Chapter 522: with translation of title, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities appearing in these lines, using exact English

He who opened heaven and earth, the August Emperor!

Before the Supreme Emperor Pangu's presence, Nüwa had to be obedient, Hongjun had to bow…… his divine might invincible, surpassing ancient and modern.

No way.

Who told him he's the strongest?

With an axe in hand, I roam the vast task of Honghuang.

From east to west, then south to north…… no one facing him dares not raise a thumb and praise, "Majesty, you're mighty."

Of course, that's already the past.

After all, everyone knows this Majesty has fallen out with the Human Dao, Pangu's fruition is being restrained by "Honghuang"…… still formidable, but the person is gone.

No, the person can't descend anymore.

At most, a Trumpet alt account comes out for a stroll, only reaching the level of an ordinary Taiyi Great Luo—though fierce, it's not unbeatable.

This is the commonly accepted principle among the gods.

However……

This principle was shattered today in the Dragon Ancestor's mouth!

He pointed at the indistinct figure of the ultimate powerhouse, rebuking its lack of martial virtue, as Pangu, actually descending in true form to bully the weak with strength; hearing this, the gods' expressions froze—if you took a photo of them now as a keepsake, it would surely be a world-famous painting.

After all, the fear of once being dominated…… cannot be erased in just an era or two.

Instinctively, the Heavenly Court up and down has spontaneously activated its highest war posture, making preparations for defense.

Moreover, at this moment in the Honghuang world, all battles have ceased, even if they were previously fiercely fighting.

Even the two big jokes of this era—Wa Dao and Kou Shui Jun—who were just fighting fiercely, cannot escape.

Hongjun looked at Xihuang, his eyes full of deep meaning, as if saying——

Look!

I've blocked you, blocked you, right?

I knew it, Donghua this guy has been unclear with you, jumping up and down these years, surely executing some secret plan!

Take him down!

We must take him down! They're retired old leaders, not enjoying their twilight years, staying in Phoenix Perch Mountain to retire, yet secretly hoarding a big move… What are they planning?

If everything is arranged by you, what room do I, this "young person," have to rise or escape the "blessing"?

Hongjun is very ambitious and also full of dreams.

Fuxi responded with an eye roll, saying nothing.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Nüwa alternated glancing at Fuxi and Donghua, her gaze deep in thought… she would sometimes hehehe laugh straight, sometimes wear a worried frown, so strange that people couldn't figure her out.

Di Jiang glanced at her oddness, his eyes holding a hint of curiosity——

This kid… could there be something wrong with his brain?

……

"Nothing is impossible… hahaha…" the Dragon Ancestor laughed sorrowfully, "so, everything is possible…"

"Including someone like you, actually being a direct subordinate of August Emperor Pangu!"

"At the critical moment, Jieyin's power, representing authority, accomplishes what no one can do or even dare to imagine!"

The Dragon Ancestor, filled with grief and indignation, held nothing back, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

Hearing those words, the Donghua Emperor, under a faint Dao aura, glanced over with the coldest gaze.

"I'm really stupid, truly." The Dragon Ancestor swayed, "I only knew there's something called a traitor; at first I only assumed you were that, occasionally reflecting, agonizing over knowing people's faces but not their hearts, having eyes but no pearls, unable to distinguish loyalty from treachery."

"But I never expected… never expected…"

"August Emperor, you actually think so highly of me, giving me too much face!"

"In the past, you personally executed the plan, undermining my dragon clan's faction from within……

"Hahaha…" the Dragon Ancestor laughed until he was about to cry, "Back then, my loss wasn't unjust… wasn't unjust!"

The defeat of those years, the Dragon Ancestor has always regarded as a thorn in his heart.

He has countless times in midnight reveries, thinking——if only I had done this or that back then, I would certainly never fall again into Donghua's bottomless pit.

But now…… he no longer thinks that way.

Even without Donghua, there could be Xihua, Nanhua——oh, this name is duplicated, the Nanhua True Person would protest.

Not mentioning Nanhua, perhaps there could be Beihua.

