enormous extent. This was to accomodate the people he planned to host in several thousand years time. Yaochi looked in wonder despite the act being so simple and one anybody successful in inferring the Dao could do. The Zixiao palace was already an apex structure in all the Primitive World, more than worthy of being the home of any immortal. But it was no longer on a scale suitable for Dao Ancestor Hongjun. While he prepared, the Dao Ancestor also enhanced the palace to be far sturdier than it was previously. From his hands, mystical streams of purple gas flowed like winding dragons across each and every pillar holding the roof up. Clouds of purple continued to swirl around to Yaochi¡¯s amusement and Haotian¡¯s silence. Suddenly, as he was finishing his task, a quick jolt occurred on Hongjun¡¯s right arm. He suddenly grew alarmed and grabbed hold of that limb with his left. His right quivered in his own grip for a second before it calmed down. Subsequently the light show disappeared. ¡°What was¡­¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Hongjun quickly interrupted her. ¡°I am¡­I have just ascended to a new realm of power. It is normal that I am still unused to controlling all of this omnipotent might. Hai as a master, I feel ashamed.¡± ¡°Ah think nothing of it. It¡¯s only natural. To be able to control such strength so quickly speaks volumes of master¡¯s talent.¡± Yaochi was quick to comfort the old man. Whatever fluster he¡¯d felt, he quickly buried it and hoped the other boy in the room didn¡¯t think less of him as well. After that task was done, Hongjun spoke again. This time however, his voice no longer carried the same weight as it did when he appeared to end the tribulation. Although there was still a mystical atmosphere beyond any immortal present, it was nowhere near as overbearing as a Dao Ancestor¡¯s unrestrained presence. Hongjun kept his breath steady and his posture upright. In this meeting, Haotian had a deep feeling of dread. Haotian¡¯s existence, his very nature was not like the mythological Haotian Hongjun surely knew about. As a Dao realm supreme being, he¡¯d surely be able to see through his current origins. It would be easy for him to finish the job he¡¯d started. But again, none of that dread bore fruit. Instead, Hongjun began chastizing him about his actions during the final stages of the tribulations. In his arguement, while Haotian had tempered himself on the battlefield, he was still too focused on small scale actions. Haotian constantly haggard himself bringing salvation than facing the adversary. Haotian¡¯s compassion was a merit, but one that brought detriment. Hongjun lectured Haotian on the nature of the Great Wilderness¡¯ collapse and the futility of trying to prevent it. He explained the collapse of the Great Wilderness was already accepted by the Heavenly Dao as the next stage of this universe¡¯s evolution and thus part of the natural sequence of events. Hence for the greater good of the universe, it shouldn¡¯t be prevented. Haotian did not respond throughout any of that. While he was listening intently, his mind kept drifting to another topic for closer to his chest. The layers of his mind sung a a tune of befuddlement. ¡°Now then,¡± Hongjun said after finishing addressing Haotian. ¡°You two can go practise. Yaochi, you in particular have fallen behind on inferring your Dao. Work on your basics until the date of my lecture and you will gain much then.¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± Yaochi bowed and proceeded to leave. In her head, as the disciple of a Dao realm being, she cannot afford to appear lesser in the face of the upcoming guests who were majority in her generation. ¡°Haotian, I do not need to peer in your mind to see the struggle on your face. Think on my words and you will know I am right. Off you go too, I need to meditate.¡± ¡°Wait master,¡± Haotian spoke up for the first time. He raised his head that wore an unsure expression. He couldn¡¯t help but retain an expression of confusion which Hongjun judged to be born out of his youthful naivety. ¡°The Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord¡­how¡­¡± he struggled to word his thoughts. ¡°What about him? He allowed his judgement to be clouded by his thirst for vengeance. He was ultimately unnameable and payed for it with his life. His place in history is ultimately unimportant,¡± Hongjun said dismissively. ¡°His tale should be a cautionary tale to you my disciple. You are my first student and legacy in this world. In the future, everything I am would become yours.¡± Hongjun smiled in a fatherly way at Haotian. ¡°Do not be too concerned. I have reached the Dao now. In the future, my aspirations will take me to even further heights. Then, I shall bequeath everything to you so that you too may follow in my footsteps.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I sensed it,¡± Hongjun continued. ¡°The Dao is not not the end. Existence in this dimension ends at this highest pinnacle, an equal existence to the Grand Dao which spawned all that is. But as a Dao realm being, what I perceived as infinity prior has now become finite. I know there is a potential to reach beyond that barrier. Transcendence is real.¡± A hint of satisfaction was inflicted upon Hongjun. His arm has stopped its faint tremor now and his power remained under control even as his excitement invoked myriad phenomena in his presence. Yet Haotian couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Your arm¡­¡± he could not finish before Hongjun hastily interrupted him. ¡°Ahem, I also want be bequeath upon you something.¡± Hongjun maintained a dignified appearance as he manifested a glowing light in his palm. It was faint, sickly looking, each petal appeared wilted despite the light it gave off. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°12 Petals White Lotus,¡± Haotian gasped. Deep down, a wallowing sadness manifested upon taking in its sight. ¡°Alas, this treasure has been put through a great many ordeals and as a result suffered tremendous blows. It will need time and resources to return to its former glory. My dear disciple, I bequeath this to you to look after. I¡¯m sure yo can find a better use for it. ¡°Off you go now. I¡¯m sure you have much to think about,¡± he gestured Haotian to leave. ¡°Okay.¡± Haotian stood up with the lotus in hand. He swallowed an uneasy gulp that Hongjun concluded to be uncertainly wether he could complete the task. As he walked out of the main hall, Haotian placed a hand on his heart. He didn¡¯t dare say nor think anything. Only in the deepest recesses of his soul did he tug at the string connecting him to Da Hai. Hongjun didn¡¯t even notice for he didn¡¯t look deeply at him at all. Da Hai was dead, annihilated to the last piece by him with the power of a Dao Ancestor. There was no salvaging that kind of annihilation. Hongjun knew Da Hai was dead for sure. As an omnipotent being, he cannot be mistaken at such a trivial event involving a mere immortal. He was aware of exactly where Da Hai had met his end. Thus he didn¡¯t need to look deeply into it. Instead, Hongjun starred into another dimension to observe an even more heavily damaged Xuanyuan Water Control Flag. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh at it¡¯s condition. He couldn¡¯t possibly let people know such an embarrassing secret. ¡°Breaking through with Pangu¡¯s Dao, arresting that fruit. It was worth it in the end. I can stand on this pedestal now. Pangu, despite being a forefather you were truly foolish to have never sat the throne you made. ¡°Fearing for the end of a path so you took yourself out in a blaze of glory ensuring a powerful legacy of a Chaos World? Don¡¯t make me laugh, you would not have ended at Dao.¡± Words of comfort were expunged. But Hongjun was keenly aware of one fatal flaw in his breakthrough. Pangu¡¯s Dao was not his to begin with. Even as he ascended to this realm, there was a fundamental incompatibility there. His struggle to reign in that power would need to be carefully managed. ¡°Heavenly Dao,¡± he called out. ¡°In three thousand years I shall uphold my role as your spokesperson. I shall fill this world with experts under your purview. By our partnership, you will remain supreme.¡± ¡­ ¡°Brother,¡± Yuanshi said in a grim tone. He and the rest of his family stood upon an intact Kunlun. He, his sister Tongtian and the brother they¡¯d both suddenly realized they knew painfully little of. After Hongjun restored order to the Primitive World, the collapse of the Great Wilderness continued for a little while longer. The great immortals of the land struggled to keep themselves safe much less maintain the realm. Just as well, disasters poured through from the void and the Chaos Sea, ravaging the land until it was nothing but ruins. Only some locations, such as Kunlun braved the disaster and emerged fully in tact. The Great Wilderness had lost an enormous portion of itself. What remained was still a large landmass, but one diminished to a third of what it originally was. Something resembling the former Five Continents remained, but its shape was wholly uneven. The great oceans also had the majority of its water lost in the collapse. It was a total apocalypse that had wiped out nearly the entire population of the Primitive World. The innate gods and other powerful cultivators who¡¯d survived were a bit lost on what to do. Some immediately fled for their homes, if that still existed. Others followed their companions in search of their own interests. Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang were among the lucky few who had a place to return to. ¡°You claimed to be Hongjun¡¯s disciple.¡± ¡°You have good questions, but all will be answered in three thousand years time,¡± Taishang assured. ¡°Dao Ancestor Hongjun will give us an opportunity by then. Now I must heal from my injuries.¡± He added a, ¡°Cursed monkey,¡± in a low whisper. ¡°Please don¡¯t beat around the bush. No more silence, no more tests. Be honest with me,¡± Yuanshi said while Tongtian nodded in agreement. ¡°This tribulation, this war has inflicted so many tragedies already. All our efforts amounted to basically nothing now. So please be truthful with me.¡± ¡°You really aren¡¯t like him,¡± Taishang said softly. ¡°I encountered Hongjun years before you two woke up, years before the three of us transformed from our gaseous states into innate gods. It was¡­well it wasn¡¯t an offer I could refuse. Us three have a great destiny that is now more or less confirmed.¡± Yuanshi and Tongtian were silent as they shared a look. ¡°Rest well brother,¡± Tongtian said. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯re all too tired for anything else.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s just be happy the danger¡¯s over.¡± ¡­ ¡°GRAH!¡± PLANK Wangshu sighed at the broken vase that had been thrown at her. Xihe glared hatefully at her with a pointing hand. Changxi stood off to the side unable to meet her older sister¡¯s eye. Xihe released a anguished scream before she even said anything else. She trapped another vase and threw it at Wangshu only for it to phase through her and break upon impacting the wall on the other side. ¡°WHY? WHY? WHY?¡± Xihe grabbed her head and cried. The air around her burned and were it not for Wangshu, the room would¡¯ve been set ablaze. ¡°I should¡¯ve been there, I should¡¯ve fought with him. I could¡¯ve saved him. Why did you stop me master? Why did you force me back? What have I don¡¯t to offend you? We were a couple and we fight together? Why would you separate us?¡± ¡°Yo would¡¯ve just been another body. I saved you from certain death.¡± Wangshu tried to reason with her eldest but Xihe screamed in response. The heat arising from her was so close to that of the sun that it made the moon goddess uncomfortable. With this fire, it was as if Xihe had become a foreign object in the Lunar Star. Wangshu couldn¡¯t say she knew the sun crow who¡¯d ensnared her disciple well. And while she did think his end to be a tragedy, she didn¡¯t think kindly of him. ¡°You don¡¯t know that. Di Jun and I¡­Di Jun.¡± Xihe cried liquid fire in her grief. ¡°You should¡¯ve saved him. You were his senior as well yet you did nothing. Why did you let him die.¡± This caused anger to rise in Wangshu. She fought her damn hardest against Luohu. She didn¡¯t pay Di Jun much mind and it was his choice to join in on fighting the Devil Ancestor. ¡°I did not let him anything. What is with you and that crow? What has he done to you to make you so?¡± Xihe¡¯s eyes flared in fury. The fire in the room burned so hot that a portion of the Lunar Star was lit up by the light. Changxi quickly ran over as Xihe appeared to be ready to lunge at Wangshu. ¡°Oh dear sister, you know master loves you as well. You should sit¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± Xihe flung her hand and generated an arc of flames that forced Changxi away. The younger goddess yelped and fell to her bottom in sweat. The edges of her sleeves were singed as a result. ¡°Xihe,¡± Wangshu said in warning. ¡°You must be so happy,¡± Xihe pointed accusingly at Changxi. ¡°I finally found happiness, I finally found purpose, I finally surpassed you. But you were so jealous and always tried to take that away. Well are you happy now?¡± ¡°Sister that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Who kept trying to get in the way? Who kept trying to¡­¡± ¡°Xihe that¡¯s enough,¡± Wangshu teleported in front her her with her hands up. She felt saddened by what was occurring before her eyes yet didn¡¯t quite know how to deal with it. Xihe was supposed to be her disciple, yet at the same time she purged any semblance of her teachings in favour of the Solar Star. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what has happened but it was an unavoidable tragedy. You should take a break and rest, calm down since the battle is over. You should take some rest, you have a child within you as well.¡± ¡°You are not sorry,¡± Xihe spat. ¡°You have no idea what we went through this thirty thousand years. I the empress at Di Jun¡¯s side.¡± The sun goddess walked past Wangshu and blew apart the window with a flick of her hand. ¡°Xihe what are you doing?¡± ¡°I am not a disciple of the Lunar Star. I am empress of the Heavenly Demons and you do not have the authority to command me,¡± she said while glaring daggers at her master. Wangshu gripped her fist in anger. The strength of a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal began leaking through. Xihe continued to glare at Wangshu despite the mounting pressure. But when Wangshu failed to commit to violence, she flew up. Turning around, Xihe flew away from the Lunar Star and in the direction of the Solar Star. ¡°Sister wait!¡± Changxi yelled after her. ¡°Master why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± Wangshu shook her head. ¡°Let her make her own choices then. She has already forsaken me anyway.¡± Hours later, in her private quarters. Wangshu stared at a portrait of Da Hai mounted on her wall. In her hand was a glass of wine gifted to her by the sea god numerous years ago. ¡°You went through something similar right? How do manage a situation like this? I tried my best teaching Xihe, imparted everything I knew but she never end learned. Now she found¡­ is it love? Love and power in someone else?¡± She took a sip. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Would Zulong or Gui Daiyu have acted the same?¡± ¡­ At the same time, the Solar Star was in turmoil. The ruined palace that was the demon¡¯s headquarters was packed by numerous high ranking demons who were also ministers of Di Jun. They scattered around the throne room arguing with each other on their next move. Some were concerned with scouring the void for lost clansmen. Others wanted to find areas to settle their remaining people. Some saw this as a change to grab even more land while others argued to hide away for a while. Many were doubtful if the faction should even stay together. The symbol of Di Jun was gone and Taiyi was indisposed. Baize who led the Ten Demonic Grand Sages didn¡¯t want to see Di Jun¡¯s efforts go. The innate creature clans were finally united after eons. As a single race they should¡¯ve been unstoppable. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this?¡± The Ghost Boar patriarch said. ¡°We all hate each other. We only followed for our emperor Di Jun. You there Jade Serpent, we have a grudge we¡¯ve to settle.¡± The aforementioned snake demon glared hatefully at the pig. Seeing this, numerous demons who formerly were opposed to each suddenly looked suspiciously at each other. Tensions mounted as even those among the sages looked just about ready to kill each other. Seeing this, the old Baize realized it was now or never to attack. He was one of the strongest among the demons and the only one who could in theory suppress the others. Di Jun had a magnificent idea and he truly desired to uphold it for the betterment of the East Continent. ¡®Was there even an East Continent anymore?¡¯ ¡°What are you all doing?¡± Xihe roared as she stormed into the throne hall. She still appeared flushed from her argument with Wangshu earlier. ¡°You are all demons under my husband¡¯s banner.What is this treason?¡± ¡°His majesty is dead,¡± the patriarch of the Zhujiang was quick to retort. Among the most powerful demons as well, the Zhujiang patriarch refused to bow for empress Xihe. ¡°Theres no point to his farce anymore.¡± Xihe gritted her teeth and glared into the Zhujiang¡¯s single eye. ¡°The audacity,¡± she spat. Both their auras arose in a fierce clash. Xihe was by no means weak even among ancient demons. But neither was Zhujiang. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Baize and several others jumped into the fray against Zhujiang¡¯s pressure. ¡°That¡¯s enough sage Zhujiang. Her majesty has returned to us hail and healthy. This is worth celebrating, we shouldn¡¯t be fighting amongst ourselves. ¡°Heh, old fool.¡± ¡°My husband may be gone,¡± Xihe choked out. even the mention was bringing her sorrow. ¡°But his legacy lives.¡± Her hands motioned to her belly showcasing the embryotic life within. ¡°Your prince and new emperor is here. You will respect the Solar Star¡¯s dominion.¡± ¡°Great news, this is great news,¡± the demons supporting her proclaimed, especially Baize. For Baize, this was a chance to bind the myriad races together still. ¡°And? This demon emperor business is worthless without power,¡± Zhujiang scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re weak Xihe and your child weaker. Taiyi is indisposed and who even knows if his body will give out? I¡¯ve had enough of this farce. Out of respect for his majesty I will not hurt you. But I¡¯m getting out of here.¡± Hundreds upon hundreds of demons nodded, finding his words reasonable. And like that, many began walking. ¡°You will no¡­¡± Xihe was saying until a truly enormous aura bore down upon all the demons present excluding her. Even Baize was forced into a kowtowing position. She turned around and sighed with relief. The haggard figure of her Taiyi stepped into the hall. Trailing behind him were numerous healers begging for him to stop less he make his injuries worse. ¡°Taiyi is what Zhujiang?¡± The normally quiet Taiyi demanded of the demon. Zhujiang struggled to speak in front of Taiyi¡¯s presence. ¡°My brother worked painstakingly to give the myriad races of the east, south, north, even the west a future as a unified race. The Heavenly Demons are a result of my beloved brother. You all disgust me.¡± Taiyi¡¯s pressure magnified. Despite being a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal, his power level rose tremendously beyond that. Based on observations, a comparison to Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals could be drawn. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you sister,¡± Taiyi said to Xihe before making his way to the throne. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not see you nor my nephew harmed by these filth. I will not allow my brother¡¯s empire to dissolve.¡± Step by step, Taiyi ascended the throne. He sat upon the seat in which Di Jun used to sit and spread a wave of power across everyone present. He forced those who¡¯d began walking to spit blood. ¡°A thousand thanks to your majesty for undeserved mercy.¡± Baize was the first to speak upon seeing that no one had died. ¡°All hail Demon Emperor Taiyi.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Taiyi said. ¡°Demon Emperor was my brother¡¯s title. I¡­I am.¡± ¡®We descended in the east and first unified the east.¡¯ ¡°I am Eastern Emperor Taiyi.¡± 3000 Guests In the recesses of his room, Haotian sat with both his arms resting on his knees. His face was devoid of any visible emotion, his mind trapped in contemplation. Occasionally, he¡¯d look at the door of his room with a conflicted gaze. At other times, he¡¯d burry his face in his palm. In here, he was isolated from the outside world. He had been commanded, suggested really, to cultivate in preparation for receiving guests for Hongjun¡¯s upcoming seminar on the cultivation. But in reality, his entire being was stuck with too many thoughts to ever begin practising. He didn¡¯t understand, could not understand. Hongjun¡¯s words confused him yet at the same time it didn¡¯t. His master¡¯s love for him was fully genuine. But surely that could not be so because of his origin. Surely Hongjun would¡¯ve seen through it and kept him around for some scheme as depictions in his past memories were prone to read. If not long ago then he would¡¯ve surely known when he transcended to the Dao realm. At that realm, nothing could be hidden from such an exalted being. Yet nothing of the sort occurred. Haotian had seen it in Hongjun¡¯s eyes. The genuine affection combined with the lack of falsehood in his words. Hongjun didn¡¯t suspect a thing. Clutching his chest, the one on the other end had not reached back at all. Haotian could not be certain of his condition, nor did he really want to know. It should¡¯ve been an impossibility in the first place. ¡°Is it worth it though? Even if he lives?¡± Twisting his head, he sent a solemn gaze towards the 12 Petals White Lotus of Purification resting against the wall of his room. It¡¯s withered form discarded like common trash in the midst of his belongings. Haotian found himself chuckling aloud. The weight of the war never left him. After the fright to his being subsided, everything that had happened towards the end of the final battle returned once again. ¡°What even was the point of¡­of¡­of anything?¡± Haotian reached out to cradle the lotus in his bosom. It¡¯s gaunt petals lay dry beneath his gaze. But as if sensing its master, the flower begun absorbing little pierces of qi he gave off. It was recovering passively from a renewed connection between them. A lone tear began streaking down Haotian¡¯s eye which he blinked away fast. Yet he could not stop more from flowing. ¡°In the end I failed. I went in naively thinking I could mitigate the damage. I walked out accomplishing nothing. ¡°Hey,¡± he said to the lotus. ¡°What should I even do? The master who raised me allowed such tragedy to occur, the heaven I fought for swallowed countless for its growth, the origin from which I came cared nothing for wanton destruction.¡± Like this, Haotian waited doing nothing for three thousand years. Not until the date of the seminar, when a light message from Hongjun entered his room notifying him, did he walk out. That whole time, Hongjun did not check up on Haotian, trusting in his disciple¡¯s work ethic and determination to seek the Dao. ¡­ When the time came, countless streams of light blitzed into the void of a still chaotic Primitive World. Each stream representing a mighty figure, Chaos Immortals or exceptionally talented Great Unity Golden Immortals who sought audience with the strongest being in existence. All the big names who¡¯d survived the final battle in both the Netherworld and the succeeding battle with Luohu had made their presence known during this race. Three thousand individuals were stated to participate in this seminar, but there were far more than a mere three thousand. Of course, this inevitably led to the assumption that only the quickest may enter. Those desiring for knew heights traveled with all their might to ensure their spot before Zixiao Palace. The third generation of innate gods, Minghe, Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, Kun Peng, Lei Zhu, Dong Wanggong etc were among the foremost due to their superior cultivation. These people had been great heroes in the Anti-Devil war and thus were moulded by said war¡¯s infernos into titans of this new unnamed era. The demon higher ups were no slouches either. It was a shock to the rest of the world when instead of breaking apart as the myriad clans were expected to do, the demon race stuck together under what is essentially the same leadership. Only now, Eastern Emperor Taiyi had made his power grab known. Those races unaffiliated with the Heavenly Demon court felt nervous at this revelation. Even if it was someone with a reputation of subservience like Taiyi at the helm, the faction was bound to make waves now that the dragons and phoenixes were shattered. Speaking of them, no traces of dragons nor phoenixes could be seen among those traveling towards Zixiao Palace. While avian cultivators and sea folk were aplenty, the former masters of the cosmos did not bother leaving their dens. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. In a corner of the Primitive World, where a great body of water gathered into a single liquid planetoid. This was the new ancestral home of the dragons where the elders along with Yinglong watched with contained anger. But none did anything but observe. In the broken down Great Wilderness, Zulong¡¯s sons watched together from their old home at Kailong Chen passively. The phoenixes in hiding did the same, only they had no headquarters and were scattered to the wind. Their numbers were far lesser in the first place, not even being a proper race like the dragons had been. In the Netherworld, a single great wheel payed no attention to to the ruckus. Neither did the red skinned man currently working to rebuild his home. Minghe may¡¯ve left chasing power, but Emperor Fengdu had a city to build. And by the dozens, cultivators from across a broken cosmos identified and landed on the gardens outside the main gate of Zixiao Palace. It spoke volumes of this treasure¡¯s durability that so many Chaos Immortals slamming down upon it did not cause it¡¯s immediate collapse. ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± The three pure ones were at the forefront those choosing to partake in this event. For no other reason than because the geographical location of the eastern remnants of the Great Wilderness was closer to spatial tunnel leading to Zixiao Palace. Yuanshi did not walk with haste and neither did Tongtian nor Taishang. The three walked in tense silence ignoring the others gradually arriving. Knowing their reputation by this point, not many wanted to get in their way. Yuanshi glanced around the exterior of the palace and nodded in approval. It was a well constructed treasure. Just looking at it gave him some ideas on future projects. ¡°The main entrance is closed,¡± he said after pushing against the massive door. The immortal cultivators gradually arriving turned their heads when they heard his comment. ¡°Closed? Guess three thousand was meant most literally,¡± someone commented. Hundreds upon thousands of light were all quickening their pace towards Hongjun¡¯s abode. The other innate gods of the third generation arrived in a timely fashion. Noble heads of races or powerful rogue cultivators also made their presence known. Seeing as the three thousand limit set by his master would be filled soon, Haotian pushed open the front entrance from within. He and Yaochi were already waiting for hours before the first cultivator touched down outside. Moving before Yaochi, Haotian greeted those who already stood outside. ¡°One thousand seven hundred and ninety eight so far,¡± he said. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯m sure you already know who I am. The agreed upon lecture will take place inside. Please come in orderly.¡± Yuanshi shared a look with Taishang. The latter gestured for him to move first. Yuanshi sighed and led the way for everyone else. ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally properly meet our junior brother,¡± Taishang said immediately upon reaching Haotian. ¡°Junior?¡± Yaochi called out as if offended on Haotian¡¯s behalf. Neither Tongtian nor Yuanshi showed surprise, but others were startled. The Three Pure Ones were also disciples of Hongjun? Since when? ¡°This is news to me,¡± Haotian said without backing down from Taishang¡¯s stare. ¡°I only ever remember master taking us two in. And I¡¯m also sure I am older then you three.¡± ¡°We were accepted before we were fully born. This was a age before master discovered your jade.¡± Taishang saluted Haotian while moving away to join his siblings. Haotian did not stop him nor say anything else, merely continuing to guard the entrance. ¡°Haotian.¡± ¡°Good to see you well.¡± ¡°It seems fate brought us to meet again.¡± Various cultivators from the war greeted Haotian as they walked by. Most of them originated from brief meetings when Haotian had darted across the Great Wilderness fighting wherever he could. Yaochi was amazed so many people already knew her senior brother. She had only vaguely been aware of his activities. ¡°Brother Haotian, how are you,¡± Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu reacted warmly when they saw the white robed lad again. They were a bit late, having taken a leisurely pace to enjoy the scenery of the void that was now populated by countless little realms. ¡°I¡¯m well. Thank you both for asking,¡± Haotian greeted them back warmly unlike before. ¡°It¡¯s good to see¡­it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s been a trying time.¡± The couple sensed something was wrong with their comrade and proceeded to share and odd look with each other. ¡°I understand, it seemed everything we fought for had gone to waste. I stored whoever I could grab away to safety. But It wasn¡¯t many,¡± Dong Wanggong said solemnly. ¡°When you were taken away by Hongjun, my beloved and I feared the worst. But to find out you were the disciple of the spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao as well as Dao Ancestor, that was truly shocking,¡± Xi Wangmu added. Brining up the war again soured Haotian¡¯s mood. It seemed the couple noticed quick as they decided to change topics. ¡°Thank you both anyway. Despite everything, it¡­¡± ¡°Ah finally made it.¡± The boisterous Lei Zhu made thunderous footsteps. Electricity coursed through his body even as he joined the little reunion. ¡°Do my eyes deceive me? Haotian it is good to see you¡¯re doing well. Unlike me.¡± ¡°That would hasn¡¯t recovered?¡± ¡°I¡¯m independent and broke, barely have the resources to recover from this. Where¡¯s Yan Luo? Where is that red skinned fucker?¡± ¡°The Netherworld,¡± Dong Wanggong answered. ¡°I¡¯d wager he has no interest in anything outside. That or the Reincarnation Disc is preventing him.¡± ¡°That oversized wheel seems to have grown quite the ego huh? Commanding Yan Luo of all people.¡± Lei Zhu huffed about while towering above everyone present. Despite this, Haotian seemed to relax gradually. ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions,¡± Haotian chastized. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact situation there and I don¡¯t think any of you do either. Assumptions are a dangerous thing in this world.¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t know senior brother has so many friends.¡¯ Yaochi could only stare at them from the side without any space to intervene. But she decided it was good as Haotian started to brighten up finally. Eventually, more people passed by. More space was filled up within the great hall of Zixiao Palace but more people still wanted to get in. A golden party arrived in a grand chariot pulled by magnificent divine beasts. The Ten Demonic Grand Sages all escorted their new emperor out. Of all those present, they pulled off the most spectacular entrance. Taiyi¡¯s party had arrived like they were the main event. It was enough to make many people secretly dissatisfied. ¡°Pretentious,¡± Yaochi scoffed. ¡°Who¡¯re they to show off at Zixiao of all places.¡± ¡°Quiet junior sister. Taiyi¡­Eastern Emperor Taiyi is among those who contributed most in the fighting. He deserves respect and curtesy as the leader of the largest nation current as well.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yaochi was confused by Haotian¡¯s chastizing. With Hongjun as their master, what even was a demon race emperor? ¡°I hope we aren¡¯t late,¡± Prime Minister Baize greeted at the head of the party. Taiyi merely saluted at Haotian from further back. He did not make things difficult for them and allowed them to pass. Taiyi was not in a good condition at all. If Haotian was in charge of him, he would not allow him to move anywhere. It spoke volumes of the golden crow¡¯s resilience that he was still walking despite the injuries he¡¯d sustained. ¡°Is that a child?¡± Narrowing his eyes at Xihe¡¯s bosom, there was a feathered infant being carried into Zixiao palace. There wasn¡¯t much spirituality there despite clearly being Xihe¡¯s son. For all intents and purposes it was a normal infant. ¡°Hey does that count as two people or one?¡± Lei Zhu asked Haotian. ¡°Cause I doubt that infant can even understand his surroundings. Wouldn¡¯t it be a wasted slot?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no idea.¡± Much further in, inside the hallway where everyone had made their seats. Changxi glanced back at the sight of her sister and niece entering. The place was already cluttered with nearly three thousand people already present. But beside her was a little room. Hence she gestured towards Xihe. To her disappointment, Xihe ignored her. She remained with the other demons and Taiyi. All of them made their way through the crowd to another place closer to the front. The united front of so may Chaos Immortals was enough to scare many independent participants to make room for them. Even some old monsters leading their own races performed the same act. Distantly, a lone figure watched this coldness between sisters from the front steps of the Lunar Palace. Sighing in disappointment, the ruler of the Lunar Star turned back around to enter her palace once more. The events of Hongjun¡¯s lecture did not interest her. Back at the Zixiao Palace, three thousand attendees have made their way to a seated position. Upon the very front of the great hall, right beneath the stage where Hongjun would appear lay six prayer mats positioned in a concave curve. When Haotian counted exactly three thousand, he and Yaochi shut the door. He couldn¡¯t help but feel curious at how this lecture would play out. What was Hongjun going to say? Who will even be the six saints? The six prayer mats had no seaters as a barrier had been erected around all six of them. Not the Three Pure Ones, not Nuwa, not Taiyi, Kun Peng, Huoyun, or anyone myths spoke of had taken a seat. As Hongjun manifested himself upon the stage in a form larger than all others, the lecture would finally begin. Six Seats Before Hongjun Before everyone, Hongjun appeared just as mysterious and profound as his cultivation indicated. He was like the secrets of all existence jumbled into a humanoid form. He was the alpha and the omega. He was the most high. A Dao so advanced flowed around him that was difficult or even Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals to comprehend. It contained so much intricacies that each individual present felt as if their own Dao¡¯s were but a mere manifestation of Hongjun¡¯s Dao. A smug Yaochi and a stoic Haotian bowed to their master first. Then Hongjun raised a palm. The profound energies around him ceased leaving on an ordinary giant old man. The air lightened as all these immortals began relaxing without the burden of his pressure. The hall was devoid of any kind of disturbance as Hongjun spoke out. ¡°It gladdens my heart that so may juniors display an interest in this old man¡¯s musings.¡± The crowd uttered some words of thanks that seemingly did not register in Hongjun¡¯s ear for he seemed to go into a tranquil state of sleep. A large period of silence followed much to everyone¡¯s awkward musings. Three hours after, Hongjun an eye at the shut door. Though it did not budge, and no sound was audible from outside, everyone instinctively knew there were people gathering out there. Outside Zixiao Palace, nearly thirteen thousand immortals were loitering around. Despite being unable to access the inside, these hopefuls still desired to hear what the Dao Ancestor wished to say. It was in this crowd that two tattered monks finally stepped onto the courtyard of Zixiao Palace. A Jieyin that appeared haggard by stress as evidence by the lines on his face, guided a solemn Randeng through a crowd of powerhouses. Jieyin¡¯s presence made people part around him, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to open the door. Not only would it be rude to barge in considering the spots were already filled, his own desires were half hearted at best. Zhunti had still been not found. After all these years, the remnants of the West Continent were a barely habitable mess and Jieyin was the only one of reputable status left there. ¡°Shame,¡± he said. ¡°But we can only blame our tardiness.¡± ¡°We wasted our time. Senior brother, how long must we endure all this?¡± Randeng bitterly said. ¡°Us poor monks simply wish to help our homeland. But look what¡¯s become of that now. At least some consideration should be given.¡± ¡°No point in wining,¡± the elder innate god chastized. ¡°Let¡¯s go, there are some locations we need to restore and people to relocate.¡± The words by Randeng struck a cord with alot of people. It was a good one though, the common consensus among them was that Randeng was wining thoughtlessly. After all, his side wasn¡¯t the only one that suffered. Everyone here belonged to a family that was but a shadow of its former self. Everyone had their homelands crushed and were now just picking up the pieces. Opportunities like Hongjun¡¯s lecture was fair game for anyone, one simply had to grasp it. That Randeng and Jieyin lacked the speed to were through no fault of anyone¡¯s but their own. Many thought he was only trying to drum up pity points to ask for concessions. Randeng knew this of course, but at this point there were a lot of desperation involved. If he could create even the slightest opportunity, he would. In this regard, he was really no different from any other cultivator present. But he truly did think his circle of brotherhood deserved better due to their Dao studies¡¯ contribution to the Netherworld. He glanced at Jieyin and wondered what he truly felt. The loss of Zhunti had hit him hard, and he also knew Jieyin secretly suspected Taishang. The old man was the last witness to Zhunti even though no actual motivation could be thought of. If they could be taught by the Dao Ancestor, they could reach a level where the West Continent would never be harmed ever again. ¡°Are you not going to join us?¡± Hongjun¡¯s voice echoed out to Jieyin making him stop in his tracks. ¡°Senior, has the three thousand limit not been reached?¡± Jieyin said in confusion. He half turned only to be met with numerous confused looks aimed at him. Then the massive doors opened on their own and Jieyin understood. ¡°May my junior brother Randeng join us even if he is not gully qualified?¡± He said as such since Randeng wasn¡¯t even a Chaos Immortal yet. ¡°For your contributions, you have earned a place.¡± Jieyin nodded sadly and made his way into the palace alone much to the chagrin of all those trapped outside. When someone did try to follow, they were immediately flung back. One of said offender¡¯s arms was even severed at the elbow. Within, Jieyin was greeted with the startled gazes of every other attendee. He clasped his hands and apologized for his tardiness. Then he made to take a seat at the only space left, the back. ¡°Don¡¯t loiter. Return to whence you game.¡± Hongjun projected his voice outside the palace. Then he finally turned his attention to the most important matter, his seminar. Outside, unwilling to offend the Dao Ancestor and thus ruin potential future relations, everyone left. ¡°Now then, I¡¯m sure we¡¯re already familiar with each other. I am Hongjun, the Dao Ancestor and spokesperson of heaven. Mysterious Profound upper sage. First Saint of Heaven and teacher of the Dao. Chaos Cricket of the Chaos Godfiends. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Today, I welcomed you all who could make it for my lesson where I shall impart upon all you all that I have learned in my ascension to the pinnacle of cultivation. But before I begin, I have something to announce to you all.¡± Hongjun gestured towards the six mats placed before him. The barriers shimmering around them all faded into nothingness. This allowed the immortals prescient to identify these mats to be nothing more than ordinary furniture without a hint of spirituality. ¡°These seats are reserved for my disciples both in name and true. Those I intend to take in or have already taken in and personally teach.¡± Startled, thousands of cultivators gasped. They glanced at Haotian and wondered if they could stand in the same spot. After all, as a Dao realm supreme being, Hongjun¡¯s accumulated knowledge would surely guide them to success past their current realm. ¡°Discipleship, this represents an opportunity.¡± ¡°Yes, I cannot miss this.¡± ¡°My son¡­¡± A commotion was starting to pick up. Nobody dared to be impetuous, but that didn¡¯t stop them from talking. Hongjun tapped the air silencing everyone instantly. ¡°The three I sought out on Mt Kunlun, take your seats.¡± Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang all teleported themselves to three of the seats. This all but confirmed to even the most doubtful that these three brothers had Hongjun¡¯s backing from the very beginning. They were thinking that perhaps Hongjun wasn¡¯t as hands off for the thirty thousand year duration of the war as they thought. ¡°Eons ago, I discovered three worthy beings to be thought by this seat. But unfortunately back then, they were formless and primitive. However, the most active cloud of qi was enlightened and understood. You three are my destined disciples. ¡°Since time immemorial, brother Pangu shouldered the burden of creating the world. The heavens have him to thank for its existence. As the heavens are kind and fair, it desires to repay its creator also. I am also a being blessed to be reborn in this world. I too desire to repay him. ¡°That is why when I realized the three clouds of gas were the reincarnated forms of his Nascent Soul. The manifestations of his mental capacity I extended my offer. Taishang, you accepted it on you three¡¯s behalf back then. Today I formally acknowledge you three as my own.¡± Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Taishang kowtowed before Hongjun at this moment. They uttered their acceptance to become his disciples one after another. Yet one could not help but notice a hollowness in some of their words. If Haotian were on his own, he would sigh at this sight. He had some thoughts as to what had happened. The way Yuanshi subtly glanced at Taishang, the small glimpses of anger in his eyes. He wondered if this was the beginning of the three pure one¡¯s inevitable fall out. But in the original story, it was Yuanshi and Taishang against Tongtian¡¯s villainous Severance Sect. ¡°Haotian my dear boy, unfortunately I did encounter them before you. According to such a seniority they¡¯ll be your senior brothers.¡± Hongjun said apologetically. ¡°I never expected us to be fellow disciples,¡± Haotian said. ¡°Junior greets senior brothers and sister.¡± ¡°Neither did I junior brother Haotian. It had been an honour fighting beside you,¡± Tongtian answered first. ¡°Your deeds have greatly relieved the damage that would¡¯ve otherwise been caused by the infinite army of ghost devils.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°That lotus on you,¡± Yuanshi said next. ¡°It belonged to him. Take care of it, he was a good man.¡± Surprised, Haotian nodded. Hongjun then lightly tapped his finger on his thigh, silencing the small talk beginning to pick up. Both Yuanshi and Tongtian turned their heads yet spoke apologetically. Seeing order restored, Hongjun spoke out his next intention. ¡°Yaochi, take your seat.¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± ¡°?¡± As the Yaochi took her positions, suddenly she realized Hongjun had only called on her. She glanced back to see an unmoving Haotian who remained standing next to Hongjun. All eyes trailed on Yaochi¡¯s figure. Evidently she became uneasy. This was her first proper introduction to all the bigwigs of the cultivation world after all. Yaochi¡¯s abilities were a complete unknown. People could tell she was also a Chaos Immortal and thus not simply your average elite expert. But everyone here were also experts of similar and even greater calibre. There was certainly an expectation for someone who¡¯d been taken in by Hongjun since birth. Yet as two seats were still empty, their eyes trailed to Haotian. Even Haotian was curios to this course of event. Yaochi sitting beside the Three Pure Ones was unprecedented. But since they were already disciples, not merely bell boys it made some sense. The gathered experts were also expecting such an outcome. That was why Hongjun¡¯s next words startled them. ¡°Nuwa,¡± Hongjun suddenly called out. Entirely skipped Yaochi causing Haotian to hum in surprise. But on second thoughts he guessed he shouldn¡¯t be. Things were now progressing more or less according to the future. ¡°Creator of humanity and a tremendous contributor to the Devilish Dao¡¯s defeat. Your have done heaven a great merit in your deeds. I as the first saint of heaven wishes to accept you as a personal disciple. Do you agree?¡± In the crowd, neither too far forward nor too far back, Nuwa remained stoic. She was different from before, wearing a conservative dress that covered her human half while her serpent lower body coiled beneath her. Most notably however was an eyepatch made out leaves that covered her missing eye. ¡°You should accept,¡± a rasping voice said to from beside her. A shimmering ball of light enveloped in her power so that none may touch it. ¡°What would be the point? I¡¯m already set in my own path with my own techniques. I don¡¯t need a teacher.¡± The rasping voice made a sound that resembled a sigh. ¡°Little sister, you may not require true tutelage, but this is protection. Having this Dao Ancestor as your master means you obtain a Dao realm backer. If my time as a demon taught me anything, it¡¯s that background matters. No one will ever seek to harm you again with a backer as strong as he.¡± Nuwa narrowed her singular eye. She was not and have never been closed to any circle involving Hongjun. Hence there was little trust there. There was also the fact that this old man executed someone she was acquainted with and trusted. ¡°Hurry sister, offers like these don¡¯t last forever.¡± All eyes were on her as she contemplated. As if pressuring her, a spectacular ball of light manifested just outside Zixiao Palace. Unlike the loiterers from before, this was a manifestation of the Heavenly Dao. It coming to watch was felt by everyone inside. Nuwa straightened her back after coming to a decision. ¡°Okay Fuxi, I¡¯ll see where this goes.