Chapter 386

the Heavenly Court

The time of a great cycle was so long that it could turn the sea into mulberry fields, and also make countless beings forget the blood and fire that once swept across the nine heavens.

Above the firmament, the Milky Way turned, clear radiance showered down, a scene of tranquility.

the Demon Race

Chaos

However, beneath this tranquil surface, some indescribable change was quietly taking place.

Jade Void Palace

Yuanshi, seated in meditation with eyes closed, opened his eyes that had been unrippled for myriad ages.

He did not look in any direction, yet his gaze seemed to pierce endless time and space, landing on the string of law that constitutes heaven and earth.

An extremely fine yet incomparably tough strand of iron-rust color was spreading across the crystal-clear string of law.

Azure Wandering Palace

Tongtian

At first it was merely a thread; in an instant it became a strand; in the blink of an eye, it had already stained every corner of the fabric of heaven and earth.

the Thirty-Three Heavens

Nüwa's Palace

Nüwa

Spirit Pearl

Five Villas Temple

The Azure Duckweed Sword that Tongtian was idly playing with in his hand emitted a faint hum; the blade trembled, as if endless fighting spirit wanted to burst out of its sheath.

Ginseng Fruit Tree

North Abyss

Kunpeng

Purple Cloud Palace

Dao Ancestor

Hongjun Dao Ancestor

Wu-Slaying Sword

Inside the Five Zhuang Temple, Zhenyuanzi gently stroked the ginseng fruit tree, his brows furrowed tightly.

Heavenly Secrets Techniques

Countless powerful beings in secluded cultivation were, at the same moment, awakened by this unstoppable killing aura.

Their hearts felt heavy, as if a huge stone had been placed upon them.

"This... this is..."

An elder expert's voice trembled, as if recalling an era too painful to remember.

"Why has the calamitous qi of heaven and earth become so dense?!"

"It cannot be resolved, cannot be avoided! Could another turmoil be about to erupt?"

Finally, an expert versed in heavenly calculations pinched his fingers to calculate, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

He calculated nothing.

The heavenly secrets are a sheet of Chaos.

And this is the greatest terror.

"Time..."

"Calculating the time, the ceasefire period set by the Dao Ancestor of old in the Purple Cloud Palace seems... to have arrived."

These words, like a thunderclap, exploded in the hearts of all the experts.

"Good! Good!"

"In that case, the Wu Clan and the Demon Race..."

In an instant, everyone fell silent.

That suffocating murderous aura finally found its source.

All beings raised their heads.

What met their gaze was the Demon Race's Heavenly Court, hanging high above the nine heavens, governing the stars of the heavens, its might overwhelming the ages.

What their eyes fell upon was the Wu Clan's tribe, rooted in the primeval earth, upholding the backbone of heaven and earth, its dominance unmatched.

Those two colossal beings had remained silent for an entire era.

Now, the deadline has arrived.

The ceasefire period originally set by the Dao Ancestor Hongjun in person was meant to give this wounded heaven and earth a chance to breathe.

He used supreme Dao arts to forcibly suppress the two clans' disputes.

However, the ban could suppress the flames of war, but not the hatred.

Hatred had long seeped into the marrow, fused into the blood.

The Demon Race slaughtered humans, forging swords to slay the Wu.

The Wu Clan angrily struck Buzhou, seeking to reopen heaven and earth.

Such a deep enmity of the Sea of Blood—how could a mere ceasefire order resolve it?

These 129,600 years of time not only failed to erase both sides' hatred, but seemed to be stockpiling fuel for an even more brutal ultimate war.

Thinking of this, countless beings' expressions grew ever more solemn.

A sense of unease rising from the depths of the soul began to proliferate wildly.

Because everyone knows that in this great cycle, whether it is the Wu Clan or the Demon Race, tremendous earth-shaking changes have occurred.

The Demon Race's Heavenly Court, under the governance of Di Jun and Taiyi, grew ever more prosperous.

The Grand Formation of the Heavenly Stars, after countless derivations, its might is no longer what it once was.