When he wasn't thinking along those lines——a chief of the opposing faction actually laid such deep plans, a direct subordinate acting as an undercover agent infiltrated his core, persisting for countless years without revealing the slightest flaw, adding the most obstacles to the Phoenix faction, never hesitating when delivering the killing blow…… this kind of terrifying mindset actually means certain outcomes were already destined.

"My confidant is the enemy."

"My ally is the enemy's sister."

The Dragon Ancestor raised his head, not letting the tears symbolizing the hardship of being a dragon fall.

This messed-up game, how the hell do you play it? Everyone else starts normally, but he's got a nightmare start! "Sibling black market… sibling black market!"

The Dragon Ancestor beat his chest and stamped his feet, shouting loudly, the echo of "sibling black market" reverberating throughout the cosmos.

What a Dragon Ancestor! He's truly hard-headed.

At this moment, countless Daluo secretly gave him a thumbs-up.

Although they might not necessarily agree with the Dragon Ancestor's words—especially those who inherently have sibling pairs, like the Three Pure Ones, like Di Jun Taiyi, like Xihe Changxi…… they're all saying, sibling black market is fine and normal; they opened their black market by their own ability, you can also use your ability to make them climb!

What's your relation to them? What's their internal relation? If they don't cooperate, don't help each other, open a black market, and take the victory's fruits home, could it be that they'd still die-hard work for you, be a worker, elbow outwards?

When promoting outward, it's "worker, worker spirit, workers are top-notch"…… but whoever truly believes that is a brainless idiot.

But! Even if they don't agree, the Dragon Ancestor's courage to speak the truth, to dare speak the truth……

Everyone still admires him quite a bit.

——Even though nobody fears death, someone who rushes headlong to seek death like this iron-headed divine being is indeed a rare breed!

——Friend, your path is getting narrow! No…… it's that your path is cut off!

You dare say anything, you dare to pull off any fig leaf……

You're so brave, you're forcing others to strike and silence you!

In fact, in a very distant place, someone has already made a related assessment.

……

"Cang this kid has been smart since young."

Xihuang, facing off against Hongjun, his eyes flickering, suddenly spoke, his words full of deep meaning.

"Eh? Is he still a child?" Hongjun exclaimed with a surprised "Huh," "How can there be such a big child? Three years old plus thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of millions of months?"

"There's something called a reset." Xihuang said softly, "No matter how old you were before, after one-click reset, who isn't a baby?"

He said it lightly and calmly, but it made the Dao Ancestor's hairs stand on end.

What is a reset?

After being killed, starting over from scratch—that's a reset! At that point, you truly become a baby, and the same Great Luo nature can guarantee——

This kid has been smart since young.

It's just that his head has a bit of iron.

He probably won't live long enough to grow up.

Hongjun could hear the killing intent overflowing in Fuxi's tone, and he silently mourned for the Dragon Ancestor—poor kid, what nonsense are you spouting? Everyone knows about the Black Manor sibling affair, but look, how many people would blurt it out so openly and make it public?

"Cang's days are numbered……"

"But……

"What does this have to do with me again?"

The Dao Ancestor was thinking carelessly.

After all……

If we're comparing misery, who could be more miserable than Hongjun the Dao Ancestor?

——Except for the Demon Ancestor Rahu.

If the Dragon Ancestor jumps again, that just means he gets killed, then after a few years he revives and can continue to jump about freely.

But what about Hongjun?

Zero-zero-seven, zero-zero-seven! Zero-zero repeats zero-zero, must keep zero-zeroing into eternity!

This blessing is endless! Unless the boundless Great Calamity arrives.

Now that's what I call miserable, right?

He has no freedom at all, and is still being squeezed to work.

He might feel sorry for the Dragon Ancestor, but he'd be better off feeling sorry for himself and struggling with his fate.

What's more……

"A reset exists, but it probably isn't now?" the Dao Ancestor said thoughtfully, "Although I don't know how East Splendor strangely borrowed your peak-state Dao cultivation and power, at this moment you're invincible."

"But…… you're still on Honghuang's blacklist!"

"With such a sudden change, will Honghuang not intervene? I doubt it!"