¡± With a flash, she teleported to the cushion beside Haotian. She did not speak to any of the senior brothers or sister, but performed the discipleship ritual all the same. The others could sense a new aura of coldness around her, as if she did not want anyone else near her. Fuxi, whatever remained of him was left in the shape of an orb floating where Nuwa once sat. But no one was willing to even touch him given what had just happened. In fact, many of Fuxi¡¯s old friends from the demons¡¯ side was eyeing him contemplatively. ¡°Hm¡­ the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, those four are all substantially powerful figures. I¡¯m not sure on this Haotian, he never appeared on the front lines,¡± one of the demon ministers whispered to Taiyi. ¡°Your majesty, I believe the last disciple slot should be you right? You¡¯re the strongest person here.¡± The others nodded along. Even the cultivators eavesdropping had similar thoughts as well. After all, who doesn¡¯t know the insane combat prowess of Taiyi? He was arguably first after the Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals. ¡°Jieyin,¡± Hongjun called out. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That monk?¡± ¡°A devil native?¡± ¡°Not that white robed kid?¡± Jieyin raised his head with both eyebrows raised. All eyes landed on him, some angry, some unsure, others with befuddlement. Jieyin was strong, but he wasn¡¯t some top tier exceptional expert in their minds. If it weren¡¯t for the war and his hyper specialization in combating devils, no one would know him. ¡°The western part of the former Great Wilderness have been reduced to ashes throughout the tribulation. By heaven¡¯s will, I would take you as an in name disciple. Do you accept?¡± Jieyin closed his eyes and nodded. In a flash of reddish golden light, he reappeared on the last cushion signifying his new position under Hongjun. But unlike the others, as an in name disciple he knew Hongjun was unlikely to teach him anything substantial. Since all seats were finalized, Hongjun gave Haotian a look. He jerked his head towards the crowd. Nodding, Haotian walked down from the stage towards the side of he great hall. There he sat down with his back leaning on one of the pillars. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t daoist Haotian a personal disciple?¡± ¡°If I may,¡± Jieyin said. ¡°Should fellow disciple daoist Haotian not sit alongside us?¡± It was the same question many had on their minds. Personal disciples were akin to heirs of a lineage, why was Haotian moved aside for others? Had he offended the Dao Ancestor? Politically minded individuals like the Demon Grand Sages and Xihe thought it was because of his performance during the final confrontation with Luohu. They¡¯d all seen him attempt to disobey Hongjun. ¡°Falling out of favour with one¡¯s own master is no surprise.¡± Xihe adjusted her hold on her precious son Luya while speaking with Taiyi. ¡°You think that Yaochi is akin to Changxi and you?¡± Eastern Emperor Taiyi whispered back. ¡°Like I said, no surprise.¡± Despite the awkward announcement, Hongjun continued as if nothing had happened. He did not deign to answer Jieyin. As his words fell on death ears, Jieyin closed his eyes praying for Haotian. The Three Pure Ones and Nuwa mimicked his actions. Yaochi glanced back at Haotian with an unsure gaze. But a quick mental message from Haotian told her to not panic and just treat this as any other lesson. ¡°Now then, I shall begin teaching you all on the Dao. ¡°What is the Dao? That is the question all who trudge this path ask when they become an immortal. Mortals seek immortality, but immortals seek the Dao. That is why every realm, no matter what system or name used before becoming an immortal is nothing more than establishing a foundation. ¡°None of us are interested in such, some of us rose from that beginning while others have never needed to being born as an immortal. Today, I shall instruct you all on the intricacies of heaven and earth and the true method to seek the Dao¡­¡± Saint of Heaven Hongjun spoke for a long time. It was unknown if he only spoke for hours, days, weeks, even years. Whenever the Dao Ancestor spoke, no one could tell time any more. It was an amazing experience for everyone involved despite their own incredibly advanced cultivation. These were not average immortals nor even ancient powerhouses. These three thousand, sans the infant, were all pinnacle veterans who survived a brutal war against equally elite opponents. Every single one of them had pursed their path to the fullest and participated in apocalyptic battles. Yet in front of Hongjun, all of them suddenly transformed back into uneducated children. It was insane for the difference between Chaos Immortals and a Dao realm being to be displayed once more. This time not only in terms of abilities, but in enlightened knowledge. Hongjun address the intricacies of the Dao, he described the Dao in a way no one had been able to perceive. He spoke in such a way that people felt so enlightened that they too were on the verge of an advancement. The way Hongjun described the Dao, it was truly like the origin of all things. As the three thousand guests immersed themselves in the words of an omnipotent Dao realm being, they felt as if they could all see the origin of the Dao. The truth. Beyond the primordial gulf, wherein all things originated from. Everything, even their own Dao were themselves, a transformation of this supreme origin. They began to realized that every concept they¡¯d explored could be traced back to this origin that Hongjun was describing. Was this what they¡¯d all been working to this entire time? Was this The truth of the Dao realm? The singular point they would reach by working backwards in order to trace their origin? Behind Hongjun, the faint presence of the Heavenly Dao watched patiently. Nobody could really discern its presence as they were all entrapped in Hongjun¡¯s words. It watched as everyone seemingly entered a meditative state of cultivation. This was good for it. The Heavenly Dao was pleased that Hongjun was performing his role in its world. As it gazed towards the greater expanse of the Chaos Sea, the Heavenly Dao began working its own magic. Gathering the qi around the Primitive World, the Heavenly Dao determined its next course of action and began constructing an ovoid shell. All this was unnoticed by the individuals inside Zixiao Palace. Outside was a commotion, but inside everyone was too immersed. Even Haotian was taking in his master¡¯s teachings. All the things he¡¯d spoken about was an order of magnitudes more then everything Da Hai had worked out, wether by his own efforts or by guidance from Shiva and Pangu. However, Haotian¡¯s eyes opened into slits. He was not fully sunken in to Hongjun¡¯s lesson. If this seminar was akin to an ocean, nearly everyone was sinking in its depths. But Haotian would be floating on the surface where the light of the sun was still visible. Hongjun¡¯s words were curving around him. It was then that Haotian noticed Hongjun looking right at him. It was not a sudden snapping of the eye, it had been happening for quite some time. Hongjun¡¯s thoughts were entirely disconnected from his words. The latter was like a recording being played. In their matching gaze, Hongjun nodded at Haotian. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want me to listen. He¡­he wants me to continue as I am?¡¯ Around Haotian, a mysterious event was taking place. The mesmerising words of Hongjun resonated with these cultivators on such a fundamental level that it could be nothing but the only truth in this universe. And so, time passed like a rapid river. It could¡¯ve been only several decades Or as long as millennia. But people slowly woke up from the dreamlike state they had been in. Everyone felt as if they¡¯d gained something from Hongjun¡¯s words. Inspirational ideas that could advance their Dao even closer to completion. At the same time, many questions hung on everyone¡¯s heads. And as Hongjun finished his speech, the puzzlements they¡¯d developed began pouring out. ¡°If I may dare to ask, why is the flow of silver essence halted by sand.¡± ¡°If I may dare to ask, why does my path forward necessitate regret?¡± ¡°If I may dare to ask, how does my thoughts develop persona?¡± ¡°If I may dare to ask¡­¡± Questions upon questions of the Daos cultivated by the person who asked. These Chaos Immortals, Great Principle or Primal Origin all felt compelled to ask the Dao Ancestor in hopes that he would clear up their misunderstandings. It was all uninteresting to Haotian who barely listened at all. None of his fellow disciples sitting on the six cushions did either. In fact, Haotian had the distinct feeling Hongjun wanted him to ignore everything. Deep in his heart, an illusionary image of a Dao fruit sat frozen. Haotian neither flexed it nor had he thought of it for the entire time up until now. But after Hongjun¡¯s latest lesson, he began contemplating. ¡®Even now, thinking of it alongside master¡¯s words. It¡¯s like even your Dao on the path of wuji is just another reflection of him. You haven¡¯t even come into contact with it, merely brushed against it through me. But even so¡­¡¯ Haotian could easily figure what his origin would feel. The magnificent anger that sea god exude, the temper tantrum in the form of ferocious storms across the East Sea that would¡¯ve followed had he still been around. ¡®The Dao realm is amazing, mesmerizing, terrifying, haunting. I don¡¯t think I can ever stop finding words to describe it. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Haotian glanced at Hongjun addressing one question after another. He glanced around the room at other figures, specifically those cultivators incredibly advanced in studying the Dao even among Chaos Immortals. Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals were few and far between nowadays. Those present all had troubled looks as they all sat around. ¡°If I may dare to ask?¡± A voice simultaneously riddled with rasps and filled with strength belonging to Eastern Emperor Taiyi called out. The Golden Crow looked towards Hongjun, ever so slightly to the Heavenly Dao¡¯s presence further back. ¡°Venerable Dao Ancestor expressed the intricacies of the Grand Dao where all Dao recreates?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Venerable Dao Ancestor detailed the method for a Chaos Immortal to complete their Dao and become Primal Zenith.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Taiyi¡¯s face became troubled. His own Dao fruit slightly trembled within him. He knew eyes of all those who¡¯d already reached completion of their Dao having similarly troubled looks. ¡°But the Dao of oneself is cultivated by oneself. Should the Dao therefore not be taken to the apex by oneself? Is cultivation not the lonely path of seeking one¡¯s own way to reach pinnacle? I am deeply confused.¡± ¡°Do explain young Taiyi, what is your perspective?¡± Taiyi did not hesitate to make his statement known. ¡°The Dao is the path of oneself. We as immortal cultivators are seekers of the Dao. We search high and low to find any method to complete out path so that it becomes perfect. From there, we grasp further concepts and become Limitless Supreme just as the forefathers before us, yourself, the Oceanic Suppression Lord, the Moon Star Lord, the Devil Ancestor. ¡°From my own inference, and what my colleagues have known, the Dao of oneself must be unique. The one who evolves it must be oneself, another cannot go in and tamper with it less it diverts to the interferer¡¯s way. Such is the way of the Devilish Dao, where innumerable Daos became facets of a singular Dao. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°By teaching us your perspective of the Dao, you offer us insight and ideas that we incorporate. This is no issue at all. But in the same breath, you also inform us of direct paths to go ahead. Methods of how we should complete the Dao. Would that not strip away our own individuality? Prevent us from improving after a certain point just like the Devil Great Emperors?¡± Hongjun rubbed his long beard while a small smile adorned his lips. The six disciples sitting before him all held various contemplative expressions. ¡°Fellow daoist Taiyi have a point,¡± Yuanshi added directly looking up at Hongjun. ¡°Some of us here already completed our Daos as well. The lecture master performed was magnificent, yet why could I not sense the path of Wuji?¡± ¡°Wuji? What is that?¡± ¡°I have no clue, I think I heard a few dragons muttering about it before. Maybe they know?¡± In the small chatter, Hongjun slowly chuckled. The presence of the Heavenly Dao moved forward transforming into the shape of four creatures, the Four Symbol Divine beasts which now represented its authority. The four hovered around Hongjun waiting for him. ¡°What you speak of is true,¡± Hongjun made a dramatic pause. ¡°Before the evolution of heaven that is.¡± ¡°Evolution?¡± Hongjun raised his hands, and along with the Four Symbols Divine Beasts conjured a three dimensional map of the Primitive World. The disc like shape of the Great Wilderness was visible, so were its numerous pieces floating into the void below it. There was the Netherworld beside the Great Wilderness and the Starry Skies locked in its own bubble hanging above them. ¡°During this yuanhui, a great many changes occurred. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all aware this latest tribulations was not the first of its kind. In fact, since time immemorial tribulations occurs every so often for a variety of causes. But most crucially, above all other reasons, they are mechanisms of fate. ¡°Something exists and continues to exist, it¡¯s accumulated karma flows alongside it towards a destination. This destination being a fated event that is predetermined to occur, this is absolute. The tribulations you¡¯ve experienced, it could¡¯ve been earlier or later, but sooner or later something would¡¯ve occurred. ¡°But tribulations are not disasters in and of themselves, they¡¯re trials. Fate only dictates these significant event must occur, and the people that are going to be involved are ultimately flexible. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all wondering now what is the point of this explanation? ¡°You should know, Pangu was a tribulation for the Chaos Godfiends. The Chaos Godfiends were not just your forefathers, but the embodiments of the the fundamental laws which props up this existence we reside in. I and a few others overcame that tribulation and survived to the next era, I watched as existence shifted from chaos to this world. ¡°I can see your confusion already. The Chaos Sea is not simply the space outside the Great Wilderness. It is the infinite empty world that is merely a previous incarnation of the current world created by Pangu.¡± The four animals around Hongjun roared in approval. They sent out beams of light that scattered across the projection to show an outside world of nothingness. In it, the Primitive World was shaped like an oval. ¡°Each tribulation is destined to bring about a fundamental change in the world order. Pangu shifted chaos to this material world, Shenni shifted the environment to accomodate powerful beings and awakened the consciousness of the world in the Heavenly Dao, the latest tribulation completes heaven as it has fully taken over from chaos.¡± Then the Four Symbols Divine Beasts smashed together into one cloudy form above Hongjun. No one could look at it from any direction other then up. And in seeing it, one could only see supreme authority. ¡°Previously, you all cultivated based on the Grand Dao. Grand Dao is the origin of the Chaos Sea, the old order you could say. With its completion, the Heavenly Dao has assumed that position. It is the supreme power.¡± ¡°If I may dare to ask,¡± a Chaos Immortal among the crowd called out in panic. ¡°The Heavenly Dao stands above the Dao realm?¡± ¡°Do not interrupt until I am finished,¡± Hongjun frowned. The interloper cowered under Hongjun¡¯s gaze and immediately kowtowed in apologies. ¡°It is time I revealed the truth of what I am to you all. ¡°I am not only Hongjun, I am the spokesperson of heaven. The Heavenly Dao and I are one, intention and enforcer. The realm of Dao exists as the final point of the old order of chaos. To reach it, one cultivates a sole path until the point where it transforms into all others. This is in actuality mimicking Grand Dao. ¡°As the Heavenly Dao have taken over from Grand Dao, that realm is no longer valid.¡± ¡°WHAT!¡± ¡°If I may dare to ask master,¡± Yuanshi began. ¡°What even is Dao then?¡± Hongjun had a solemn look as he continued. ¡°The method of cultivation is in actuality, merely a reflection of the supreme authority. The system propagated through Grand Dao has passed to the hands of the Heavenly Dao. As the word of heaven is derived from the most primordial essence of Grand Dao, its fundamentals are more or less the same.¡± ¡°To answer your question Yuanshi, the Dao is simply a path where meaning was derived from. That path was once Grand, now it is Heaven. Hence the path you¡¯d all walked, which derived from grand, has now effectively ended. The concept of Wuji which you would all inevitably seek out is unobtainable for the same reason.¡± ¡°Master, earlier you mentioned yourself a saint. What is that?¡± Tongtian was next to ask. ¡°You were paying attention, that is good. Saint of Heaven is the supreme being in the system propagated from the Heavenly Dao.¡± ¡°!¡± The hearts of many tightened with anticipation. A deep hunger in the eyes of those at the peak already was evident for all to see. The six sitting before Hongjun in particular took this information with utmost seriousness. Haotian did not perk up however. He rested his chin on his index finger and processed something else. ¡°Master, how does one become a Saint of Heaven? What difference does it posses compared to the Dao realm?¡± Nuwa was the last to speak up. The knowledge of the Dao realm wasn¡¯t widely known in days past. The dragons, phoenixes, and devils were the only factions with some knowledge to it. Even then they were speculative at best. Enemies of theirs like the races that would become united as demons were largely excluded from their rarer knowledge. That was why, younger factions like the demons didn¡¯t have a single clue to begin with. Nuwa, being a young being had asked a question of great interest. ¡°A Dao realm being is like that of Pangu, almighty beyond all others. They pushed open the way forward with their own Dao allowing it to become the center of existence. Just like the Grand Dao, their own Dao propagate all things, this is known as Dao birth. Every Dao would be known to he, for his Dao transforms into them. Simply said, he could infer everything with a single thought.¡± Haotian sucked in a deep breath. His pupils dilated as realization finally hit him. ¡°The Saint of Heaven is one with all things. The power of heaven is shared with them, thus elevating them to the enlightened secret existing in everything. If the Dao realm is one going backwards in time, the Saint of Heaven connects with the present by uniting with heaven.¡± Hongjun opened his hand releasing a stream of fiery substance. It was purple in colour, shining brilliantly. It was beautiful and divine, something quite unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. ¡°Hongmeng Purple Qi, the source of a saint¡¯s power.¡± One grip of his fist and that flame was gone. Hongjun glanced back at everyone with a triumphant look. ¡°To become a saint, one must be willing to accept heaven. What I have explained to you all in my lesson, do you recall? I have said the basic fundamentals are essentially the same, as in the development of a foundation through mortality and immortality is largely the same. But it is when you would¡¯ve began perceiving the Dao does the path of sainthood diverge. ¡°One cannot cultivate a unique Dao, it must be a Dao connected to the heavens. Hence, it is not the law facets True Immortals cultivate. But the real Daos of the Chaos Godfiends themselves. All impurities must be discarded for the body needs to become pure. Then only a by accumulating great destiny can one then absorb Hongmeng Purple Qi and transcend the limits of an immortal.¡± ¡°Master,¡± Taishang called out. ¡°Would that not mean the position of saint is limited? There only existed a hundred and eighty thousand minor Chaos Godfiends and three thousand greater Chaos Godfiends.¡± ¡°Yes and no. The lesser godfiends are not in line to even catch heaven¡¯s gaze. The greater godfiends who make up the three thousand Great Daos are the only method forward. So yes, there are three thousand roads to sainthood. ¡°However. Any burgeoning plans ceased. ¡°The Dao one chooses to walk is irrelevant without Hongmeng Purple Qi. That substance is the final step in connecting with the will of heaven and all things. And such substance is greatly limited.¡± Hongjun waved his hands and several purple embers emerged to blaze into man sized flames. Their dazzling purple hue resonated with so much power that aspiring saints salivated just looking at them. In total, they numbered seven. ¡°Then we must change our trajectory if we want to progress,¡± Taiyi murmured. ¡°Sister, the road ahead for us would be difficult.¡± Xihe was startled. In her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but slightly resent Taiyi. Now that Di Jun was dead, was he showing a true desire for power? He¡¯d already claimed Di Jun¡¯s throne in place of his infant nephew. ¡®Just as I thought, our three saint teachers of Daoism¡¯s three lineages.¡¯ Taishang shared his thoughts via mental communication with Yuanshi and Tongtian. Yuanshi didn¡¯t answer immediately, but Tongtian asked Taishang for what he meant. ¡°My students, you are all individuals of great destiny. I wish to see you all become my fellow daoists. In my duty as your master, I grant you Hongmeng Purple Qi.¡± Taishang, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nuwa, Yaochi, Jieyin, all received purple qi under jealous gazes of attending immortals. But the urge to fight them for this opportunity left them as soon as they thought about their master. ¡°You Three Pure Ones are all immortals of great destiny, your predecessor¡¯s form as Pangu began this world¡¯s lifespan. As such heaven feels it owes you three a great debt. Your destiny as saints is its repayment.¡± ¡°A thousand thanks to the Heavenly Dao and master for this kindness.¡± Taishang and Tongtian maintained a composed procedure. But Yuanshi released a small sigh. ¡°Nuwa, you completed the human race, the last puzzle piece in completing the reincarnation cycle, and is a daughter of great Pangu. Your destiny is great enough to shoulder this saintly burden.¡± ¡°Jieyin, the West Continent has suffered greatly due to Luohu¡¯s actions. Heaven has great expectations for you to fix it¡¯s damage.¡± ¡°Yaochi, you are a daughter of heaven itself and my own disciple. I hope to see were you¡¯ll go with this gift in hand.¡± ¡°Thank you master!¡± They bowed in thanks. However, Yaochi glanced around distressed. Hongjun did not move after giving her this legendary purple qi. ¡°Master,¡± she asked nervously. ¡°Big brother¡­uh I mean senior brother Haotian hasn¡¯t received¡­¡± ¡°Haotian will not be receiving Hongmeng Purple Qi.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine Yaochi.¡± Haotian appeared behind her to ruffle her head. ¡°I am not bothered.¡± The people looking at this display felt their feelings vindicated. Haotian had indeed offended Hongjun in some way and now suffered the consequences. ¡°Sainthood will not be in Haotian¡¯s future,¡± Hongjun nodded with finality. ¡°This last Hongmeng Purple Qi, I have no right to decide it¡¯s fate so it¡¯s destiny shall go to whoever may be connected to it.¡± With a flick of his hand, the ball of fire was flung into the sky. Everyone watched puzzled as it fell into an arc. It fizzled as it descended, unaware of greedy/contemplative/hungry/thoughtful looks sent its way. ¡°Huh?¡± Daoist Red Cloud Hongyun yelped when it landed on his lap. ¡°Guess it¡¯s yours?¡± Zhen Yuanzi, his longtime friend uttered unsure. But seeing Hongjun nod, Hongyun was overcame with a sense of gratitude. ¡°Do not thank me,¡± Hongjun denied before he could speak. ¡°It was only coincidence.¡± Hongyun did not waste anytime withdrawing the qi into himself. Though he did not understand how to use it, he was very eager. The burning looks he was receiving from thousands of stares would¡¯ve disintegrated him on the spot if weren¡¯t for Hongjun. Now that they understood future cultivation had shrunken to only a few position connected with a one use artefact, people grew antsy. ¡°Now I shall educate all on the realm before sainthood.¡± Hongjun did not tolerate any more of the growing tension. ¡°The Chaos Immortal realm is blocked, though reachable it¡¯s existence is redundant. I shall teach you all an alternative pathway that shall secure the gateway to sainthood.¡± ¡°I refer to this realm as Saint to Be, it is of equivalent to Chaos Immortals and comes after Great Unity Golden Immortal. The method of which is recorded in my Three Corpse Cleansing method.¡± Attention restored, Hongjun listed in detail how he wanted cultivation to be done. The three corpses, good thoughts, evil thoughts, obsession, all must be cut out in accordance to Hongjun¡¯s method. Only then, could one become a pure being. Each corpse cut out advanced a Saint to Be from early, late, to middle, to late, and peak. A new Saint to Be was one who¡¯d manifested the Dao fruit of the Great Dao they cultivated, cutting out any corpse denotes middle, then late, so on and so forth. The parameters of abilities were very much tied to their sublevels. It was very systematic, more so then the previous Chaos Immortal realm where even Great Principle experts could have a Dao strong enough to overcome Primal Origin experts. When he was finished, Hongjun flicked his wrist again. The door to the great hall was forced open. ¡°This lesson is over. You have all learned all that you can from me. You are free to leave and express my teachings to all beings. Spread the Dao as far as you go, such is the will of heaven.¡± ¡°Thank you, honoured Dao Ancestor.¡± ¡°Hm good. You are all wise beings then. My role as the teacher is complete, heaven and I are one hence I shall return to it. My worldly belongings are of no consequence to me. Treat them as a gift if you so wish.¡± For a moment, everyone was confused by Hongjun¡¯s words. But then, everyone remembered a geological feature of Zixiao Palace. A cliff face to its side had been filled with artefacts Hongjun collected over the years. His own personal wealth accumulated over countless years was sure to dwarf any expert sans perhaps the totality of the dragons. Realizing what his words meant, the quick thinking darted out of the palace. All aiming for the place where Hongjun kept his treasures. The commotion was so much that Yaochi became furious. ¡°Master, they¡¯ll ransack your Treasure Sealing Cliff!¡± ¡°They¡¯re yours if you so wish. I have no need for anything anymore. You may as well use them,¡± Hongjun merely said before turning away from the mess. Those words of consent were all that was needed for his five disciples to bolt out of the palace. ¡°Go,¡± Haotian said to Yaochi. ¡°This isn¡¯t an opportunity master gives out freely.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°GO!¡± Yaochi flew out of the room leaving its final two occupants alone. Confused and Alone ¡°She¡¯s an obedient girl,¡± Hongjun sighed. ¡°Her talent is mediocre, her thoughts on the Dao lacking, her passion to cultivate non existent.¡± ¡°Everything you said,¡± Haotian replied. ¡°Everything you just said was bullshit.¡± Roaring laughter filled the room. The Heavenly Dao had dissipated by this point, bored of Hongjun¡¯s theatrics. Haotian was left in a trembling Zixiao Palace suffering from powers released by Hongjun. Hongjun keeled over, hand over belly as he tried to contain his laugh. As he did so, he struggled to reign in the power he¡¯d accidentally released. Although brief, it was still noticeable. Thankfully no one but Haotian was left inside. To see someone who moments ago portrayed such an exalted all knowing image in this state? Well it would¡¯ve been unimaginable. ¡°My dear boy, don¡¯t,¡± Hongjun chuckled. He took a few breaths to steady himself while simultaneously reigning back in the unbelievable Dao realm aura that had Leaked out. Even weaker Chaos Immortals would¡¯ve been utterly crushed beneath it. From Haotian¡¯s perspective, even the simplest of actions performed by Hongjun was a life changing scene. ¡°Master, from my birth till now.¡± A memory of an eight headed serpent digging into a cliff side followed by that of a young boy looking out to the sea echoed in his mind. ¡°When you imparted cultivation to me. You taught me that the method of the Chaos Godfiends was the most ideal, most optimized method to have ever existed.¡± ¡°But above all else, you also taught me how the totality of existence functioned. The Chaos Sea isn¡¯t some former iteration nor a blank space. It¡¯s a multiverse where countless Chaos Worlds just like our own operate.¡± Another memory of a gargantuan eight headed serpent traveling through dark tides of the Chaos Sea surfaced in his mind again. Sights indescribable to the denizens of the Primitive World were recalled in the same breath. ¡°The path of cultivation isn¡¯t something tied to Dao laws of the universe. The godfiend method used until now was constructed by Ancestor Tai Chu through imitating Grand Dao backwards. But it was never tied to it nor the Heavenly Dao nor would it become defunct. You taught me that to reach Limitless one would need to study how Grand Dao propagated existence. The Heavenly Dao is just the will of one Chaos World among many. Master, just what were you saying?¡± ¡°Merely the will of heaven,¡± Hongjun replied stroking his beard. ¡°Nothing more then my end of a bargain. ¡°Yes Haotian, you are fully correct in everything you just said. The Heavenly Dao simply cannot decide reality in the Chaos Sea, it cannot remove a path of cultivation. And I will preface, the Path of Heavenly Dao(saint) is not something I want you to cultivate. Hongjun¡¯s expression turned extremely serious. ¡°This path, while it does have the benefit of a defined preset path in the third phase of cultivation(cultivating Dao). And while the obtained power is on par with Chaos Immortals unlike Devils of similar rank. Unlike the Chaos Godfiend system the realm of Saint to Be cannot be greatly varied in abilities. ¡°The Heavenly Dao has long grown tired of cultivators using the Chaos Godfiend system. Though it provided enormous sustenance for it during its period of rapid growth, cultivators were outside its purview as soon as they enter the third order of celestial lifeforms. In addition to the uncontrollable power of Chaos Immortals, heaven has taken precautions. ¡°First of all, with its new ascension it has already begun to constructing a barrier in the outskirts of its reach in the Chaos Sea. None of you could see it because it¡¯s simply too far. But like an embryo becoming an egg, a shell is being constructed that will block out Grand Dao. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Heaven is incomparable to Grand, but this heaven is by no means weak. It¡¯s on par with a Dao realm being os of current and its using that power to make this barrier. It¡¯s purpose is not to prevent anyone from coming in nor going out. But to prevent one from studying Grand Dao and thus obtaining the Wuxi principle. In this manner, it has sealed the path to become Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal. ¡°Not only that, to walk this heavenly path is to place one self in the confines of heaven. When one achieves Golden Immortalhood, they exist heaven and are unbound by it. Even if the Heavenly Dao is tremendously stronger then a Golden Immortalised ant, it cannot control their destiny. However, by walking the Path of Heaven, even mighty Saint to Be will once again fall into its restriction.¡± Haotian grew terrified at those words. He didn¡¯t need Hongjun to explain in further detail for he already understood perfectly what such a scenario would represent. Golden Immortals are the basic level of the Chaos Sea because they were fully in ownership of oneself. They were perfect beings who had broken out of a Chaos World¡¯s cycle of life and death. Strictly speaking, they should be defined a existing or destroyed rather than living or dead. What Hongjun present was a poisonous path that would divert a cultivator back to the a trapped existence once more. They would be entirely dependent on the Chaos World and be subject to its whims of fancy. The Heavenly Dao could either strip them of all free will if it so wished for it would OWN them. ¡®Heavenly Dao is a thinking conscious being. Above all else it is also¡­¡¯ Haotian never truly had close interactions with the Heavenly Dao. But he had seen what it was like many times already. He couldn¡¯t help the sceptical expression from appearing on his face. ¡°But why go along with it. Are you not all powerful master? As a godfiend yourself, was it not sacred for equal opportunity to reach the Dao to be presented? Why are you selling such a story?¡± ¡°Why ask when you can feel it?¡± Haotian balk at Hongjun¡¯s reply. ¡°My dear disciple, you truly are kind and righteous. But there are duties that alas, must supersede personal wishes. Do not mistake my willingness to impart this path as me liking it. I find it as distasteful as you. But sometimes our hands are tied. ¡°Besides, its not as if these people are related to us. In this heaven and earth, only you are my true inheritor. Everything I own will become yours in time. You have great potential Haotian I know it. Do not be bogged down by concerns on your acquaintances¡¯ parts. Eventually all unnecessary relationships will be severed, it is a natural process. ¡°Your junior sister as well. I know you care much for her, but Yaochi is not like you. Her devotion to cultivation is half hearted at best and her talent worse. It would be a miracle for her to cultivate to the Limitless Supreme stage. I offered Hongmeng Purple qi so that she would not stay defenceless. ¡°When my own path forward I secured, I will even impart this Dao realm throne to you my dear disciple. Though if you find your own way to Dao by then, that¡¯ll be better. Don¡¯t be concerned about Wuji¡¯s inaccessibility. The Heavenly Dao is¡­willing to make concessions for me in our negotiations.¡± Hongjun¡¯s well wishes were not fully accepted by Haotian. The innate god took this opportunity observe Hongjun closely for the first time in a long while. ¡°Master, I still have one more question.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You¡­you believe in me so much? Trust me so much? Why? I¡¯m not more talented then any innate god out there rummaging through Treasure Sealing Cliff.¡± Hongjun chuckled. ¡°Silly child, you are the disciple I raised. The inheritor of I Dao Ancestor Elder Lord Hongjun. Why would I need another reason.¡± In that moment, everything came together for Haotian. Hongjun¡¯s expression, his words, his reasonings. Haotian finally understood where Hongjun was coming from. Arrogance, a belief in self omniscience, disdain towards those not like himself. A same flaw Liu Er famously had and never attempted to rectify. A danger that conflate assumptions with reality spawned from tremendous arrogance. ¡®There was never a need to look into him because I already know.¡¯ Haotian sighed in his heart. In the end it was merely one big coincidence. The Dao of Distant Seas cultivated by the Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord Da Hai was founded on the visual of a person looking out at the sea from a place close to shore. The principles of near and far, awareness and unobtainability had always been part of it. Hongjun was aware of Haotian, Haotian=Da Hai. Therefore Da Hai is out of reach. Haotian felt likely chuckling at the absurdity of the situation. The fact that this Dao was already on the Wuji path was the reason it affected Hongjun in the first place. The fact that Hongjun was so arrogant that he would never think to examine Haotian deeply nor possibilities of Da Hai having methods to survive him was because he assumed. He assumed and he assumed, he kept assuming because of that same arrogance. After all, he was in the Dao realm. And he was right in a way. Haotian loved Hongjun like one would their own father. In Hongjun¡¯s eyes, he was not an abandoned spy machine with no goal in sight. Yet Haotian couldn¡¯t find it in him to say anything ¡°Thank you master¡­for clarifying things for me.¡± In the time that followed, Haotian would remain by himself stuck on what to do. Everything became too confusing for him despite the war being over. No voice from Chaos Sea reached him. Hongjun did not want him to do anything. The pitying gazes from his peers did bother him. Yaochi¡¯s words of encouragements did not affect him. Heaven achieved absolute control under everyone¡¯s nose. The devils were gone and new factions formed to take its place. His master did as Luohu had and diverted everyone to a trap of a cultivation path. His other self¡¯s status was a mystery other then being felt. In a secluded area in the hinterlands of the Great Wilderness¡¯ remnants, Haotian covered his face with his palms. He felt so torn and overwhelmed. He just didn¡¯t know what to do. But he did know one thing though. And that was that he had to be away for a while. Three Realms I The Primitive World had become a sea of realms. The great landmass remaining at the top along with an uncountable amount of worlds below. Not a lot of time had passed since this shape took form. In fact, it was still in the process of transforming. Hongjun¡¯s seminar did little to halt the chaos going on in this time of change. Very few places were even safe from skirmishes broken out by rogue factions vying for territory. Among the few places completely tranquil was an enormous realm within the sea of countless world. This world was unlike any other as it had no visible landmass. It was not a flat disc, but a spherical orb of water. In front of this realm, Yuanshi stepped out of a tear in reality wearing a determined face. He could feel the air around him still and knew that this world¡¯s occupants knew he had arrived. He was unwelcome however, if the chilling environment was anything to go by. Distant roars filled with strong emotion, not quite malice but definitely a warning. This was the new home of the dragons as a race. A world that was purely sea. In the immediate aftermath of Hongjun¡¯s ascension, Yinglong took advantage of the three thousand years of quiet to draw up a tremendous amount of seawater that had spewed out of the Great Wilderness. Harnessing his power as a Chaos Immortal, he along with all remaining dragon elders constructed a great realm that would act as the new ancestral lands of his race. In the old Great Wilderness¡¯ East Sea, Kailong Chen still existed as a shadow of its former self now ruled by Qiu Niu. But the vast majority of dragons have evacuated here. ¡°I Yuanshi of Kunlun¡¯s Three Pure Ones request and audience,¡± Yuanshi announced. He was freshly back from Hongjun¡¯s seminar and a short race at Treasure Sealing Cliff. Neither of his siblings were anywhere in sight. A second roar echoed throughout the void, this time far stronger. Several presences denoting Primal Origin Chaos Immortals could be felt now. Yuanshi also felt several gazes belonging to surviving Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal dragons. ¡°I merely wish to ask some questions to great Yinglong, I have always respected the Primordial Celestial Dragons. I wish for guidance from your patriarch and king.¡± Grumbling sounds could be heard as dragons began discussing with one another. Strictly speaking, based on the principle that he was Hongjun¡¯s disciple now he would be kicked out without asking. However, Hongjun was now the peak authority that no one could challenge less they be overtaken by madness. But the pride of ancient dragons warred heavily against this fact. ¡°Let the young man in,¡± an old withered voice said. More grumbles were heard by the innate god, but he could feel massive bodies moving through the water, hidden beneath dark waves. Then a gargantuan ten kilometre long dragon burst out of the sea world and transformed into the form of a young man. ¡°I am Ao Yuanzi. I will escort you¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuanshi descended along with the dragon into the sea world with the latter disinterested in speaking anymore to him. It was sad to Yuanshi, how much their relationship frosted over just as it seemed like it¡¯ll recover. He¡¯d grown to admire their skills as artificers, architects, warriors, and administrators during his stays across the dragon palaces. The world around Yuanshi grew darker and darker as they penetrated deep into the sea. Unlike the East Sea, there was no sea floor here. Just endless dark ocean held together by dragonic power. There was no star to illuminate this world either, areas were only lit by the will of their dragonic occupants. Across various spaces, Yuanshi could see private abodes in unfinished states. Some were legitimate buildings while others were rock formations mimicking caves. But there was no longer any expansive cities with ornate decorations. He¡¯d also noticed very few seafolk present either. He knew many clans had taken this opportunity to break away from the dragons who had so much of their vitality erased. But he did notice hundreds of small worlds in the vicinity of this dragon world that likely acted as homes for their vassals. He made no comment on it less unnecessary conflicts were ignited. ¡°His majesty is up ahead,¡± his guide said pointing a finger at a dark abyss where nothing was visible. Yuanshi had to reach out extensively with his senses to pierce through the veil obscuring his destination. A little island was all he saw. Not an ornate palace of extravagance or even a wealthy mansion. But an seemingly uninhabited island where a tree grew atop a meadow. The only occupant was a winged dragon resting along a series of mountains. His yellow scales appeared dull from Yuanshi¡¯s vision, his wings folded neatly alongside his body. Both his eyes remained close while his whiskers fluttered in currents. ¡°I have arrived,¡± Yuanshi said as he touched down before Yinglong¡¯s head. He gave a respectful salute to the elder dragon who was obviously still suffering from wounds. The great power of a Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal was extremely restrained compared to his own. ¡°I greet senior Yinglong.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Why have you come Yuanshi.¡± The eyes of Da Hai¡¯s second disciple opened to stare through Yuanshi¡¯s whole being. The innate god did not back down nor was he ever nervous in the first place. He showed Yinglong respect of a junior greeting and elder. But if the two were the really battle right now, Yinglong would probably lose. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are aware of Hongjun¡¯s lecture on the Dao.¡± ¡°How could I not? It caused quite a commotion. Heh, I should congratulate you as well for finding yourself the disciple of a Dao realm supreme being.¡± ¡°You know? I did not know news traveled so fast.¡± ¡°Six lights lit up on top of Zixiao Palace and your names were on it. It¡¯s not hard to calculate what happened. Especially not when the first thing to blabber out of the seafolk leaders who attended were of you lot.¡± ¡°Then you are already aware of what he taught?¡± ¡°Hardly, they went into seclusion to ¡®digest their gains¡¯ as soon as they returned. Those same people are already traitors in the making. They want to defect now that my clan is banished from the wider world,¡± Yinglong said in lamentation. ¡°Hongjun is now the true king of this Primitive World. Even exalted Chaos Immortals desire to curry favour with him while we the old powers are left forgotten. So colour me surprised when you decide to show up here. Do you seek your own master¡¯s ire?¡± No dragon had attended Hongjun¡¯s lecture, and very few among the seafolk were among the three thousand guests. Yuanshi sat down cross legged. ¡°I am not afraid. I simply want to know because things Hong¡­my master said don¡¯t quite add up with the knowledge I¡¯ve garnered until now.¡± Yuanshi began explaining what happened in the seminar. He spoke of all the wonderful things Hongjun had said word for word. Even without Hongjun personally speaking, and through Yuanshi¡¯s mouth instead of a Dao realm being¡¯s instead, Yinglong could feel profound guidance within them. Yet when Yuanshi began speaking on the nature of existence including both the Primitive World and the Chaos Sea, their ties to Grand and Heavenly Dao and cultivation that Yinglong openly frowned. This culminated when Yinglong interrupted Yuanshi mid speech with a bizarre tone. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know. I have never experienced the Chaos Sea, nor am I knowledgable about this Grand Dao. I do not understand the cultivation path beyond Primal Zenith because that information was never public outside of known existence of Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortals. ¡°But in my time working with your master senior Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord Da Hai in the Netherworld, I overheard ramblings from him as well. So please tell me, who is right and who is wrong?¡± Yinglong sighed but looked around unsure. He craned his neck upwards but opted to shake his head. At the end of the day, his duty was to his people that his older brother entrusted him with. He cannot afford to draw the Heavenly Dao¡¯s ire if it came to light what was being discussed here. But the things Yuanshi had repeated back to him was so nonsensical that he couldn¡¯t believe why anyone would acknowledge it. Yet at the same time, he understood his education was far superior then the vast majority of the Primitive World¡¯s inhabitants. ¡°Your silence is telling,¡± Yuanshi said. ¡°Though to be honest, if either my master or the Heavenly Dao was scrutinising our actions here? I wager we¡¯d both be dead.¡± ¡°This new system is a strange one,¡± Yinglong finally said. ¡°Theoretically, unlike the system we¡¯ve all been using now, this Saint to Be realm will be a lot more consistent in what its inhabitants can accomplish. Under this preset path, there¡¯s little room for variance in power ranking.¡± Then Yinglong starred right into Yuanshi. ¡°However, cultivating fully the Dao laws of this world to reach Saint to Be. Cutting out three corpses and transforming into a creature of heaven. Is that not surrendering oneself to the Heavenly Dao completely?¡± The ancient dragon became troubled. The future of the dragons and their vassals within the Primitive World became extremely troubling. Strictly speaking, what dragons, both pure blood and ascended cultivated was a variation of the path that Ancestor Tai Chu established. The Dragonic Dao¡¯s version of foundation establishment was not to become an immortal, but a serpentine dragon. That was why every cultivator belonging to Zulong who chose to use his Dragonic Dao gradually became dragons. It served as a means of control for the former sovereign as well as it converted someone of a different race to a dragon. ¡°You have given me much to think about,¡± Yinglong finally said. ¡°I appreciate you coming to inform me, especially at the risk you¡¯ve placed upon yourself. You are¡­a friend to us dragons.¡± ¡°I would always hold your race in respect. But I came here to confirm my own suspicions. Not to your benefit senior,¡± Yuanshi retorted. ¡°Nevertheless, you have done me a service. If you are willing, I will establish a means of communication with you.