Countless newly risen demon gods and demon sages filled the gaps left by the ancient war, and the Heavenly Court's strength not only did not diminish but increased.

And the Wu Clan beneath Mount Buzhou was equally without the slightest negligence.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches, using Pangu's essence blood, once again gave birth to countless elite great witches.

They drilled day and night in the Grand Formation of Heavenly Net God Slaughter, and the killing qi that coalesced almost dyed the earth a blood-red hue.

Both sides were lying on firewood and tasting gall.

Both sides slept with weapons at hand, awaiting dawn.

No one could imagine how terrifying a scene it would be when these two peerless ferocious beasts, having stored up boundless rage and power, broke free of their shackles and clashed again.

Perhaps the entire primordial wilderness would be shattered to pieces.

Gazes looked toward the solemn Southern Heaven Gate beyond the thirty-three heavens.

And they looked at the endless, continuous Wu Clan tribes beneath Mount Buzhou.

Beneath this seemingly calm and waveless tranquility, the hidden heaven-shaking, awe-inspiring waves seemed to be barely containable.

And indeed, it was exactly as all beings had thought.

……

Beyond the thirty-three heavens, the Hall of Divine Mist.

Here, the river of time seemed to lose its meaning, leaving only eternal stillness and cold radiance.

That day, the age-old silence was broken by an extremely faint sigh that held endless unwillingness.

The figure seated upon the imperial throne suddenly opened its eyes.

What solemn eyes they were, once reflecting the birth and death of the universe, the turning of the stars.

But now, deep within the endless sea of stars, a trace of uncontrollable irritation and anger surged.

A golden divine flame flashed in the pupils and then faded into dimness.

"Damn it!"

Di Jun's joints tightened slightly, the five fingers resting on the armrest almost crushing the throne forged of chaos divine gold.

"After all, I still cannot fathom the mysteries of the Grand Dao of Hunyuan!"

His voice was low, yet it carried a gloom that could make heaven and earth lose color.

The Great Dao laws that had originally swirled around him, nearly condensing into substance, now receded like a tide and dissipated into nothing.

One basket short of completion.

After endless years of seclusion, drawing upon the full fortune of the demon court, he mobilized every source accessible to him as the demon emperor to assault the supreme barrier that stood before all half-sages.

He had felt countless times that he was separated from that realm by only a thin layer of window paper.

But that layer of window paper was formed from the supreme laws of the entire primordial wilderness; no matter how he rammed or transformed it, it ultimately amounted to nothing.

He could not understand.

He himself was a top-tier innate divine spirit nurtured in the sun star, born supremely noble, with a foundation deeper than any in the primordial wilderness.

In terms of comprehension, he considered himself inferior to none.

But why could Chen Ku easily reach the realm they dreamed of?

The moment this thought arose, it turned into a heart-devil, frenziedly proliferating in his Dao-heart.

As a lofty demon emperor who overlooks all beings, he was actually inferior to an acquired mortal?!

This qi stagnated in his chest, nearly making his Dao-heart unsteady and throwing his entire aura into disorder.

But he did not know that Chen Ku possessed heaven-defying comprehension; on this path, if he humbly claimed second place, then no one in the entire chaos universe would dare claim first.

Suppressing the surging qi and blood, Di Jun discarded distracting thoughts.

His gaze slowly turned to the side.

There, another equally towering figure sat silently.

Donghuang Taiyi.

Perhaps Taiyi still has hope.

His foundation shares the same source as mine, and he also wields the innate treasure Chaos Bell, which suppresses his own fortune, perhaps giving him a sliver more chance than I have.

At this moment, the extinguished spark in Di Jun's heart reignited as a faint expectation.

However, when his gaze truly fell upon Taiyi, that trace of expectation instantly solidified and shattered.

The reason was simple.

Taiyi sat upon the futon, his aura vast, his bearing solemn, divine light shining in his eyes, his might threefold greater than before his seclusion.

But this was merely progress in magical power.

Di Jun could clearly sense that the essence of that power had undergone no leap.

It remained the peak of half-sage.