"So I was thinking, Cang at most you'll beat him half-dead… huh." His eyes lit up, "If you make him spit out everything he just ate……"

"He relies on having swallowed Hongyun's Dao fruit, which lets him be so overbearing, able to challenge Nüwa, and it looks like he's about to go further."

"If he's beaten half-dead and reverted to his original form…… that can happen! That can happen!"

Although Hongjun is currently allied with the Dragon Ancestor, someone ambitious who will grow strong and may someday vie for victory's fruits isn't necessarily a friendly ally…… He actually doesn't mind if the Dragon Ancestor suffers a bit of bad luck.

"On this matter, I support you!"

Burning bridges, the Dao Ancestor is no ordinary hand at it.

This left Xihuang speechless, "You people…… disposing of the mill and killing the donkey, you're too decisive!"

"You can't say it like that." Hongjun doesn't care, indifferent to the loss of integrity, "This Cang guy, his mindset is inflated, he couldn't possibly be my vassal, so why should I care whether he's unlucky or not?"

"Just use him and toss him aside—I don't care if he lives or dies."

"With this idle mind, I'd rather worry about something else, for example……" the Dao Ancestor shifted tone, "August Emperor Majesty, things have come to this, your relationship with East Splendor has been forced into the open, can't be hidden anymore."

"So, just tell me—what exactly is going on between you two?"

Hongjun has immense curiosity, his thirst for knowledge exploding.

"You're blocking me here, ruining my big plans, and now you want me to clear up your doubts?" Xihuang, both annoyed and amused, "Over the years of overtime at Purple Cloud Palace, I don't know how much your business skills have improved, but your cheek thickness…… I see, it's improved leaps and bounds." "Thick skin helps you get by!" Hongjun unashamed, indeed arguing, "Anyway, my situation now can't get any worse, so what's a little thicker skin?"

"Working unpaid overtime is normal for me—do you really think you can make me work overtime and still pay me?"

"I don't have any money to compensate either!"

The Dao Ancestor spoke righteously, saying the most moving and heartbreaking words.

Rahu the Demon Ancestor, Honghuang's most pitiable pot‑king.

Hongjun the Dao Ancestor, Honghuang's most pitiable worker.

"Therefore, I'd like to ask Your Majesty August Emperor to satisfy this curiosity of mine……" Hongjun smacked his lips, "To be honest, I'm still quite curious—how could East Splendor possibly be your direct domain?"

"Although we can set up many identities, wear various masks, meddle everywhere, start schemes here, take stakes there, and play happily……"

"Like the eighty‑one‑day demon lord who subdued Rahu, an incarnation of eighty‑one top‑level divine‑ability masters."

Rahu the Demon Ancestor is daily whipped corpse.

"But an incarnation is just an incarnation—fundamentally it's the same primordial divine light, total assets fixed."

"But East Splendor…… with my current cultivation that has merged with the Heavenly Dao, I can see it clearly."

"He is an independent entity, possessing his own strand of primordial imperishable divine light, bearing his own exclusive mark!"

Innate indestructible spiritual light, equivalent to the identity card of a Great Luo.

This is the only one.

A Great Luo, he can be a shareholder of this company, the legal representative of that enterprise, various titles coexist, rushing to attend all kinds of occasions.

These titles are the different incarnations of a Great Luo.

But the person is still the same... the life experiences, wisdom and knowledge they share do not change with the change of titles.

Innate indestructible spiritual light is fundamental; titles are merely additional—whether one has titles or not, it does not detract from personal achievement.

But now, it seems some situation has arisen.

"Donghua is strange..." the Dao Ancestor mused, "If not for that, I would have long seen his problem... there's no need for the Dragon Ancestor to leap about; I could go down myself, direct, have everyone shoulder to shoulder, and kill him!"

"So, where is the problem?"

Hongjun gazed at Xihuang.

"Where is the problem..." Xihuang chuckled, "I think you can refer to and learn from Nüwa's creations, governing the postnatal beings."

"Looking back, one can naturally figure out some ways."

"But that's all in the past; there's no need to dwell on it—let it go with the wind."

"How could that be?" Hongjun shook his head repeatedly, "If I don't figure it out, I won't sleep soundly."