¡± Yet before both could continue speaking, the ocean around them shook. It was not an attack, nor a natural disaster. It was in actuality, a major announcement to all the denizens of he Primitive World. It had not even taken place in this world of ocean. Rather, Hongjun manifested a gargantuan incarnation above the skies of what remained of the Great Wilderness. ¡­ In the heartlands of the ruins of My Buzhou, a temple formed from Pangu¡¯s heart was downed in an air of depression. Thousands of years ago, the great Earthly Divinities rose out from their birthplace to join the enormous war plaguing the Primitive World. Now, it is a haunting retreat for what remained of this race of gods. Their leaders, those ancestors still alive all sat in their thrones in a depressive state. Di Jiang, his flabby body looking ill instead of strong. Nothing about him exuded the great aura of the eldest, most powerful, and leader of this race of gods. Of them, only four of his siblings remained. Zhurong of fire, Gonggong of water, Rushou of metal, Jumang of wood. The rest had all perished. ¡°Brother, we can¡¯t stay silent forever.¡± Of all of them, Zhurong was the one badgering Di Jiang. His fiery appearance smouldered after the final battle of the war, but a anger remained hidden in his gaze towards Di Jiang. ¡°How long are you going to lament the fall of our family. Our people is still waiting on what to do. Are we going to reclaim father god¡¯s land? Are we going to do anything?¡± ¡°Enough Zhurong, that¡¯s the eighth hundred time you¡¯ve said this,¡± Jumang chastized. ¡°Let Big Brother grieve.¡± ¡°Three thousand years Jumang. I see those ungrateful innate creatures fighting over themselves once again just nine million kilometres to our east. Over a fucking pond of all things!¡± The raging fire god glared around at his siblings. ¡°Gonggong you agree with me right? We¡¯re the true blooded sons of father god Pangu, we should be protecting this land like we did when those devils attacked. Instead we sit here doing nothing for thousands of years.¡± The water god couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°That saint Hongjun should be doing his lecture on Dao right now. Those people that¡¯re attending, they¡¯re bound to grow even stronger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, eventually a new Luohu might emerge from them. Not to say anything bad about our friends the dragons or phoenixes, but before our time they also warred against each other destroying father god¡¯s creation.¡± Jumang sighed. ¡°And when we joined the fight outside, more then half our family died.¡± ¡°Big brother, no matter what a decision has to be made. You¡¯re the head of our family? Speak, what are we to do?¡± Rushou called towards their brother and king. But Di Jiang only sat, still in a depressive state. In his mind, he had been the greatest failure of all. It was after all, under his watch that such a tragedy befell his family. Unseen by his remaining brothers, he¡¯d been completely broken. None of these great divinities went to listen to Hongjun. This was because even if they made the arduous journey, it¡¯ll be pointless. They lacked Nascent Souls, hence they lacked awareness to greater undefined concepts. They could not comprehend the Dao like cultivators could. Their powers stemmed purely from their bloodline, immense strength from their physiques and natural ability to command forces of nature. But all of them were keenly aware that those who went to listen, no matter their background would reap enormous benefits. What this could mean for both them and the world they loved so much yet had to watch as it shattered, was a topic for concern. ¡°Di Jiang?¡± The great god of chaos bent his body, as if bowing a missing head. His wings lay scattered aside his throne, just like his skin appearing melted on said throne. It was a pathetic sight. ¡°Brothers,¡± he finally said after a long period of silence. ¡°What¡¯s the point of you all asking me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am a failure of a leader. I failed to notice Houtu¡¯s distress. I allowed our family to lose their lives against that monster. I couldn¡¯t do anything to save any of them. That monkey may¡¯ve had a point, I was stupid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Enough. I¡­I am unworthy of being leader of us Earthly Divinities.¡± Di Jiang rose to face his brothers. All that was written on him were emotions of deep despair. But then the world shook as a gargantuan figure appeared above them. Hongjun in his saintly majesty appeared far above the Great Wilderness. His grand presence drowned out everything, leaving only silence among the Ancestral Divinities. His arm spread open in a welcoming manner, but it was not directed at them. Hongjun¡¯s presence was never aimed at them in the first place, rather all of existence. ¡°My seminar after three thousand years intermediate have ended. Today marks the final end of this saga. This era of primordial heaven has ended, let us all usher in the new era. No more dragons, no more phoenixes, no more devils, no more godfiends.¡± ¡°Today, I declare the rise of the Three Realms!¡± Three Realms II ¡°The era of the super sized Great Wilderness has come to an end. As a result of the Devil Tribulation, all existence suffered a shattering. To the survivors and newborns in these past three thousand years, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already that the beyond your world is now many. The vast void between realms is an endless ocean of worlds. Around the Three Realms, wether it be the remnant of the Great Wilderness, the Starry Skies, or the Netherworld. All its inhabitants payed close attention to the image of Hongjun that had formed. Despite the past three thousand years being one of tumultuous circumstances, many felt things would slowly morph back how they were. Yet the pieces of the once great super sized world that was the Great Wilderness drifted ever apart. Landmasses worth the size of galaxies spun in patterns around the void. In the three thousand years since the war, star fields containing many worlds were forming beyond anyone¡¯s control inside these galaxies. Because of the void, their locations and distance became ever more inconsistent compared to when they were one joined landmass. ¡°The Great Wilderness is now more. The five continents are no more. In accordance to the desire of heaven, the east shall be named Shengshen, the south shall be named Shanbu, the west shall be named Niuhe, and the north? Heaven has deemed it Julu. Today, I declare the formation of four continents of the Heavenly Realm! ¡°!!!¡± Shock was not enough to describe what many ancient experts felt. The name of the world they¡¯d all lived in for so long changed just like that. The name they were so used to went away like it was nothing. North, East, South, and West. The central continent had completely vanished along with all dimensional barriers that had formerly separated the continents. Now, the uneven landmass that was the Heavenly Realm¡¯s four continents had it¡¯s designated borders redrawn by Hongjun. Or rather, as heavenly light descended from the sky above the Heavenly Realm, lines resembling veins crisscrossed across the landmass and seas. From the original Great Wilderness, only about thirty percent of lands remained. Of those, the new East continent contained nine percent of land, the West housed only five percent. The South was the largest by far, containing thirteen percent of land. Finally, the North was tiny in comparison only three percent. Of course, even a fraction of a percent was still larger than even the largest of worlds that had sprung up in the void. ¡°The Heavenly Dao has decreed such and I shall broadcast it¡¯s will. The sea of realms are to be considered the earthly dimensions. Of the Three Realms, it is the Earthly Realm. To maintain heaven¡¯s order, the worlds of the Earthly Realm are connected to the Heavenly Realm. ¡°The patterns they conglomerate are the chiliocosms of the Earthly Realm. The star fields within a chiliocosm belongs to its system as I¡¯m sure you explored have inferred. These are the terms heaven wishes for you to use. Our universe is vast and complex now compared to simpler primordial times. ¡°Together with the Heavenly Realm, our universe forms the the trichiliocosm(billion fold universe) of the Three Realms. So remember this fact, the age of the Primitive World is over. This is a new era for civilization. Heaven has decreed the Three Realm¡¯s existence!!!¡± ¡­ Watching from a safe distance in the void, Nuwa and Jieyin who had left Zixiao Palace together felt a sense of longing for the old Great Wilderness. Jieyin had already been aware of the west¡¯s reduced size. But now he regrets never being able to see all of the original West Continent again. ¡°Sorry, where were we?¡± Nuwa turned back around to Jieyin. Hongjun had faded after his speech and it was like reality shuddered throughout it all. Even immortals of their calibre were deeply affected. So much so that the task he had agreed to just now was halted. ¡°Oh the void yes. Zhunti¡¯s life signature.¡± She quickly remembered. Her consciousness reached out again to search. Jieyin stayed silent but a hopeful, yet also resigned gaze. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Actually fellow daoist, there is no need,¡± he said instead. ¡°But don¡¯t you want to find your junior?¡± ¡°Yes but¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe he¡¯s even alive anymore. I cannot fault you, I cannot sense him either.¡± Nuwa¡¯s Dao appeared to her after she mended the hole in heaven. But it was one representative of living beings, living vitality, and creation. In this way, if anyone could detect a living being in this cosmos, it¡¯ll be Nuwa. At first Jieyin used his mastery over karma, using the spells of causality, or destiny to track his brother. But after three thousand years? That was why after a quick scuffle in Treasure Sealing Cliff, Jieyin approached Nuwa. Neither referred to each other as fellow disciples, finding such a thing awkward. But both did treat each other with the respect of comrades. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I know he is somewhere out there because our karma has yet to end.¡± Jieyin said. ¡°But at the same time, I am of two folds. In my eyes, it is vivid miraculous strong as I¡¯d expect someone as close to me would be. Yet in another, I see a purely golden string that could only belong to a meritous saint.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you know fellow daoist, when my junior brother and I studied to intricacies of karma, we came about to a discovery. The path of influence that karma takes, it¡¯s somewhat dependent on the viewer. A mortal or even second order celestial life forms, or even most third order ones would not be aware of it. Chaos Immortals of the old era either didn''t notice or didn¡¯t see. ¡°I don¡¯t think even the great Limitless experts were aware. But for us who cultivated it immensely, we came to realise that our differing conclusions on the workings of karma can change how it functions in relation to you and the people you interact with. ¡°For example, two Chaos Immortals cultivated Dao¡¯s relating to karma have two views on this subject. One believed all things are fated and happen following a script. The other thinks events are merely a reaction to causes. Both are in fact true, so long as they don¡¯t interact. The first cultivator¡¯s view that karmic luck was something innately possessed will infer a story with beginning and end for everyone he meets. ¡°But the latter will instead see a series of possibilities based on different actions for the people he meets. If both were to meet in interact, their points of view will inevitably start clashing. The stronger Dao will naturally come on top and be the dominant influence, but the weaker Dao doesn¡¯t necessarily disappear. It¡¯s overwhelmed, but it¡¯ll still have some degree of wiggle room.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Jieyin but how is this relevant?¡± ¡°Patience I¡¯m getting there. It is my belief that there is a normal way karma flows in all existence. But this Pri¡­Three Realms is localized to the Heavenly Dao who is most supreme, hence it¡¯s view on karma takes precedence. I cultivated it as well, hence my own view of it has power so long as the Heavenly Dao doesn¡¯t directly interfere. ¡°When I said I saw two strings of karma, those were two perspectives of my brother Zhunti. But I lied and there are actually three.¡± ¡°?¡± Jieyin sighed as he looked towards remains of Mt Sumeru in the West Continent. ¡°Zhunti viewed destined events as rewards for accumulated karma from meritous deeds. The golden light is heaven¡¯s perspective, and it¡¯s not much different other than meritious meaning in service of heaven. My own view is different and irrelevant but it¡¯s this third view. ¡°It¡¯s almost like an infection. A warping of sorts on the person I know into a definite shell with no room for other explanation. Just like what I started seeing in the Netherworld when that¡­¡± ¡°That monkey,¡± Nuwa was quick to reply. ¡°You think he did something to Zhunti? That¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t reappeared?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. My junior brother was still a Chaos Immortal of high calibre. But I am scared of the possibility. What if one day my junior brother returns, but it¡¯s this caricature that I see in this karmic string?¡± ¡­ In other parts of the world, the relevant powers only saw this as another sign that unlike before, the Heavenly Dao was not something that can ever be ignored. The remnants of the Phoenixes especially understood the need to restrain themselves. Their Avian empire had already disappeared. If they were not infighting to fill the royal vacuum, various avian clans fled to join the Demon court. There were already avian demons who did not wish to be under Zufeng¡¯s control and had already joined up with Di Jun when he established his court. But now that amount exploded. The sudden influx of experts from the former Phoenix territory did little to assail the worries of existing demon powerhouses. It only presented another rival in court for Eastern Emperor Taiyi¡¯s favour. As the the phoenix herself? Like Yinglong, she did not appear to anyone nor speak to anything. The Undead Volcano still rested in the Heavenly realm¡¯s southern regions. But her presence was not detected. Though some speculated she was simply hiding and that was still the location of her cave abode. It wasn¡¯t like anyone wanted to visits that place anyway. Too hot for any but the most cultivated in fire arts. The Starry Skies did not have a strong reaction either. Changxi shut herself into close door cultivation the moment she returned to the Lunar Star. She was greeted by the star¡¯s inhabitants as the Moon Star Lord despite her own misgivings. As Wangshu disappeared from the public eye, those born within the last three thousand years even speculated her demise. But in her palace, in her own secluded chamber. Wangshu lay resting in her bed while a silk cocoon hung from her ceiling. She was undisturbed from all things in the outside world. Where her consciousness went, no one would know. In the Netherworld, Minghe returned to a crowd of bloodfiends. There, he sat and began imparting to them the Dao he learned. The Netherworld was not his to rule however, it was the domain of the Reincarnation Disc and it¡¯s chosen champion. Yanluo had left to look for Haotian as of recent. Minghe didn¡¯t know why, but he could feel something strange going on in the Reincarnation Disc. As one of the architects of its creation, Minghe noticed a strange life signature growing inside it. But he didn¡¯t understand it. The current world order may seem chaotic on the surface, but Minghe saw it as controlled chaos. The will of heaven permeated all realms and he as a Chaos Immortal of the highest order sensed this even more so. With the war over, the blood god bowed his head. His invincibility was gone, he¡¯d have to learn to be even more careful now. Far away from the Three Realms, yet not beyond the Heavenly Dao¡¯s influence. A single dragon watched with a complex expression. The dragon quickly turned around and darted away. Uncertain Futures ¡°So that is the legendary Elder Lord Hongjun.¡± ¡°Mighty Hongjun.¡± ¡°Is he greater then great mother?¡± The community of humans resided in a hidden valley known as Fire Cloud valley Close to the coastal regions of what is now the Eastern Shengshen continent. Well nobody really called it that yet preferring a simple East continent. The people living here were just that, people. They belonged to no race with exotic appearance, followed no supreme ruler lording over millions of races. These were the first group of humans to inhabit the Three Realms. All of them wore stone aged clothing made of beast pelts woven together. Many sat around small campfires under stone huts with straw roofs. They had been left on their own under a protective shield after their creator, god, and mother, Nuwa left to attend Hongjun¡¯s seminar. At this time, their population was small but their lives were extremely long. These humans were not mortals after all. As either direct progeny of Nuwa or children birthed by the very very first generation of primordial humans, these early humans had cultivation. They were not too dissimilar to innate creatures spawned out of heaven and earth. Only, they found a much easier time communicating with and illuminating themselves on the Dao laws of the Three Realms. Using their supernatural power, wether they be men or women, young or old, these early humans provided for themselves by hunting nearby forests for unintelligent beasts. They wove clothing and built buildings under their leader¡¯s tutelage. In order to survive a chaotic time period, even with Nuwa¡¯s protection they still needed to work hard together. ¡°Hongjun.¡± Yet one voice among them was not bewildered, scared, or even in awe of the divine projection of Hongjun. Rather, an unimpressed look sported his face followed closely by a snort. Among the population of humans, one handsome long haired youth walked through the crowd. His head held high, shoulders broad, chest puffed out. People subconsciously made way for him as they passed. Even without speaking, the knowledge to not bother this person was ingrained in their minds. This youth was special after all, closer to god then men. Even the revered leaders of the human race were weary of him. ¡®As they rightfully should.¡¯ The arrogant youth was fully confident in himself. After all, he had twelve years of mandatory education. He was far far far far smarter then these primitive savages. ¡®The immortals should be cultivating what Hongjun taught them. Daoist immortals? Humph, how pathetic. Humans don¡¯t need those weak losers.¡¯ His disdain was evident whenever a glare scanned his surroundings. The poorly constructed buildings, the bad quality cloths, not to mention how bad everyone smelled. He thought it was unbelievable how dumb these people were. If it were him, these savages would advance beyond any demon or divinity in no time. But very soon, all that will change. He¡¯ll bring a golden age to humanity and teach the lofty immortals of heaven not to fuck with. But first he needed everyone to realise that female whore was a two faced lying bitch. He passed by many people discussing what Hongjun had announced. Passed many men and women working. It was irritating to see, those females could much more productive not wasting their time hunting or building. There were communal dinners to prepare, the weak needed spiritually rich meat and were certainly not gonna feed themselves. The youth understood what society needed and knew how to properly assign duties to his people. But the so called leaders of humanity were too dumb to understand. Apparently he needed to prove himself by contributing to society. Honestly, he would¡¯ve claimed the merit of creating cloths, real cloths for himself if that woman wasn¡¯t born earlier. Heaven truly wasn¡¯t fair. What¡¯s more, Youchao claimed the merit for building. He knew he couldn¡¯t go for farming or writing even if he, a city raised fresh high school graduate obviously knew how. That destiny belonged to Shennong and Canjie/Hongyun and he didn¡¯t wanna risk going against heaven just yet. Besides, all of the above were useless contributions if you asked him. He knew what he really needed to create to be recognized as an ancestor of mankind. True power to dominate the heavens. Martial prowess. ¡°Right so this delivery of beef can go to district eight. district four said they needed more materials to complete their storehouse. Youchao do you think¡­What are you doing here Wusheng(martial body)?¡± A middle aged looking man dressed in animal pelt stoped his words asked the youth. His beard was messy, like dancing fire, he smelled of smoke and but exuded a presence of warmth. This was Suiren, the first human in the Three Realms. Wushen had entered a very specific hut, the main administrative building the leaders of humanity gathered. Currently, this small council only housed the three people with the greatest contribution to society and hence led it. Suiren, Youchao, and Ziyi. The last of which earned a sneer from Wusheng. ¡°Checking on your progress,¡± Wusheng replied. ¡°After that light show people are scared. How¡¯re you planning to move forward now that outside immortals have presented a threat?¡± ¡°A threat¡­what?¡± Suiren was startled. ¡°Come on you can¡¯t be that dull Suiren. Sooner or later monsters will hunt our people down and eat us. Do you think she¡¯ll help us over her own kind. We need to take this chance and¡­¡± ¡°Careful Wusheng,¡± Suiren warned, fully understanding who ¡®she¡¯ was referring to. ¡°Wusheng, this place is for the council only. I understand you¡¯re eager to lead, but barging in here when you have done nothing to qualify is an unbecoming attitude,¡± Ziyi scolded to the youth with an exasperated tone. She was the only woman of the group and the person who figured out how to make clothing. The other person in the room, Youchao was the architect behind humanity¡¯s housing. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Hmph.¡± Wusheng payed her no mind. Ziyi was nothing special and the humiliating aspect of this council. Suiren created fire to cook, to illuminate, to destroy with. Youchao built houses for shelter and storage. What did Ziyi do? Making cloths something any man can do. What¡¯s more, she was so terrible at it. Was it too much to ask for a high T-shirt? Honestly, Suiren had already made fire. Why couldn¡¯t she wise up and make use of it to cook like a proper self respecting female? It made no sense to Wusheng. Youchao and Suiren earned no respect from him for this decision. At least she was good looking. Ziyi had an Amazonian muscle mommy appearance to her that Wusheng appreciated. Now if only she could stop questioning him. ¡°Young Wusheng, we are in the middle of a serious discussion.¡± Youchao looked the oldest of the group but was in fact much younger then Suiren. ¡°I agree that announcement is a lot to take in, but it isn¡¯t something that¡¯ll affect is significantly just yet. Some matters are more important for now.¡± Ziyi sighed and whispered something to Suiren. ¡°Senior brother, I believe in time Wusheng¡¯s antics would spell disastrous for our human race. We are already weak reliant on mother¡¯s protection, we don¡¯t want to ruin that for his delusions.¡± ¡°You are right Ziyi. This Thorne brings nothing but headache. But it pains me to even consider the final punishment(death), there are already so few of us.¡± ¡°Perhaps a banishment? Leave him at another settlement and see how that tempers him.¡± ¡°You are wise sister.¡± What those two surely didn¡¯t know was that Wusheng had excellent hearing. And after witnessing this scene, his disgust towards Suiren grew an order of magnitude. So this was the type of man he is, a loser and a cuck. Nothing more then a well trained dog for this bitch. ¡°Hmph,¡± Wusheng walked up to the table the three were sitting at and slammed a leather book down. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Yours truly¡¯s gift. Nuwa taught us immortal cultivation but so what? We humans don¡¯t need outsiders interfering with out lives. We don¡¯t some innate god, or some demon who sees us as food, or some self righteous old hermit to teach us. No we need to find out own path if we are to survive in this dog eat dog world.¡± No one could deny Wusheng was weirdly charismatic. Youchao and Ziyi glanced at the book he dropped on the table with some interest while Suiren felt his eyebrow twitch. Everything Wusheng said made sense and was already known. Despite Suiren¡¯s misgivings, he knew he cannot rely on Nuwa¡¯s protection forever. Not just because his mother was injured, but also because she¡¯s alone is not strong enough to withstand all the forces out there. He remembered a time when he was little more then a mindless mud puppet and understood just how high the power ceiling of experts were. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time guys. So we humans need to attack first. We need to teach all those races not to fuck with humanity.¡± And there was the caveat. Wusheng was incredibly aggressive. Suiren was afraid he¡¯ll go out of his way to offend the demons, divinities, the innate gods, maybe even drag the dragons and phoenixes out of retirement before their race were strong enough. Wusheng was strong already, but arrogant and too self assured. He¡¯s never experienced war like Suiren¡¯s previous self had and did not understand just what he was up against. Humans needed stability and to stay lowkey, especially when they had no enemies. ¡°Hm, senior brother isn¡¯t this technique¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± before Wusheng could stop her, Ziyi had already flipped the book open to showcase a bunch of crude drawings of various positions alongside small descriptions beside them. ¡°HEY!¡± Wusheng snapped. ¡°Who gave you the right?¡± The book was titled ¡®Way of the Martial God¡¯. It was Wusheng¡¯s life work and represented the pinnacle of humanity as he saw it. Martial arts that surpassed immortal cultivation. It was all planned out already. Martial Apprentice, Martial Master, Martial Grandmaster, Martial King, Martial Emperor, Martial Ancestor, Martial Ancestor, Grotto Heaven, Life and Death Transcendence, Void Shattering, Heaven Clashing, Fate Dominating, Eternal Supremacy. This was the true martial cultivation pathway he¡¯d devised to surpass that of immortals and their pitiful immortal arts. ¡°What is this?¡± Suiren murmured as he read over what Wusheng has wrote. Wusheng supposed he would be in awe. It¡¯s only natural someone as barbaric and stupid as early humans would not comprehend a modern man¡¯s genius. ¡°Wusheng these are pictures and a name,¡± Suiren said flatly. ¡°If you¡¯re only here to waste our time then just get out.¡± His face scrunched up in anger towards the youth. Ziyi sighed at Wusheng¡¯s antics. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for pranks Wusheng. You¡¯ve wasted enough of our time.¡± Wusheng¡¯s vein bulged in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to achieve,¡± Suiren continued. ¡°Get out of here before I make you.¡± As a sign of his anger, the room¡¯s torches¡¯ flames grew significantly larger. In reality, Wusheng didn¡¯t know how to create a cultivation path. To propagate one was already a monumental task reserved for the greatest of forefathers talents. In the Chaos Sea, this¡¯ll even be a generational task. Wusheng assumed that just because he read many novels about cultivation, he can easily make one. But even in his memories, he never learned martial arts, nor had any form of combat training. He didn¡¯t even know how to throw a proper punch until Suiren taught him. For some reason, Wusheng thought he would succeed because he said so. Wusheng was furious at Suiren. Seeing how his words seemingly echoed Ziyi¡¯s, he concluded Suiren to be nothing more then a retarded simp loser not worth listening to. He will never welcome this so called ancestor in his future holy land. When he saves humanity from its miserable humiliating fate, he¡¯ll make Suiren lick his shoe to apologize. The Three Sovereign Five Emperors in history suffered a humiliating fate, relegated to Fire Cloud Cave to regulate humanity¡¯s luck all because Laozi said so. It was pathetic in his opinion. He¡¯ll create a human holy land and spread martialism to all living beings and be praised as Martial Ancestor. He grabbed his book. ¡°Just watch you fools. When I proclaim this to heaven, you¡¯ll see what I¡¯m talking about.¡± He can already picture it, he¡¯ll raise the book to heaven and be elevated by merit to Golden Immortality. Then he¡¯ll joined their ranks as a human ancestor. Then he¡¯ll use his new powers to secure Kong Xuan as his disciple. And then he¡¯ll poach the Three Sovereign Five Emperors from the six saints as his own disciples. The name of Wusheng will reach the zenith. ¡­ At this exact same moment, Nuwa finally returned to Fire Cloud Valley accompanied by Jieyin. The exact moment Wusheng stormed out of the administrative building only to witness his fellow men and women kneeling in worship to their mother goddess. Nuwa and Jieyin, such a sight instantly stirred an unreasonable amount of disgust in Wusheng. His eyes was practically glowing with disdain by the two he knew to be villains. The cosmic force that existed within him agreed with such an assessment, praised it even. This was the only way reality should exist. ¡°Thank you for escorting me.¡± Nuwa was not paying attention at the time however. ¡°Small matter fellow daoist,¡± Jieyin replied. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to take a look at your creations anyway. Innate Dao body, they are well suited for cultivating the Dao.¡± But a loud laughter exploded. The two innate gods turned their heads and squinted their eyes at the youth who arched his back with laughter. The moment Wusheng saw what Jieyin looked like, how could he feel anything but humour? That squarish face that looked so full of suffering. It was nothing but comedy to Wusheng who knew this man would¡¯ve never knew what suffering was. Besides, he wasn¡¯t scared. Humans were the protagonists of the world, Jieyin wouldn¡¯t dare touch a primordial man. He¡¯ll take this chance to mock Jieyin and show how much of a loser he is in front everyone. Hopefully, this¡¯ll stop them from ever thinking of joining the west. The image of a bunch of bald monks chanting mantra like some kind of brainwashed slave sent shivers down his spine. When he became supreme, the first thing he¡¯ll do is destroy the west. This was why Jieyin, and his brother Zhunti were his natural enemies. Those two lying scammers and the bald heads should be treated with nothing but disdain. Wusheng opened his eyes after rubbing the tears out only to freeze. Jieyin and Nuwa had appeared right in front of him, but somebody must be messing with him. What is that hair on Jieyin? He¡¯s a bald monk, he shouldn¡¯t have hair. And why was Nuwa wearing an eyepatch? Was it Halloween? Nevertheless, Wusheng raised his finger to begin his rant. Jieyin being stupid enough to come here opened up an opportunity for him to tear him a new one. It was so easy. ¡°You¡­mmhh!¡± Wusheng could barely begin before a slender hand clenched his mouth. He was raised into the air against his will and forced to confront a one eyed Nuwa whose face wore an expression of fury. Her forehead veins all bulged while her teeth clenched, cutting a terrifying look that also confused Wusheng. ¡°Filthy monkey,¡± Nuwa spat. Jieyin pressed his hand on her extended one to stop her from crushing Wusheng¡¯s jaw. Then he soundlessly pressed a thumb on Wusheng¡¯s forehead. ¡°Mother,¡± Suiren ran out of the administrative building and saluted her. ¡°He offended you?¡± ¡°Six Eared Macaque.¡± These were Nuwa¡¯s only words. Startling the humans, they were confused. Liu Er was destroyed, Chaos Immortals aren¡¯t within a Chaos World¡¯s cycle of reincarnation. He cannot reincarnate because there was nothing to reincarnate. ¡°He¡¯s not the that monkey,¡± Jieyin said. ¡°He carries his scent.¡± ¡°And shares the same karma. Appearance wise at least,¡± Jieyin added. ¡°But it is not him. Nothing about him is the same.¡± Jieyin scrunched his face in disgust as his thumb was removed from Wusheng¡¯s forehead. ¡°Like how rain is governed by the Dao law of rainwater, this is a natural phenomena. Oh right, heaven devoured that Dao.¡± He released his hand from Nuwa¡¯s extended one. The moment he did, Wusheng couldn¡¯t even protest before Nuwa exploded him into red mist. ¡°Oh sister,¡± Fuxi¡¯s orb form appeared beside her in comfort. But the stares of the humans surrounding them were all on Nuwa. Shock, fear, befuddlement, it took only five seconds for Nuwa to come back to herself. ¡®Oh, I killed one of my own children.¡¯ ¡°Mother, perhaps you should come inside,¡± Suiren offered. ¡°Yes, I¡­I would like to sit down.¡± Ultimate Ones In a burst of brilliant light, three titanic figures suddenly appeared in the outskirts of the Three Realms. Three enormous transcendent presences that dwarfed anything a Chaos Immortal could imagine. Just the sight of them could potentially drive someone mad. It was only due to the egg like shell of the Heavenly Dao, that no one inside the Three Realms detected the arrival of three supreme beings. If they had, extreme panic would occur. The first presence emerged as a spinning spherical ring with ten smaller rings attached to it. Ten figures could be observed within each ring, though only one appeared more intangible then the rest. The second presence first presented itself as a trident before an eye with three lines extending from each side opened below it. The last presence felt far more archaic but less flashy. Instead, a primordial joyful planet where everyone lived in simple harmony sung praises to those most high appeared. Yet as all three abstract like images manifested, soon humanoid shapes emerged from all three. Vishnu, Shiva, and Yuanling simultaneously made their presences known. Not a single mark of battle was on them. Of the three, Shiva stepped forward first. In one of his hands was a long trident facing away from the shell. He extended a finger and leaned forward to press the barrier. His intentions were clear, he wished to remove it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask you to stop fellow daoists,¡± an elderly voice suddenly called out towards them. One of equal, if not even superior magnitude. It felt explosive, sharp, like it was easily capable of tearing all things in two. Yet it was also captivating in its ability to create from out of that fierce rending. That single line detached singular to double. From there, an orderly sight manifested not far from the trio. Purple clouds surged forth and harmonious hymns of the Dao preached to all their ears. Three clouds containing humanoid figures seemed to have emerged from a harmonious core, one that appeared pure, one that appeared wicked, and one that appeared ill. Yet something appeared wrong about them as there was a distinctly foreignness to their make up. Almost like it was a result of replication rather then origination. However, they just as quickly disappeared when Hongjun fully manifested his true body. His titanic weight bore down the Chaos Sea all around with a cataclysmic might. Chaos Worlds would¡¯ve been extinguished all around him if the Heavenly Dao had not cleared up the neighbouring space years prior leaving only empty patches of nothingness. It had to sell a story after all. But Hongjun¡¯s aura was no less impressive then the three supreme beings who had arrived. An equally as omnipotent celestial being who couldn¡¯t even be defined as merely alive anymore. As transcendent beings, such a meeting between them was a once in all existence. ¡°Impressive,¡± Yuanling made an idling comment only for Vishnu to shake his head. ¡°You are¡­Old Ancestor Hongjun from Da Hai¡¯s memories,¡± Shiva said. ¡°You have reached Brahman?¡± Without Da Hai being present, Shiva felt no need to use his local term for the utmost highest realm of cultivation achievable. What Da Hai, the other godfiends, and their descendants in the Three Realms referred to as the Dao realm. Shiva, Vishnu, and their creations int he Fourteen Realms called the Brahman realm. ¡°Many things have changed. Though I am a junior in age, I am a fellow daoist to you all,¡± Hongjun said with much dignity. His presence did not lose even a single inch compared to the others. Yet his unfamiliarity to this level was also clearly noticeable for those experienced. Vishnu stepped forwards with an analytical gaze. He folded his arms behind his back and chuckled. ¡°What a surprise, when I felt you I mistook you for Pangu. But who would¡¯ve guessed a little godfiend took his seat. What an insult.¡± The great god made a mocking, ¡®tsk tsk¡¯ sound. If it offended Hongjun, he did not show it. Among all the methods to cultivate power, to reach the final realm was to understand where everything originated. No matter what name was applied to it, this was an absolute truth. Yet Hongjun broke through using someone else¡¯s knowledge. For someone who worked from scratch to reach that level, this¡¯ll be an insult of the highest order. ¡°You being here means something must¡¯ve happened to Da Hai, Wangshu, and the rest.¡± Shiva took a sideways glare at Yuanling. ¡°Do you understand what your actions have costed?¡± ¡°In heaven and earth, all living beings try their best to survive, desperately looking for the best opportunities. I simply worked with what I was given,¡± Hongjun said in defence. Despite no walkable ground being present, he took a cross legged seating position. ¡°Now then fellow daoists. Though I would love to establish a Dao debate with you all, I should reiterate that you are all unwelcomed here.¡± Temperature dropped as a monstrously destructive aura exploded. Shiva¡¯s grip on his trident tightened as all three eyes turned dangerously cold. What this deity was feeling was indescribable rage born from loss. All his efforts for so long had turned out nothing. The things he dearly wanted to salvage would be gone after all. Looking at Hongjun, in this small moments of time, he divined with all his power what had happened. Hongjun merely smiled realising what Shiva was attempting. He could not see everything in the end. Something was undeniably blocking him with unexpected might. But he had broken through and sat upon this omnipotent seat for far too long. Even if he were to meet resistance, he can muscle through. Under Vishnu and Yuanling¡¯s expected gaze, he still failed to get a full picture. But he could make guesses based on some ideas. The toxic air permeating the few images he glimpsed were clear signs of a tribulation event. But this was far more then anything he¡¯d seen before. An event where numerous Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals lost their lives. Or in their own terms, Atimaharathi warriors. At his peak, Da Hai was at the same level as their avatars, in other words a Mahamaharathi warrior yet even he had perished. It was infuriating. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°I will reclaim that which you took from Pangu,¡± Shiva announced. His arms swung in the air into the beginnings of a dancing position. Seeing this, Vishnu stepped forwards as well. ¡°The birth of another Ultimate One is a joyous occasion,¡± Yuanling said in his own terms. ¡°It¡¯s a pity for you all to go to war so soon.¡± ¡°I am fine with fighting you too.¡± ¡°No no I¡¯ve had my fun for the day. I am merely an observer of you youngsters.¡± Hongjun remained unbothered by the ongoing however. Yuanling didn¡¯t seem to want to make him trouble but he was fine with that. He had a feeling that old spirit would be the hardest to deal with. ¡°If none of you truly wish to leave me alone as requested? Very well then.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh Hongjun, I can see your inability to fully control what isn¡¯t yours from here.¡± The trident of shiva swung through the air emanating with universe ending power. Even before they moved, with their just their words alone, these people generated more power then the totality of all the fighting of the anti-devil war. Combined. Such was the insurmountable gap that exists between the Dao realm and the rest of reality. From the very beginning, Hongjun was at a disadvantage. He was not only new to the realm, he was also using a Dao that fundamentally did not belong to him. He could display his might with no one knowing the wiser, but to fellows of the same dimension of power? If it was Pangu here it¡¯ll be a vastly different story. So why did Hongjun hold so much confidence? He was not a stupid man. He can identify the level of opponents he was about to face. Rather, it was not in himself that he held absolute confidence. As the two beings approached, an enormous pressure encroached on their being. Both Vishnu and Shiva grew alarmed. This wasn¡¯t just any other powerful opponent manifesting themselves, but something else entirely. As a being at the apex, they belonged to the same dimension as the thing which the godfiends referred to as Grand Dao, and they the Brahman. Whatever name it used, it was the source of all things and the supreme principle that governed all existence. When one reaches the most omnipotent realm of cultivation of Dao, they reach the same dimension as that thing. They too become a source where all things can originate or return to. This was why these cultivators were transcendent, they didn¡¯t even belong in the same dimension as third order celestial lifeforms. Hence, from a Chaos Immortal¡¯s perspective, these Dao realm beings cannot be perceived as anything but omnipotent. Yet this did not make them equal in any way, shape, or form. Yes, they were fellows in the same dimension of existence, but it was like the comparison between an ant and an elephant. Both were third dimensional but no one would be delusional enough to think an ant can take an elephant in a head on fight. In the power hierarchy of all existence, a mere world will, which was what Heavenly Dao¡¯s were, were never in the discussion. But here? In Pangu¡¯s legacy something changed. Hongjun closed his eyes drifting back. Swirling divine clouds erupted from the barrier containing the Three Realms and it¡¯s immediate Chaos Sea, and into the shape of a featureless giant. Everything about it was immense, celestial, and beautiful. Yet there was always a distinct ugliness to it stemming from its core. Shiva understood this to be the Heavenly Dao. He¡¯d glimpsed it from Da Hai before but that was nothing to the thing that appeared now. ¡°A world will of such magnitude, this¡¯ll be tricky,¡± Vishnu said from beside him. Shiva could only nod. The pressure had turned against them now unexpectedly. This Heavenly Dao had enough power to suppress even them, and combined with Hongjun who was in the same weight class? ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you too?¡± Yuanling chastized. ¡°You knew? Were you involved?¡± ¡°Hardly, predicting fellow daoists are beyond me. Though¡­¡± Yuanling looked through the great Chaos Sea towards you. ¡°Never mind.¡± The Heavenly Dao did the equivalent of a growl. That single gesture generated tribulation lighting and celestial winds. In the distance, small Chaos Worlds could not handle the pressure and instantly erupted. Such was the difference between the Three Realms and a normal Chaos World. Who knew how many countless quintillions lost their lives just now. ¡°We do not desire trouble,¡± Hongjun said. ¡°We are ultimately an unrelated party to you. But if you two insist on staying, be prepared to make that stay permanent.¡± It was audacious, but reasonable words. Shiva turned grim, at this point in time a major battle like this can easily injure him. Then he would inadvertently trap Vishnu as well. Their plans were made together and would only succeed if they were both ready. Neither Hongjun nor this Heavenly Dao were related to the great calamity that they divined which would befell all existence some time in the future. The last time such a thing was predicted, the One World blew up. What¡¯s more, them brothers have existed in this realm for eons already. ¡°How unfortunate, it would seem fortune was not on anyone¡¯s side.¡± Yuanling unbothered by the tension mused to himself. The only two to successfully ascend to the Dao realm since the One World were these two. Hongjun cannot truly be counted as one either. Between him and the Heavenly Dao, who was truly the Dao realm ancestor here? Yuanling had an inkling as to Hongjun¡¯s plans were as he surely cannot be pleased. For a Dao realm being, the next step forward was to break the Supreme Boundary and exist existence. That was where D???r???????e????a?????m???????w????a?????l?????k?????e?????r??????? had gone before everything. In the vast Chaos Sea, only a single existence had enough energy to break that barrier in any given time. Afterwards was a long waiting game until the qualifications became available again. But these two, Shiva and Vishnu found a way to get around that. They were born from the same source, meaning they shared the same origin. Hence they qualified as a single existence if they combined. That perfect merger could transcend easily on its own. It was ingenious and meant they did not need to compete with each other. But it also meant they were tied to each other. Hongjun could theoretically transcend as well, but his foundation ultimately did not belong to him. His process will be tremendously more tricky then a true Dao realm being. What¡¯s more, accord to D???r???????e????a?????m???????w????a?????l?????k?????e?????r??????? a slew of these beings would arise in the future. Just in time to face that light. Whatever that meant. Yuanling was old enough to know not to get involved. ¡®But perhaps it isn¡¯t quite what I¡¯m thinking of.¡¯ Yuanling pondered again as he watched the stand off. ¡®Perhaps that distant light is what¡¯s going to face this thing. Every living being exists for the purpose of prolonging it¡¯s existence in order to grow after all. ¡¯ He watched the Heavenly Dao hungrily eyeing it¡¯s surroundings. He had basic theories to what it wanted, but nothing he would say aloud. Besides, what else would world wills possibly want? ¡°We lost.¡± These were the only words Vishnu uttered. ¡°I know,¡± Shiva relented. Then he lowered his arms. The risks of this was just too much for him and he backed down. But he still pointed his trident at Hongjun. ¡°Do not ever leave this place, else I will hunt you down and annihilate you. Your Heavenly Dao cannot save you in the Chaos Sea.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to,¡± Hongjun replied. ¡°This has been an educational exchange. I doubt we will meet again.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The two great gods transformed back into masses of concepts and flashed away. Only Hongjun, the Heavenly Dao, and Yuanling was left. But Yuanling only sent them a small smile. ¡°Good luck with your ambition. Don¡¯t know about them, but I¡¯m curious to who between all of you will succeed.¡± It was unclear to Hongjun nor the Heavenly Dao who he referred even after he vanished into particles. ¡°Troublesome,¡± Hongjun grumbled. ¡°I need to guide Yaochi in her cultivation. Do you need me for anything else? Alright then, if nothing else I¡¯ll see my own exit.¡± A distance away from the Three Realms however, Vishnu suddenly stopped. One of his arms reached out and took hold of a wisp. Shiva stopped after seeing Vishnu carrying something in his bosom. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A miraculous survival,¡± Vishnu presented it to his brother. ¡°You don¡¯t get to see this everyday.