Yet there remained an unbridgeable chasm between him and the boundless transcendent realm of Hunyuan Luo Golden Immortal.

Indeed……

Before Di Jun could speak, Taiyi's tightly closed eyes slowly opened.

He did not look at Di Jun, merely giving a slight shake of the head, a light motion that seemed to exhaust all his strength.

"I…"

Taiyi's voice remained overbearing, yet it revealed a fatigue never before seen.

"I have also failed to grasp the opportunity to prove the Dao of Hunyuan!"

Boom!

-> "Boom!" (single line)

This sentence, like an invisible heavy hammer, slammed hard into Di Jun's heart.

This sentence, like an invisible heavy hammer, slammed hard into Di Jun's heart.

His last sliver of luck also sank completely into the bottomless abyss.

His last sliver of luck also sank completely into the bottomless abyss.

Even those two brothers have already failed; as for the ten great demon saints in seclusion, the demon master Kunpeng and the others, the outcome goes without saying.

Even those two brothers have already failed; as for the ten great demon saints in seclusion, the demon master Kunpeng and the others, the outcome goes without saying.

In an instant, Di Jun's face darkened to the extreme.

-> "For a moment, Di Jun's face darkened to the extreme." Could be "In an instant, Di Jun's face grew grim to the utmost." We'll produce: "In an instant, Di Jun's face darkened to the extreme."

The entire Lofty Heavens Treasure Hall trembled violently due to his shifting emotions, and the spatial barriers of the Thirty-Three Heavens groaned under the strain.

The entire Lofty Heavens Treasure Hall trembled violently due to his shifting emotions, and the spatial barriers of the Thirty-Three Heavens groaned under the strain.

A moment.

-> "A moment." (or "A brief moment.") We'll produce: "A moment."

Or perhaps it was eternity.

-> "Or perhaps it was eternity." We'll produce: "Or perhaps it was eternity."

Di Jun suddenly raised his head; all his disappointment, unwillingness, and stagnation in his eyes were forcibly cut away in that instant.

-> "Di Jun suddenly lifted his head; all his disappointment, unwillingness, and pent-up frustration were forcibly cut away in that instant." We'll produce: "Di Jun suddenly lifted his head; all his disappointment, unwillingness, and pent-up frustration were forcibly cut away in that instant."

In its place was an utter, ice-cold resolve.

-> "In their place came an icy, utter resolve." We'll produce: "In their place came an icy, utter resolve."

"If we cannot attain the Dao of Hunyuan, we cannot hope for anything here."

-> "\"Since we cannot prove the Dao of Primordial Unity, we can no longer hope for it here. \"" Need to keep quotes. We'll produce: "\"Since we cannot prove the Dao of Primordial Unity, we can no longer hope for it here. \""

His voice regained the dignity and cruelty befitting a demon emperor; each word struck like a heavy blow.

-> "His voice regained the dignity and cruelty befitting a demon emperor, each word ringing with weight." We'll produce: "His voice regained the dignity and cruelty befitting a demon emperor, each word ringing with weight."

"The ceasefire is over."

-> "\"The ceasefire period has ended. \"" We'll produce: "\"The ceasefire period has ended. \""

"We have no more time to waste in closed-door cultivation."

-> "\"We have no more time to waste on closed-door cultivation. \"" We'll produce: "\"We have no more time to waste on closed-door cultivation. \""

Di Jun slowly rose to his feet; his towering stature cast a huge shadow that enveloped the entire hall.

-> "Di Jun slowly rose to his feet, his towering frame casting a huge shadow that engulfed the entire hall." We'll produce: "Di Jun slowly rose to his feet, his towering frame casting a huge shadow that engulfed the entire hall."

"First we destroy the Wu Clan, then we plan for anything else!"

"First we destroy the Wu Clan, then we plan for anything else!"

The moment his words fell, two beams of dazzling golden light burst from his eyes—no longer the gentle light of enlightenment, but pure, intense fighting spirit and killing intent that could not be dispelled.