"If today we can have this oddball Donghua appear, tomorrow we won't have another unexpected factor appear to overturn the board?"

"I feel this must involve some great secret!"

"It's very necessary to figure it out!"

"Then..." Fuxi mused, "I'll tell you the secret; it's of great importance—can you keep it confidential?"

"I can!" Hongjun's eyes flashed bright, and he nodded firmly.

"Then... I can too." Fuxi nodded with a smile.

Hongjun's face instantly fell long.

He was actually being toyed with?!

Clenching his fists, he wanted to punch over.

But seeing Fuxi straighten his chest, the meaning couldn't be clearer—Come! Hit here! I've been waiting for your impulse, I've waited a long time! The Dao Ancestor grudgingly held back his irritable mood.

"Don't get cocky..."

"The 'Honghuang' reaction is slow, but it's also vengeful...... Donghua is now so flamboyant; who knows how miserable his end will be!"

"So what?" Fuxi's eyes held a hint of sorrow, "When he decided to borrow this power, he never thought of retreating safely."

"There's no way...... Heaven bullies the gods too much!"

"Why does he have to jump around like that?"

"He's mocking so much, claiming he'll do this and that to Donghua..."

"He also drew in my hatred, calling Nüwa a useless trash, the Phoenix powerless..."

"Thus."

"At this moment."

"I and Donghua have reached an agreement."

"We must...... give him a most profound lesson!"

"Even if we have to pay some price for it."

Fuxi let out a deep sigh.

Hongjun felt a chill despite no cold, fell silent, merely watching the starry battlefield, witnessing the occurrence of a tragedy.

……

The Dragon Ancestor's venting trash talk hasn't ended; he loudly 'defames' the supreme ancient gods, their words still echoing between heaven and earth...... In the starry void, the Donghua Thearch already strides forward in silence, walking toward the Dragon Ancestor.

Wherever he passed, Dao qi fell endlessly; wherever he went, it became a void, an emptiness; the patterns of the Major Heavenly Stars Grand Array were worn away, countless stars turned into calamitous ash, utterly unstoppable, making the gods feel a chill down their spines.

It was no longer just breaking the array... but directly undertaking the most thorough destruction from the root! This caused the Heavenly Court's Two Eastern Emperors in charge of the main array to change color, exerting strength like suckling at a breast, a Chaos Bell clanging dong-dong in disorder, a River Chart and Luo Book turning wildly, constantly adjusting the Major Heavenly Stars, attempting to resist.

They took the vast array foundation and legion of star banners as core, the Major Heavenly Stars as main force, immeasurable multitudes of stars shining, operating without cease, starlight crisscrossing, connecting to the Honghuang origin, pulsating through the Myriad Heavens and all realms, accommodating the light of ages...... past, present, future...... the four directions, the six unions, the Myriad Heavens......

The radiance of different civilizations, the beliefs of different peoples, the pursuits of different Dao lineages...... everything, everything, under the governance of the Major Heavenly Stars Grand Array, combined in the most mysterious way, countless powers stacked and fused, ultimately becoming simple from complexity, transforming into a chessboard—the Destiny Chessboard! The trajectories of destiny crisscross back and forth; mortal beings dance upon it, turning into piece after piece.

The splendor of the human Dao, the elaboration of endless variations, displayed here in full measure, possessing power beyond imagination...... the chessboard lay before the Dragon Ancestor, serving as defense and protection, exuding the most brilliant radiance, like an ocean of eternal light poured forth, able to overturn heaven and earth, remake Honghuang! However, when the "Donghua Thearch" drew near......

Facing those flashy means, he spoke not, remained silent, merely calmly raising one hand, clenching it into a fist.

One punch blasted forth! No dazzling splendor, no shocking soundwave, plain and ordinary, just the damage was greater.

The most exquisite distribution of power, perfectly without the slightest leakage, accurately struck from afar the seventy-two Major Heavenly Stars currently at the critical array positions, ignoring all obstruction, letting them each, after a moment of stupor, then wear a bitter smile, like the darkness driven away at sunrise, vanishing silently and completely.

——They were denied the very meaning of existence on a conceptual level!