¡± ¡°A living being from Pangu¡¯s Chaos World?¡± ¡® What shiva saw within was a broken spirit. Flesh and bones were long gone now and only a consciousness remained. But he saw a calm smiling monk sitting with his eyes closed. His palm held open in front of his chest while the other rested on his lap. From his back, multiple limbs sprouted displaying a golden figure. ¡°Let¡¯s bring him back with us then,¡± Shiva sighed. ¡°Yes, otherwise this trip would just be too depressing.¡± At the time, they didn¡¯t know. But who they had rescued would turn out to be their greatest fortune. Of course, by the time that occurred, Shiva and Vishnu would¡¯ve long departed after breaking the Supreme Boundary. Only an echo accompanied Brahma to seeing this monk save the Fourteen Realms in its very last kalpa. ¡­ In the other direction, a giant dragon wrapped in lightning traversed through unknown territory. He constantly looked around, unsure of Both ambushes as well as where he was headed. Leize, the head elder of the dragons who fled was extremely anxious as a result. For years, he had flown through the confusing mess called Chaos Sea. Even his internal clock had lost track of how long after awhile. It could easily be as sort as a decade or as long as a billions of years. All he knew was that a complete yuanhui had not passed yet. Luckily for him, a signal appeared in the distance. Joy filled him as this signal was a water construct in the shape of a dragon. Leize immediately changed direction and flew for it. On a rock floating admits chaos was a beautiful mature lady dressed in imperial regalia. A large warhammer was placed beside her while she meditated. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Leize greeted his empress. Gui Daiyu opened her eyes and a soft smile emerged. ¡°You made it back, good.¡± She stood up and grabbed the hammer before gesturing for the dragon to follow. ¡°My husband would want you to share what you learned to everyone at the same time.¡± ¡°How is his majesty?¡± ¡°Same old same old. Injured but alive. Healing but depressed. You¡¯ll have to see him for yourself.¡± The two departed towards a larger swirling of sediment. One where the exiled dragons made their refuge. Steps Towards the Future The vast Chaos Sea remained an uncompromising environment for the dragons who followed Zulong out of the Three Realms, once known as the Primitive World. Just another uncomfortable fact of life they now realised they had to deal with. Unlike the he four seas where they once dwelled, the Chaos Sea was not only knew, but a deeply uncomfortable place to live. Once they had exited the Three Realms proper, it became abundantly clear why Chaos Worlds were more hospitable for living beings. No one could doubt why second order celestial beings or first order mortals could not survive in this place. They¡¯d be torn apart on the spot. Despite being third order celestial lifeforms, people designed to thrive in the Chaos Sea, that didn¡¯t change the fact that no one liked it. The wind blew in an ever changing extreme form. The ground formed and broke as often as waves rose in seas. Even one¡¯s senses became muddled no matter how hard one tried to get used to it. It would not be a rare sight to see a dragon musing how much they missed the four seas. Gui Daiyu nor Leize begrudged them for this. They too shared much of the same thought, but as respected leaders did not air them out so as to not contribute to the negativity. The fact of the matter is, all dragons here suffered from varying degrees of depression. Currently, this little sanctuary was built and maintained by the combined powers of all the Chaos Immortal dragons. It was not a Chaos World, though it was far better structurally speaking. Even a single dragon of their magnitude would crush a Chaos World accidentally. Even though entering one is more comfortable then not. With how tired all of them were, reigning in their presences to make sure this didn¡¯t happen was already too much of a hassle. This was their next best thing. ¡°Grand elder!¡± ¡°Grand elder!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good grand elder is back!¡± Dragon after dragon rose from their coiled resting positions to greet them. Old or young, dragon after dragon bowed their heads respectfully. A path was opened up where a pedestal was positioned above the rest. There lay a heavily injured golden dragon, Zulong. An aura of death permeated his physique. It hurt Gui Daiyu tremendously seeing him like this even though he had reassured her. When he remained behind for longer, and subsequently when his presence almost vanished, she¡¯d been terrified Hongjun changed his mind about his fate. But luck was on their side. Zulong hung on, bravely resisting the that last attack and floated to safety where his subordinates received him. His great, once gloriously beautiful golden body however became a husk of is former self. None of his injuries obtained during the tribulation could compare. If those within the Three Realms saw him now, no one would¡¯ve recognized him as the mighty Dragon Sovereign. ¡°Husband/Your majesty!¡± Respecting their ruler, all the Chaos Immortals present shrunk their size and payed great respect to him. For all his faults, he was their creator and leader, as well as their greatest warrior. Zulong opened his eyes slowly. Every one of his movements spoke of how titanic of an effort it costed him. His body appeared frail, trembling at every step of the way. The environment of the Chaos Sea, despite being somewhat filtered out by the sanctuary still affected him. ¡°Wife¡­Leize.¡± Zulong spoke with effort. His body made to lift his head while his front claws strained to lift his upper body. ¡°Rest husband, you need not strain yourself to listen,¡± Gui Daiyu tenderly said. But her words had no effect on Zulong as he stubbornly rose. Even now in this dilapidated state, he still wanted to project an authoritative image. This was just how he is, prideful, arrogant, unwilling to yield unless absolutely forced to. The limits of his condition did not qualify for those special conditions. ¡°I can listen fine.¡± His eye shot to Leize, indicating for him to speak. No other movements were made, most likely due to the strain present. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t dare get too close.¡± The dragon of lightning began his tale. ¡°But I suspected that no matter what, Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao were aware I was there. I tried to peer into them as much as I could but my sight is not perfect.¡± From his eye, an image similar to how a projector worked, shot into a hologram. A three dimension rendering of the current Three Realms viewed from the outside appeared. ¡°It¡¯s no longer spacious,¡± someone commented. ¡°Quite. The empty void between realms is now filled with those little worlds. Pieces of the Great Wilderness, it¡¯s a sea of stars larger then the Starry Skies,¡± Leize confirmed. ¡°Hongjun hosted a grand gathering as well. I counted tens of thousands of figures, but only three thousand went in. Those who emerged though changed a lot.¡± ¡°Three thousand guests, three realms, six disciples, treasure sealing cliff,¡± Zulong muttered along as Leize spoke. ¡°Leize, describe how they emerged changed.¡± ¡°It was hard given how far I was. I couldn¡¯t hear what was inside. There was also a shell of sorts growing as I watched that started blurring my vision.¡± ¡°Blurring a Primal Zenith¡¯s vision, unreal.¡± The dragon elders also payed close attention. All of them couldn¡¯t help the pit in their stomachs. ¡°Whatever the case, their auras somehow resembles¡­heaven? Distinctly like how it smelled when the Heavenly Dao appeared. Perhaps if I stayed longer, gotten in touch with his highness then I would¡¯ve learned more.¡± Zulong stopped for a moment to consider sending more dragons back. It was extremely risky and the dragons involved may not appreciate it. But remaining uninformed of the Three Realms would also be a detriment. What¡¯s more, the fact that Leize was still alive proved that the bigwigs in charge didn¡¯t care about them anymore. There was no way Leize could¡¯ve hidden from Hongjun¡¯s or the Heavenly Dao¡¯s sights. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°The Sea Eye, is it still stable?¡± Zulong made sure to ask. The dragon¡¯s sacred duty had not left his mind. The concern that his race¡¯s charge exploding and incurring negative karma. The power of destiny, karmic luck was a crucial resource for a steady faction. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any monsoons and the needle was visible even as far as I was. So I assume nothing bad happened,¡± Leize said. ¡°But I must add, most of our people are not in the seas anymore. I spotted their movements here.¡± His claw pointed at the watery world that now served as the new ancestral grounds of the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan. This little fact actually incurred wrath in many old dragons. It was infuriating to know their clansmen had seemingly abandoned their holdings. ¡°I¡¯m sure my brother made the move under wise judgement,¡± Zulong said instead. ¡°Anything else of note?¡± ¡°Aside from lots of land grabbing moves? Nothing much of note. The demons seems to have stuck together still despite that crow¡¯s death, the divinities haven¡¯t actually moved in the years since so I¡¯m not sure on their situation. Mt Buzhou¡¯s rubble wasn¡¯t something I could see through.¡± ¡°Good, then it¡¯s time for us to progress with our next step.¡± ¡°Next step your majesty?¡± Seeing Zulong suddenly move to stand up, all the dragons grew concerned. Zulong turned away from them and his legs unsteadily raised his long body. But when his muscles clearly strained from doing so, and when just one foot slid. Gui Daiyu rushed forward. Before the dragon could collapse, an enormous sea turtle lifted the dragon onto her back. Gui Daiyu¡¯s true form was enlarged until it dwarfed even Zulong¡¯s true form. From the outside, she was like those old legends of a turtle carrying the universe on their back. ¡°Stupid,¡± she chastized. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°I want all of us to keep moving that way.¡± Zulong pointed at the direction exactly opposite from where Leize came. ¡°I want us far far far far far. As far away as we can from the Primitive World. We keep moving until I say we stop.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± And then they moved. The entire sanctuary broke down as the dragons left this land behind and began traveling for eons. They would keep doing so until Zulong thought they were too far from where Hongjun or the Heavenly Dao could sense. Then they would travel even further. No dragons questioned him at the time, even though they were confused why he wanted them to go this far. At this rate, they may never find their homeland ever again. This one thought terrified even the most devoted of dragons. None of them required food nor any kind of sustenance anymore. But it was still mentally draining for them. But Zulong insisted and hence they obeyed. In this meantime, Zulong healed atop his wife¡¯s back. Little by little, knitting his flesh back together and nourishing his scales under the light of the Chaos Sea. After two yuanhui¡¯s worth of time, lasting anywhere from three hundred thousand to three hundred trillion years. The party of dragons finally stopped. Zulong leapt off his wife¡¯s back and assumed a flying form. His health and vigour had been restored to an adequate degree. But without profound pills nor the resource to make them, he was still far from his peak condition. After all, natural healing can only progress so quick. ¡°Husband?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sick of moving. This should be far enough right? My master traveled for half a yuanhui and met two Dao realm beings who could not sense the Primitive World. This should be enough.¡± Zulong glanced back at the direction they came. They had traveled in a straight line, never diverting. As such, he ordered them to memoize the straight line they traveled so even if the sights changed, they would still know the direction they came from. ¡°Your majesty, what do you wish from us now?¡± Zulong¡¯s form shrunk until a pale horned man appeared. In his Dao body, he took a deep breath before retrieving a broken hilt. ¡°Are we to repair the venerable one¡¯s weapon?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re gonna bring my master back,¡± Zulong declared. ¡°What? But the Heavenly Lord was annihilated, there¡¯s nothing left!¡± A third order celestial being were already in full ownership of themselves. Their true souls ripped from their native Chaos World¡¯s river of time. There was no place to reincarnate. Da Hai could not reincarnate. But Zulong lifted the remnant of the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword and roared. ¡°You¡¯ve been following us all this time, what must I do?¡± At first the dragons were confused. But then a shining butterfly manifested in the Chaos Sea, right on the hilt of the broken treasure. They recognized it as the treasure spirit who seldom, if ever appeared. The butterfly tilted its head, then tapped the handle. It did so almost in a, ¡®you should know¡¯, manner. Then it disappeared from sight. ¡°Hmph.¡± Zulong held out the handle in one hand, then with the other hand, he hovered over it. Then a mystical light appeared. It was completely unexpected to the dragons present. The question they all wanted to ask was written on their faces. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he was that arrogant, or just callous. Do you know my master¡¯s Dao? It is tied to a principle of what is closer and obtainable but far and out of reach. I don¡¯t know why a venerable Dao ancestor allowed this to happen but¡­¡± The light attached to the handle suddenly made a hissing sound followed by the crashing of waves. A last spark of Da Hai held within the sword, a part of himself that was originally used to refine the sword into his own weapon. It had not dissipated despite Da Hai¡¯s destruction. ¡°Perhaps it is because of my master¡¯s other self. That piece of him left alive in the Primitive World,¡± Zulong said holding the handle to his eye. ¡°We have a chance to grow my master back. Perhaps it may take ten yuanhui, a hundred, or even a thousand, but if I am right, he can be grown back.¡± ¡°Inconceivable!¡± The dragons were mesmerised by what they were seeing. Gui Daiyu gasped at how miraculous it was. Zulong looked around, then spotted a shimmering spark in the distance. It was a Chaos World about to be born. In its current state, it was simply that which would transition into a big bang of sorts. For his master¡¯s recovery, he¡¯d need a base of operations. Chaos Worlds typically don¡¯t last more then a single yuanhui. But with enough reinforcement, it could survive past several. In fact, with regular injections of rich vitality perhaps even a dozen yuanhui wasn¡¯t out of the question. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± This group hurried into that Chaos World, then they waited for sixteen years before it exploded into existence. There a primordial world emerged, a Chaos World completely ordinary among its relatives. But the presence of these dragons would undoubtedly turn it extraordinary. In this vast universe that had just been born, an endless ocean separated from the sky. The dragons took the form of men and descended into that ocean. There, Zulong retrieved the other object he had taken from the Three Realms, Yingzhou. ¡°My master¡¯s home and where I and my brothers grew up. How could I stomach it being in their control,¡± Zulong sighed. It was once a rock from the Chaos Sea and overtime accumulated tremendous vital essence. We can use it to accelerate my master¡¯s recovery.¡± ¡°Your majesty, even if that is the case. It will still take a long time,¡± a younger blue dragon said to him. ¡°I know, that is why I¡¯ll have to leave some of you to watch over him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you won¡¯t be staying?¡± Zulong shoo his head. ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson. Among the dangers back home, I was too weak. I cannot protect my family, my people, my nation. That cannot be allowed.¡± On Zulong¡¯s back, a Dao fruit manifested. But Zulong did not look upon it with fondness. Instead, he carried a complicated feeling towards the Dao he had cultivated. It¡¯s true name was ¡®Destined Ruler¡¯. By definition, It¡¯s inception involved Zulong¡¯s desire to become the sole ruler of all of Pangu¡¯s creation. He walked the path of the imperial and the Dao he cultivated reflected that. Unlike Da Hai¡¯s which was forged from his past experiences, Zulong¡¯s was formed from his youthful desire. But as he aged, he grew comfortable at his place in the world. His desire for died as each of his sons were born one after another, and his nation thrived. He didn¡¯t feel any strong inclination anymore, and thus his Dao heart wavered. Following that, his belief in his Dao also weakened. If he had not reached the Primal Zenith realm early, his Dao would¡¯ve degraded on the spot. Just as well, in order for him to break to the limitless stage, he¡¯d also need dominate all his contemporaries. But he didn¡¯t feel a true need to anymore. His Dao went from something perfect for him to something he no longer desired. He could no longer get stronger with it. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Leize said. ¡°If you abandon your Dao, your cultivation will return to a stage before cultivating one. The risk is too great. With your majesty¡¯s talent, I¡¯m sure you can breakthrough somehow.¡± From the existence¡¯s inception, to abandon one Dao to forge another was always an insanely risky move. Forging one was hard enough, but the chances of making another was nearly unfeasible. One¡¯s mindset even if they abandoned their old Dao should fundamentally still carry that old Dao¡¯s. But Zulong didn¡¯t care. ¡°I want to reach Dao,¡± he declared. ¡°I will forever be trapped as a Chaos Immortal with this fruit. But if I can find another path, I can. No I will reach Dao.¡± ¡°Bury my master here, bury Yingzhou here. Watch over them my children while I am gone. But this journey is one I must take on my own.¡± Gui Daiyu watched Zulong with mixed feelings. But ultimately she sighed, ¡°I could never convince you stubborn old thing after you reach a decision. Give me your Dao fruit.¡± She reached out her hand. Zulong¡¯s fruit floated into his hand, then he handed it to her. It was such a fragile thing now that it was out of it¡¯s creator¡¯s reach. Once it reached His wife¡¯s hand, he let go with slight hesitation. After all, it was his greatest partner for the longest time. ¡°In this war, you lost the Twenty Four Sea Calming Pearls, you lost our empire, you lost our status in the cosmos, you lost our sons to our enemy¡¯s backyard. You lead us here in exile far away from our home and expects us to wait for plans with no guarantee. Zulong, I do and always will love you.¡± She stepped away from him with a face full of tears. ¡°And because I love you, don¡¯t you ever show your face to me unless you¡¯ve reached the Dao.¡± ¡°Wife.¡± Zulong stepped forward and sealed her lips in a kiss. Then he parted from her with a knowing look. Entrusting Yingzhou and the last remnants of Da Hai to those he trusted most, he rose. From the sky, he watched his wife and others dig a whole on the ocean floor and planting Yingzhou down. Beneath the waves, it looked like just another underwater mountain. At its heart, the hilt of the Heavenly Cloud Gathering Sword and his master slumbered. He rose even further, breaking the void and out of the dimension barrier of this little Chaos World. It was so small from the outside. Wordlessly, he placed two fingers on his chest and pushed down. Deep within him, the last connections to his old Dao was severed. His aura plummeted from a being of pure Dao essence. Where once a mighty Primal Zenith Chaos Immortal stood, a Golden Immortal floated. The most basic form of lifeform within the Chaos Sea. He watched them still for a time. Even in this weak state he could see his wife and creations. Occasionally, dragons would look up from their resting place at their sovereign. But Gui Daiyu never looked back at him. One day, this Chaos World would be where Da Hai rises again. A land where a new dawn rose every day to bathe all life in its golden rays. A land of a rising sun. He turned around and left. Elsewhere-Holiest of Them All Baal, great god Baal, chief of the Elohim and supreme ruler of the heavens. One of the most powerful existences of all time and someone even alien lifeforms from the great chaos dared not cross. An ancient lifeform who arose in the earliest parts of known history and someone who had survived the great dragon YM¡¯s calamity. Since time immemorial, he had obtained transcendent divine might. His progress in mastering divine power far surpassed his peers, leaving on his beloved Anat and his dreaded brother Mot as opponents. In an era which divine cultivation has been a constant for untold eons, he had been the supreme being for as long as anyone could remember. And he was absolutely stressed beyond his mind. The skies of the great world was full of ominous clouds. The rumbling of thunder surrounded both the heavens and the earth. Not even the countless lesser realms were spared from a universe spanning calamity. It had come suddenly with no warning. Baal wasn¡¯t even in his palace at the time, busy suppressing an ignorant demon in the wilderness. But he learned the news and soon joined the conflict as well. He did not understand why or how it was triggered. He didn¡¯t even know who these beings were. All he knew was that they deserved to die for defiling his sacred kingdom. These white winged abominations, with their innumerable eyes, wheel like bodies, and their constant incessant singing. They had torched much of the mortal realms as well as parts of the divine. As the king of gods, this was a humiliation of the utmost. BOOM! With a furious punch, he pulverised a hundred thousand of these things, leaving them scattering in the wind as ashes. ¡°Husband, you are slow,¡± Anat said as she walked up to him. She had longed annihilated the portion of invaders that had targeted her. The lesser gods of the Elohim followed after, though a portion was missing from their initial party. ¡°Six fell to these things?¡± Baal spat. ¡°Apologies your excellency, we were fought off guard.¡± The captain of these group of gods bowed their heads in shame. The burnt corpses of their comrades were long scattered to the wind as ash. Baal grew furious as mental messages reached him from his brethren across the realms. The Elohim were always spread far and wide, ruling over the cosmos. Some of their greatest champions guarded the borders to the greater chaos but otherwise, the bulk of their champions were inside. Yet these things somehow sneaked past them and launched a cosmic invasion. His feet buried into the dirt, crushing the remnants of a town they¡¯d been fighting atop. As a god, he was huge to the point where his body filled seas. He looked in the direction of his palace and frowned. ¡°Calm down, we¡¯ll reclaim our home soon enough,¡± Anat chastized him. ¡°We didn¡¯t leave many guarding it in the first place.¡± No one was dumb enough to directly attack the home of the king of gods after all. Even if they were, the natural defences in place were enough to resist even the most powerful of gods for a time. Ever since YM¡¯s challenge to the king, Baal has spared no expense on his places of living. ¡°Praise be, praise be, paise be!¡± ¡°Sinner! Sinner! Sinner!¡± More and more chanting filled the skies as more of these winged abominations descended. All from the direction of his palace. Baal chalked them up to be auxiliaries sent to back up the small army he¡¯d just eliminated. It was beginning to irritate him just how many of these feathery things were infesting his world. ¡°Your excellency,¡± the god from earlier spoke up. But the pressure of an irritated Baal shoved his face into the mud causing a small earthquake. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just received news. Lord Leviathan is besieging the invaders as we speak. He requests your excellency to join him and drive out these Alien invaders.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Baal did not need to reply to him before signalling Anat to leave with him. The minor god breathed a sigh of relief as his king turned away. He had always been a horrifying presence to face. Baal¡¯s full focus were placed squarely on his palace and symbol of power however. He turned to order his men to order them to follow. As one of Baal¡¯s designated body guards, as unnecessary as they were, he needed to go by his side. It was a formality really, they were there to look pretty for the godking. Baal alone could suppress any opponents, and Anat was even stronger. ¡°Wait,¡± Baal said. ¡°There¡¯s another one coming for us.¡± His teeth rotted as divine power arose him his fists. ¡°Bunch of annoyances.¡± Feeling the blazing power of more oncoming enemies did nothing but stoke his rage. Their magic seemed to come from a different fundamental so it was hard to tell them apart. Their physical appearance alone was hideous and confusing. ¡°My king, we shall deal with these monstrosities,¡± the captain god of the guards boasted. While he wasn¡¯t expecting much from his king, Baal clearly approved of his confidence. ¡°See that you do. Then rendezvous with Leviathan¡¯s forces at my palace. By then, I shall call a council and exterminate these things once and fall all. Let us leave my love.¡± He addressed them and Anat. Then the enormous presences of the lord and lady of the Elohim ascended towards his distant palace. After all, with the ability of these winged beings, there was no way they can handle a god on the captain¡¯s scale. He may not be anywhere near Baal himself, but he was still reputable among the gods. As for the captain god, he turned with expectation at the bright and burning presence flying over the ocean towards their continent. It was approaching rapidly, no doubt to aid its comrades to beat back Leviathan from his righteous cause. Such creatures drew his pity. Their foolishness at challenging the Elohim were truly immense. Even in the vast chaos beyond their universe, it was extremely difficult to find a proper opponent. Even that rainbow snake was driven back when it flew too close. ¡°Holy. Holy. Holy.¡± Something seemed to have been said after long minutes of wait. The distant flapping of wings alongside soft chanting reached the ears of the captain god. He withdrew his spear in anticipation. ¡°Men, stay back and let me handle it.¡± ¡°Holy. Holy. Holy.¡± Suddenly, he lost the ability to move. All those around him became restrained. White bands of light circled around him making it difficult to think. The thought of praying to the sky filled his mind. He felt as if he had awakened to the truth of reality. The falsehood that had mislead him his entire life. He was only a helpless mortal child. He did not belong to a world of divine powers, of magic or cultivation. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. All of them resided in a world of sin and they themselves were cursed from the day they were born. Born to suffer, forever mislead into deviances themselves. They needed to seek the light, they needed to pray to light. They needed him¡­It. ¡°NO! I am¡­I am a god of the Elohim!¡± He roared. His eyes were bloodshot when he reawakened. He was confused as to what had happened, but he understood enough that he had been attacked as soon as his excellency left. ¡°Coward,¡± he called out. ¡°You would not dare face his majesty so you target us.¡± ¡°Holy. Holy. Holy.¡± A calm voice making an indistinguishable sound reached his ears. But it was incredibly far away, from another direction entirely. The unknown presence repeatedly said the phrase, ¡°Holy. Holy. Holy.¡± But the god could not understand what he was saying at all. Only that the temperature seemed to be rising. The unknown presence was not in a hurry. It had come from a long distance away and was only know returning to the vicinity. It¡¯s pure body was free from besmirchment. No sign of the countless gods it had slain mere days prior, who¡¯s blood were offered as a sacrifice to its father. ¡°Holy. Holy. Holy.¡± The figure finally entered the god¡¯s vision, but what he saw was a confusing mess of a lifeform. Four immense faces, human and animal alike, numerous eyes throughout its body, six gargantuan wings keeping it off the ground. It¡¯s wings were so bright that the god couldn¡¯t identify if it really was just six large feathered wings, or millions of small wings clumping together. ¡°Holy. Holy. Holy.¡± Then it stopped. ¡°Im¡­impossible.¡± And then the god burned. ¡°Filth.¡± ¡­ ¡°They do not feel like chaos aliens,¡± Anat told Baal as they flew through the heavens. ¡°What does it matter, they¡¯re clearly not native. Abominations not from our creation should all die,¡± Baal spat. The disdain he felt towards those weak alien creatures from the greater chaos had been well documented. The Elohim had persisted since the dawn of time. Their great ancestor El may be gone for reasons that were not known, but his descendants int he Elohim inherited all his divine might. In the universe constructed around the twin mountains, its denizens could reach realms of power chaos aliens could only dream of. FOOM! A blinding light emanated from the palace the husband-wife duo was closing in on. Even their divine sense was disrupted momentarily. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It feels familiar?¡± Baal and Anat quickly recovered their whits. After a moment of befuddlement, they quickly reached destination only to dins a seemingly desolate palace. ¡°That was little Yahweh, I know it¡­ah!¡± Anat commented after touching down, but afterwards she gripped her forehead at a slight headache. Baal raised an eyebrow, but otherwise nodded with relief. The young god had gone into seclusion for some time after his experiences. It may¡¯ve been harsh, but they were lessons he had to learn to be a superior being of the Elohim. ¡°Looks like he returned int he wake of disaster. I should congratulate him.¡± Around the king, bodies of winged invaders littered the ground. Their broken bloodied forms were a pleasant sight for him. Though the pavement was also littered with the bodies of fading gods. Their divine bodies leaking divine essence like blood while white hot weapons from the winged invaders pierced their sides. Evidentially, the king and queen had been late. ¡°They¡¯re from Leviathan¡¯s domain. I see some soldiers lent from Mot as well. Hm.¡± Anat rubbed her chin. ¡°Husband, I appears even the netherworld¡¯s elites found these creatures difficult.¡± ¡°Impossible, I¡¯ve see only weaklings,¡± Baal scoffed. ¡°No doubt Mot¡¯s best wanted to weaken the sea¡¯s rising star.¡± The politics of gods tend to supersede all other manners of thought. Baal headed into the palace depths with haste. More and more bodies, thousands upon thousands lay strewn across the rooftops, hallways, courtyards. Everything had been painted red and white from both gods and invaders. ¡°Wait,¡± Anat called out. She pointed towards a flight of stairs leading to the great hall they used for feasts. There, a puddle of water flowed out into a large pond. ¡°Seawater.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Baal rushed ahead and slammed the great door open without waiting for his sister-wife. ¡°Wait!¡± Anat called out. Only to shake her head in amusement. Baal examined the hall when he walked in. He was startled at a coiled creature lying in a crater. Numerous tables and chairs were blown apart, scattered across the premises. It¡¯s body was torn apart, from the stomach to the shoulder. The edges of its flesh was smouldering as if it had been burnt. ¡°Leviathan,¡± Baal identified from a smoking head. His eyes were nothing but a burnt crisp and it had been his drool that was leaking out of the great hall. He found the state of his fellow god to be pitiful. He had been someone with expectations to reach the highest status of the Elohim for billions of years now, a Godhead about to breakthrough to an Empyrean. No match for a Empyrean Primarch like him but still within the same ballpark. FOOM! The earth shocked and Baal was nearly thrown off his feet. He glanced back and witnessed light pouring through the open doors. Gritting his teeth, he charged out. Along the way, he heard a pained scream. ¡°What is the meaning of this!¡± He roared. Before him, the once powerful form of his sister-wife lay on the ground like a puppet with her strings cut. Her face, one of confusion. But beside her was the crouched form of his youngest brother and the true brightest talent of the Elohim. ¡°Huh?¡± Baal glanced up and saw even more distressingly, that four massive winged creatures had appeared all chanting something intelligible to his divine ears. ¡°You dare,¡± he growled tot he flying ones. ¡°Good that you¡¯re here Yah¡­argh!¡± He was beginning to say his brother¡¯s name but jolts of pain coursed through his mind. His eyes blazed with fury as he looked up at the four winged things looking dispassionately at both himself and his wife. ¡°Foul creatures. You dare assault me? Brother, you are not strong enough, get behind me while I deal with these things.¡± He prepared a fighting stance as the four turned fully to him. ¡°Filth!¡± ¡°Sinner!¡± ¡°Monster!¡± ¡°Abomination!¡± The four said in unison. Then they chanted more things that sounded like prayers oddly enough. Then, the figure of his brother stood up and turned to him. ¡°Huh?¡± Baal was befuddled. The boy he knew, the one burned with dominion of metallurgy felt completely different. Looked just as confusing of a mess as the winged creatures he¡¯d been fighting. As if multiple individuals were superimposed on top of each other without rhyme or rhythm thereby creating a burry figure. His face was so bright that Baal couldn¡¯t perceive it properly. He involuntarily turned his head away. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°Yahw¡­Argh!¡± Baal gripped his head in pain again. ¡®I can¡¯t say or even think that name?¡¯ ¡°What have you done to my brother,¡± he demanded. ¡°Sinner!¡± ¡°Sacrilege!¡± ¡°How. Dare. Thee. Utter. Thy. Creator¡¯s. Name!¡± ¡°Punishment!¡± The four demanded back towards the king of gods. ¡°Children,¡± ¡®Yahweh?¡¯ Said to the four in the sky. ¡°There is no need. Hello Baal.¡± ¡°Much has changed since we last spoke. How long has it been? A year? Ten? Ten thousand or ten million? You have changed from the speck of my energy that spawned you my beloved older brother. ¡°From the twin mountains, you should know that I discovered what needed to be done. Monsters, sinners, you all cultivating your divinity to become gods? What disgusting things. Taking my body, what was not yours and making yourselves the master of all that is mine. Do you have any idea the suffering the universe is in because of your practise?¡± Baal understood as he heard those words. Despite each word being grandiose, and thus causing his head to split apart in agony. Baal could understand him. For the first time in recorded history, he felt a power beyond the Empyrean Primarch realm. This feeling his ¡®brother?¡¯ Gave him was the same as what a mortal would feel when he spoke to one. ¡°But now that can change. I can take back, fix everything. Everyone can be happy and I¡­I can help bring salvation to all in my care. I can be the God everyone needs, even you.¡± The thing opened its arms in a owing tender way towards Baal. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be this sinful abomination anymore. Accept me, I can save you, I can give you salvation.¡± Baal appeared baffled and in pain. He held his head and took a few breathes to compose himself. Then he stood back up with a face full of contempt. ¡°You are behind this? You defiled the Elohim?¡± ¡°I am the Elohim!¡± The thing roared back causing the hall and he corpse of Leviathan behind them to disintegrate on the spot. It¡¯s body broke apart from its human form, dwarfing its winged subordinates. ¡°Creator!¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Oh. Heavenly. Father!¡± ¡°Praise. Be. YHVH!¡± Immense pain coursed through Baal as he heard the roaring words of the being in front of him. It¡¯s presence was immense, so big before even he that it was as if he were a third dimensional being witnessing a fourth dimensional being. Something beyond his scope of comprehension. Three eyes, a feline lion of a head surrounding by the radiant arc of light. Long and serpentine with eyes running down the sides of its body. Silvery scales reflecting brilliant white light from two stars, solar and lunar orbiting it. It¡¯s name was something Baal knew and had said an uncountable amount of times before. Yet now, even the mere mention of it was impossible to him. Even its name had become something so grand that he could not hope to pronounce. The four winged ones sung and sung their song. Fire danced around them as each manifested four faces and innumerable wings. Soon, from a distant heaven a fifth four headed winged being descended chanting, ¡°Holy. Holy. Holy.¡± It was as if the apocalypse had arrived, the world itself burned. ¡°Cease the Trisagion.¡± The almighty being said. This silenced the fifth flying one but not the others who sung his name in praise. From Baal¡¯s perspective, it was as if he was looking at will of the entire Chaos World. A creature that could only be defined as God and Heaven in the same breath. Far superior than any Emyprean lifeform could ever hope to be. He wondered if this was the strongest in existence. Anger grew within him. Anger at realising what the boy he considered his little brother had done. Anger at the dead form of his beloved sister-wife. Anger at the possibility that all he had built would now be torn down by this thing. ¡°You are the abomination, Ya¡­Argh. YHVH, AHHHH!¡± Baal kneeled down in pain with every letter he tried to pronounce. ¡°I am the Elohim, I am YHVH, I am the Almighty!¡± The Almighty was the theorised final realm beyond the Empyrean Primarchs. No one knew if it had existed for sure. Only that great ancestor El was the closest to it. ¡°You are the calamity that destroyed everything!¡± Baal roared back. ¡°I should¡¯ve killed you while you were still an egg.¡± ¡°Foolish prideful pitiful things. Ignorant and helpless. In cultivating your power, you have become a sinner. Even though you may hate me, abhor me, I still love you. And I will grant you salvation.¡± As if to prove its point, YHVH brought Anat¡¯s body high into the air. It was like she¡¯d gained new life again as she twitched before being enveloped in bright light. From there, a holy women merged peacefully praying to the light. All her cultivation had disappeared. The divinity she¡¯d gained and cultivated to the Empyrean Primarch level was erased just like that. Even her soul had completely transformed. ¡°Accept. Love.¡± ¡°Sinners. Shall. Be. Saved!¡± ¡°Renounce. Yourself.¡± ¡°Embrace. Goodness.¡± ¡°Follow. Father¡¯s. Light.¡± ¡°I refuse!¡± Baal suddenly jumped at YHVH. His fist cocked as he attempted to destroy the three eyed creature. But YHVH was not deterred. It merely blew a soft breath that instantly destroyed Baal¡¯s physical form. ¡°GRH!¡± Baal¡¯s spiritual body erupted from his ashes in a mix of rage and shock. Had it truly been so simply to deal with him? ¡°Please brother, accept your creator¡¯s love!¡± ¡°Never,¡± Baal manifested a substitute flesh and threw it at YHVH. But no matter what he did, he was utterly powerless in front of it. He was little more then a flea. In an instant, he was grabbed by the thing. That was when he grew truly fearful. YHVH was not a creature that belonged in this world anymore. Baal could feel his entire body transforming, he was losing himself before that light. ¡°How hateful,¡± Baal spat. ¡°I am the lord of heaven. But before you, I¡¯m little more then a lord of flies.¡± As the radiant light enveloped him, his divine body disappeared. YHVH did not smile nor celebrate in any way shape or form. It commanded it¡¯s angels to continue their work. All from the highest of seraphim, the archangels down to the lowest grunts of the angelic order. He will transform the world. Then he will save it. And he will continue saving until everything in all existence was brought into his light. All for salvation. Everyone¡¯s salvation. His salvation. Lament of an Innate God Hidden away at some corner of the Three Realms. Away from all the chaos and conflict still ongoing since Hongjun imparted his Dao upon the denizens of this land. A stray comment of light zigzagged across the sky, plummeting at immense speed into the side of a spiritual mountain. A man stepped out of it groaning. Not in any true pain, more out of annoyance. The smoke cleared to reveal a haggered Haotian. Face flushed while gripping his forehead. ¡°FUCK!¡± Haotian cried out. He kicked the dirt beneath his feet and fell to his knees. An aura of despair hung around him. Within his psyche, a cloud of silence from the great ocean neighboured a man trapped by what could only be described as an inner demon. Haotian rolled onto his back after another cry. As he lay on his back, Haotian trapped himself in contemplation. After the tribulation, all manner of lesser factions formed and vied for power along with the major ones. Even with the titanic Heavenly Demon faction that formed during the war, they were not big enough to suppress all beings. His ears involuntarily heard all manner of chaos going on in the world. Countless mortal beings were born every second, and died every second when giants of the cultivation world fell upon them. After all, how would an immortal notice an ant? But he could also not begrudge mighty immortals either. It was not wrong to seek something as beautiful as the Dao. Nor was it wrong to create territories to rule over. And their titanic strength is not something they could manage when placed in life death situations. His eyes unsteadily gazed upon Zixiao Palace. There was no answer there nor did he want it to. Merely a warm yet cold master he trusted yet detested. His origin stayed silent like a dead fish, another source for his rage. In a sense, Da Hai was his owner. As a clone, he had his own autonomous mind unlike an avatar, who were little more than an extra limb, nor an incarnation which were only projections of one¡¯s will. He was born to be Da Hai¡¯s tool, but did he ever utilize him properly? Never since his desire for revenge became inconsistent as he became content to play house with his new family. Haotian cannot fault him for that, he had loved ones too, Hongjun and Yaochi, his friends he made during the war. But he cannot help but feel confused as to why he was brought into existence in the first place. Haotian felt like discarded trash from Da Hai. But from Hongjun, he found a raging narcissist. He wasn¡¯t even the real Haotian, seventh disciple of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and Jade Emperor of the Three Realms. He was a puppet of Da Hai, placed at Hongjun¡¯s side to relay information. He was also Hongjun¡¯s beloved disciple and heir, not his bell boy and discarded toy as stories would like to say. Even now, he didn¡¯t know how to feel about his master. Everything he¡¯d done went against everything he believed in. But Hongjun was also the his truest ally in all this mess. More so then Da Hai could ever be. The teacher who nurtured him and wanted the him to succeed. But his actions went against Haotian¡¯s moral code, pissed on it during the final days of the war. ¡°Ha ha ha ha. What the fuck even am I?¡± ¡°Who dares step upon my mountain.¡± An arrogant voice demanded from higher up, causing Haotian to open his tired eyes. ¡°Monkey?¡± He gasped upon sensing a deeply familiar Dao. From the mountain depths, a figure flew out wearing a white daoist robe. The aura of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator emanated from his body. From the feel of it, a fresh one barely a hundred years old. But what drew Haotian¡¯s attention was the Dao of Liu Er permeating his body. The illumination was nowhere near as strong as the ape itself however. What¡¯s more, this man was clearly not the monkey as his soul isn¡¯t even the same. As such, he didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about him. ¡°Who the fuck are you supposed to be?¡± Haotian grunted without getting up. ¡°Look just leave me be. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± ¡°Humph. Any, you dare break into this lord¡¯s mountain? The audacity. You have any idea who this seat is?¡± The man demanded again. He poured his might as a Nascent Soul realm expert out, drowning them both in it. Haotian would admit to it being fairly powerful. This man would not struggle against most Nascent Divinity experts. Could even survive a Worldly Saint¡¯s casual punch if he was prepared. But in front of Haotian? He might as well not exist. The man though was confused when Haotian made no effort to move. This wasn¡¯t how the script was supposed to go. He quickly activated his cheat, the Ultimate Dao Sign-In System¡¯s scanning feature. Years ago, he transmigrated into this world and activated the Sign-In system. Ever since, he¡¯s never left his mountain home as the rewards he got was simply fantastic. Legendary pills, supreme techniques, divine armaments. He was utterly invincible, not even the wildlife dared go against him. He was aware how in stories like this, the outside world was very dangerous. So he always stayed at home singing in each day and diligently cultivating. With the system¡¯s help, his journey had been easy. While he wasn¡¯t aware how high cultivation went, in stories like this he shouldn¡¯t encounter something out of his league. According to the system, the next realm was Nascent Divinity so this man should be in that realm or slightly higher. ¡°Hmph,¡± he snorted when Haotian seemingly went back to sleep. ¡°I am True Monarch Dao Venerate Who Ascends Beyond the Nine Heavens, Master of All Heavenly and Earthly Mysteries, Emperor of the Eternal Cosmos Whose Name Causes Stars to Tremble and Rivers to Reverse their Flow. Ancestor of Ten Thousand Immortals.¡± ¡°I said fuck off.¡± Haotian didn¡¯t move but a gust of wind knocked the system wielding man back a few paces, shocking him. He quickly dashed away and hid back in the mountain. After that anticlimactic encounter, Haotian heard a sift, ¡°sign in,¡± the very next day and understood. Seems the man was content in hiding for now and Haotian did not care enough about him to bother him. That very sign in gave the man a movement spell which he quickly cultivated. After stabilising himself, he continued to cultivate pretending Haotian never existed. He could only only hope for the next few sign ins to give him better goodies so he could get rid of Haotian. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Monkey, how aggrieved would you feel if you learned your Dao gave this guy the one thing it wouldn¡¯t give you?¡± Haotian sighed ¡°So scared yet you still stayed, confusing. Does he honestly think he can bridge the gap between us? But people like him are nothing without their cheat. Just another fraudster.¡± ¡°Just like my relationship with you Da Hai you old bastard. Hahaha.¡± ¡­ ¡°Master, about senior brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware Yaochi. He seems to have entered a tribulation of his sorts. It¡¯s perfectly normal and he¡¯ll overcome it with time. Just focus on absorbing your purple qi and ascend quickly.¡± ¡°But master, why would someone like senior brother fall into this? I know the Heavenly Dao imprisoned the Heart Devil, but this created a curse of inner demons. Did the curse of the Heart Devil get to him? Could you perhaps beseech the Heavenly Dao for aid?¡± ¡°Nonsense silly girl, he¡¯s not cultivating within the Heavenly Dao. This is his own mental thoughts. Have faith in your senior brother. He¡¯ll overcome this and begin seeking the Dao in earnest.¡± ¡°How do you know master? Nothing in this world is guaranteed.¡± ¡°How wouldn¡¯t I know? I¡¯m his master.¡± ¡­ Haotian was not aware of how many years had gone back while he lay there. His mind in an indecisive state not unlike his original self back when he had been a newborn. But for Haotian, it was far more complicated. Should he sweep across the Three Realms? If cultivation forced so much conflict via resource disputes, should he force all beings to give up the Dao? But that went against his principles as a cultivator. Even the Three Corpse Method enraged him. Even in that scenario, he knew he did not posses the power to do so. He could ask Hongjun, but he did not wish to know how his master would twist his goal to his own distorted understanding of him. ¡°RAGH!¡± CRACK! ¡°Oh my god!¡± The system user fled again. His shiny new sword broke before it even reached Haotian. It seemed no matter what sign in rewards he received each day, he could not touch Haotian. But he did not stop trying. The man seemed to be insane, always believing he can dispatch Haotian with every new sign in. The weight of Liu Er¡¯s Dao had become heavier. But to Haotian it was like the difference between one millimetre and 2 millimetre. He didn¡¯t even produce enough noise to bother him. Undisturbed, Haotian remained in this timeless state until the day it did change. ¡°Hm?¡± Haotian did open his eyes one day. ¡°He wondered here?¡± A middle aged man hovered not too far away, seemingly in shock. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you here,¡± the middle aged man readjusted the sceptre in his grip. ¡°Senior brother Yuanshi,¡± Haotian scoffed. ¡°Why are you still an immortal. Shouldn¡¯t you be a saint?¡± Troubled, Yuanshi descended to join Haotian on the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me that. And I think we both know my hesitation.¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha! Even a child can tell the trap for what it is. What a perversion Dao cultivation has become.¡± Haotian sat up for the first time in a long time and rested an arm on his knee. ¡°But seriously, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Wandering, though from the looks of it¡± Yuanshi admitted after analysing Haotian. ¡°Pondering on what path I should take. Sainthood under heaven, or pursuing my own Dao. The choice is obvious but I can¡¯t help what I feel. ¡°Strange to not hear news of you despite your status though. But if you¡¯ve been wandering, troubled by¡­well events that¡¯s transpired in our lives. I am the same.¡± He walked forwards and sat crossed legged in front of Haotian. After a period of awkward silence, Yuanshi manifested a tea set between them. But Haotian waved his hand and replaced tea with bottles of wine. ¡°More fitting,¡± he said. ¡°Familiar,¡± Yuanshi said after taking a sip. ¡°Taste just like¡­like¡­East Sea Dragon Palace, Kailong Chen¡¯s supply of the Oceanic Suppression Lord¡¯s gift.¡± ¡°Heh heh, look at you using such noble titles for all the good those did him. Just call Da Hai by his name, not like anyone cares.¡± Yuanshi frowned at the disrespect. ¡°How did you come by it? The last time I tasted this was¡­years ago before everything went to shit.¡± ¡°Made it.¡± Haotian stared hatefully at his own untouched glass. This wine was one of the few substances able to affect Chaos Immortals into a woozy state. Poisonous to Golden Immortals to the point of one droplet being a lethal dose. ¡°I was not aware the dragons had, much less shared brewing secrets. Much less someone of Zixiao Palace¡¯s lineage.¡± Yuanshi eyed Haotian with suspicion. But he only found the man chuckling in an almost maniacal way. The Jade Pure One wondered if this man had suddenly lost his mind. With the way he was laughing, he wondered if the tragedy of the final days of the anti-devil war had broke him. It shouldn¡¯t have, a Chaos Immortal¡¯s will power should not be that weak. ¡°That¡¯s the best part isn¡¯t it?¡± Haotian scoffed. ¡°Wanna know a secret? One huge secret?¡± ¡°I am not Haotian. Not the innate god that was or ever will exist. You know that Oceanic Suppression Heavenly Lord you love so much?¡± Haotian waved around himself dramatically and downed an entire glass. Yuanshi sat stunned, he glanced at him as if he were crazy. ¡°Oh don¡¯t give me that look. Ha ha ha. You know the original you was a pompous arrogant ass who hated anything not human looking¡­sorry Dao body¡­well you get the idea. Did you know that one day, you in all your arrogance will turn against your bro¡­sorry sister and imprison her and annihilate her sect? Your own school will be split in half, turning to the west and become Boddhisatvas. I wonder how the Heavenly Lord of the Primordial Beginnings feel about that?¡± Yuanshi silently drank his glass of wine, savouring its favour. He gazed upon the sky and sighed before answering. ¡°Taishang told me so I¡¯m well aware of this future.¡± ¡°?¡± Haotian perked up in genuine surprise. ¡°My brother, he doesn¡¯t think. Carefree as they come. If he sees such shocking events, he just reacts in the moment. I now realise how destructive this can become. For pooling such foolish tests on me? My respect for him has dipped, even if my sister forgave him, I cannot find it in me.¡± Yuanshi paused pondering on his own thoughts. He was being surprisingly open after a few drinks. But it felt nice, to air some grievances out. ¡°My goal is to advance forward. I do not want to be turned into Heavenly Dao¡¯s puppet. Becoming a saint, this three corpse method, all it serves to do is transfer ourselves back into the Heavenly Dao¡¯s grip. We might as well have never become Golden Immortals nor left the cycle of perpetual reincarnation.¡± Yuanshi¡¯s anger arose as he spoke further. ¡°Is Dao cultivation not propagating one¡¯s own path towards the origin. Why must I discard my own hard earned Dao for the three thousand Dao¡¯s of the godfiends? How sacrilegious.¡± Haotian shook his head. ¡®Seems the godfiend perspective on what Dao is, passed on to you. But do you have the cruelty to obtain it like my master?¡¯ His hand subconsciously tightened. ¡°Seeking the Dao is a beautiful thing,¡± Haotian admitted. ¡°But do you not fear heaven¡¯s wrath for those words?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve visited and asked both modern and surviving ancient beings. I have not been struck down so either it doesn¡¯t know, or it doesn¡¯t care.¡± Yuanshi revealed the Hongmeng Purple Qi in his possession. ¡°Or most accurately, it knows I have no choice at all.¡± ¡°Tongtian and Taishang are much the same,¡± Yuanshi revealed. ¡°Sainthood is easy. With this I need only reach in and grab absolute command of one of the Great Daos. Heaven¡¯s support would make me an existence no different from Hongjun. But the filth I feel from this method.¡± ¡°For all your differences, you share the same goal?¡± ¡°Never deviated. Taishang and Tongtian for all my issues were once one with me. That¡¯s why we work so well together. All three of us are at our wits end.¡± ¡°Three as a unit, why don¡¯t you just seek the Dao as one?¡± Haotian said but laughed at the absurdity of such a scenario. ¡°Heh, after all we¡¯ve been through? Unlikely.¡± Yuanshi gave a slight smile. This experience was not one he¡¯d expect, but he felt that it had benefitted him greatly. He felt more at ease speaking with Haotian, even if the topic is heretical to the Heavenly Dao. ¡°Honestly though, speaking openly like this. Haotian I may not know you well. But do you have a death wish?¡± Yuanshi asked. Though he had spoken more, and Haotian listened more. What Haotian had said was not forgotten by him. That seemed to have broken Haotian out of his shock as he openly laughed. ¡°Oh what the hell. Might as well right? I¡¯m just a spy put on Hongjun¡¯s side with a task I don¡¯t even think my creator knew. He¡¯s not the best planner, mostly an idiot waving in the dark. His war against my master isn¡¯t even his top priority.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of existence anymore? I¡¯m not the real Haotian who serves and respects heaven. I¡¯m not the hero from fantasy purging this world of evil, look how that turned out. I¡¯m not even my own cultivator, just someone building things off of Da Hai¡¯s foundation. A true stain on the will of heaven, you¡¯ll probably get some merit if you kill me this instant.¡± Haotian made no move to protect himself while Yuanshi shook his head. ¡°What is merit from heaven if it¡¯s reward for killing an innocent man?¡± ¡°The real Yuanshi would¡¯ve jumped at the opportunity.¡± ¡°A farcical Yuanshi maybe. There is no purpose to killing you. You are just like me. A man lost on what to do with all this chaos. I¡¯m choosing to cultivate further and see where my path goes. But you¡¯re not a real cultivator. You can¡¯t seriously be waiting for something to kill you.¡± ¡°Like I said Yuanshi, I don¡¯t feel much point in my existence.¡± Haotian chuckled some more and downed his entire glass. Waiting for that moron up the mountain to get strong enough to take my head doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± Yuanshi stood up. ¡°Then stay on this mountain until you do figure out something. I appreciate our talk. But I do not respect this. I wish you luck in finding your own way.¡± He stood up and brushed his robe with a renewed vigour. He noticed quite some time has passed since he left Kunlun and he should return soon. He needed to have a real talk with his family. Haotian¡¯s situation was his own tribulation to deal with. ¡®With Da Hai deceased, Hongjun and absolute power, and the demise of nearly all life in existence several thousand years ago tearing his righteous morals apart. Haotian really has nothing huh. It would be a shame if this is the last chance we meet.¡¯ On the way out, Yuanshi slapped aside the young man Haotian was talking of taking his head. Though he sensed the Dao of the irritable monkey on him, he was such a minuscule insect that Yuanshi barely noticed him. Besides, he¡¯s Haotian¡¯s pet. Haotian meanwhile sat there in silence. After a while, he got up and walked into a nearby cave. There he sat down and meditated. ¡®My own way? What even would be my own way? Can I even cultivate my own Dao? Do I even have the talent?¡¯ There, an innate god meditated on his own turbulent thoughts for years on end while a younger man signed in each day in hopes of killing his obsession. It would not be until yuanhuis later when a young taoist named Youxiong would be the first to encounter the sleeping Haotian. Vast Sky 1: Zhang Youren Tranquility covered the mountain that had stood high for longer than anyone cared to remember. A spiritual mountain said to be the home of powerful immortals from an older age. But these were merely the remnant stories of ancestors. For the migrating group of humans, it was a potential safe haven. A mountain of this size and scale represented a few things. Shelter in its caves, and abundant spiritual energy to raise warriors. For the Bear tribe that had been forced to flee their homes, it was a potential place to settle. ¡°Clan chief,¡± a powerful looking elder whose body exuded the aura of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator called towards a heroic looking youth in battle armour. This youth had a sword sheathed at his side and a profound cultivation base that exceeded all humans present. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this distance too short? The damned monkeys can cross from their domain to here in mere days!¡± This elder regarded the youth as inexperienced. He was the son of the former chief and had been taken to Mt Kunlun by one of its famous masters for training since young. He had only just returned. Though his cultivation was extremely high, the monkey demons moving into their, Bear tribe¡¯s former territory were just as strong. He alone had not been enough to end them all, thus he uprooted the tribe. ¡°It¡¯s a spiritual mountain, a natural leyline,¡± the youth, Youxiong said back. But seeing the elder¡¯s confusion, he sighed. ¡°It means I can set up a defensive formation there. Even True Immortals will be weary.¡± They approached the mountain with an air of trepidation. Youxiong, as the leader naturally went first. His divine sense swept through the mountain noticing nothing of note. Though he was astonished by the purity of qi here. ¡°The true qi of this place is absurd.¡± He quickly withdrew flagpoles from his interspacial ring and told his fellow humans to settle on the mountain base while he go around it setting up anchor points. ¡°Yes clan chief.¡± Youxiong moved quickly, because of the imminent monkey threat, he darted across the mountain laying down flagpoles at various locations. This mountain would offer a good base while he contacted his masters for aid. The monkey epidemic was quite common in the Heavenly realm, especially in the East Dongshen continent. No man nor women could remember how it started, but monkey demons were famous to be crazed and lustful. They attacked anything in sight no matter who or what it was. Even other demon races reviled them. Youxiong was finalizing the last of it when he saw a robed figure sitting by an old hut. ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t pick up on any thing,¡± he said after observing the figure. Though it wore a rich daoist robe, it was merely a corpse. It¡¯s flesh had long decayed, reduced to mere bones. Even those bones looked to be seconds away from falling apart. The fact that this skeleton remained for this long suggested it may¡¯ve belonged to a strong cultivator in the past. ¡°Poor fellow, I wonder what happened to him?¡± ¡°Starvation.¡± Another vice said, startling Youxiong. ¡°Idiot thought his Dao heart strong, his belief firm, that as long as he stayed quiet and safe he can become an immortal. Never experiencing the world, he slowly forgot what it was even like to live. Upon the Immortal Tribulation, he was fooled into his mental trial, never emerging. He expired sometime after.¡± ¡°Hello good sir,¡± Youxiong greeted. ¡°I was not aware this mountain was inhabited.¡± ¡°And I did not expect to have visitors. Humans at that.¡± ¡®So he isn¡¯t a human. Some sort of demon?¡¯ ¡°Although my human race is weak, we must still work to survive. You know good sir, this Heavenly realm is incredibly dangerous. Demons and monsters prowl around and the immortals up high fight among themselves. I may be an immortal too, but I have to protect my own.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Honourable,¡± the other man said. His white robes fluttered as he moved towards the corpse. ¡°Unlike this thing. All I did was land here and he wanted to kill me.¡± ¡°Was he a human?¡± ¡°Unfortunately. By the way, do you not seek Nuwa¡¯s protection instead of traveling on your own?¡± Youxiong flinched. ¡°The sacred mother? Are you mad?¡± But the other person only looked mildly confused. So Youxiong concluded he must¡¯ve not been familiar with human history. ¡°The sacred mother is an exalted goddess, she must not be disturbed. We have no need to trouble her cultivation with our issues. She has her own business to worry about.¡± The other man frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t have a problem with that? She is your creator and responsible for you.¡± Youxiong sneered. ¡°Does that mean she should look after our every wants and needs? She¡¯s not our slave, her presence already drives away detractors from targeting our entire race. That alone is enough.¡± The white robed man smiled as he heard those words. ¡°Besides, there are still the Three Sovereigns protecting humanity if the worse comes. Their strength is said to exceed even the Ten Demonic Great Sages.¡± ¡°Three¡­so it¡¯s come to that.¡± The white robed man hummed. ¡°Anyway, do you mind? I want to set up a protection formation. I would humbly ask you as a disciple of Mt Kunlun¡¯s Jade Illusionary Palace for permission to use your mountain. ¡°The mountain¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°Thank you kind sir.¡± Youxiong placed the last flagpole in place and made to leave. But the white robed man went to follow him. This startled him but he thought nothing off it. He had not made a move and was very polite as well. In addition, Youxiong already spoke aloud his backing, not even the strongest of demons would want to trouble that. Then again, monkeys weren¡¯t normal demons. ¡°Clan chief! Bad news!¡± The same elder ran up to him as he returned. ¡°Scouts have spotted storms moving our way. They believe its the same group of monkeys you faced earlier.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Youxiong cursed. ¡°Monkeys?¡± The white robed man asked ¡°Yeah I know, theres no reasoning with them. Elder, retreat deep into the mountain. The formation is already set up.¡± In the distance, several large stomps were heard. Gigantic figures measuring hundreds of metres tall flailed across the land. Their deranged cries were clear as day, and as grating as the metal scraping across metal. ¡°I saw the Protoss of my baby!¡± ¡°Robbery robbery, the pure yin cauldron!¡± ¡°Teach the sperm to three emperor five emperor!¡± The white robed man stood there frozen. His eyes widened completely in shock at what he was seeing. Youxiong on the other hand had a solemn look. He drew the sword at his side and began floating in the air. ¡°Good sir, I will not force you to lend me aid. But I would appreciate it if you can help me drive these savages back. I can contact Kunlun for a proper reward for you.¡± ¡°What are these things?¡± The white robed man asked with pure confusion. ¡°Since when did the prim¡­the Heavenly realm spawn those creatures?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, my masters don¡¯t know. But they¡¯re dangerous as they have no regards for themselves.¡± Youxiong leaped into battle wielding his sword. In his hand, it became a pillar of light which he slashed at his foes. The monkeys stopped their advance, all started punching wildly at Youxiong. Their bodies were always extremely tough, unbreakable even for the average immortal. But they lacked any kind of esoteric abilities. ¡°I saw the is a pathetic fool!¡± ¡°Is a loser, a weakling, a pathetic fool who failed at everything.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve defeated the, take back the sperm and rule.¡± ¡°Never a slave, never a slave!¡± The monkeys and one human danced around each other. Immortal power manifested various spells to repel them. Youxiong, atop the mountain defence formation made for great defence however. No monkey could get in. The most they did was hug the barrier with a stone faced look, occasionally snapping their heads to one direction yelling some kind of nonsense. ¡°Is stupid! Is stupid!¡± ¡°Unbelievable,¡± the white robed man sighed. He reached his hand back and grabbed the skeletal corpse from a great distance away. He examined it in his hand, then the monkeys attacking outside. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t even notice when you first passed. You said you were invincible from the start right?¡± He grabbed the base of the neck and pulled the skull off with one clean motion. Then he tossed the skull right at the largest monkey. BAM! The skull of a sign in system user crashed against the nose bridge of a deranged monkey. The skull shattered on impact, yet not without dealing damage to the monkey. The force of it cracked its skull open, ripped through its skin, caved in its face, and reduced its fat head to the width of a piece of paper. That was to say, the white robed man splattered its head in a single throw. ¡°What?¡± Youxiong witnessed that monkey¡¯s fall and was ecstatic. The pressure on him was relieved and he didn¡¯t have to focus on defending. He quickly formed a seal which blasted out a torrent of fire. ¡°I¡¯ll help you friend,¡± the white robed man joined his side. This time he also unleashed his immortal power, proving Youxiong right that he was an immortal as well. In the white robed man¡¯s hand was the skeleton¡¯s arm, ripped cleanly from its socket. He tossed it into the air, scattering its individual bones, then sent them flying like arrows. ¡°The deity is stupid, a loser who failed at everything. I would¡¯ve.¡± The monkey continue chanting even as it was impaled. This gave enough time for Youxiong to raise his sword and cut its entire body in half. ¡°YAH! One more to go,¡± the Bear tribe chief raised his sword at the last monkey. ¡°With me.¡± His new ally smiled as they fought. The last of the bones were tossed into the sky, forming a long whip which he entangled the monkey with. ¡°Is stupid, a pathetic loser who failed at¡­¡± it didn¡¯t get to finish as Youxiong impaled its face with his sword, grown to gigantic proportions and ripped off its body. ¡°Haha, thank you. I would¡¯ve not been able to do it on my own.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Youxiong by the way. Leader of the Bear tribe. Youxiong.¡± The white robed young man stopped. He stared right at Youxiong with wide eyes, then he chuckled. A bitter smile crossed him making Youxiong concerned. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± The white robed man stared into the sky thinking. Youxiong didn¡¯t know what it was about so he only waited. ¡°Zhang.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I am surnamed Zhang,¡± he said. ¡°Zhang Youren.¡± ¡°Well its nice to meet you Mr Zhang.¡± Great Sea I: Road to Mt Ibuki A cloaked man wondered into the wet farmlands farmlands of Kiyomizu village. This area, located on the foothills of Mt Ibuki, was extremely prone to long periods of rain. In fact, it had been raining for a long week. Only recently did it let up The stranger wetted his fingers along the rice paddies, tasting its liquid on his lips. He hummed with disappointment. ¡°A trace of ki, but no divinity.¡± There was a look of unsureness on him as he circled the rice fields around the village. At first no one seemed to notice him as he investigated. No one could sense the small tremors of ki flowing back and forth. Eventually, the stranger returned to the dirt trail leading up to Kiyomizu village¡¯s main entrance.Turning his head, he observed a small shrine in the middle of the fields, looking like an overseer for the area. It depicted eight snakes bitting each other on the neck forming a circlet He approached the village calling out, ¡°Hoi, which one of you is the elder.¡± For the common man who resided on the land, far away from the emperor and his beautiful capital, visitors from afar were neither rare nor common. Travellers would also carry weapons of various kinds to protect themselves from yokai who prowled the land. As such, they did not find the sight of the man strange. The villagers shrugged, unsure how to respond. Their village chief had passed away not too long ago and things were a bit hectic as they were all leaderless. The cloaked stranger murmured to himself once he entered the village. There he pulled up a tattered map. ¡°Hey you!¡± He called to a passing farmer wheeling his crops. ¡°This is Kiyomizu village correct? The gateway to Mt Ibuki?¡± ¡°Hm? Yes,¡± the farmer said unsurely. He was concerned as to what this stranger may want. Mt Ibuki was far away from the imperial capital, and aside from its rainfall was unremarkable. So to see someone specifically seek this place out was strange. ¡°Then I am in the right place.¡± The strange took the sword he¡¯d been hoisting on his person, a straight double edged blade belonging to the Totsuka-no-tsurugi class of weaponry, then he stabbed it into the soil starling the villages around him. The sword in the ground began giving off brilliant light. Not only his sudden aggressive actions, even the sky began rumbling with thunder. The stranger pulled his hood back, revealing a handsome scarred man obviously of noble upbringing. His hair was thick and long, reaching well into his back. Overall, he cut an imposing warrior¡¯s figure that farming villagers did not see often. What¡¯s more, his obvious display of magic indicated a mastery over ki. This was not a simple warrior, but either an omnyoji or a yokai who had cultivated to a significant degree. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. legends had it that the emperor of the land employed many such individuals to control the yokai causing chaos. It was said that sufficiently powerful omnyodopractitioners could even transform into a Shinrei and become a Kami ¡°Listen up, I am Susanno-no-mikoto, a god of the Amatsukami.¡± His voice rumbled throughout the village, giving these farmers a sense to kneel. Many did immediately do so unconsciously, unable to withstand his presence. Even if this was not a deliberate action on his part, it was still a natural consequence of the difference in their existence. Even so, no one was sure if he were telling the truth or not. For all they knew, he could just be a very powerful omnyoji from the capital mimicking the presence of a Kami. Susanoo gave off a smirk as he observed his crowd. ¡°I was informed there was a legendary Oni king residing in this area. One that has not only taken root on Mt Ibuki, a powerful Oni who portrays himself as an object of worship.¡± The villagers gulped hard. ¡°Honoured Kami-sama. We¡­we¡­we simply pray for good harvest.¡± Even if they were not sure as to the validity of his words, simple villagers knew better than to mess with a powerful individual. In their eyes, any sufficiently powerful yokai or omnyoji who practised magic were indistinguishable from a Kami. They did not know if they did anything wrong. ¡°Good, good,¡± Susanoo said. He thought back to what had led him here, the ferocious Tenma of Mt Oe Ibaraki had been a challenge. Ibaraki Doji of Mt Oe was not a simply Oni, he had cultivated to become a true Tenma. In essence, that Oni was demonic god on par with members of the Shinrei or Majin of the Amatsukami and the Kunitsukami. Naturally, he was curious where such a creature learned his magic from. ¡°Lead me to this Oni king,¡± he declared. He had been itching for a fight ever since learning of this being¡¯s existence. The villagers nervously glanced at each other. Most were confused as to what this, ¡®Oni king¡¯ was. But some older members sighed. These old folks were the ones teaching the youths about snake worship and knew of what Susanoo was talking about. ¡°Honoured Kami-sama,¡± an elderly gentleman said. ¡°That Oni doesn¡¯t appear easily. Only occasionally when we make offerings of wine. Even then, he dislikes noisy crowds so only one of us ever go see him.¡± The younger villagers murmured to this revelation, but Susanoo tapped his foot in impatience. ¡°Call him over then.¡± ¡°We¡­we don¡¯t have any good wine prepared. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t call him over.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Susanoo strolled pass the elderly man and starred right at Mt Ibuki. On the surface, it appeared entirely ordinary. Perhaps rich in ki, but nothing compared to the more enriched environments of Takamagahara. When he scanned the mountain, he found nothing. This was to the extent where he doubted Ibaraki¡¯s words of guide. But the map he had confirmed it, the villagers he asked confirmed it. Even the little divination he performed previously confirmed this was the Mt Ibuki Ibaraki spoke about. ¡°Good wine eh? I¡¯ve got some on me now.¡± He took out a jug and tossed it at the elder. ¡°Summon this Oni king now.¡± ¡°Honoured Kami-sama,¡± the elderly man said again. ¡°Usually we go offer this at this cave up the mountain. Not here on the slopes.¡± ¡°Make sense, take me there now¡± Susanoo demanded. He picked up his sword, Amae-no-Habakiri and indulged himself on a little daydream of this upcoming battle. ¡­ A great distance away, high up in the fields of Takamagahara, a beautiful lady wearing a sun shaped head ornament stood by when a fox servant handed her a scroll. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± She spoke softly, only giving small hints to her frustration. ¡°Amaterasu-sama, Susanoo-sama has been confirmed to be sighed at¡­¡± ¡°I know what the scroll says. I¡¯m wondering why he went there.¡± She turned to the fox wielding an glare that could cut flesh. ¡°I blasted Mt Ibuki from the records specifically because he¡¯s the type to go to that place. How did he even find out about it?¡± She thought about, ¡®that person,¡¯ and internally shivered. ¡°Notify Ryujin. I need to speak with him immediately.¡± ¡°At once Amaterasu-sama.¡± The woman named Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and head of the Amatsukami continued to stare into the horizon even when the fox servant left. This time, her gaze pierced the clouds, past the land and into the endless ocean surrounding it. Things had finally calmed down since her father¡¯s generation of Amatsukami. But it appears her generation will experience turbulence once again. The Kamis of the sea were a strange lot, always keeping to themselves. But in the many generations since the universe¡¯s creation, they¡¯d always been powerful. Her parents found out the hard way, and it was only a timely intervention by Ame-no-minakanushi that prevented larger conflicts. The heavens and the earth, then the seas, two separate forces that should not interact. ¡°Mt Ibuki, that is the home of an Oni that learned from the Kamis of the seas. Susanoo went to deal with an Oni warlord earlier. What was his name again? Iba something? Could he also have been related to them?¡± Great Sea 2: The Oni King ¡°Tell me about this Oni, where did he come from? How long has he dwelled on Mt Ibuki¡¯s slopes.¡± Susanoo-no-mikoto made idle chatter with the villager guiding him, Sato. His sword rested on his shoulder, himself unafraid of its edge. Sato glanced at the Kami nervously. The foliage around them was still damp from the rain, the mud they trodded on was also uncomfortable. Even if the Kami was undisturbed, he was just a mortal man. ¡°Kami-sama, I only know some tales. All of which I¡¯ve sure a Kami such as yourself would know, and know more about then I.¡± His words were full of honesty. After all, any mortal would assume a god knew more then them. Kamis like Susanoo controlled all of reality. They were worshipped widely throughout Nippon, from the imperial capital, to various major cities. Mt Ibuki was ultimately a small unimportant place. It¡¯s local object of worship surely cannot be so grand to catch one of the Amatsukami¡¯s attention. ¡°Tell me of him,¡± Susanoo demanded again. His power was not displayed, but his words carried enormous amounts of authority. It was like listening to crashing waves and roaring thunder. Sato felt deep seated fear of the god. So he began telling him of old legends regarding Mt Ibuki. Stories told to him by his parents, and their parents before them. Long ago, when the land was barren, when no vegetation grew, and saltwater still permeated on the surface. Izanagi-no-Okami and Izanami-no-Okami had just risen Nippon from its place beneath the endless ocean. They moulded mountains, shaped rivers, planted forests and plains. Of the creator gods of old, this couple were the ones responsible for much of the mortal world. But despite their efforts. Mt Ibuki had already been in existence. Before the two even started their work, Mt Ibuki already stood on the risen land of Nippon. At least, that was what the Oni King said to his ancestors who¡¯d first settled on Mt Ibuki. ¡°That old huh?¡± Susanoo murmured, half listening and half maintaining his composure. His excitement was boiling beneath his skin. Old yokai were typically the strongest of yokai, elder ascended or near that. They can prove capable to help him sharpen his blade. Ame-no-Habakiri was a special sword passed down to him from his own forefathers. A sword forged from the gaseous ki emitted from the pores on the endless ocean¡¯s seafloor. Since the beginning of time, the endless ocean had always been a source for such sharp and dangerous ki. Susanoo himself often wondered why that was. Sato continued his tale, unaware of Susanoo¡¯s internal thoughts. His story led back to the Oni king who lazed around Mt Ibuki. To the people present, it presented no imminent danger. It never harassed, nor hunted them for food. Instead, it had even kept other wondering yokai away from Mt Ibuki. If one were to ignore regular does of heavy rain, Mt Ibuki would be an ideal place for settlement. Hence the villagers began worshipping the Oni over time as some sort of protector god. Such practise was not uncommon for mortals. Yokai are often times worshipped locally over any of the prominent Amatsukami or Kunitsukami. None of either factions found offence to this. Of course, these yokai would over time ascend to become Kami and join either. ¡°And the snakes?¡± One of the quirks was, despite Sato¡¯s claim to worship the Oni, much of the shrines they¡¯d passed depicted serpents. Around Kiyomizu village, snake imagery was all Susanoo had seen. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Oh that¡­well I suppose it¡¯s because waterborne snakes are his icon. I¡¯m honestly not too sure. My father never told me why, just that we used it. This is the way, he¡¯d say.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The two arrived after two hours of slow trekking at an alter. This was where offerings were placed annually for the Oni king. As the recent most offering was not too long ago, food scraps remained on the stone platform. It was a crude structure, inelegantand primal in appearance. The torches had long since been smouldered and an odd stench remained. There were no damages to the crudely carved stone, no doubt to mimic the appearance of the Oni king as a sign of respect. Obviously, the people at the time were not skilled craftsman. ¡®Remote, unimportant, small population, I can see why I¡¯d never heard of it.¡¯ Susanoo took his sword off his shoulder and planted it on ground. It¡¯s edge stabbed through the stone platform making a loud cracking sound. Sato was stunned, falling back to his rear. ¡®But what I can¡¯t understand is why such a powerful Oni like Ibaraki-Doji would mention this place. Did he trick me? Surely not, he wouldn¡¯t dare with my sword at his throat.¡¯ ¡°The¡­the shrine¡­¡± Sato uttered. ¡°Hmph. Oni of Mt Ibuki, come out this instant,¡± Susanoo demanded. A crackling electrical aura manifested around him. The sky overhead began darkening as if a storm had arrived. It did not rain just yet, but the clouds appeared heavy enough to do so at any time. For several minutes, nothing happened. This irritated the god, so used to getting his way, that he stabbed through the stone platform again. This time, lightning roared overheard, and rain did pour down. Mt Ibuki shook ever so slightly from his small display of power. Then Susanoo felt a faint presence. Finally, after all that, the Oni king of Mt Ibuki finally took notice. He could tell it came from near the peak of the mountain. ¡®How typical, arrogant enough to live among the clouds.¡¯ Mt Ibuki was just barely tall enough to touch the clouds, making it a gargantuan mountain. From its peak, one would appear to posses the vision of a Shinrei. But only the Amatsukami were fit to posses that authority. Maybe the ryu from the endless ocean too, but their existence had always been enigmatic to Susanoo. The presence was moving quick now. It rolled down the mountain, making large leaps. Each of his steps were like waves crashing against the mountain. Mt Ibuki was not near the ocean, very inland in fact. But still the smell of saltwater reached Susanoo¡¯s nose. ¡°Oh no! We¡¯ve disturbed him.¡± ¡°Oh calm down will you. I am here.¡± Susanoo payed Sato little mind. Fully engrossed on the approaching powerhouse of an Oni. To him, this being clearly exuded a class of power on par with a Tenma. Yet unlike Tenma he¡¯d met before, there seemed to be something strange about it. FOOM! Before he could finish his thoughts however, the Oni king made landfall right before him. The stone platform was smashed in two from his footsteps. His red horns arched back as he raised his head to look at Susanoo. Of the two, Susanoo was the larger man. He was tall, muscular, broad, with wide shoulders and thick eyebrows. He was burly, fit for a warrior god. In comparison, the Oni was not small. But he was definitely shorter, wearing exquisite clothing unlike the beast pelts Susanoo had imagined him in. ¡°Quite loud,¡± the Oni king spoke first. On his back was a sword designed similarly to his own Ame-no-Habakiri. It was covered in bandages, its ki entirely inert to Susanoo¡¯s senses. But the Oni himself was obviously powerful. ¡°I was eating.¡± ¡°Ibaraki told me a powerful Oni taught him the way of the sword. That this Oni lived on Mt Ibuki.¡± ¡°Hm, that kid was good with a sword.¡± The Oni shrugged remembering fondly. ¡°Helped me sharpen mine.¡± ¡°So you do know him.¡± Susanoo raised his sword to his side in a stance. ¡°Then know that I am Susanoo-no-Mikoto of the highest trinity of the Amatsukami. Slayer of unruly Oni and protector of the lands. I¡¯m here to challenge this so called, master of the sword, to see if he is worthy of handling one.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The Oni scratched his head. There was some familiarity, though he couldn¡¯t quote recall why he found such names familiar. But upon seeing the hostility, he clenched his sword by the handle and lowered it till before him. ¡°You bring a sword, demand to fight me with a sword? Okay then.¡± Susanoo nodded with satisfaction, this Oni had the spirit of a warrior. The bandages fell off one after the other, revealing a sword of swords. This halted the storm god. ¡°What is this? Some sort of joke?¡± Susanoo¡¯s face scrunched. His temper rose, feeling offended at the mockery displayed before him. In this Oni king¡¯s hand, connected to the hilt was a metallic blade. But unlike Ame-no-Habakiri, this sword lacked its entire blade. It stopped about halfway up its blade, revealing a shattered form. ¡°A broken blade?¡± Susanoo swiped his divine blade sideways. It¡¯s edged unleashed a wave of light, slicing across the mountain, uprooting many trees. The clouds in the distance parted from the force alone. All but the mountain stayed in tact in front of a Shinrei level being¡¯s swing. ¡°What?¡± But Ame-no-Habakiri did not cut cleanly through the Oni. That broken blade was raised, its remaining edge not touching his own sword. Instead, he saw the faint silhouette of a complete sword superimposing atop the broken one. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, its always been like this,¡± The Oni said fondly. ¡°The yokai who come and ask didn¡¯t know why. Nor did any of the Kami who came to investigate. Not those horned snakes from the endless ocean. Not even that girl with the crown on her head could tell me why.¡± ¡°But every time someone comes, it always compels me.¡± The Oni exerted strength, pushing Susanoo¡¯s arm back. Then a second exertion, fully launched the god back a few metres. Susanoo landed on his feet in shock. Sato had long since run away, his status unknown. But the two deities faced each other and felt glee. ¡°Very well then. Seems I was mistaken. I apologize,¡± Susanoo said. ¡°Let me try again. I am Susanoo-no-Mikoto of the Amatsukami. Wielder of Ame-no-Habakiri. Son of Izanagi-no-Okami here to¡­well to fight you I guess.¡± ¡°Hehe, then I am¡­hm son of I don¡¯t know actually. I don¡¯t even know what this sword is called. I just appeared one day as I am.¡± ¡°A congenital being then. Not unheard of but uncommon. Just your name will do.¡± ¡°Easy enough Susanoo,¡± the Oni said. ¡°I am called Shuten-Doji. Let¡¯s see if your skills are equal to your arrogance.¡± Vast Sky 2: Bear Tribe ¡°So how did this come about? For the leader of a small tribe to be an immortal. Are cultivators of that magnitude so common among humanity?¡± The Bear tribe had regained their compound. All its associated families were carried back by the combined efforts of Youxiong and Zhang Youren back to their place of origin. Located near Xuanyuan hill, it was a cosy place al things considered. Youren had accompanied Youxiong back out of curiosity. Youxiong was hospitable enough to accept. He was also glad to have another powerhouse willing to stay with them, at least for a time. On the way back, Zhang Youren got to see the charismatic young man in action. For someone who¡¯d spent the majority of his life cultivating up the mountain, he was surprisingly skilled in administration. Not to mention the logistic of a successful yet hasty retreat, after arriving back to Xuanyuan hill, he quickly organized the people to their stations. By the end of the day, he¡¯d sorted the village back to how one would expect an undisturbed society to function. Woodcutters, fishermen, farmers were all organized back to their station, and builders set out to fix the damage the monkeys had caused. An immortal like Youxiong could¡¯ve resolved the issue with his magic, but he explained to Zhang Youren that if he did so, people would grow dependent and forget how to do things by themselves. To Youren, it seemed Youxiong was exited to have another immortal to talk to, or brag to. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say? I¡¯m a disciple of Kunlun¡¯s Jade Illusionary palace.¡± ¡°But how did that happen. I don¡¯t think the immortals of Kunlun would accept anyone,¡± Zhang Youren probed. ¡°So what is it? Virgin birth? Transparent stomachs? Intelligent at birth? Reinvented farming and the wheel at age 5?¡± ¡°Ahahahaha, you make me laugh friend.¡± Youxiong slapped his knee heartily. ¡°None of that as far as I know. If I had a transparent stomach, I didn¡¯t notice. And I¡¯m fully certain I have a father.¡± He pointed at a gravesite just out the village. ¡°And I was most definitely a stupid child if all the stories are true,¡± he chuckled at the mention. ¡°To be honest. I don¡¯t know why master chose me to be his disciple. I was just out collecting firewood one day, and master rounded the corner of my vision. Our eyes met and I asked of he could help carry my wood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Hold on your master should be¡­¡± ¡°Guangchengzi, the Great Immortal Lord of Broard Accomplishments,¡± Youxiong bragged. ¡°The chief disciple of the Jade Pure One too. You know, one of the Three Pure Ones?¡± ¡°Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginnings,¡± Zhang Youren said. ¡°I¡¯m aware. You sure you didn¡¯t have any chance encounter? No special large destiny for Guangchengzi to notice you?¡± He looked around, making a show as if he expected Guangchengzi to teleport in any time. Yet unbeknownst to Youxiong, Zhang Youren did not detect the presence of any other powerful immortal in a large radius. ¡°If I do, he never told me. Though that¡¯s not really important now is it? My job is to manage the Bear tribe.¡± ¡°I see. You wish for the prosperity of the Bear tribe?¡± ¡°Of course. Half the reason I descended the mountain. Had enough of endless practise anyway. I already surpassed the tribulation. I know there are stronger things out there but I just can¡¯t anymore, that life wasn¡¯t fulfilling. But here? The Bear tribe is my place of origin, my true home.¡± He took a brief moment to look at the gravesite outside the settlement. ¡°I just wish I realised quite how long had passed.¡± ¡°As immortals, we shouldn¡¯t hold attachments to the fleeting.¡± Youxiong frowned as he heard Zhang Youren say. But then he heard a bitter chuckle that turned his opinion. ¡°Some natural processes¡­we cannot¡­stop.¡± His new friend said after a grim sounding chuckle. It made Youxiong wonder about him. ¡°Bad experience?¡± He asked. But before Youren could respond, he held up a hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m not the type to pry when it¡¯s not wanted.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Hm, let¡¯s just say things happened.¡± Youxiong suspected his new acquaintance was much older then he. Perhaps he was old enough to experience the catastrophe of the previous era. He¡¯d only heard vague stories during his time at Kunlun. His seniors didn¡¯t like speaking of it, and only his grandmaster and eldest martial uncle had written accounts. Those accounts of course, were in their private collection and he didn¡¯t there pry. ¡°How long do you plan to stick around? I know immortals like us live busy lives. Seeking the Dao requires much opportunities and thought. For all my power, I¡¯m just a tribal chieftain in the end.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Zhang Youren appeared surprised. In fact, he hadn¡¯t thought quite that far ahead. Youxiong just had this magnet about him that made others curious. He was also charismatic, being someone easily fitting into the leader role his fellow tribesmen gave him. To Zhang Youren, he was an oddity that he felt compelled to tag along and see. Yet there was also another reason beneath that. ¡°I¡¯m just curious is all. Don¡¯t let my face fool you, I¡¯m an old man with few things to do.¡± As Youxiong turned around to think about options for his village, Zhang Youren observed him. Why had he tagged along exactly? He could¡¯ve just stayed up that mountain and watched from a distance. ¡®Was I charmed? Was his charisma that magnetic?¡¯ He wondered. Youxiong was an immortal cultivator but didn¡¯t carry himself with much pomp. There was certainly pride there, he could see the subtle arrogance of an immortal being¡¯s disposition. But he talked with his people and thought about their living situations, problems, and feelings. ¡®In that regard, he is different from my dis¡­his disciple,¡¯ Zhang Youren carefully thought. He glanced at the sky and sighed. ¡°What was I thinking? Zhang Youren? Why that of all things? It¡¯s not even funny anymore,¡± me murmured quietly. Zhang Youren¡¯s true name is Haotian. The disciple of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and one of the strongest Primal Zenith Chaos Immortals of the past. Standing there watching a small True Immortal do the work of a chieftain, he didn¡¯t quite know what he was even doing here. ¡°Hey you,¡± an older man called to him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing anything? Help the builders if you¡¯re so free.¡± Haotian raised an eyebrow. These people, how detached were they high society? The mortals of the past knew better than to talk to immortals of any kind so casually with being intimate with them. Yet as he observed these people, dressed in beast pelts and linen, he gradually understood. These people are fundamentally mortals, they had some some who embarked on the immortal path, but their attainments were low. They couldn¡¯t tell the difference between immortals and really strong cultivators. After all, from a mortal with no cultivation¡¯s, what was the difference between a man who could obliterate a mountain to a man who could obliterate a mountain? Both were omnipotent beings with infinite power from their perspective. These people regarded those Golden Core, and Nascent Soul elders as the same fellow tribesman. The Bear tribe was small, very communal based. So Haotian did not begrudge them. He didn¡¯t mind moving a few pieces of rocks anyway. He didn¡¯t overtly use his strength, but they still got the job done quick. Those with cultivation were surprised at him being there. They of course, understood better the difference between them and an immortal like him. ¡°Hey Youren, didn¡¯t expect manual labour out of you.¡± Youxiong approached holding a bamboo scroll. ¡°People ask and I have no reason to object,¡± Haotian replied. ¡°Done with administration already?