Only each's innate spiritual light remained, motionless in place.

One grand array, in an instant had its seventy-two most critical nodes destroyed, accounting for one-fifth of the whole...... what would the consequences be? At this moment, everyone understood.

The Destiny Chessboard collapsed; poor thing, just having come out to catch a breath, not yet had time to show off before being blown apart...... the Major Heavenly Stars sea swayed, the grand array shattered severely; even if the Heavenly Emperor struggled desperately, he could hardly regain peak strength for a while.

Only could pity the Dragon Ancestor, who, after facing that punch alone, in a blink found himself before the "Donghua Thearch".

"Heaven"

The Kunpeng stood far away, wiped at the corner of his eye where no tear existed, and silently mourned, "You are a true warrior...... may your journey be smooth; when festivals come, I will consider offering you incense...... also counts as once, I worked a stint in your camp, a bygone camaraderie."

No one was optimistic about the Dragon Ancestor.

Because he was fundamentally not an opponent of the same level.

Facing an opponent who, with a mere gesture, gives birth to space, evolves time, defines concepts, and achieves cosmic feats—where earth, water, fire, wind, and all beings and phenomena are but manifestations of his will, how could one possibly win? Even hoping to leave a whole corpse is impossible! No hope left.

Just wait to die.

Farewell!

Just that.

Even if everyone else gave up, the Dragon Ancestor did not give up.

"Hum!"

His dragon eyes shone, the light blindingly bright, a manifestation of his most resolute inner heart.

After the truth was fully revealed, he was no longer confused.

He once felt at a loss, not knowing where to apply his strength to carry out the most thorough reckoning.

But now? His enemy truly appeared before him!

Just throw a punch!

Just fight!

Target locked, nothing but battle!

The courage to throw a punch, the Dragon Ancestor has never lacked.

Even if facing a Pangu! "Battle!"

The Dragon Ancestor straightened his spine, facing that punch that reeked of death, he did not retreat in the slightest, instead letting out a great shout, the whole dragon glowing, burning, staking everything—his intent, blood and mana, Dao fruit—on the most devout battle! "Battle!"

The vast universe echoed with his shout, the waterway authority of the Honghuang heavens and earth trembled, directly drawing a huge proportion of power, subtly affecting the world's stable operation, affecting the stable development of human Dao beings, letting a vague yet vast instinct gradually awaken, the hazy Chaos paying attention to Honghuang.

——What's going on, little bro?

"Battle!"

In the ancient bloodline, the Primordial Ancestor's emotions surged—past, present, future—any living being with even a trace of Dragon Clan bloodline lifted their heads in bewilderment, gazing into the void…… a race's power was being mobilized, or rather an extremely powerful race.

The Primordial Ancestor gave them their stature; when the Primordial Ancestor needs them, they will fight for him!

A clan's will shone, roaring within the grandest consciousness of the Human Dao, faintly quickening the pace of some awakening.

……

No one thought well of the Dragon Ancestor, and not a single Ancient God Great Sage came to aid—even those who had previously shouted, wanting to make the East Heaven Emperor look bad, the Great Luo Divine Saints, upon clearly knowing that there was some sort of intimacy between East Heaven and the August Emperor, ceased their shouting, silently restraining their presence, refusing to mention revenge.

In this situation, the Dragon Ancestor, bearing the most surging battle spirit, threw the most glorious punch of his life! In terms of power, this punch may not be the strongest.

But!

Yet the spirit and will contained within are surely the most splendid! A warrior, facing cruel fate, facing boundless darkness, embracing the most resolute heart, even knowing he cannot win, still launches a fearless charge against the evil dragon!

This punch can be called a dawn punch! Like the light of dawn, it shall cleave the deepest darkness, uphold justice!

Such spirit made even the "East Heaven Emperor" voice his approval, "Not bad."

"Too bad, just a bit weak in strength."

The turn of events is very real, and reality is very cold.

When the two fists collided, the result was like tearing apart rotting wood.

The Dragon Ancestor…… exploded! Xuanhuang-colored essence blood splattered across the universe, boundless sorrow.

(End of chapter)