¡± ¡°We¡¯re a tribe of a few hundred, there¡¯s not much to manage,¡± Youxiong said heartedly. The scroll in his hand were a record of sorts, something to have a physical copy of all that he¡¯d done written down. In the language he knew best, it was naturally the same script used by the Chaos Godfiends. But that also came with the caveat that mortals couldn¡¯t comprehend its meaning. It was simply too complex for the human mind to fathom, and even immortals struggle hard to read it. This was why compared to how Haotian will write, Youxiong¡¯s writing were akin to a toddler¡¯s. The sun had set by this point, and both men found themselves on an elevated stone on Xuanyuan hill. They could see all of the recovering Bear tribe settlement from here. Even the Jing river nearby was visible. In its own simplistic way, it was very beautiful. ¡°Good thing those monsters didn¡¯t trample it all,¡± Youxiong said. ¡°I remember when my mom would take me down to the river. Right there.¡± He pointed at a sport curving into a U shape. ¡°My father was a fisherman, inherited techniques Sovereign Fuxi taught humanity to feed.¡± ¡°Fuxi¡­he¡¯s active again?¡± ¡°I mean, he hasn¡¯t done anything major as of late. I¡¯d love to meet him though. The legendary Heaven Sovereign of humanity whose led us since we left our cradle,¡± Youxiong said fondly. ¡°Your cultivation is much greater than I, have you by chance¡­¡± But he stopped that chain of thought. Even if his new friend Zhang Youren was a Heavenly Immortal, or even a Golden Immortal, it would still not be enough to be granted audience to one of the Three Sovereigns. A lowly Golden Immortal would be little more than an ant in front of them. ¡°You can say I¡¯m familiar with Lord Fuxi.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we all. Hahaha,¡± Youxiong chuckled. ¡°Training at Kunlun, I¡¯ve always heard about the deeds of my human ancestors. It¡¯s quite strange, seeing everyone there talk about humans as their own thing despite looking identical to one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. Humans just happens to look like them,¡± Haotian denied. ¡°Nuwa sculpted them in image to herself. She herself had obtained the Dao body as a sign of being enlightened in the Dao. At worst its a coincidence.¡± ¡°Ah but I was a child back then,¡± Youxiong added. ¡°I didn¡¯t know any better. Of course now I understand how we came to be.¡± He took a second to watch the rest of his people beginning to retire for the night. ¡°Most of them never learn though.¡± ¡°Too many of them I wager,¡± Haotian said. ¡°Looks to me like the human population spread out far and wide since my time.¡± ¡°True true, even the Three Sovereigns couldn¡¯t imagine how much humanity would spread. They say all four continents house them in uncountable numbers. Even with all their might, the Three Sovereigns simply couldn¡¯t manage them all. Just throw their names around as warnings. Of course, that means tragedies happen often.¡± Youxiong thought back to the monkeys that would¡¯ve annihilated the Bear tribe had he not coincidentally traveled back. ¡°No one pays enough attention to small tribes.¡± ¡°I guess even Chaos Immortals like the three¡­¡± Haotian stopped realising what Youxiong just said. ¡°Wait three? Three sovereigns?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Three, as in Three active sovereigns. Not prophesied sovereigns?¡± ¡°Uh¡­yes? There are prophesied sovereigns? Youren, are you aware of some divination about humanity¡¯s future?¡± ¡°No wait, go back, list the three active sovereigns of humanity to me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Thinking fast, ¡°I only remember two. Fuxi and Shennong.¡± ¡°Not Lord Suiren? I¡¯m shocked, I¡¯d think you¡¯ll know him most of all.¡± ¡°I do know Suiren,¡± Haotian quickly said. ¡°I just¡­you know what I think my memories aren¡¯t in the best condition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible, did you suffer a heart devil? These things are dangerous. I can ask my master for a pill if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve dealt with it.¡± Haotian hoped he¡¯d buy that excuse. He decided he really needed to do some divination. He¡¯s really behind on world news. Vast Sky 3: Divine Farmer If Haotian would describe Youxiong in a anyway he deemed fit, he¡¯d choose cautiously optimistic. The young daoist who¡¯d descended from Kunlun to return to his tribe of origin loved his fellow man. He thrived in the leadership position he assumed upon returning. People gravitated around him when he sorted situations out. People listened to him for they themselves did not understand where they wanted to go. In that regard, he was similar to Di Jun who¡¯s charisma alone united numerous demon races. Haotian would at times sigh in his heart as he was not much different from the men in the Bear tribe. Youxiong was difficult to not get along with. He however, never revealed his exact cultivation to Youxiong, but had otherwise formed a friendship with the man. Cultivators too far apart would often find themselves belonging to two different social classes in the days of Dragon and Phoenix courts. In the hundred and sixty nine years since Haotian became Zhang Youren. The Bear tribe transformed from a village in ruin to a stable town, then a thriving city. Humans, mortal ones moved quick while cultivators moved slow, but they united in this era as a single entity. The Three Sovereigns, Suiren, Fuxi, and Shennong were august existences who were extremely far away. Youxiong¡¯s tribe¡¯s rapid growth caused the neighbouring to gravitate towards them for protection. After all, Haotian as well as Zhang Youren were both recognized as a bigwig immortal even if he only hung around Youxiong. The two repelled many intruding monster gaining a reputation as heroic saviours of humanity, locally at least. Youxiong especially was eager to play into that image, as he described to Haotian about forming a sphere of influence where no demons, divinities, or monsters dared to bully his people. News gradually spread. ¡°This arrived yesterday evening brother,¡± Youxiong said. He handed a scroll to Haotian, who sat across from him. The two met up almost daily, discussing worldly affairs as well as the Dao. Mostly worldly affairs and gossip as Youxiong¡¯s understanding of the Dao was far from Haotian¡¯s. Haotian hummed, receiving and reading its contents. ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re in the political big leagues now.¡± ¡°Haha, inevitable wasn¡¯t it? But we shouldn¡¯t joke at a time like this. I need to think.¡± The scroll was an invitation. One to a social gathering occurring every thousand years in Shennong¡¯s court in his city, Gengfen located by the eastern shore. Shennong, the youngest and latest of the Three Sovereigns reportedly liked doing this so humanity would stay connected despite the enormous distance between tribes. ¡°I want to go, but I fear for the Bear tribe without me being present,¡± Youxiong admitted. ¡°Brother, could you serve as a representative for me?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Haotian was flattered but he had to refuse. He played the role of a human advisor and protector well but he didn¡¯t see himself as the face of the Bear tribe. He admitted as such to a visibly disappointed Youxiong. ¡°I see¡­gah if only that swarm of bugs didn¡¯t take root. Otherwise, leaving for a little bit shouldn¡¯t bee too difficult.¡± ¡°For you it would still a be trip lasting thousands of years. You¡¯re still a True Immortal,¡± Haotian reminded. ¡°Well its a good thing I come from Kunlun. My master didn¡¯t leave me many things, but among them is a shuttle that can travel many times faster then I can.¡± Shuttles like the ones Youxiong described were created by the Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginnings. Youxiong¡¯s was a memento from his master and needed space and time to launch unlike better models. ¡°If you improved your cultivation, you would¡¯ve taken the trip easily.¡± ¡°Oh you know me, I¡¯ve got more important things to worry about. Haotian revealed a small smile at Youxiong¡¯s words. Unlike many, cultivation and combat was an afterthought for Youxiong. It wasn¡¯t like he was unaware of their importance, but he more often then not focused on running administration for the ever growing Bear tribe and its internal disputes. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the locusts demons,¡± Haotian offered. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t want to annoy you before. But these bugs are very dangerous even for¡­¡± ¡°I know and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± A favour for a friend was hardly worth mentioning. ¡­ After dealing with some issues and setting up a defensive formation just in case, Haotian under the Zhang Youren name, Youxiong, and a gaggle of guards left for Gengfen. Haotian was interested in meeting Shennong. He¡¯d only ever know of him from his inherited memories, and as he learned many times those held little weight. ¡°One of the human leaders, our human leaders. Brother can you believe it?¡± Youxiong could barely contain his excitement. Haotian found it quite funny his friend was so giddy. It was like a man about to meet his childhood hero. ¡°You know when I was a child my mother will tell me bedtime stories. The Three Sovereigns of humanity repelled countless evils and created a haven for the nascent human race. At the expense of their own safety, they¡¯d even dare to brawl against divinities and demons alike.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Theres a famous story where lord Suiren beat Zhurrong black and blue. And another where lord Shennong slew numerous dragons to rescue his beloved daughter. These are ancient powerhouse factions, even Kunlun can¡¯t be too sure.¡± Haotian sent him an odd look. ¡°Hey I know they¡¯re just exaggerations. I read the actual records in Kunlun¡¯s library.¡± Youxiong quickly defended understanding what Haotian¡¯s look meant. ¡°But still, these are the leaders of humanity.¡± Gengfen city did not resemble any previous city Haotian had seen in his life. Even if most of them were only ever from a distance or in ruins, the architecture of Gengfen was more in line of his picture of ancient china rather than what the early races had built. As a metropolis, countless human lives resided within its walls. Protected by hordes of humans who¡¯d stepped into the realms of immortality, the population had reached a staggering thirteen trillion souls. It was a large gathering even by more archaic standards, sustained only by the transcendent magic of its rulers. Yet when Haotian compared it to what he knew the dragons, phoenixes, even devils, it still had a ways go. Shennong resided within Great Flame palace, a building complex with red walls and artistic renderings of various herbs and farm animals as its decorations. Lines of imperial soldiers stood on guard projecting a great aura of dominance. Youxiong and his entourage was one of many lesser tribes of men who¡¯d arrived in attendance. Many of whom couldn¡¯t even attend due to the immense distance. The Bear tribe would¡¯ve been no different were it not for Youxiong¡¯s tutelage under Kunlun and Haotian¡¯s help as Zhang Youren. ¡°Patriarch, Lord Zhang, it seems our table was set there,¡± one of Youxiong¡¯s assistants pointed. The group made their way to their designated seats. Shennong¡¯s banquet hall was a full social event, after settling down Youxiong stood back up to make some connections. Everyone here where leaders of their own tribe or representatives of some group. All of them were human. But as Haotian peered into many of them, he found the illusionary shadow of many beings he recognized. ¡®As populated as humanity is, its no surprise many of their greats ground their way as disciples of older powers.¡¯ In this gathering, Youxiong¡¯s status as a disciple of Kunlun could also be leveraged to make friends. The Bear tribe was isolated, close to territories of demons, and lacked cultivation resources to raise more experts. Wether because of his personality or because of this need, Youxiong¡¯s spent much of the party speaking with others. That was until a great announcement came, Shennong had arrived to commence the banquet. This caused Youxiong to immediately bolt back to his seat. His face giddy at the mention of such an icon. ¡°Flame Emperor Shennong, heavens above I am meeting him,¡± Youxiong said in disbelief. ¡°Shennong, the divine farmer,¡± Haotian nodded alongside. ¡®He¡¯s known as the Earth Sovereign according to myth. Legend say he personally tasted and compiled an encyclopaedia of herbs. Novels say this act granted him endless merit that raised his cultivation. I wonder how much of that is true.¡¯ Haotian pondered on the middle aged man(Shennong) who made his way up to the main seat. Two empty seats were beside him, no doubt assigned to Suiren and Fuxi, neither of whom came. ¡°Hail Earth Sovereign, hail Flame Emperor!¡± Shennong took his seat, his aura constrained but felt. It smelt of burnt herbs and odours from various types of traditional Chinese medicine. There was also a soil like feel to his aura reminiscent of a cultivated fertile land. ¡°He¡¯s a Chaos Immortal,¡± Haotian exclaimed. But without him displaying his Dao, Haotian could not judge how far along that path he was. But just as quickly as he exclaimed, he narrowed his gaze. He had judged too quickly based simply on how he appeared on the surface. There was a distinct difference that can be identified at a closer second glance. Something golden and heavenly. ¡°That olden term hasn¡¯t been used in eons.¡± Youxiong chuckled at Haotian¡¯s choice of words. He knew Haotian was an immortal who¡¯d secluded himself until he found him. Sometimes he¡¯d find him blurting out language unheard of for many yuanhui. Only his education at Kunlun allowed him to keep up. ¡°Saint-to-Be,¡± Haotian corrected himself. ¡°This realm has always been so rare. His majesty is the only one present.¡± Youxiong nodded in agreement. ¡°Even among my uncle masters, very few have even touched that realm.¡± Up high on his throne like seat, Shennong welcomed and congratulated all the chieftains of humanity. His voice was warm, fatherly, and joyful at all the fresh faces. He exclaimed sadness at all those who could not make it, before encouraging the attendees to improve once again. ¡°My friends, honoured sons of humanity, descendants of mother Nuwa, lord Suiren, Lord Fuxi, Lord Youchao, and Lady Ziyi. I welcome you all to Gengfen.¡± Shennong spoke humbly, only subtlety portraying his superior power. It was a good performance, very unlike the grandiose introductions Zulong or Zufeng would perform in the past. Haotian considered Shennong, then nodded approvingly. He sat back, merely enjoyed the atmosphere again. Watching and occasionally chatting with Youxiong was enough to satisfy him. Seeing his friend become so animated to speak with his fellows, he couldn¡¯t Help but consider his own life. Cultivators and rulers, so intermingled yet such different experiences. ¡°Another year of human prosperity. Soon enough our little race will catch up to the older powers. Mark my word friends.¡± Youxiong continued to socialise with enthusiasm. ¡°Too true, too true. At our rate of development, surpassing the Heavenly Demons or Earthly Divinities is guaranteed.¡± ¡°Praise the Three Sovereigns, praise Mother Nuwa.¡± ¡°Hey brother Zhang, let me introduce you¡­¡± Haotian only occasionally took part, giving off the image of a introverted scholar. In other¡¯s eyes, he was Youxiong¡¯s trusted adviser but still a servant. Only Shennong¡¯s gaze lingered on. Haotian felt the Divine Farmer¡¯s gaze, thus he returned it albeit only briefly. Shennong had retracted his, seemingly speaking to others. ¡­ ¡°When I trained on Kunlun, I¡¯d always wanted to meet the heroes of my race. The ones who dragged us from out of mother Nuwa¡¯s protection, and endured endless storms. The ones who heralded the rise of humanity as a species. Earth Sovereign Shennong is every bit as impressive as I thought. ¡°Oh how I wish this can go on just a little longer.¡± The event had winded down, and with it came Youxiong¡¯s lament at its ending. The young chieftain was sad to see what he perceived as an event of a lifetime go. ¡°Every thousand years, give or take he¡¯d host another one,¡± Haotian said shrugging. ¡°Get used to attending many. Youxiong frowned at his friend¡¯s nonchalance, the distinct lack of reverence somewhat bothered him. ¡°I have to ask brother Zhang, how could so quiet this whole time. Was lord Shennong not brilliant?¡± Haotian chuckled, ¡°He is mighty to be sure.¡± Another servant approached their group. This one dressed in flame like robes signifying a high status in Shennong¡¯s court. ¡°Excuse me, will the one named Zhang Youren follow me?¡± ¡°Brother Zhang!¡± Youxiong gasped at the invitation. ¡®He¡¯s asking for me?¡¯ Haotian was startled at the abruptness, but unsurprised. He turned to reassure Youxiong, then followed the servant. He had a guess as to what Shennong wanted. When their eyes met that one time, he could see Shennong analyzing him. One of the sovereigns of humanity, how could he be simple? He most likely noticed Haotian scanning his cultivation, and also noticed Haotian¡¯s own suppression of his own cultivation. The servant, separated Haotian from Youxiong and his guards. Then he led him to a room within Shennong¡¯s palace. There, Shennong stood alongside two others. The three were clearly discussing something in hushed tones. ¡°Your majesty,¡± the servant greeted. Haotian respectfully did the same. ¡°Next time my friends,¡± Shennong said to the two he was speaking with. These men, both appearing middle aged had some scaled texture on their skins. Deer like antlers sprouted from their heads. ¡°Are you from Kunlun fellow daoist?¡± Shennong did not beat around the bush. ¡°Youxiong is a student of Kunlun,¡± Haotian replied giving nothing away to his own origins. ¡°Has the Primeval Heavenly Lord taken an interest in humanity?¡± Shennong asked again, this time his own assumptions took over. ¡°Who can say. Youxiong only trained as an immortal cultivator learning all magical and martial arts. Just as any individual from any other race.¡± ¡°You do not need to hide it,¡± Shennong sighed. ¡°I am aware of how many sects and ancient masters raising representatives in my race. Most of the chieftains today represents someone, many from the same sect too.¡± ¡°Is that such a bad thing?¡± Haotian poked purposefully. ¡°Haha, of course not.¡± Shennong shook his head and turned his gaze to the two antlered men from earlier now talking amongst themselves a distance away. ¡°How can humanity survive all on its own? Compromises are a must in life¡± ¡°Tell your masters that I, Shennong of the Three Sovereigns would like to invite the Enlightenment Sect of Kunlun to a Dao discussion. I believe this will foster great benefits for the younger generation.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Haotian walked away from this conversation pondering. Shennong truly was cosmopolitan, were Suiren and Fuxi the same? Fuxi would be a no brainer, he wasn¡¯t human to begin with. When Haotian returned to Youxiong, the latter excitedly asked how was meeting Shennong personally like. ¡°It was intense,¡± Haotian told him. ¡°As I¡¯d imagine it¡¯ll be like when a child from down the road of Bear tribe meets you the great chieftain.¡± ¡°Oh please don¡¯t compare us, how could I ever be mentioned in the same breath as lord Shennong?¡± ¡°You know, He, Fuxi, and Suiren single-handedly uplifted humanity once we left mother Nuwa¡¯s embrace. They fought and defeated countless catastrophes through their might and made humans a dominant force¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± They left with Youxiong still singing his heroes¡¯ praises. Yet Haotian couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡®What were dragons doing at a human chieftain gathering?¡¯ Vast Sky 4: Conflict Imminent Day by day, year by year. Before anyone knew it, another thousand years passed peacefully. The people of the settlement changed. Mortals, long lived as they were in this era could not suffer the ravages of time. Generations went by with only a few successfully becoming cultivators. Under Youxiong¡¯s management, they entered his service as civil servants and military personnel. Haotian did not have to advice him any on such matters. In fact, the white robed youth more or less watched him work. He couldn¡¯t help but compare him to rulers of old, the countless small clans vying for power in the original East Continent. Xuanyuan hill was not a particularly wealthy region. It was suitable for mortals, yet lacked a powerful enough spiritual vein to kick start a cultivation renaissance. As such, Youxiong utilized methods his forefathers¡¯, The Three Sovereigns, imparted and farmed the land and river. In this way, the population had grown to a staggering amount. From Youxiong¡¯s central administrative building, which also served as his palace home, Haotian watched servants walk pass him. His own presence so limiting that only Nascent Soul stage, elders who¡¯d already awakened their consciousness to a higher realm could notice. ¡®Look at them go. It wasn¡¯t that long ago when this place was a bunch of straw huts. Now it resembles a feudal state.¡¯ Haotian often pondered on the changes. Where in spite of it all, everything was so quiet. Two guards, both Nascent Divinity realm experts followed behind a general at the Wordly Saint realm passed by. They all payed their respects to Haotian unlike the maids. ¡°At ease. He¡¯s in his office,¡± Haotian told them. ¡°Thank you great immortal.¡± Although he said this land was incapable of a cultivation renaissance, that wasn¡¯t to say it stayed weak. Over the past thousand years, more and more tribes had decided to move to Xuanyuan hill from further western, or southern regions. Mass migrations were getting more and more common and along with them came cultivators of greater experience. This was how Youxiong managed to employ cultivators on the cusp of immortality into his service. Haotian couldn¡¯t help but subconsciously compare this to how Zulong did things. He cast his gaze outside Xuanyuan hill and sighed. Youxiong would know from reports outside his lands, but his own senses cannot pierce as far as Haotian¡¯s. A great distance away, Haotian watched as gigantic divinities march into former human territories. The population that didn¡¯t leave knelt down in worship while the former leadership fled. A great battlefield pay beyond that where Human Immortals had perished in an attempt to resist the Earthly Divinities¡¯ advance. Haotian casted his gaze in another direction. There, temples depicting the Demonic Celestial Emperor, the Eastern Emperor was upheld. The Solar Goddess Xihe, and various Heavenly Demonic Immortals were widely worshipped across humanity. Mortals were naturally inclined to worship the mighty. To look to them for salvation and guidance. Wether it be the Three Sovereigns and Nuwa, the Heavenly Demons, or the Earthly Divinities. In a world of immense magic, the game of geopolitics never ends. ¡°My lord. Dire news from the Nanhua tribe.¡± He heard the Earthly Saint say to Youxiong from within his work office. ¡°Hm.¡± Haotian did not need to see him to know of Youxiong¡¯s troubled expression. Things were often like this for the immortal ruler. He began making his way to his friend¡¯s office. ¡°How could they? I remember Nanhua kind during the Earth Sovereigns banquet. How could he submit to the their rule?¡± He overheard Youxiong grumble. In the period since that incident. Haotian had seen Youxiong grumble countless times about the friends he made abandoning their lands or submitting them to the Earthly Divinities. Those titanic gods were having a resurgence under their current leadership. Human tribes surrendered to them by the dozens, shrinking the massive territory humanity as a species occupied. But the Earthly Divinities were not consistent in how they dealt with humans. Some factions wanted them permanently out. Others offered them protection in exchange for worship and servitude.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Either way, it lead to humans seeking shelter through other means. The Demon Court in the stars, the various Immortal sects set up by ancient beings, even the Three Sovereigns appeared to do battle. Haotian softly pushed the door open. He did not wish to startle them, but he asked anyway. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Youxiong perked up, but ultimately unsurprised. ¡°Thats the question isn¡¯t it. I¡¯m just a small man in a large world. Tell me what you think of these gods brother first.¡± He tossed the scroll over to Haotian who scanned its contents. ¡°Gonggong¡¯s descendants push closer to Xuanyuan hill every day. Soon your neighbours won¡¯t be the border to foreign lands, you will. It would be unwise to confront them, even with your status as a disciple of Jade Illusionary Palace. Yet you are not the type to abandon your fellow man.¡± Haotian sighed. ¡°You are nothing to the Water Court of the Earthly Divinities, nor to Gonggong. Knowing you, you¡¯d petition for help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My Xuanyuan hill is close enough to the inner states of humanity that it¡¯ll become endangered should it become the new border. So I will pen a letter to the Three Sovereigns to lend me support. I did make a good impression last time.¡± Youxiong seemed optimistic about what he said. Haotian nodded slowly while the three officials watching marvelled at how casually Haotian uttered one of the Divine Ancestor¡¯s name. ¡°Not going to ask your master? Or even me to fight?¡± Haotian questioned. Youxiong was momentarily stunned. After a slight silence, he motioned for his general and officials to leave. Left in isolation, he then rubbed his nose ridge with a grown. ¡°Asking me the hard question here.¡± ¡°The most obvious. As far as I¡¯m aware you are a personal disciple of Guang Chengzi. With his standing in the world, even Gonggong will have to give him face.¡± In truth, Haotian knew nothing of what Gonggong was like after so many years, much less what Guang Chengzi was like. But he felt like this was an appropriate conclusion based on what he knew. ¡°My master and I¡­we did not part on the best of terms,¡± Youxiong revealed. ¡°My sect did not wish for me to take up post as leader of my tribe.¡± He chuckled reminiscing the past. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to remain on the mountain practising the Dao. I wanted to be what my father, and his father, and all my ancestors were. What the Three Sovereigns were. A leader of humanity paving the way for our survival in this world. I know cultivation is a lonely path as everyone continues to seek the Dao. So I ask you brother, do you even comprehend what I¡¯m saying? ¡®How could I not?¡¯ Haotian mentally scoffed. ¡°But as for you? Well I can¡¯t exactly ask someone of your status to solve all my troubles?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t exactly been discreet about your disinterest in my people. I also can¡¯t exactly trouble an exalted immortal like yourself now can I?¡± Haotian didn¡¯t reply. He really was only here because he enjoyed hanging out with Youxiong. It fulfilled an empty void he¡¯d felt for a long time. But now he couldn¡¯t help but think back to the anti-devil war and the empires before that. His utter failure back then. ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult,¡± he said. ¡°You rule over millions. Should a battle start, even if you evacuate, you¡¯re still bound to find many caught in the crossfire.¡± Youxiong slouched back. ¡°I¡¯m fully aware. Yet we are still humans¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s where you¡¯re coming from. It¡¯s fine,¡± Haotian replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. I¡¯ve already drafted my letter in my mind. Besides, lord Suiren once defeated the Flame Divine Ancestor in a bout. I have faith in the sovereigns.¡± Youxiong reassured him. ¡°Do you mind helping me send it? I don¡¯t exactly have a means to reach their residence quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± Haotian said. Youxiong penned the letter, and Haotian folded it into a paper crane. As the greater immortal, Haotian warped space time to send it on its way, crossing immense distances that no True Immortal could ever manage. ¡°Thank you brother Zhang, now I am reassured,¡± Youxiong told him. That same night, the peace in mind allowed him to achieve the Profound Immortal realm after thousands of years. People were optimistic, celebrating a human in doing so. And though Haotian congratulated his friend too, gifting him a spell worthy of an Earth Immortal(which he made mere minutes prior). He¡¯d disagreed with Youxiong¡¯s words. ¡°Faith. Thats not something you can afford.¡± ¡°What even is wrong with living under a stronger power?¡± ¡°Even your sovereigns understand that need.¡± Bear tribe of Xuanyuan hill would face its first real disaster since reforming under Youxiong. The Earthly Divinities of current year was unlike what it was during the immediate aftermath of the anti-devil war. It had long since recovered. Zhurrong, Rushou, Jumang, and Gonggong had reformatted it in Di Jiang¡¯s absence. It¡¯s four courts represented each of their descendent along with the remaining branches that lost their ancestor. In order to compete against the Demons, the immortal sects, and remaining visages of the previous era¡¯s empires, the Divinities have expanded out from the ruins of Mt Buzhou once more and began expanding their influence. Wether it was to dominate the universe like how the dragons and phoenixes once tried, or just to provide a strong foundation for their species was unknown. Haotian also could not predict which either. Not only was he not familiar with their divine family in the first place, having barely spoken to them. Time also changed people. No one would assume hot headed muscle brain Zhurrong to peacefully manage his people like a proper dignified minister, yet here we are. The Demon court now contended with their earthly counterparts. However, their method was just to demand religious worship rather than any direct occupation. It was like a protection racket. One that had many bases inside humanity¡¯s territory. It did get him thinking. Zhurrong in the present day was depicted as riding two dragons. The same two dragons he was in a partnership with millions of years ago. That meant he was at least still in an acceptable relationship with the Primrodial Celestial Dragon clan as those two dragons were not low ranking nobodies. He didn¡¯t tell Youxiong, but he¡¯d identified dragons in Shennong¡¯s presence in what was supposed to be a human leaders gathering. They certainly didn¡¯t seem like they snuck in either. ¡°Dragons and humans, dragons and divinities. What could Zulong¡¯s descendants be planning? Just a coincidence perhaps? With Gonggong¡¯s faction advancing aggressively, is Shennong reaching out to Zhurrong for aid? ¡°Mycologically, Zhurrong and Gonggong were opposed. But that depiction and the Twelve Divine Ancestors are completely separate. Is something more going on?¡± ¡­ Sitting in a chamber away from mortal eyes. Shielded by the barriers grafted onto Firecloud cave. The Three Human Sovereigns sat around a simple wooden table lit by torches. Dressed in cheep beast linen was a middle aged Suiren. Next to him, in expensive daoist robes sat along bearded Fuxi. Shennong, the most junior of the three sat in between Suiren and Fuxi. ¡°It¡¯s settled,¡± Shennong said. ¡°The Rainbow Dragon King has informed me that this area of the Eastern Shore is ours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Good,¡± Fuxi said. ¡°I¡¯ll set up an Eight Trigrams Perfect Ultimate formation there. So you two will have to manage the exodus.¡± Suiren and Shennong sighed. Few knew how dire humanity¡¯s situation truly was. Divinities were a difficult crowd to deal with. And the Demons high in heaven doesn¡¯t want all out war for humanity¡¯s sake. ¡°With this, the center of our foundation will move as well. I¡¯ll notify the border chieftains to migrate east,¡± Shennong said. ¡°I guess Youchao¡¯s disciples will have new designs to mass produce now too. Thank heavens dragons look beautiful.¡± ¡°Since we have a proper trajectory, I will take my leave. Thank you brothers.¡± Shennong¡¯s incarnation dissipated in a cloud that smelled of burnt soil. ¡°Is there any news on mother?¡± Suiren asked Fuxi after Shennong left. But the latter shook his head. ¡°You know her hands are tied,¡± Fuxi said. ¡°This is for the best. None of us can contend with them anyway. Not now at least. More time is needed for our people to develop. When more third order celestial lifeforms inevitable appear, we can make a grab for these old territories. ¡°This is for the best Suiren.¡± Vast Sky 5: Convictions ¡°Impossible!¡± A cry resounded throughout a depressed meeting room inside Youxiong¡¯s palace. The human chieftain, his advisors, and his generals all stared down at a scroll detailing a missive. No, an order sent directly from the headquarters of humanity. Youxiong¡¯s pupils were dilated, his mouth gaping. He could not believe the order he had been sent. Many of his close advisors were all the same. Though some appeared contemplative, others gripped their fists into hard stone. Leaning on the back wall, a close friend yet not an active participant in government, was Haotian. He sighed as he watched this scene unfold. Previously, Youxiong had begun laying down plans to halt the advancing divinities. There was a strong confidence in him, a faith in his people that they will survive this disaster and continue to thrive. ¡°This has to be a fake!¡± Youxiong immediately said. His fist slammed down on the table, burning it and the scroll. But while the cheap wooden furniture was reduced to ash, the scroll remained unharmed. It merely dropped to the ground with a soft thud. ¡°Leather from a demon ox,¡± Haotian chimed in from the side. He felt the need to in order to avoid any confusion. ¡°Any powerful force can procure this material for disposable messages,¡± Youxong scoffed. ¡°Brother Zhang, we need to get to the bottom of this.¡± ¡®He thinks someone is falsifying this order.¡¯ Haotian felt sorry for his friend. He stepped forward and grabbed the scroll from the floor. No one stopped him, for they knew his great cultivation. ¡°The same as that invitation to the humanity¡¯s leaders meet. This is Shennong¡¯s writing.¡± In a tone that signified finality, the message was for Youxiong to migrate out of Xuanyuan hill. It was not even a personalized message. To Haotian, it resembled those automated messages from his source¡¯s previous life. Shennong¡¯s own stamp was displayed on the bottom and carried a distinct smell to it. The message told that the divinities were too strong and for the human leaders to enter the Three Sovereign¡¯s personal territories to avoid unnecessary blood shed. To avoid fighting Gonggong¡¯s faction. It was polite enough, if extremely impersonal. Haotian had guesses where Shennong¡¯s goal was. He looked at the fuming Youxiong and placed the scroll into. ¡°Brother Zhang, we need to¡­I have a request to make.¡± Youxiong quickly corrected his tone. Haotian perked up. ¡°You wish to go to Gengfen? You know it won¡¯t change anything right?¡± ¡°I need to see formyself,¡± Youxiong said with a huff. His face was flushed with anger, a deep sense of betrayal cut across his psyche. It was one Haotian could somewhat understand. The man had been disappointed by a hero he¡¯d looked up to his entire life. One whose influence in him somehow superceded any indoctrination from Yuxu Palace. While Haotian was not fully in the know of the curriculum of disciples studying under the Heavenly Lord of The Primordial Beginnings. He did think he¡¯d instil a sense of loyalty to the sect above all else. After all, were they not a united entity going to war with the Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure¡¯s sect? ¡°Well, let us not waste time then,¡± Haotian said while motioning for Youxiong to follow him. Observer he may¡¯ve decided to be. But if it were for a friend, he did not mind. The trip to Gengfen was not long. Being a cultivator of such power, Haotian essentially teleported the two there. Youxiong did not show surprise at such a starkly different means then last time. His concerns leaned too much elsewhere. When the two reappeared on the main street of Gengfen, its civilians glanced up in shock. ¡°Someone teleported in?¡± ¡°How did they bypass the defensive formation?¡± ¡°I thought people can only enter through the gate?¡± The two payed them no heed. Haotian nodded at Youxiong. The latter wordlessly charged for Shennong¡¯s palace. ¡°Who dares?¡± Haotian heard in his mind. He grumbled, finding Shennong¡¯s attention annoying. ¡°I¡¯m only escorting a friend, please let him into the palace. He¡¯s only a small Profound Immortal,¡± he informed the sovereign. ¡°I¡­I know you. You were here the other day.¡± Shennong¡¯s voice sounded aggrieved. ¡°Come on brother Zhang. What are you waiting for?¡± Haotian heard Youxiong call out for him from several thousand meters away. Catching up, the two entered the main palace without any issue. It would seem Shennong preemptively informed his guards to step aside. The smell of the palace had not changed a bit. It was still a roasted soil combination. But the atmosphere was a lot more tense. Despite the urgency of their arrival, cultivators were very quick on the uptake. Shennong¡¯s officials and advisors all stood on the side stroking their beards or mustaches. Evidently guessing the reason. While Youxiong was not a major figure with a legend behind him, he did have a respectable resume from his time leading the Bear tribe. What¡¯s more, there was always the shadow of Kunlun behind him that made humanity¡¯s leaders weary.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m here to¡­may I please see the Earth Sovereign,¡± Youxiong changed his tune to a more respectful tone. Even so, his posture was still shaking from high emotions. ¡°He¡¯s expecting you,¡± the guard at the throne hall¡¯s gate simply said. No one needed to push those doors for it to automatically open. Several ministers stepped out. Clearly, Shennong was holding court just moments prior. The man himself was rubbing the bridge of his nose. A single one of his eyes stared right at Haotian, as if expecting something of him. ¡®Why would you think I run anything? That¡¯s you guy¡¯s jobs,¡¯ he chastised in his mind. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Youxiong spoke after kowtowing. ¡°Please tell me this isn¡¯t true.¡± He spoke of the missive the Bear tribe received. In his heart, he begged for Shennong to deny it. For the old sovereign to implode in anger at the humiliation of the human race. But instead, Shennong replied with something out of his expectations. ¡°Do you not see the logic in it young one?¡± Shennong said, taking his eyes off Haotian. ¡°The Earthly Divinities are pushing into humanity¡¯s lands. They¡¯re subjugating our people!¡± Youxiong said. ¡°Your majesty, there is no logic in that.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Humans have inhabited Xuanyuan Hill and all the regions surrounding it for generations. When I was a boy, my mother told me stories of how Mother Nuwa and the Three Sovereigns protected our people while we spread from the land of our birth. Now our people are threatened. We must fight!¡± ¡°Did you put him up to this? Is this Kunlun¡¯s stance?¡± Shennong grunted. ¡°What?¡± Youxiong became confused. Haotian merely sighed. ¡°Zhang Youren is my friend your majesty. He is not a member of Jade Illusionary Palace,¡± Youxiong corrected. ¡°Your majesty I am arguing for humanity. You cannot allow us to be forced from our own homes. You cannot allow us, your people to be attacked by these foreigners!¡± ¡°Friend you say¡­how many of our human¡¯s friends are just that?¡± Shennong muttered. ¡°Child, if what you say is true then you need to understand my position and the position of my two brothers. We do not have the means to war against the Earthly Divinities.¡± ¡°You probably heard stories about Suiren, Fuxi¡¯s, and mine own exploits. Yes we did many things during our cultivation journey. It was a long and arduous road for a minor species like us in a world dominated by mighty powers.¡± Shennong¡¯s nostrils flared and he slammed a fist onto his handrest. The room was engulfed in flame. For all his reputation among mortals as the Divine Farmer, his other name has always been Flame Emperor. He was taught by Suiren and inherited much of early human cultivation techniques along with insight from Nuwa herself. His fire was no less powerful than ancient deities and even Suiren. A Profound Immortal like Youxiong was shaken to his core. It was easy for Shennong to turn him into ash. Yet he did not do so. ¡°We made numerous sacrifices and compromises so children like you can have a safe environment to grow up. We fought hard against the Eastern Emperor, against the three Daoism sects, against the Divine Ancestors. ¡°But our power is just not enough against them all. Big brother Suiren dualed Zhurong and bested him. But what you didn¡¯t know was that the Water Divine Ancestor, Metal Divine Ancestor, and Wood Divine Ancestor were all angered by the loss. The Heavenly Demons on high were watching you see and they thought this weakened their geopolitical stance. ¡°They would¡¯ve launched a full invasion. It was just us few experts and a population in the quintillions. Were it not for the dragons stepping in as an intermediary¡­¡± Shennong stopped to calm himself. ¡°Impossible. What of Mother Nuwa¡­¡± Youxiong gasped. ¡°Oh she couldn¡¯t solve this even if she wanted to. That blight of a monkey from prehistoric times casted a curse on our entire race. We¡¯ve been paying for it none stop ever since. We had to play nice with our neighbors. We pick and choose our battles so that all of humanity can benefit. We fold and retreat so all of humanity don¡¯t have to suffer. As a leader, you must understand this. ¡°I disagree your majesty!¡± Youxiong interrupted him. ¡°We cannot fold in the this blatant attempt to bully our kind. They have no business deciding the fate of my race. I left Jade Illusionary Palace because I believed in the power of humanity in you my Three Sovereigns.¡± ¡°Naive.¡± Shennong sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just a small piece of land. We are only retreating eastwards for the race to grow. In time we can reclaim what is lost. Would that not be better than stubbornly fighting something you cannot possibly hope to defeat? ¡°You should know, Gonggong is most unkind and savage. Zhurong laughed off his defeat and negotiated with his family along with the dragons for hundreds of years for our sakes. It took alot of effort to avert an extinction wide war. ¡°This is a lesson for you. I see talent in you. Don¡¯t squander it on losing battles. Take your people and go to the new holy land.¡± ¡°Grrrh,¡± Youxiong gritted his teeth. He abruptly stood up with his head hung low. ¡°Youxiong?¡± Haotian questioned. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± the chieftain turned away. Shennong shook his head but didn¡¯t stop them from leaving. He hoped Youxiong would see reason. If he died, not only would a number of humans suffer but Jade Illusionary Palace may become displeased. Then they¡¯d bee looking at a confrontation between the two with humans once again stuck in between. If only Nuwa was here. Her saint level cultivation would¡¯ve been the only thing keeping foreign parties in check. But unfortunately, she¡¯d been unreachable ever since leaving to permanently deal with the curse in all their bloodlines. Their entire path of reincarnation was discovered to be contaminated long ago. And there were numerous parties pissed off about it. Outside, Youxiong suddenly stopped halfway through the courtyard. He noticed a figure that wasn¡¯t there when he entered. A tall brutish looking beast built like an ogre. He had bronze green skin and had his arms folded in front of his body. Ordinarily, one would assume they were a person who cultivated unique body cultivation techniques. But Youxiong noticed something off. This man watching him, he only appeared to have one set of eyes. But he distinctly felt multiple. He stood on two legs but Youxiong saw numerous limbs with hoofs overlapping them. Those arms appeared to be a set of two, but the image of four distinct sets was also visible. His face, rough and square shaped resembled that of a bull. ¡°That is exactly what you think it is,¡± Haotian said from the side. When a demon took on a human form, they¡¯d generally have perfect transformations as they¡¯d become enlightened to Dao. They may choose some animalistic features to tack on but that¡¯s generally up to their own discretion. In most cases one cannot even percieve the difference unless that demon expert showcased their aura. But the green was not that scenario. His transformation was brutish and unrefined. As if he merely forcefully morphed his flesh into another state. ¡°You are from the Earthly Divinities,¡± Youxiong marched up to him. ¡°Hello there,¡± the green man met Youxiong¡¯s glare with a smile. ¡°I am Chi You, a dignitary from the trueborn children of Pangu.¡± ¡°This is a mockery,¡± Youxiong sneered at him. ¡°You think you can just appear here, in my human¡¯s heartlands so casually while you threaten our people?¡± ¡°Mockery? How is this so? We discussed the terms very clearly. You are free to stay in your lands too. You just need to worship us as rightful deities of the land. You do it for the beasts up high too.¡± ¡°Those lands are inheritances from our human ancestors and belong to humans,¡± Youxiong warned. ¡°We¡­I will not give them up to the likes of you.¡± ¡°Foolish. Even your Sovereign recognizes the righteousness of his actions,¡± Chi You said. ¡°I currently rule many humans in Jiuli tribe. That¡¯s not far from the area being returned to us. Feel free to come to tour my capital. If you don¡¯t vacate, you¡¯ll be my civilians so you might as well get to know your ruler.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start a scene,¡± Haotian tapped Youxiong¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He teleported Youxiong away from Chi You. In a separate band of light, the two flew away and reappeared in the territory of the Bear tribe. ¡°For what its worth, I do agree with Shennong. It¡¯s a bad idea to fight the a race as powerful as the Earthly Divinities.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you fight?¡± Youxiong suddenly said. ¡°Brother Zhang, you are an old human from ancient days too right? You have a spectacularly high cultivation. You can save us from this disaster.¡± ¡°I thought that way too a long time ago,¡± Haotian murmured. ¡°Fuck. FUCK!¡± Youxiong roared. ¡°Why do you just watch? You hang around me every day, even helped my people in rebuilding. What is your aim in all this?¡± Youxiong watched the city he built over the years below him. ¡°Why are my people¡¯s leaders bending over backwards? Why must humans kneel down for others that don¡¯t care about us? Why must we need protection from outside sources?¡± Haotian widened his eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t care for that logic or whatever Shennong says. I will fight for my people¡¯s place.¡± ¡®His conviction is as strong as a genuine Dao fruit.¡¯ Haotian felt himself gasping. ¡®But he¡¯s only a second order celestial lifeform. How could he form a Dao?¡¯ ¡°Thank you for all that you¡¯ve done over the years. But if you¡¯re not intendng to help my people, please leave. This isn¡¯t me being rude to you Zhang Youren. I just don¡¯t want you to see my and my people¡¯s end.¡± He turned away from the innate god and rejoined his people. There in the sky, Haotian found himself frowning. Great Sea 3: A God Fights an Oni Clashing above, throughout, and all across Mt Ibuki, the oni and kami made an explosive show with their flurry of skill. It was as if a thunderstorm was occurring whenever blade met blade. Susanoo¡¯s grip on his sword in a grip that was neither too tight nor too loose. His concentration lay solely on the oni opposing him. In his mind, he couldn¡¯t quite complement his opponent. Shuten Doji was not entirely unskilled with a sword. But to say he was a true master was fundamentally incorrect. While he didn¡¯t make many mistakes, his techniques were too basic. His sword held none of the elegance nor the comprehension displayed by more skilled masters when they displayed their sword arts. In fact, he¡¯d go so far to say that the oni king that led him here, Ibaraki Doji was more skilled with the blade. Yet his opponent was still matching him blow for blow. His speed and strength were on par with his. But it was the way he reacted to his strikes. It wasn¡¯t even that the oni was naturally gifted with instinctual skill. He appeared a bit stilted. Like he was only mimicking someone else fighting. Almost like he was a puppet in a children¡¯s puppet show. Then there was his bladeless blade. Magical weapon were common in the world, but he¡¯d never seen anything quite like it. Another clash, and Susanoo backed away again. In this round, he locked blades with Shuten Doji nine times. In those nine instances, he felt his opponent¡¯s sword rivet again and again. The noise from those instances reminded him of the sound of a blade being sharpened by whetstone. All this made him suspicious as to the oni¡¯s identity. ¡°Tell me, do you truly not know of your origin?¡± he questioned. ¡°What do you mean? I was born like anyone else?¡± The two charged in to exchange more strikes, terrifying the villagers watching from the ground far below. Hardly anyone prayed, knowing that the gods who would be prayed to to save them were up high fighting. ¡°How could you ever train anyone with those mediocre skills?¡± Susanoo wondered aloud. ¡°I¡¯ve fought beginners with more fundamentals and natural instinct than you.¡± This was not an attempt to infuriate his opponent to draw out their true self. Rather this was merely the storm god stating a fact he observed. Shuten Doji made no real attempt to dissuade this conclusion. ¡°If I trained anyone, it¡¯s only be continuous battle. Yokais of all kind love that as I¡¯m sure one of the Amatsukami like you would know.¡± The oni chuckled jumping across the clouds. As he made for his next move, magical energy poured all around them. Translucent shadows that reassembled a python followed along the slash. This sudden change was so startling that Susanoo quickly retreated. HISSSSS HISSSSS HISSSSS The sword in Shuten¡¯s hand dissipated that shadow while the oni watched. ¡°It does that sometimes. It¡¯s exited I guess. I don¡¯t know, you wanna keep going or you gonna stop? I¡¯m fine either way.¡± Most of his opponents stopped at this point, petrified by the reptilian eye that momentarily glanced at them. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Hm.¡± Susanoo danced with his sword. Thunderous lighting and water swirled around him until they formed the celestial ribbon of a divine being. ¡°Getting serious now?¡± Shuten Doji raised an eyebrow. In front of Susanoo, he witnessed a scene of the most ferocious seastorm he¡¯d ever seen condensed into the form of a single humanoid. ¡°Hhraaagh!¡± Susanoo slashed down, crating a blast of condensed sword qi. It reassembled white lightning and cut cleaning through all things. The clouds, the atmosphere, it even ripped into the fabric of the universe. CLANG! It met the formless blade of Shuten¡¯s sword causing its shape to ripple into existence. It¡¯s user grunted in shock, feeling immense strain on his arm. ¡°What on earth is this?¡± Bits of chaotic qi from beyond leaked through the path of this attack. Susanoo knew Amaterasu would chastize him later, but for the moment he didn¡¯t care. He stomped his foot in the air to force these gaps to close before anymore leaked through. HISSSSS HISSSSS HISSSSS The same hissing emerged from a faint serpent coiling around the sword. Shuten didn¡¯t seem to have noticed as his footing was forced further and further back. Away from land, his body overlooked the ocean. CRUNCH! The shadow of the serpent reached up and bit down on the lightning strike resulting in an explosion that engulfed the oni and the surrounding sky. In a trail of smoke, Shuten flew up to the sky huffing. However, he barely have time to register his thoughts as he slashed up to parry Susanoo. Then down, then up again, then left. ¡°What the?¡± Shuten exclaimed. The kami attacked from all side disorientating the oni. Yet each time he blocked him magnificently. Each time, scales appeared on the rippling surface of the formless sword. The oni of Mt Ibuki felt his heart thumping at the ferocity he was being attacked. He had never encountered a living being as powerful as the god in front of him now. He wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled. ¡®Damn it all I wanted was a good drink and some snacks.¡¯ Were it not for the sword in his grip, he¡¯d probably be cut to ribbons. It had always been with him since birth and throughout all his life. It was a comforting presence always on his person. But he¡¯d also never seen it react like it does so now. Following this guidance, he swing around to slash the sword in the air. It was then that an azure skinned serpent flashed into existence in an arc. Its scales carried with it a mysterious gas that spewed forth. ¡°Hm?¡± Susanoo manipulated the water around him to drown that thing. Even he was shocked when a huge volume of water disintegrated on the spot. They were cut until their fundamental particles were separated at least once. ¡°What is that?¡± He felt profound knowledge enter his mind as he pondered this scene. This caused his eyes to narrow at the oni and his mysterious sword. Things weren¡¯t just a simple match anymore. Shuten Doji watched his blade with no small amounts of fear. Even he felt how unwieldy and overwhelming that sudden burst was. His arm still couldn¡¯t stop shaking. Across its surface, the formless sword could be described as covered in scales. Yet the oni was not sure if they truly were such. The bubble of water Susanoo summoned had been massive. Enough to engulf multiple mountains. Yet in ten seconds, it had been reduced to the volume of a small pebble that could be held on one¡¯s palm. ¡°Wait wait wait,¡± Shuten felt his sword jerk and himself along with it. From Susanoo¡¯s point of view it was as if he were swinging it wildly. So he charged to cut down on the oni. ¡°WOAH!¡± Shuten parried the storm god in one stroke. In the next instant, with the hilt was a head, a tail emerged from the pummel of his broken sword, slapping Susanoo away. ¡°GAH!¡± Shuten widened his eyes with awe and trepidation. It didn¡¯t change the fact that a fully serious Susanoo that had recognized a massive threat coming for him with full intent to kill. ¡­ ¡°What in Izanagi¡¯s name.¡± Amaterasu no Okami was descending from the heavens when she felt an ominous feeling in the air. The sun crown above her head dimmed in response to a change going on in the world. It was as if every patch of land, every breath of air, and every body of water was being jerked left and right. ¡°Susanoo, just what are you fighting.¡± Even from her location, she caught sight of massive bolts of lightning and globs of water. Her skin could feel layers of realty being unwoven like fabric, exposing the living world to the chaotic energy wrapping around all existence. ¡°Amaterasu-sama,¡± a voice greeted her. She looked to her side to see a blue scaled dragon swimming up towards her. In his face that bore crocodilian features, catfish whiskers, and antlers, a visibly uneasy face hung. ¡°Ryujin-tono,¡± she nodded. ¡°I apologize on behalf of my brother to your people for the ruckus he¡¯s causing.¡± The dragon nodded, but his attention was elsewhere. ¡°Please tell me that direction is not Mt Ibuki.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is. I¡¯m going there to stop him right now. I understand your kind would¡­¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t understand the gravity of the situation. This is bad, really really bad. The last time he went out of control and things nearly¡­¡± the dragon looked ready to be having a panic attack. He moved further along towards the Mt Ibuki. ¡°I can¡¯t waste time here.¡± ¡°Wait, do you intend to fight my brother?¡± she asked unsure. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go inform the Empress beneath the waves? ¡°Inform? With these shockwaves they already know!¡±. Vast Sky 6: Invasion on the Bear tribe The sound of war drums echoed through the Bear tribe. In the coming days, everyone came on edge as they realized the gravity of their situation. The Earth Sovereign had commanded them to secede from their territories. He was not coming to help fend off the threat. Youxiong furiously rattled his brain for a solution. Using what he learned from Guang Chengzi, he quickly erected formations around Xuanyuan Hill. These rituals were of such quality that the requirements to run them caused the natural laylines to become erratic. The line of titanic deities marched towards Xuanyuan hill, they witnessed the fruits of such labour. These titanic descendants of Pangu¡¯s blood came in a variety of shapes. Stocky and slender, with skin textures that varied from stone to wood. Some possessed bestial heads similar to dragons, birds, or lions. Others possessed multitudes of limbs both fingered or bladed. Visually, it was difficult to identify them as members of the same species. It was only the presence that gave off. A primordial earthly feeling that was not dissimilar to qi found in nature. These creatures came from the heavens and the earth. They were siblings to the Heavenly Dao. ¡°Brother, what is that?¡± One of these beings, a member of the Water branch asked. He pointed at the image of a divine general standing at the entrance of Xuanyuan Hill. ¡°No idea. It¡¯s got a lot of true qi shaping it. Probably a cultivator technique.¡± ¡°Oh? Lord Gonggong didn¡¯t say anything about these local humans sending us welcome?¡± These divine generals, casted from the molds Youxiong¡¯s formations provided raised their halberds at them. Their statue towered over mountains, each standing over ten thousand meters tall. In contrast, the various divinities were well above that. ¡°Followers of the Godkings, you are not welcomed here,¡± Youxiong called out from his perch in the sky. ¡°This is the territory of the human race. Leave!¡± ¡°Presumptuous,¡± the same divinity from the water branch scoffed. ¡°All underheaven belongs to the Earthly Divinities.¡± It was the same logic all descendants of the original twelve ancestors used. That since everything came from Pangu¡¯s body, they as natural born entities of Pangu¡¯s own blood were rightful rulers of it. Youxiong narrowed his eyes. Due to his advanced education on Kunlun, he recognized these beings and the places they came from. The Earthly Divinities as a race was originally divided into twelve branches. All descended from one of the twelve. But with the ravages of time, many of these branches were folded into the others. During the anti-devil war countless eons ago, most of those ancestors were killed. Only the four that are known in modern day as the Godkings remain to lead their people. Zhurrong of fire, Gonggong of water, Rushou of metal, and Jumang of wood. ¡°My lord,¡± one of Youxiong¡¯s generals said nervously. ¡°Getting cold feet?¡± Youxiong replied. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. They terrify me too.¡± Unlike humans, demons, or most races in existence, these divine beings were not cultivators. None of them practiced to ascend to immortality nor trained in the ways of immortal magic. Their powers came from their bloodline and a natural authority to manipulate nature that even the Heavenly Dao couldn¡¯t arrest. This manifested in their own magical abilities as their sturdy bodies that they inherited from Pangu¡¯s blood droplets. As such, they existed in their own separate catagory. The ones dispatched to pacify the areas surrounding and including Xuanyuan Hill were younger individuals sent to run errands. Their strength was varying degrees of equivalent to the second order of celestial lifeforms. When they fully mature, they¡¯d be a match for Golden Immortals. But such adults were deemed too important to deal with simple figures like Youxiong. ¡°My lord, I gave you my life the moment you took me in. I will not run,¡± the same general said resolutely. Youxiong found it gratifying to have inspired such loyalty. ¡®Zhang Youren is not here.¡¯ This disappointing thought permeated his psyche. His closest friend these thousands of years still deigned to watch from afar. The nature of immortals of daoism as taught on Kunlun once perplexed and later enraged him. Why must they stand haughty and isolated on their mountain far away? They could rule in the world of men and guide the secular world. Just as the Three Sovereigns had done, and now he did too after he left his master¡¯s tutelage. It was saddening to find ¡®Zhang Youren¡¯ side with the former ideology. For an immortal from a bygone age, chances are high that they were an innate god or a demon of some kind. But every part of his instinct told him that Zhang Youren was human. This was why he believed he¡¯d see the betterment of humanity was at stake and aid him in pushing his enemies back. More then anything, the first instinct that differentiated men from beasts was their empathy. ¡°Papa always told me lesser creatures were stupid,¡± a divinity said. On a hilltop a distance away, Haotian wore a deep frown. Why was Youxiong so stubborn about this? Could he not see the pointlessness of this? His defiance wouldn¡¯t make a difference. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He knew the chieftain was a smart and resourceful man. So why couldn¡¯t he weight the cost and benefits? It¡¯s the same maddened bullshit that was so devoid of logic he¡¯d seen in Da Hai. Yet he couldn¡¯t disparage his friend too harshly on it. For as long as he¡¯d known him, he¡¯d always proclaimed how much he loved the stories of his youth. The heroics of the Three Sovereigns and the ancestors of humanity who led their people from out of the dark. It would be a tale not dissimilar to how your average innate creature clan would start out. An innate god would¡¯ve known countless such stories. But for a human like Youxiong, that would¡¯ve been his world. And Youxiong took to these stories with a passion. He was a true believer in his people. Haotian didn¡¯t think he looked down on other races. He imagined Youxiong would more than willingly collaborate with the Earthly Divinities. But he would never stomach the idea of humans being ruled by another race. It was such a small scale view. But such a deeply personal view moved the innate god. Haotian could only describe his feelings to be despair. He even saw himself in Youxiong just now, vigorously defending his people just as he did to remove mortals from out of harm''s way during the anti-devil war. The fluttering of the clouds became violent as both sides engaged. Youxiong pulled every means he could against this small entourage of divinities. Even if Heavenly Immortals invaded, he could fend them off. But divinities by their nature were absurdly tough to defeat. Their bodies were nigh unbreakable and their strength unspeakably greater than the average immortal cultivator. What¡¯s more, the forces of nature supported their every action. Fire came to life with no cost of qi. Water danced out of a True Immortal¡¯s control. The forests grew large to trap the divine general. Thus a pummeling began on the poor formation. ¡°GAH! No.¡± Youxiong retreated after slashing across the chest of a gigantic deity. His divine general was having its upper body caved in. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that Chi You brat sees in lesser beings.¡± Youxiong heard one of the divinities say. ¡°Stupid and ignorant. You hairy, scaled, feathered beasts alike poison the father god¡¯s gift.¡± ¡°What an absurd rhetoric,¡± one of Youxiong¡¯s generals roared. ¡°DIE!¡± He was a Human Immortal, not even a True Immortal. Of course he was punched to smithereens in the next instant. If he had any regrets for choosing to serve Youxiong, he didn¡¯t say. ¡°Brother why bring up that halfbreed? Now you ruined my mood.¡± ¡°Bah that halfbreed is just lucky Lord Zhurrong likes him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s infested Lord Zhurrong¡¯s mind. Father God above, even Lord Gonggong can¡¯t get through to him.¡± ¡°Hey! Pay attention you.¡± The divinity from the water branch yelled at his fellows. Youxiong felt his temper spark. These things weren¡¯t even taking him seriously. He had to seriously think now that the divine general was down. The formation that made it was still there and a new one could be generated, but it needed some time. ¡°Hah!¡± Youxiong¡¯s body until he matched the divinities surrounding him in size. As high as the heavens and wide as the earth. This served well as a distraction. ¡°Size? hahaha.¡± ¡°Stupid. Does he even have a brain?¡± ¡®For exalted Earthly Divinities, they talk like those monkey beasts,¡¯ Youxiong thought mockingly. To him, it seemed none of them comprehended what it was like to fight for one¡¯s home or its people. His engagement with them was better due to his higher cultivation and advanced magical training. Kunlun¡¯s heritage was among the best in existence after all. Flying swords, celestial fires, spacetime rending techniques were all known to him. But at this stage of training, he was struggling to make good use of them. These divinities were too powerful for him along. It certainly did not take long for them to grab hold of him and pummel his face. ¡°Hideous. And to think Chi You prefers your kind when he has father god¡¯s blood in him,¡± said the divinity from the water branch. ¡°Please stop young ones,¡± Haotian said. He appeared in a gigantic form wearing armour not dissimilar to what Youxiong¡¯s men wore. In his off hand was a sword while his dominant hand clasped the arm of the divinity. ¡°You¡­¡± this divinity felt Haotian tightening his grip far too much for his comfort. But he refused to budge from Haotian¡¯s demands. ¡°Another stupid one? You wanna die that badly?¡± ¡°Youren, never have I been more thankful to see you,¡± Youxiong panted. ¡°Thank you. Truly thank you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just watch you be beaten to an inch of your life,¡± Haotian said. Haotian waved his sword, piercing all the imposing divinities at the same time. This act shocked all of them as they were unused to being harmed like this. ¡°That¡¯s a warning. Gonggong should know better than to send kids.¡± ¡°Kids? Who does this lesser creature think he is!¡± To intimidate them further, Haotian distorted the universe around them. He overwrote their connection to the natural world with his own cultivation and manifested an immense pressure upon their shoulders. In front of their eyes, it was as if they became ants in front of a rampaging elephant. As Haotian had blatantly said, these divinities were younglings. He would never take them seriously either. ¡°What is he?¡± ¡°Are you an agent from the Demon Court?¡± A divinity questioned angrily. Haotian narrowed his gaze. Time and again the demons were mentioned as another factor yet he wasn¡¯t aware of their situation. But from the range and underlying fear in this divinity, he surmised their standing to be stronger. That was despite knowing their emperor died long ago. ¡°Hmph, this is my good brother Zhang Youren. He is an ancient expert of my human race, not a demon from the sky.¡± Youxiong had already drawn his weapon ready to go to war. His eyes were a mesmerizing yellow colour from which divine light seeped through. His body was now brimming with confidence and utter faith in his fellow men. ¡°We humans will not tolerate your intrusions any longer.¡± There was a faint hymn playing as Youxiong advanced. Every step held a faint cosmic weight, every word spoken sent a weird feeling down both Haotian and the group of divinity¡¯s spines. Youxiong¡¯s men who¡¯d stayed silent felt an august sensation coursing through their bodies. Only Haotian really understood what this was, and he was freaked out by it. Not because it scared him, but because he didn¡¯t think a Profound Immortal could hold the same level of delusion as a Great Unity Golden Immortal growing their tree. ¡°No measly human can command a son of Pangu!¡± Unwilling to accept this, the group of divinities grabbed for Youxiong. They exchanged one initial blow before Haotian struck with his sword again. In a flash, he cleaved off all the intruding divinities¡¯ arms and threw them to their backs. The blow kicked off a minor dust storm. ¡°Hah!¡± Seizing this opportunity, Youxiong stabbed one of the divinities in the eye. His sword was unique from his fellow humans, being an immortal treasure passed to him from Guang Chengzi. Via striking such a vulnerable slot, he instantly killed that divinity. ¡°You dare!¡± The divinity from the water branch was torn between rage and fear. When Youxiong regained his stance, a new confidence manifested around him. Haotian¡¯s divine sense could almost see the faint outline of a towering god wearing crown and holding a sword riding atop a chariot pulled by dragons. ¡°Shennong thinks humans must retreat and give in. That my people can only bow our heads and accept foreign demands. Well he¡¯s wrong!¡± ¡°Fool, you think my race will stand for it? You are all just parasites taking advantage of the father god¡¯s grace.¡± Haotian stepped forward. ¡°Enough, just go back. I doubt Gonggong, or Zhurrong or whoever¡¯s left will be happy if you all die.¡± ¡°Grrgh,¡± the divinity from the water branch roared at Haotian. Through misplaced pride, it refused to run away. It attempted to use his authority, the same one he inherited from his ancestor Gonggong to control the river flowing through Xuanyuan hill. ¡°Fucking lesser beings.¡± He slammed his many arms onto the earth, causing rocks to rise and parts of the river to rapidly expand. The rest behind him nodded at his actions. ¡°Together brothers. For the father god!¡± Youxiong snorted, and he stepped forward with golden grace. His body flowed with an enchanting presence that resonated with mystical phenomena of the Dao. But Haotian placed a hand on his blade. The innate god sighed. ¡°Why must people be so difficult?¡± Haotian¡¯s figure blurred. He gave none of the opposing divinities time to react. For Haotian, killing them was like butchering chickens. When their giant heads fell from their bodies, when their intelligence faded from their minds, when their qi signature was eradicated. None of it gave Haotian pleasure. ¡®It¡¯s fine, I saved my friend,¡¯ he told himself. Youxiong was silent for a few moments before bowing to Haotian. ¡°Thank you Zhang Youren. If it were not for you, my bear tribe¡­no my human race would be doomed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. This is too small scale to apply to your species as whole,¡± Haotian chastised. ¡°Le¡¯ts go back. I¡¯m sure everyone wants a rest. Vast Sky 7: He who was Awakened. The immediate aftermath was a shock that resounded throughout humanity. As many were paying attention to the news cycle of the Earthly Divinity¡¯s grab for land, they immediately became aware of what transpired at Xuanyuan hill. The attention zeroed in on Youxiong who was seen as a young leader who fought against foreign invaders, holding his ground and triumphing. It made for a great sensationalized story and garnered him the approval of many surrounding chieftains. Both like minded individuals and those more aligned with the Three Sovereigns¡¯ orders alike held Youxiong¡¯s trial in high regard. Lavish gifts congratulating the man were sent forth as a result. However, the news from the main hub of human leadership, the various courts of the Three Sovereigns were silent. In addition, news of people moving further eastward had not ceased. One could naturally extrapolate that Suiren, Fuxi, and Shennong all disproved. At the sacred grounds of the Earthly Divinities, a massive serpentine figure growled at the news he¡¯d just heard. ¡°Those parasites, I gave them a chance and they kill my children?¡± Gonggong uncoiled the upper portion of his divine body in anger. Veins bulged from his muscles, drawing concerned looks from his remaining brothers. In a room with twelve seats, only four were ever seated. Jumang, Rushou, and Zhurrong all felt aggrieved by the news. ¡°Hmph, Looks like that Shennong brat couldn¡¯t control his people,¡± Rushou scoffed. ¡°Hey Zhurrong, you lost the bet.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The god of fire was also the most human looking of the four. His face covered by his charcoal coloured skin grimaced when Gonggong sent him a death stare. ¡°Well leader? Look at what your precious negotiations did now,¡± Gonggong spat. On his head, a single burn mark covered what used to be his right brow. Jumang and Rushou also gave him an expecting glance. Of all branches of their race, Zhurrong¡¯s relationship with foreign powers could be said to be the closest. Even ignoring his longterm friendship with dragons, he was friendly with humans. ¡°If we just let this go, that flat haired beast in the sky will definitely use the news against us,¡± Rushou said. In his hand was a metallic spear vibrating with his emotions. Zhurrong felt a headache incoming. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll talk to Suiren. Relax brothers, I have not forgotten the dangers of the human race. I have not forgotten that thing that could manifest itself anytime inside them.¡± The god of fire and acting head of the entire race slumped on his seat. He contemplated how everything was supposed to be easy. Between him, Suiren, and Hong, he figured events were already well organised. He wished Di Jiang could just come back from his self exile. ¡­ In the primary city of the Jiuli tribe, a hulking green man crumpled the scroll in his hand with a scowl. In the safety of his own home, his head now reassembled a multi eyed bull. ¡°Bone headed fool,¡± he said. ¡°All those years soothing things over with Gonggong wasted.¡± ¡°Lord Gonggong,¡± his advisor Jiufeng reminded him. Chi You pondered both the Earthly Divinities and Youxiong. His own people were extremely prideful of their heritage and would no doubt see the human as an upstart, backing from Kunlun or not. ¡°Was there any missives from the ancestors?¡± ¡°None chieftain.¡± ¡°Hmph, then I¡¯ll keep going as I am. The deal was for me to rule over humanity, a little nobody at the Profound Immortal realm cannot change that.¡± Chi You stood up and stretched his muscles. Every inch of his divine physique emanated extreme power. He was Chi You, a descendant of the Earth Branch, one of the last pure blooded ones that weren¡¯t mixed with the others. He was named for a distant ancestor who¡¯d once fought in the anti-devil war and stood alongside the Divine Ancestors. He was also a result of a human father. One of a small minority of hybrids that existed in all existence. That was why Shennong did not mind taking him in for a brief internship. And also why the Three Sovereigns were willing to agree with the Divine Ancestors for him to take over. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Back then, the consistency for the human race to birth strange individuals, those who carried the Dao of the great betrayer, that demonic ape was staggering. Due to their past relationships with that being, the Demonic Court, the Divine Ancestors, the leaders of Daoism, and the Western Heavenly sect, all appeared to speak with the Dao Ancestor. While what was discussed inside was private, the goddess Nuwa left humanity presumably to deal with the issue. Yet since her disappearance, people have become irritated. The Three Pure Ones and the head of the Western Heavenly sect secluded themselves over some moral high ground. But the Demonic Court nor the Divine Ancestors would have it. What resulted was simply them taking what they deemed as necessary action. The Human race was to be overseen by ¡®responsible parties¡¯. Euthanisation was also a big talking point that erupted into fights, the dual between Suiren and Zhurrong being among them. It was not until the Primordial Celestial Dragon clan stepped in as an equally wronged party to mediate. This was the best result. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he informed Jiufeng. ¡­ On Youxiong¡¯s side of things, despite the optimistic attitudes of his people, he felt he was in a bit of a strange predicament. Coming out of an event where he fully expected to die, he looked at his own tribe as if it were a living corpse. He wasn¡¯t delusional about his own power in front of the monolithic powers. What he refused to do was bow down in front of them. ¡°So you¡¯re finally doing it?¡± Haotian read through a draft of a letter addressed to Guang Chengzi. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you haven¡¯t lost your wits.¡± Youxiong sighed, ¡°Even if my master responds, it¡¯s still dependent on my grandmaster.¡± Haotian hummed in slight discomfort. Yuanshi was not a figure to be trifled with these days. ¡°Is this what Shennong experienced?¡± Youxiong asked. ¡°I wanted to be my own ruler and lead my people. I wanted to settle golden age without interference from higher dictating powers. But now I¡¯m forced to seek outside aid.¡± He stopped for a few seconds, then ultimately shook his head. ¡°No, Shennong wanted us beholden to a great power while meekly giving up what we¡¯ve earned. While all I¡¯m doing is seeking aid from¡­ah am I going to be beholden to Jade Illusionary Palace again?¡± His longtime friend sighed and sat back down. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not cut out for this after all. Being the leader of the Bear tribe I mean. My father, before he died, was a great leader ruling over the Bear tribe. The Three Sovereigns before what they became today, well they were glorious champions shouldering humanity on their backs on their lonesome.¡± ¡°There is nothing strange about asking for help,¡± Haotian said. ¡°I knew great rulers who despite all their immense power.¡± His mind drifted to the image of a golden dragon. ¡°Could not stand against the tides by himself.¡± ¡°Yes, but even then it took them eons before they reached that point. How many ruinous calamities did the Three Sovereigns endure before it became too much? Numerous Yuanhui before today. That¡¯s millions of years worth of history. I folded in days. How am I any worthy of leading humans? hahaha¡± Haotian heard those self deprecating words and tightened his fists. At the end of the day, Youxiong was a Profound Immortal who surpassed the average due to his training on Mt Kunlun and additional treasures. But he would need much more. How was someone so far removed from the scale of the big problems supposed to become the Yellow Emperor told of in myth? Would the Heavenly Dao appear now and for his sake? Haotian doubted it. That arrogant thing was only interested in its stomach. ¡°Con the contrary,¡± Haotian said in comfort. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, I honestly think you¡¯re more worthy. ¡°You know Youxiong, Suiren cannot be quantified as a regular human. He was a connate lifeform just like first generation of all innate creatures molded from the energies of heaven and earth. In fact, he was even more special being crafted from an innate goddess¡¯ hands. He was taught by beings unimaginably greater than you. ¡°Fuxi? He¡¯s not even a human, not anywhere close. Fuxi is the brother consort of Nuwa. He is an innate god born from a piece of Pangu. He¡¯s about as far from you as you could get. He is a kin to the most powerful and ancient lifeforms out there. ¡°Shennong was born a sage. As an infant he had a translucent stomach and was fully intelligent as a toddler. He was blessed in all aspects and guided by Nuwa to fully realize his potential. There¡¯s nothing ordinary about him. ¡°But you Youxiong? You¡¯re just¡­just¡­just a dude.¡± ¡°A dude?¡± Youxiong was flabbergasted. ¡°Well, there''s nothing special about you. You¡¯re just a human with skills you learned doing your best among your fellow men.¡± ¡°Excuse you? I studied in the headquarters of Daoism,¡± Youxiong grunted feeling insulted. ¡°Big deal, a lot of people did. There are thousands in Jade Illusionary Palace and trillions in Roving Jade Palace.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Youxiong finally laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re complimenting or insulting me.¡± ¡°Point being, that despite being comparatively just a regular guy. You are willing to stand against beings who were practically gods. That takes a kind of courage, or foolishness, that no innate blessing could ever grant.¡± Youxiong crossed his arms, a slow smirk forming. ¡°So, you''re saying I''m special because I''m not special?¡± His companion sighed, shaking their head. ¡°I¡¯m saying that despite lacking divine origins or cosmic favor, you''ve still climbed to stand shoulder to shoulder with legends. That¡¯s something neither Fuxi, nor Suiren, nor Shennong can claim. They were made to be great. You? You chose it.¡± Youxiong gave a brief grin. ¡°That¡¯s a nice sentiment. But you know that doesn¡¯t change reality.¡± ¡°I know, that is why as you good friend. And more importantly vastly superior senior in cultivation I am willing to aid you. I will help you unify the five qi and forge the three flower crowns.¡± ¡­ Not long after, a vast golden light illuminated the entirety of Xuanyuan hill as well as its surrounding territories. Celestial phenomena sung in the sky, displaying a myriad of dashing figures. Illusionary dragons roared across the heavens while majestic qilins galloped. A blinding presence beyond mortal, and even immortal comprehension swirled into a hurricane. Haotian stood at the epicenter with his eyes wide open in both shock and disbelief. Then it turned grim the longer Youxiong took to breakthrough. Previously, he witnessed the golden light leaking from Youxiong¡¯s being and was already in denial about it. Youxiong was in the same stage of delusion as a Great Unity Golden Immortal. That was to say he had the foundations of a Dao prepared. It meant that he thought so absurdly strongly about something that it manifested into a seed before he¡¯d even reached the Golden Immortal realm. A type of delusion normally impossible for any living being. Youxiong¡¯s existence would¡¯ve been far too low for him to notice, nor comprehend what he miraculously did. But in simple terms, he manifested the seed of a proper Dao. And it was due to that lack of high cultivation that held it back. A Dao at its basis was an idea that was believed so strongly that it actualizes from fake delusion to an unquestionable truth. So as the lights dimmed, and the enchanting presence of a Golden Immortal who¡¯d long since obtained the Great Principle awakened. Haotian did not intend for this. He¡¯d only wanted to help Youxiong along to help his chances. Buff him from a Profound Immortal to a peak Heavenly Immortal and let him find his own path to the third order of celestial lifeforms. But unknowingly, the moment he reached the barest requirements, he leaped realms. ¡°Youxiong?¡± Haotian called out unsurely for the first time in a long time. The man who descended appeared older, more like what one would perceive a sage to be than a youthful man. He possessed a long beard and wore a beaded crown. His eyes shone with the radiance of the Dao. ¡°Brother Zhang.¡± Haotian heard him say. His friend¡¯s expression, one of absolute confidence. ¡°Let¡¯s save humanity.¡± Great Sea 4: Calamity [In ancient days, when the universe was young. A great beast rose from the sea. A primordial creature of filled with raw hate and absolute power. A beast so strong, its mere existence threatened all existence. Birthing from the soil lifted from the endless ocean, it unleashed a roar which twisted the oceans and tsundered the heavens. Its mere presence broke the world. The gods of that era, the early generation of primordial beings awakened to the dangers this monster possessed. Its hate filled mind thirsted for nothing but absolute destruction. They witnessed its rampage across the primordial earth, drowning everything in an ocean of despair. The ancient gods of old, first born sons and daughters of heaven and earth understood what needed to be done. Banding together, they fought against the insane threat. In a battle that took place over the course of eons. A never ending war against a creature they could never defeat. But that monster, that serpent with eight heads. It was a being beyond the capabilities of any god. In time, they understood this as well. When numerous of their brothers and sisters perished in its insidious fangs, their spirits were broken. Crying out to the heavens, they pleaded for salvation from their plight. Their answer came not from the heavens, nor the earth, not even from the cloud of darkness beyond the world. But instead from beneath the endless ocean. ¡°This beast came from beneath the waves, he is our responsibility.¡± The woman who ruled over those who resided beneath the seas said. Her sadness paramount at the monster who glared at everything with scorn and hate. ¡°Great empress, why be mournful of such a tyrannical beast,¡± the youngest god and goddess asked. ¡°It destroyed everything!¡± ¡°I pity him for who he once was. Who he can never be again. What a tragedy, that which has befallen him. What a tragedy.¡±] ¡­ A crowned woman dressed in black silk stood upon a balcony. Her head tilted up with an unreasonable expression. Fishes swam past her with nary a thought. Humanized turtles and dragons waiting for her words. In the water outside the magnificent palace, whose balcony she stood on, her subjects lamented how violent the currents were. Thousands upon thousands of serpentine dragons, mostly ascended halfbreeds and some pure blooded offsprings. They cultivation provided a wide range of variance. But the strongest of them all were confidently Chaos Immortals. As of now, all of them rested despite the turmoil the endless ocean and the sole landmass on the surface faced. But an ingrained dread still lingered. Slowly, the crowned woman¡¯s calm expression turned into a scowl. Her phoenix eyes sharpened ever so slightly at what she observed from the world above the waves. ¡°A long long long time ago,¡± she started saying. ¡°Those morons dragged that old fossil up. Time and again, we are left with the mess.¡± ¡°Again is an understatement your majesty,¡± a robed dressed man antlers said to her. ¡°What is this, the fifth time?¡± ¡°Now now, they did not know at the time,¡± an elderly humanoid turtle said. ¡°My empress, I understand your feelings. But we cannot let the venerable rampage again.¡± ¡°There is nothing venerable about him now,¡± she interrupted him. Gui Daiyu¡¯s gaze transformed back to one of pity. ¡°It¡¯s not even a shadow, just a taint on the old Heavenly Lord¡¯s name.¡± The currents around them continued to swirl. Distant thundeorus sound could be heard even millions upon millions of kilometres from the surface. Not even the protective formations of the underwater palace could keep it at bay. Gui Daiyu could only sigh when she began hearing a thumping heartbeat. Her memories were long, but she remembered the events of that day as clear as day. The young innate gods of this Chaos World, Izanagi and Izanami dragged up the most spiritually refined patch of soil to create their kingdom. They were so young back then, inexperienced and unaware. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Their ancestors had not informed them of the monster her people had to put down and seal up. She wagered her long departed husband would be horrified at the measures she took. But what choice did she have when his master was just a rampaging husk? Total annihilation had ruined him on a fundamental level. And time had since taught her that any attempt at recovery was but an illusion. ¡­ Susanoo had to cover his face as a wild storm picked. This was beyond even his control despite his godly claim to fame. Storm clouds twisted into elongating shapes. The wild tides rise up and down in an extremely voilent manner. ¡°You doing this storm god?¡± The amatsukami heard his oni opponent say. ¡°Cause I gotta admit, this is getting freaky.¡± Shuten Doji hovered a safe distance away appearing more confused then anything. His gaze was locked on landslides occurring all over mountain ranges across the island. Mt Ibuki in the distance was quaking with such ferocity that he doubted his personal cave was still intact. ¡°Why in my sister¡¯s name would I make an earthquake demon?¡± Susanoo spat. ¡°If anything you¡¯re the most suspicious one here.¡± He pointed at the broken sword in Shuten Doji¡¯s hand. The light it gave off still wrapped around it in the shape of phantom scales. HISSS! HISSS! HISSS! Both combatants heard the sound coming from the earth, but only one felt his heart tremble. Shuten¡¯s hand grabbed his chest feeling nauseous. ¡®A yokai of some kind? A Majin? But what kind of creature can cause so much phenomena?¡¯ Susanoo felt a true despair well up from his unease. ¡°Susanoo what have you done!¡± Amaterasu¡¯s voice echoed throughout the sky. She appeared in a fiery blaze, eyes brimming with solar light. ¡°Me? I was only dualing an oni,¡± Susanoo said. ¡°You¡­¡± But before the newly arrived goddess could say anything else, an oppressive pressure enveloped all of them. It was as if gravity had increased a thousand fold as all three felt themselves dragged towards the ocean below. Tears throughout the fabric of reality forcibly tore open allowing chaotic energies to flow in. But at the same time, the pressure was so great that these unique energies were either shot into the endless ocean or obliterated on the spot. HISSS! HISSS! HISSS! Shuten Doji felt his sword fidget. His own heart was beating rapidly. Spiritully, he felt his own soul trembling at the hisses he heard. In his consciousness, he could vaguely perceive a monstrous terror screaming out at no particular target. ¡°Hey you two are supposed to be amatsukamis ruling all creation right? Can¡¯t you make this stop?¡± He demanded of the two siblings. Amaterasu¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡°You¡¯re the one born from Mt Ibuki, shouldn¡¯t you know more then any other that there is nothing we can do about the Orochi?¡± ¡°Oro¡­what?¡± Shuten Doji felt a certain familiarity by the name, but he could not recall. ¡°Look, I was just minding my business living my simple life not bothering anyone. Your brother involved me!¡± BOOM! The group of three felt a huge shockwave pass by them. In the distance an explosion of sediments was visible, ressembling a volcanic eruption. A hiss like roar echoed from an exploded concave rock formation before dying down. That rock formation also collapsed in the next second. In a second flash, Ryujin appeared. However, unlike when Amaterasu first saw him, this time he was covered in scratches. Bits of soil clung to his antlers to which he quickly shook off. ¡°Oh no,¡± the dragon muttered. ¡°Amaterasusama, Susanoosama, prepare yourselves.¡± From the earth, the soil shot into the sky curving into an arch. Its end sharpened until it formed facial features. From Shuten Doji¡¯s eyes, it reassembled the crude carving of a python. It was massive too. Creatures hundreds or even thousands of metres tall were not a strange sight in the land of the rising sun. But a creature tall enough to reach the heavens though? It was more akin to a doomsday event then a living being. Its lips, teeth, eyes, scales were made entirely of mud, dirt, and rocks. Plantation from forests, ricefields, grassy plains still clung on various parts of it. If any mortals inhabited the areas that made up its body, they would¡¯ve been crushed for fallen to their deaths. It roared a cry that caused mountains to erupt, rivers to dry out, and clouds to disperse. The endless ocean surrounding the isle became the epicentre of a tsunami. The horrifying python wailed around, as if it didn¡¯t even known what it was doing. It dragged its head along the ground until the shore, and then across the water until its length reached its limit. A ball of fire shot from Amaterasu¡¯s hand onto its face, blowing a chunk of it off. It turned towards the source, and lunged at the goddess. Ryujin unleashed a roar of his own, blowing out a whirlwind that ripped across the sediments making up the python¡¯s head. Its gapping jaw unhinged itself despite chunks being ripped off. Ryuijin fled when it neared but Amaterasu stayed in place. Her form became enveloped by a flowing orange orb which the python made of her land¡¯s ground swallowed her whole. In a blinding flash of light, the python head exploded. Stone and trees were incinerated from the goddess¡¯ light, which reached down the spine of the head. Susanoo jumped from the heavens, his sword wreathed in dazzling electricity that then split the rest of in two. Whatever remained collapsed into a heap into the endless ocean below. ¡°I have never experienced the calamities my ancestors faced. But this cannot just be it right?¡± she asked Ryujin. ¡°Of course not,¡± the dragon shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you see the other mounds?¡± Having done nothing up to this point aside from holding his chest, Shuten Doji felt his broken sword shaking in his grip. It tugged towards the mainland with an almost magnetic pull. In that same direction, he saw several more rising mounds emerging just like the python from earlier. Some were made from barren mountains, others from vegetated lands, some were even formed from lands with cities built on top. Some heads were even partially made of water, rising out from offshore carrying only a little patch of land in its neck. In total, they numbered eight, distributed across the entirety of the landmass, all roaring uncontrollably into the universe. Various figures fled into the sky, no doubt skilled omnyoji, yokai, and kunitsukami who were startled by the crisis. None of the serpents were directly paying attention to them, more mindlessly causing destruction. But even a casual swing of their necks pulverized many experts who did not avoid in time. The less said about mortals the better. To Shuten Doji, who¡¯d lived a relatively quiet but good life until now, it was the worst sight imaginable. Before him, the very land that Izanagi no Okami and Izanami no Mikoto created an eon ago transformed into a calamitous beast. Vast Sky 8: Master and Disciple The territories controlled by divine forces did not expect the sweep that came within days. With his newfound strength at his fingertips, Youxiong did not want to rest nor revel in his transformation. He lifted his sword and split himself into dozens of incarnations that all flew off. The Dao fruit he manifested may be newborn, but it already held a defined existence. Youxiong¡¯s vision of a Dao appeared long before his breakthrough, it could only have been born if Youxiong¡¯s physical and spiritual form reached the required entrance. So just like that, a Great Principle Chaos Immortal appeared from the shell the former Profound Immortal Youxiong. His magnificent Dao manifesting into a crown, chariot, and an army of glorious human soldiers spilled from the skies and drove out the deities occupying human settlements. They did not even have time to place down temples, nor alters before this emperor looking man swept across. Humans were weak with few genuine experts, so none of the Divine Ancestors placed equivalent divinities to a Chaos Immortal on site. The weaker giant divinities could only helplessly flee. The only place they could reach in time, was naturally Jiuli tribe¡¯s main city. Compared to Bear tribe¡¯s city, Jiuli tribe¡¯s city was much larger to accommodate a mixture of Earthly Divinities, their demons turned domesticated beasts, and humans. Its architecture were alot rougher due to the simpler cultural habits of divinities. Youxiong appeared three hundred metres outside its main gate in the form of a golden man dressed in imperial robes. He stood atop a chariot pulled by illusionary dragons and held a sword with the taijitu engraved on its hilt. ¡°Who?¡± A bull headed figure stomped out. Growing to a giant hundred and eight thousand kilometre height, Chi You¡¯s eight arms crossed each other. He narrowed his gaze, finding the figure of the golden emperor familiar. ¡°Impossible,¡± he uttered. ¡°That little immortal Youxiong?¡± He pondered if Yuxu palace had any methods of elevating a cultivator when Youxiong¡¯s incarnation spoke. ¡°You are the one from Gengfen,¡± Youxiong said. ¡°These invading trashes ran to you. You¡¯re in charge?¡± Chi You grunted an acknowledgement. ¡°And you chased out my people. Idiot, have you any idea what trouble you¡¯ve caused for humanity?¡± ¡°If trouble is standing tall and strong, then yes.¡± Youxiong¡¯s incarnation pointed his blade at Chi You¡¯s throat. ¡°Beasts like you have no right to rule over us.¡± ¡°Brat.¡± Chi You grew furious. Who was Youxiong anyway? The bronze green giant drew his waraxe and slashed at Youxiong. THOOM! The newly christened Chaos Immortal¡¯s incarnation was slit from shoulder to thigh. The force of Chi You blew through the land, carving a fissure through a mountain sixteen kilometres in the background. Youxiong¡¯s expression did not change for he was not fully there. The gap in his incarnation quickly closed as if no action had occurred. ¡°I am Chi You, scion of both Earthly Divinities and the human race. I am humanity¡¯s one and only saviour in this time of darkness. You are just an ignorant fool throwing a temper tantrum.¡± Chi You angrily pointed at Youxiong. ¡°Have you any idea the actual situation humans are in?¡± ¡°Surrounded from all sides. Our leaders beholden to the will of foreign powers. Our people worship external powers. Our resources taken and used,¡± Youxiong said without hesitation. His eyes held an almost maddened frenzy when he followed it up. ¡°Humans must stand on their own as equal. Humans cannot, must not become tools of your kind.¡± ¡°Crazy. What are you in front of the truly monolithic existences,¡± Chi You muttered. He didn¡¯t feel like speaking with Youxiong. He was so angry with him that he drew his sword, spear, and shield. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Haotian¡¯s voiced rained down between both giants. His qi engulfed the area, dissipating the malic of Chi You and the gleaming aura around Youxiong. ¡°Brother Zhang,¡± Youxiong greeted. ¡°A Chaos Immortal?¡± Chi You¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. He did not recall ever being pressured this way outside of meetings with his ancestors or the one time he met the Eastern Emperor. Haotian was not large, in fact he was tiny in front of them. But to any onlooker, he appeared far larger than either Chaos Immortal level combatant. In Chi You¡¯s senses, Youxiong¡¯s Dao fruit was only a dim seed in front of the fountain coming from Haotian. Haotian turned to Youxiong and called out to him. ¡°Youxiong, let¡¯s go back. There¡¯s no need to involve violence any further.¡± He reached closer to his friend¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°You cannot win this fight.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Youxiong sent a glare at Chi You. But his incarnation still dissipated into particles. ¡°You, you are an ancient cultivator aren¡¯t you?¡± Chi You asked ¡°You have to be to have that kind of cultivation base.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I am Zhang Youren,¡± Haotian claimed. ¡°Chi You, I¡¯d kindly suggest you and the rest of your ilk to abandon your imperialistic ambitions. Large scale conflict like this does no good for anyone, especially those you claim to rule over.¡± A sad expression briefly marred Haotian. ¡°So you¡¯re the one backing Youxiong. Haha what a hypocrite,¡± Chi You spat. ¡°Senior Zhang Youren, you should be aware of the curse placed on humanity¡¯s bloodline, right? Why would you be against my takeover?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Haotian raised an eyebrow. Throughout his time in the bear tribe, seeing travelers come and go, he had never heard of such a tale. ¡°Elaborate,¡± he said. ¡°Hmph, senior should know I have human blood running through my veins too. The Three Sovereigns are my sovereigns just like Youxiong¡¯s. I have been anointed to take care of humanity. All my ancestors and the Three Sovereigns are on my side.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Not that, elaborate on this curse. How much do you know,¡± Haotian inquired. ¡°Hm? I know every once in a while, a wild demon would manifest in the human race. Always the human race, rapidly gaining power and committing all kinds of crimes against all sorts of individuals. It is a creature that earned the ire of every bigwig in the universe. I learned in my youth how it assaulted the fairies serving the Western Queen Mother before being killed. ¡°There was also an incident nineteen thousand years ago where the Western Heavenly sect was attacked. The monuments of war hero Zhunti were desecrated and its attendants brutally massacred. ¡°Multiple sects of the Supreme Pure Daoism were targeted two million years ago. The less said about what happened to some of her female disciples the better. Not to mention when¡­ ¡°I get the idea,¡± Haotian said, interrupting him, having no intention of hearing more. Inclining his head, Haotian didn¡¯t see a valid reason. ¡°Senior, humanity is in great danger. Please stay out of the way lest you face the full wrath of heaven and earth,¡± Chi You said. He offered what he thought was good advice. ¡°Youxiong is my friend. I will not allow harm to come to him,¡± Haotian said. ¡°Besides, he is an apt ruler. I see no harm in letting him manage his people. Just don¡¯t come into human territory anymore.¡± Haotian turned around and left. Chi You was slightly befuddled, but grew irksome. He decided he needed to have an audience with his ancestors. ¡­ After Youxiong¡¯s return, he was met with tremendous fanfare. In the eyes of humanity, his prestige grew exponentially. His personal citizens even began touting the idea he was the next big hero of the human race. Bigger news was how he¡¯d leapfrogged his way into becoming a mighty figure. His cultivation soared with an activated Dao fruit, making him a Chaos Immortal. This placed him on the same standing as many ancient lifeforms both hidden and active. For the human race, this was fortuitous news. Because of this, the tribes Youxiong liberated, as well as the ones with a good relationship with him immediately submitted. He did not have to make a single argument before these territories waved the Bear tribe¡¯s flag and called Youxiong chieftain. Cultivators from the human race felt optimistic when they heard about Youxiong¡¯s achievements. But at the same time they had genuine confusion as to how that had occurred. ¡°I think I finally understand your perspective now,¡± Youxiong told Haotian as they both stood high above the Bear tribe. Their aura kept hidden while an incarnation of Youxiong conducted his administrative duties. ¡°That aloofness I see in my master and you arose from the sheer cosmic awareness of a third order celestial lifeform. Mortal troubles seem so little. ¡°Yet I have to disagree all the more with that. Even now, I see all the more reason for me to defend those under me for they are mine. My people, my humans, I must guide and defend them for they are so small. So fragile compared to all the great powers in the Three Realms.¡± Haotian inclined his head, ¡°Not alot of people have that mindset. Many in the past claimed to care, but didn¡¯t actually bother. Cultivation naturally causes divides in all lifeforms. As the strong get stronger, and the weak stay the same.¡± Haotian thought back to the callous way weaklings were stepped on during the anti-devil war. They were just accidents caught in the middle of comically large giants duking it out. ¡°Youxiong, are you going to commit your all in defending mortals?¡± He asked. ¡°Of course my friend. Where else would I put my attention to?¡± ¡°I had¡­a friend once. A long long time ago. Right here on the grounds of the East Continent, before it became the Dongshen Continent. He always lambasted how unnecessary connections can spell doom, especially when one forms too much attachments as to become embroiled in affairs they shouldn¡¯t have been. That emotional attatchement, or investment I should say was something he argued vehemently against.¡± ¡°It is a distraction from the Dao right? I¡¯ve heard similar retorics,¡± Youxiong replied. ¡°I don¡¯t agree and I never will. I¡¯m going to keep doing what I¡¯m doing.¡± Haotian nodded, smiling widely. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°But to do that, I must unite the scattered tribes of humanity,¡± Youxiong continued. ¡°The Earth Sovereign, and clearly the Human and Heaven Sovereign alike have yielded to their demands. Humanity is leaderless and a leaderless race is destined to be scattered. I cannot allow that brother Zhang.¡± Haotain understood Youxiong to have always been very decisive and ambitious. Now that ambition had exploded full on. But if it was for the sake of a man who wishes to provide order, protect the powerless and restrain those who¡¯d do harm, either intentionally or accidentally? Haotian fully bought into that moral direction. He said as much aloud. Later, a minister who was also a former chieftain at the True Immortal realm who¡¯d submitted to Youxiong flew up. He informed the Chaos Immortal of a massive immortal ship flying their way. ¡°I¡¯m aware already,¡± Youxiong said. ¡°It¡¯s just my master.¡± As much as it did not bother Youxiong, it agitated the humans who¡¯d heard him. After all, when Youxiong said, ¡®master,¡¯ he could only mean one person. A personal disciple under the Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginnings, Guang Chengzi. He was known far and wide as he was Yuxu Palace¡¯s chief disciple of the second generation, and often left to run errands for his master. Three days after that, an immense immortal boat bearing the sigil of Yuxu Palace crossed into the airspace of the Bear tribe. It¡¯s sight caused many immortal masters of the human race to feel their hearts pounding. One could imagine the even more extreme reactions of mortal cultivators. The clouds stood still as the ship stopped. The unruly winds of the local environment settled into a slow rhythm. Cultivators of all kinds respectfully saluted it, including Youxiong and Haotian, Aboard the ship, an adult man with black beard reaching to the base of his neck stood up. He was beside a fair skinned woman with soft features who appeared at peace. This was on contrast to the man¡¯s tight expression. He was Guang Chengzi, the chief disciple of Yuxu Palace and the Jade Pure One. All of his figure was captured at a glance by Haotian. ¡®He¡¯s average at best for a Primal Origin Chaos Immortal. His cultivation is high but the woman next to him is far higher. Compared to my disci¡­Da Hai¡¯s disciples, he won¡¯t measure up.¡¯ Haotian noticed the slightly tense way Youxiong was staring at Guag Chengzi and sighed. The complexities of a master-disciple pair who went against each other reminded him of poor memories. Haotian pushed them to the back of his mind. He wasn¡¯t that snake in the first place and he hated it whenever he recalled ¡®his¡¯ life. ¡°He¡¯s your master. I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± Haotian said while inclining his head towards Yuxu palace¡¯s entourage. Youxiong grumbled something slanderous. ¡°You might as well follow Tu Shilu inside then.¡± Youxiong waited for Guang Chengzi to disembark. For the first time in thousands of years, he saw his teacher¡¯s face, and the first thought that crossed his mind? ¡®I can¡¯t beat him.¡¯ The realization as to how powerful his Dao and his cultivation base currently was, was still a startling one. ¡°Disciple Youxiong greets Master.¡± ¡°He still calls himself a disciple after disobeying?¡± one of the minor figures on the immortal ship whispered. He was shushed when another elbowed him. ¡°Little bear, you¡¯ve grown a lot.¡± Guang Chengzi took in his disciple¡¯s current form. ¡°A shame I did not witness your transformation to a Chaos Immortal. ¡°Under different circumstances, we¡¯d be calling ourselves fellow daoist now. Such a short time, but so much has changed. I should¡¯ve known better, but uncle master¡¯s lectures regarding the natural course of events didn¡¯t prepare me for how much can occur outside the mountain.¡± The woman and several more disciples accompanying them descended with the grace of celestials. Even the weakest of them were crowned Heavenly Immortals, a stage far stronger then the higher end average of human experts. ¡°I understand you¡¯ve rarely met, but this is your aunt master,¡± Guang Chengzi began saying. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her portrait before master, I know all supreme human cultivators by heart,¡± Youxiong said, sounding offended. ¡°Hellow aunt master Cihang.¡± ¡°I am known as Perfected Cihang within Yuxu Palace, but I accompanied senior brother because I am also of the human race. Here, I am just Miao Shan,¡± the woman said. ¡°Miao Shan? Chieftain Zhuang¡¯s daughter? She and Perfected Cihang are the same?¡± Youxiong heard whispers behind him as to the woman¡¯s identity. Because of it, he greeted her warmly. ¡°Please come inside, there is much I need to show you,¡± he told them. ¡­ Haotian watched Youxiong stiffly guide Guang Chengzi and Perfected Cihang inside. He didn¡¯t follow Youxiong¡¯s servant like he asked, instead he teleported to an upper floor away from prying eyes. ¡°Why are you specifically watching me?¡± he said to empty air. In his mind, he thought of who it could be. There were very few people who were knew him these days. His master hadn¡¯t contacted him for a long time, and probably didn¡¯t care to if he didn¡¯t get himself in mortal danger. Could it be his junior sister? He¡¯d heard legends of her reaching sainthood many years ago. When the immortal ship first arrived, Haotian already felt an unknown gaze locked onto him from the ship. The person of interest was clearly powerful as her presence was so precisely hidden that Haotian could only tell someone was there, but not who or what. Walking out from behind a pillar, a fairy appeared. She was exceptionally beautiful from sight alone. Her hair was black, and faded into an azure blue at the tip where it transformed into small flames. She wore black robes decorated with small stars, making her resemble the night sky. She smelled of fire however, a type of volcanic ash typical of those who¡¯d practised the Phoenix Nirvana. An incredibly rare cultivation mantra in this day and age, but one Haotian had history with. Above all else, she wore a necklace that contained a pear above her breasts that drew Haotian¡¯s eye. If he didn¡¯t know any better, it¡¯d be ordinary jewelry. After all, it gave off no identifiable qi. Haotian remembered Da Hai crafting it long ago. ¡°Yi Fei¡¯e?¡± he asked. The fairy brightened up at the acknowledgement of her name. She looked completely different, not one trace resembling Da Hai¡¯s disciple from millions of years ago. Her qi signature was entirely different, resembling that of a fully realized phoenix. Even Haotian could not be sure who this woman was until she reacted. There was familiarity mixed in unfamiliarity. ¡°Master, my senses weren¡¯t wrong. You¡¯re still here, you¡¯re really still here!¡± She said dropping to her knees. ¡°Your faithful disciple greets you master.¡± ¡°Fei¡¯e.¡± Vast Sky 9: Gongsun Xuanyuan Yi Fei¡¯e was not a name many remembered anymore. The image of a powerful female immortal, also known as fairies, who thought in the anti-devil war were well known. But over the years since, where multiple yuanhui passed amounting to millions of regular years, iconographies became jumbled up. Legends became intermingled and proper historical records became harder and harder to find. The legendary deities who existed in that prehistoric era didn¡¯t speak up about it often. Even civilizations that survived that era had more important things to worry about then another name that ¡®perished¡¯. In that regard, Yi Fei¡¯e had long since faded from history. With no appearance made since her disintegration at the hands of Luohu, who but those who personally knew her would remember? Even more so when she wore a new face, practiced a new cultivation technique, and inherited a distinct phoenix qi signature. In Haotian¡¯s memories, he remembered the silkworms Da Hai adopted to do chores around Yingzhou. He remembered how they grew from wriggly insects to flying moths, before demonifying into humanoid girls. As their cultivation grew, they surpassed what one would expect from mere servants. So in a moment of gratitude, he made them disciples. Six were not worthy enough so were named such in name, but the oldest and most talented of them all was accepted properly as a true disciple. Haotian began recalling the final hours of the anti-devil war with a mix of anger and sadness. The sight of those daughters being pulverized one after another while Da Hai failed to stop it infected him with shame. ¡°You recovered in Wangshu¡¯s care,¡± Haotian said. Intrinsically, he understood what likely happened having remembered her final moments. ¡°Aunt master spared no expense. Though she was banished from the Primitive World proper, she still has access to all the Lunar Star¡¯s resources.¡± The fact that she barely hid her rage when she finished her sentence did not escape Haotian¡¯s notice. Yi Fei¡¯e, being a creature born in the earliest days of Pangu¡¯s Chaos World still referred to it by its old name. Modern beings, and even old powers still active took to calling it the Three Realms. ¡°How¡­how is she these days?¡± Haotian inquired, feeling an odd sense of nostalgia at her name. He knew her, yet he can¡¯t say he knew her. She was Da Hai¡¯s friend and one of the most important people in that man¡¯s life. ¡°As well as could be. That monster Hongjun¡¯s verdict has trapped her from any real activity. What¡¯s more the heavens don¡¯t want anyone to leave the Primitive World¡¯s vicinity.¡± Yi Fei¡¯e¡¯s face scrunched into an angry scowl. ¡°Aunt master doesn¡¯t talk about it much but I know she misses you and I know she despairs how everything turned out. We were so afraid that he quietly got rid of you after ascending to the Dao realm. Because nothing could escape an omnipotent being¡¯s gaze.¡± Then her expression shifted to a sadistic smirk. ¡°Hmph, looks like he¡¯s arrogant enough to think he can control my master, venerable Da Hai,¡± she said with a snort. ¡°Master, since the anti-devil war many have been disatisfied by Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao¡¯s treatment. We¡¯d all want nothing more than to destroy those monsters. ¡°Aunt master and I, even senior brother in the ocean world have been waiting for you. When we felt your presence manifest earlier we knew it was the right time to overthrow them. What¡¯s the plan master?¡± Haotian¡¯s mouth remained a flat line as Yi Fei¡¯e spoke more and more passionately. All the while he became more downcast as she expressed her hate and desires. ¡°Fei¡¯e stop,¡± he told her, halting her in her tracks. He looked away towards Bear tribe¡¯s main settlement with an empty expression. Because unlike Yi Fei¡¯e, and from the sounds of it Yinglong and Wangshu as well, he didn¡¯t know if he felt the same way. While he¡¯d sometimes thought of them, when confronting her now he didn¡¯t react how he assumed he would. It felt a lot more hollow, and impersonal. He realized he¡¯d never truly met these people. ¡°I am not Da Hai,¡± he said after a moment of silence. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I think I don¡¯t quite agree with that plan. Hongjun is invincible.¡± ¡°Huh? But master¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that,¡± Haotian denied. ¡°Da Hai died when Hongjun annihilated him on a fundamental level. I am a clone, my psyche was born when he tore a piece of himself and merged it into the white jade that transformed into me. I¡¯m not Da Hai.¡± A vaguely horrified expression on Yi Fei¡¯e¡¯s face turned into an angry one. ¡°But you¡¯re still master¡¯s clone. You inherit his will. You can¡¯t just¡­¡± ¡°Yi Fei¡¯e just stop.¡± Haotian leveled her with a sad gaze. ¡°I know what Da Hai meant to all of you but you have to stop your delusions. I¡¯m just an immortal cultivator named Zhang Youren minding my own business away from the mess of politics between you all.¡± He felt a change in the air. A furious contortion of spacetime localized in their immediate vicinity curtesy of Yi Fei¡¯e. She obviously hadn¡¯t lost herself in anger else the palace would¡¯ve exploded. But Haotian just couldn¡¯t feel the deep connection that was supposed to exist. Even if he remembered it all, there was still a wall of strangers that was there. ¡°You coward,¡± she spat. ¡°Did master¡¯s sacrifice, my sisters sacrifice, Cinnebar¡¯s sacrifice, senior brothers banishment mean nothing to you?¡± ¡°You should take a step back and think for a moment what you¡¯re actually intending to do,¡± Haotian retorted. He gazed up at the sky, past Yuxu¡¯s immortal boat to the heavens above. ¡°Fighting omnipotence is a pointless endeavor. The gap between a Limitless Supreme Chaos Immortal and a Dao realm being can only be measured by the word infinity. ¡°And you really cannot claim the current regime is any worse then when the Beast Sovereigns and the Devilish Dao were in charge. It was super powers having minor jabs at each other but otherwise maintained an orderly equilibrium, it still is super powers making minor jabs at each other but otherwise maintaining an orderly equilibrium. No truly massive conflicts have occured and no one wants to poke the bears that are the six saints nor master. Nothing like the anti-devil war would occur again.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Hongjun as master huh?¡± Yi Fei¡¯e scowled at his unapologetic words. He knew she felt hurt, but this was what he felt after the anti-devil war. ¡°You know, a genocide of these humans you¡¯ve been living with might just occur soon with the stunt you pulled,¡± she said. ¡°Hm.¡± Haotian regarded her with a troubled gaze. ¡°You should go, I¡¯m happy to see you¡¯re alright. But I cannot be what you or they hoped. Or enjoy the banquet Youxiong¡¯s prepared. Bear tribe¡¯s hospitality is second to none.¡± As he walked away, he heard her mutter. ¡°You¡¯re broken.¡± ¡­ Youxiong was not blind, he could see Guang Chengzi felt proud, approving even of how he¡¯d built up the Bear tribe. But because he was part of Yuxu palace and the Jade Pure Lineage, he disproved of him. The Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginning¡¯s teachings naturally lead to immortals becoming lofty venerable beings standing tall in the mountains. They were by nature far away from the earth where mortal men and women tolled the land. The saint never exerted much pressure on his students after they¡¯d become immortals. But his disproval was evidently felt and obeyed. No one wanted to disappoint the Heavenly Venerable, a hero from the anti-devil war and an omnipotent being above all but the Dao Ancestor. ¡°I can sense your disapproval,¡± Youxiong said aloud after his 4th concubine walked off. Neither Perfetced Cihang nor Guang Chengzi hid it well compared to his ministers. Whatever initial pride from how glorious Bear tribe appeared had worn off in the hours since. ¡°If you have any respect for me, then voice them,¡± He demanded with a twitch of his brow. Both senior Chaos Immortals appeared embarrassed. ¡°Disciple,¡± Guang Chengzi began. ¡°I do see the greatness of how much you¡¯ve built up. But I feel that your path diverges from the teachings of the Heavenly Venerable. The Bear Tribe is strong, prosperous, and well-governed, yet it remains bound to the mortal realm, to the toils and struggles of men. This is not the way of the immortals.¡± Youxiong¡¯s gaze darkened slightly, though his expression remained calm. ¡°And what, pray tell, is the way of the immortals?¡± Perfected Cihang spoke without hesitation. ¡°The path of transcendence, of detachment from worldly affairs. To cultivate one¡¯s Dao free from mortal burdens. Your achievements are commendable, but tie you too closely to the material realm.¡± Youxiong scoffed. ¡°I would¡¯ve thought you, a princess of the human race¡¯s many tribes would be less opposed. I am saving my people. Honestly, you really should live among your people more aunt master.¡± ¡°I once asked master, the Heavenly Venerable for help regarding my father¡¯s kingdom¡¯s absorbance into a neighbouring warlord¡¯s realm,¡± Perfected Cihang said. ¡°He was indifferent to their plight. I feared for my father, but the result was his kingdom settled peacefully and now mellenia later live in harmony with the rest of that warlord¡¯s realm. Nature played its course without our involvement and the problem solved itself.¡± Perfected Cihang raised a flat palm to her chest. ¡°As immortal cultivators, we do defend weaker races from savage evils. Yet we do not belong in the same world. However, you have bound yourself to the mortal world. You entangle yourself in their karma, thus polluting your mentality. I highly suggest your return to the sect and reflect.¡± ¡°You speak as though I have shackled myself. Yet, what I have built here is different. The people birthed me, and raised me, and in return, I provide them with peace, order, and strength. If the teachings of the Heavenly Venerable require me to abandon my people, then perhaps I was never meant for that path.¡± Guang Chengzi¡¯s expression remained neutral, but a trace of regret flickered in his eyes. ¡°That choice will have consequences, Youxiong. Cultivating mortals, raising your own kingdom. Does it not steer close to the Devilish Dao?¡± Youxiong¡¯s eyes widened in rage. ¡°How dare you. I am an honorable, responsible, righteous ruler of humanity.¡± ¡°That is not what I¡­¡± Guang Chengzi paused to compose himself. ¡°You can feel your own Dao fruit can you not?¡± The human chieftain scoffed and turned from his teacher¡¯s accusations. ¡°What I do is merely continuing the work of my ancestors and their ancestors before them. Far more then the lofty Chan sect sitting atop Kunlun.¡± ¡°Hmph, feel free to stay. I have an important announcement to get to.¡± Youxiong left with a huff. But the power radiating from him, originating from his vibrating Dao fruit caused both Chaos Immortals to sweat. To elevate humanity above all. To raise the human race to the peak of the world. The advance the human race beyond their limits. To be the guiding light of humanity for all eternity. Guang Chengzi had not noticed the seeds of such a Dao for the longest time, chalking it up to the hopes and dreams of a child. ¡°The troubles of the mortal realm belongs to them and we immortals deal with cosmic events. Why does your disciple not understand that?¡± Guang Chengxi shrugged. ¡°I do not know. But I will consult master when he returns on the best course of action.¡± ¡°Yuanshi is not in Kunlun?¡± Both Chaos Immortals were startled as they did not sense Haotian¡¯s approach. ¡°Daoist friend, it is rude to sneak up on others,¡± Perfected Cihang chided. ¡°As to your question, no my saintly master has not been home for some time.¡± ¡°I see. From the sounds of it, it seem Yuanshi is a bit detached from all of you yes?¡± Haotian asked. ¡°Please do refer to my master by his etiphet. It is rude to a saint so casually.¡± ¡°You were listening,¡± Guang Chengzi accused even as Cihang chided him. ¡°None of you are exactly quiet.¡± Haotian brushed pass them to follow after Youxiong. ¡°Though I get the feeling none of you really understand your own teacher at all.¡± ¡­ The throne hall of Youxiong was inhabited by numerous guests, not just those from the human race but also representatives from local sects, and demon warlord. Youxiong sat on his throne with a confident look, displaying his newfound immense cultivation. Haotian leaned against a pillar, appearing bored of all the waiting. Lesser guests were socialising among themselves while bigger powerhouses were much like him. He could see Guang Chengzi and Perfected Cihang discussing something together. Both appearing uneasy, occasionally shooting glances at Youxiong. ¡°Your Highness,¡± he heard Yi Fei¡¯e say which startled him. He did not her to just appear after sneakily meeting him. Turning his attention he saw her greeting an older gentlemen with white hair tied up in a princely ornament. His ones were lit up resembling balls of fire. ¡°Di Jun¡¯s son?¡± Haotian gasped at the chance from the infant he saw in Xihe¡¯s arms so many years ago. The two party¡¯s eyes met, though no recognition appeared in the demon prince. Yi Fei¡¯e whispered something to him to which he nodded. ¡°Hellow, I hear you¡¯re an old acquaintance of Lady Xuannu,¡± he said after approaching. ¡°Lady Xuannu helped me alot in my cultivation and is a valued friend of the court. I doubt a venerable Chaos Immortal like you is in much need, but if you ever find trouble you can always come to us Demons for aid.¡± He seemed friendly enough to Haotian. He looked at Yi Fei¡¯e and shrugged at the use of that name. ¡°Jiutian Xuannu became a member of the Heavenly Demon Court?¡± ¡°She has been a trusted beneficiary,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not, I just did a few favours for Changxi,¡± she clarified. ¡°She is downplaying her involvement,¡± the white haird demon said. ¡°I Luya would not be where I am without her. Anyway, we can speak more later. I¡¯d like to speak with humanity¡¯s new expert as well.¡± ¡°Taiyi is in agreement with me,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e said after Luya walked off. ¡°So he is.¡± A disappointed frown appeared on Yi¡¯ Fe¡¯es lips. ¡°My master wouldn¡¯t just stand by.¡± Haotian scoffed. ¡°Da Hai isn¡¯t here. What¡¯s up with the different name?¡± ¡°Same reason you¡¯re going by Zhang Youren.¡± ¡°Seriously? Mysterious girl from the nine heavens? Hahaha.¡± If Yi Fei¡¯e found humour in it, she didn¡¯t speak up. By Youxiong¡¯s chair, Luya was obviously trying to buy him into the Demon Heavenly Court¡¯s faction. But it seemed his friend only found annoyance at the golden crow. Then, the door was opened by guards on the outside. In came all three of the biggest names in humanity. Suiren, Fuxi, and Shennong all arrived to witness the newest and youngest Chaos Immortal in human history. ¡°Ah, perfect timing,¡± Youxiong said while also standing up. ¡°I was waiting for you three.¡± The three sovereigns nodded in tandem. ¡°We are happy to see humanity to have gained another powerful expert,¡± Suiren said at the head of the group. ¡°I do wonder,¡± Youxiong muttered. ¡°Since everyone is here, I have a very important announcement to make.¡± The Bear tribes chief glanced around at all his guests and steeled his resolve. There were many powerful beings in this room. Many of whom his Dao fruit would glare it if it had eyes. By extension, he also disliked many of those who approached him. Luya came to mind, immediately attempting to swoop in and offer him vassalage under the Eastern Emperor up on the Starry Skies. The representatives of Daoism here to dissuade him and bring him back to Kunlun. ¡°When I ascended to Golden Immortality I awakened my Dao and rode its course to obtaining the great principle. For that I have to thank my trusted friend, brother in all but blood Zhang Youren. ¡°And in the days since, I consolidated my cultivation. It gave me a realization.¡± He started directly at the three sovereigns with disapproval. ¡°Humans are now the most populated race in the Three Realms. Our numbers spread everywhere, many of whom had fallen into the control of vicious enemy tyrants. ¡°To the Earthly Divinities, we are just roaches to be trampled on. To Daoism, we are a resource to recruit and offer worship. To the demons, we are either food or also a resource to offer worship.¡± Luya¡¯s friendly smile turned into an angry frown alongside all other demon representatives. Daoism representatives had glares of anger. The three sovereigns narrowed their eyes in disproval. ¡°What is the meaning of this welp!¡± A demon court representative called out. ¡°Let me finish,¡± Youxiong silenced him. ¡°In times past, the Mother Nuwa and the three sovereigns have staved off incursions. But now our creator goddess is gone. Our sovereigns¡¯ methods are no longer adequate.¡± ¡°Youxiong,¡± Fuxi called out with fury. ¡°Are you just going to mock us?¡± His cultivation flared up with an eight pointed star manifesting behind him. ¡°I am merely telling reality as it is.¡± Youxiong¡¯s Dao fruit spun vividly until hard light consolidated into a crown on his head and robes depicting dragons draped onto his body. ¡°Humans have lost their way. That is why I have opted to step forward to guide them once more. I reject the authority imposed upon my kind by you all. ¡°Today I declare, with the heavens as my witness, that I Youxiong, no. That I Gongsun Xuanyuan after the land of my birth, shall be the spearhead of humanity and the shield of man. I shall assume to mantle of Emperor!¡± ¡°!¡± Vast Sky 10: Humanity Splits Loud gasps could be heard across the throne hall of the newly self named Gongsun Xuanyuan. No one, not even his advisers, concubines, or fellow human leaders expected him to not only detach himself from the venerated Three Soveriegns, but also to name himself a rivalling lord. In the same breath, he¡¯d also denounced his ancestors who¡¯d ruled all of humanity before him. It was unthinkable to everyone, from daoism immortals, demons from the court, and rogue figures. Even the Earthly Divinities would¡¯ve seen this act as unthinkable and the one performing it would be slapped to death. But Xuanyuan said it in such confidence that his people genuinely believed in him. Even his most ardent foes felt an effect on their bodies when he titled himself the human race¡¯s emperor. ¡°Seriously?¡± Fuxi felt incredulous. Ever since the reconstruction of his body as a human, he¡¯d never had one of them behave in such a way. Fuxi remembered how Nuwa personally entrusted him with defending her children before she departed for the Heavenly Dao¡¯s core. He felt a bitter bile build up in his throat. Why did this species make it so difficult? Their sheer numbers alone were a headache, but they¡¯ve also branched out too much. ¡°Brat!¡± It was an angry cry from the Demon Court representatives that sent a ferocious heatwave into the room. Their great prince Luya glared with Xuanyuan with venom. ¡°You dare style yourself the same way as my father and uncle?¡± The golden crow felt his body itching to light on fire. Only the solar radiance in his pupils indicated his restraint. For his part, Xuanyuan did not give Luya any major attention. He never saw the sole son of Di Jun as anywhere near a threat to begin with despite his great cultivation. Luya was referred to as a Chaos Immortal, in the way of heaven, he is a Saint to Be. He was also the son of the previous Demon Emperor who was also the founding emperor. Despite never knowing Di Jun, Luya had long admired his father. Emperor was also a rarer title, used only by the Demon Heavenly Court. While it started off being an unpopular choice compared to the titular ¡®sovereign¡¯ used by others, over time, due to that exclusivity, it became a unique title. ¡°The affairs of demons belong to the demon race. The affairs of humans belong to my human race. Why are you offended?¡± Xuanyuan scoffed at what he perceived as an overreaction. His dismissive attitude offended many demons who felt similarly to Luya. Yi Fei¡¯e stepped out from the shadows beside Luya placing a hand on his shoulders. Her gaze never left Haotian who remained standing near a pillar watching this go down. She found herself unable to discern how he felt about this. ¡°Xuannu, this bastard is mocking our name,¡± Luya said. ¡°My demon race have afforded ample opportunities for the human race, who may I remind you all are an offshoot of our race, to return to their rightful place at our side. ¡°But now you drag my father and uncle¡¯s name through the mud. With a cultivation as weak as yours?¡± Luya turned to stare at the figures of the Three Sovereigns. ¡°Are you three not going to say anything?¡± Suiren turned slowly to him. ¡°Xuanyuan is right in one regard, the affairs of the human race belong to the human race. Prince Luya, I kindly suggest you vacate this venue before you do something you¡¯d regret.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a name,¡± Yi Fei¡¯e whispered to his ear. Luya wanted to deny her. It was an exalted title that a mere human was not worthy of. But as Yi Fei¡¯es finger pressed into his shoulder, he relented begrudgingly. ¡°Gongsun Xuanyuan, what a joke. You shame your ancestors.¡± ¡°Fellow demonkind, we have no business here. Let these humans deal with their own mess,¡± he said to his people. He gave a nod to Suiren, Fuxi, and Shennong as he brushed pass them and vanished in a beam of golden light. Yi Fei¡¯e returned a grim look at Haotian¡¯s way. ¡°I hope you well and that we may meet again fellow daoist.¡± then she too slinked away in an azure blaze. It was just humans, daoism immortals, and Haotian left after their abrupt exit. Shennong looked around at the room to see the approval filled stares of his fellow men. A great anger arose with him. ¡°Children, are you all so ignorant at the world that you think posturing will grant you salvation?¡± he said between gritted teeth. He thought back to his youth when he had assumed much the same regarding the strength of the human race. But he also remembered the dark days when his daughter was nearly lost. Where, had it not been for the intervention of the dragon race, he¡¯d have permanently lost her. Their creator was not a human either but still venerated. Many human territories relied on the sponsorships of local daoism sects and shrines dedicated to demons residing up in heaven to exist. It grinded his gears to see how arrogant these, in his words, children were. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Earth Sovereign, I have long voiced my issues with you,¡± Xuanyuan spat. ¡°I once worshipped the ground you walked on. You sacrificed your very being to document all medicinal herbs for the sake of the human race. Where did that spirit go when you sold our freedom hm?¡± The Earth Sovereign¡¯s expression remained impassive, but a shadow passed through his eyes. ¡°In what way exactly, Xuanyuan? Free from war? Free from disease? Free from the beasts that lurk beyond the borders of our fragile civilizations?¡± His voice was calm, but beneath it lay an undercurrent of something deeper¡ªresentment, or perhaps weary acceptance. Xuanyuan¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°At least we fought for our own fate! You would have us bow our heads and become little more than servants to those who look down on us as lesser beings.¡± The Earth Sovereign scoffed. ¡°And if not for those beings, what would have become of us? Do you know how many human cities have survived only because of the protection of immortal sects, the patronage of divine beasts, the mercy of so-called demons? You call it servitude¡ªI call it survival.¡± Xuanyuan¡¯s expression twisted. ¡°We are more than just beggars relying on their scraps! You once stood as a pillar of our people, a symbol of defiance against those who would see us crushed underfoot. And now, you justify subjugation?¡± ¡°I did what I had to do.¡± ¡°It was not an easy decision to come to,¡± Suiren spoke up. To many, as the first human to ever walk the earth he had a certain degree of gravitas that not even the other two could compare to. ¡°Peace, Shennong, I don¡¯t see him listening any time soon,¡± Suiren sighed, his gaze deep and contemplative. ¡°What would be the point?¡± he said at last. ¡°War is not a mere contest of strength, nor is the fate of our people something to be settled with fists alone. Xuanyuan believes in his path¡ªso let him walk it.¡± ¡°Big brother, you can¡¯t be considering letting him do whatever he wants,¡± Shennong said. ¡°Hmph, if this Xuanyuan wants to play emperor then I say let him,¡± Fuxi said. ¡°His people are brainwashed by his delusions. Let him believe in his grand destiny. The weight of ruling will soon break his spirit," Fuxi continued, arms crossed as he gazed at the retreating figure of Xuanyuan. Off to the side, Guang Chengzi felt a desire to step in in his disciple¡¯s defence. But he ultimately shook his head and stepped back. Kunlun would also have no part in this divide of the human race as it ultimately did not affect them nor the stability of the Three Realms. ¡°No,¡± Shennong said. ¡°I cannot just stand by as this fool leads a bunch of fools to their deaths.¡± ¡°Very well then,¡± Xuanyuan said. ¡°If the Earth Sovereign wants to fight, let¡¯s fight. I¡¯ll prove it to you right now.¡± All the immortals from Yuxu palace gasped at their former fellow disciple¡¯s words. Had he lost his mind? Even with his great cultivation, it may not necessarily measure up to an old monster like Shennong. Suiren nodded while Fuxi scoffed. For the former, he was too old and just took what he got. He did not wish to fight Xuanyuan, for as much as he was an infuriating brat, he was still a powerhouse for the human race. It was better for him to experience his own mistakes. Xuanyuan¡¯s ambition was not out of the imagination. It would only fester in the minds of other like minded individuals. Fuxi didn¡¯t care what Xuanyuan did so long as it did not harm to overall lifeline of the human race. Ultimately, there as a detached style of thinking there as he was an innate god first. Despite holding a position as a leader of humanity, he was not truly one of them. Both Xuanyuan and Shennong rose up, both dressed in imperial regalia, accompanied by crowns. Xuanyuan¡¯s manifested in a brilliant yellow colour. He was entirely different of Youxiong from mere minutes ago. ¡°Lord Haotian,¡± a minister of the bear tribe whispered to Haotian. ¡°Is this a good idea? I understand chieftain¡¯s¡­sorry, his majesty¡¯s cultivation had pierced the highest level. But this is a sovereign of humanity.¡± ¡°He¡¯d probably lose,¡± Haotian said. ¡°It was a bit silly, but then again Youxiong isn¡¯t someone who does half measures. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll step him if he gets in too much trouble.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Haotian perked up as well having felt a divine presence manifesting far above, further then where Xuanyuan or Shennong. It was almost unpercievable, appearing only as a mix of golden and purple light. They swirled around a single point which ressembed an eye. ¡°Heavenly Dao?¡± Haotian grew alarmed. He felt a strange tremor in the air, a testament to the Heavenly Dao physically manifest. Around him, he heard some people fall to their knees to pray. Daoism cultivators long since venerated the Heavenly Dao as the guiding principle. As such, wether it was Guang Chengzi, Perfected Cihang, or a lower disciple, they all began praying more to it than paying attention to the fight, ¡°Hm, it would seem the heavens themself wants to witness our bout,¡± Xuanyuan said with a smile. ¡°Very well then, today the Heavenly Dao shall witness why only I Gongsun Xuanyuan can be humanity¡¯s emperor.¡± ¡°Swearing by the Heavenly Dao, Youxiong you¡­¡± Haotian did not allow himself to finish, not show himself tensing. He pushed all those feelings deep into his subconscious so as to not be noticed. The divine presence breathed out some purple gas, as if amused. It remained steady, providing a backdrop to two contesting rulers. Nothing could be gleaned from it, and this made Haotian incredibly nervous. Why would the Heavenly Dao be bothered about this? He knew how arrogant and entitled that thing was. In this universe, his friend Youxiong started out as a normal human with no earth shattering destiny. The Three Soveriegns were already complete. Because of the ease he¡¯d felt falling into a trusted friend and observer role, he had not considered that ¡®thing¡¯ in a long time. Deep in the recesses of his mind, the other end of his dual existence became epicentre of him processing his concerns. Above the skies, two titanic qi auras emerged. They engulfed the entirety of Xuanyuan hill and the vast lands beyond. The Eastern Shensheng continent, the Southern Shanbu continent both felt the brunt of this unleashing. The Heavenly realm seemed to tilt under the weight of two Chaos Immortal equivalent beings. Those dirertly beneath them felt it worse of all. Or at least they would¡¯ve had it not been a massive seal appearing. The Overturning Heaven Seal was normally used offensively, but it¡¯s current owner, Guang Chengzi used it to block out the crushing aura of the two. It allowed the far weaker humans and daoism cultivators to ease up and avoid being pulverised. Still though, they dared not look directly at the two fighters lest they be driven insane by the immensities of their Dao fruits. Though no one else payed attention, white barriers formed around numerous villages dotted around the era and further. As long as they were within the blast radius of Xuanyuan or Shennong, they became shielded. Invisible lines of qi flowed around Haotian¡¯s palm, which he held in a strong grip. He did not wish to see enormous casualties caught up, even if the two were careful. The two started fighting immediately. To anyone below the Golden Immortal threshold, anything clear could be identified. To those above it, it was a myriad of strange phenomena. Only those at the realm of Saint to Be could clearly see whats going on. And they were shocked. Xuanyuan wasn¡¯t losing. He wasn¡¯t winning either, but he wasn¡¯t falling apart from the first hit. To an extent, it was expected. Those at the Chaos Immortal realm in the past wouldn¡¯t go down instantly even to a vastly superior opponent. It was the same in modern times with Saint to Be replacing that realm. But more experienced immortals still expected Xuanyuan to be unsettled by the flaming hoe of Shennong. Instead, Xuanyuan¡¯s sword clashed without losing much ground. ¡°His only new in this realm, but his Dao is so powerful. As a result, he empowered himself to match Shennong who¡¯d been in that realm for millions of years,¡± Guang Chengzi muttered. ¡°Unbelievable, the Earth Sovereign is over twelve yuanhui old, right?¡± While the two was in the middle of their feud, Haotian teleported himself away. He did so as discreetly as he could, unwilling to draw the Heavenly Dao¡¯s ire. Though that ¡®thing¡¯ was more interested in how Xuanyuan would perform. Instead, he appeared atop a cloud ninety thousand kilometres away. That was were he, still holding the spell that protected innumerable villages, met a middle aged man dressed in cyan robes. In his left arm, he carried a clean jade ruyi. No clear presence was identifiable, else his disciples and grand disciples from Yuxu palace would''ve flown up to greet him. ¡°I felt the pull of your qi just now,¡± Haotian said, hiding much of his internal stress. ¡°Is there something you need Yuanshi?"