-> "The instant his voice fell, two blazing golden beams burst from his eyes—no longer the tranquil light of enlightenment, but pure, thick battle intent and killing intent that could not be dissipated." We'll produce: "The instant his voice fell, two blazing golden beams burst from his eyes—no longer the tranquil light of enlightenment, but pure, thick battle intent and killing intent that could not be dissipated."

This will pierced hearts and pierced the void.

-> "This will seized hearts and pierced the void." We'll produce: "This will seized hearts and pierced the void."

Without needing to divine heavenly secrets, Di Jun could already guess.

-> "Without needing to divine the heavenly secrets, Di Jun could also guess it." We'll produce: "Without needing to divine the heavenly secrets, Di Jun could also guess it."

With the ceasefire over, in the Pangu Hall at this moment, those twelve barbarians must already be sharpening their knives, ready to unleash the final battle.

-> "With the ceasefire over, in Pangu Hall at this moment, those twelve barbarians must already be sharpening their knives, ready to unleash the final showdown." We'll produce: "With the ceasefire over, in Pangu Hall at this moment, those twelve barbarians must already be sharpening their knives, ready to unleash the final showdown."

This is the calamity.

-> "This is the Great Calamity." We'll produce: "This is the Great Calamity."

This is fate.

-> "This is fate." We'll produce: "This is fate."

Moreover, it is an unavoidable life-and-death reckoning between the demon and witch clans.

-> "Moreover, it is an unavoidable life-and-death reckoning between the Demon Race and the Wu Clan." We'll produce: "Moreover, it is an unavoidable life-and-death reckoning between the Demon Race and the Wu Clan."

There is no retreat.

-> "There is no retreat." We'll produce: "There is no retreat."

Then, take the initiative and attack!

-> "Then, let us take the initiative and strike!" We'll produce: "Then, let us take the initiative and strike!"

"The elder brother is absolutely right."

-> "\"What the elder brother says is absolutely correct. \"" We'll produce: "\"What the elder brother says is absolutely correct. \""

Taiyi also rose to his feet; the listlessness born of his failure vanished, replaced by the innate imperial aura of a sovereign.

-> "Taiyi also rose to his feet, the listless air born of his failure swept away, replaced by the innate imperial aura of a ruler." We'll produce: "Taiyi also rose to his feet, the listless air born of his failure swept away, replaced by the innate imperial aura of a ruler."

He said no more; merely a thought moved.

-> "He said no more; merely a thought moved." We'll produce: "He said no more; merely a thought moved."

Hum——

-> "Hum—" We'll produce: "Hum—"

An invisible wave spread from the Lofty Heavens Treasure Hall as its center, instantly reaching the entirety beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

-> "An invisible ripple, centered on the Lofty Heavens Treasure Hall, instantly spread throughout the Thirty-Three Heavens." We'll produce: "An invisible ripple, centered on the Lofty Heavens Treasure Hall, instantly spread throughout the Thirty-Three Heavens."

That was the summons of Donghuang.

-> "That was the summons of the Eastern Emperor." We'll produce: "That was the summons of the Eastern Emperor."

Not long after.

-> "Not long after." We'll produce: "Not long after."

The void was repeatedly torn apart, and waves of unmatched, tyrannical aura descended here.

-> "The void was torn apart repeatedly, and waves of unmatched, overbearing aura descended here." We'll produce: "The void was torn apart repeatedly, and waves of unmatched, overbearing aura descended here."

Demon Master Kunpeng, the Xi Emperor Fuxi, Bai Ze, Ji Meng, Ying Zhao……

Demon Master Kunpeng, the Xi Emperor Fuxi, Bai Ze, Ji Meng, Ying Zhao……

The ten great demon saints, one demon master, one Xi Emperor—the supreme power of the demon court—were all gathered here.

-> "The Ten Great Demon Saints, a Demon Master, a Xi Emperor, the highest echelon of power of the Demon Court—all gathered here." We'll produce: "The Ten Great Demon Saints, a Demon Master, a Xi Emperor, the highest echelon of power of the Demon Court—all gathered here."

On each of their faces lay a hint of gloom that could not be concealed.

-> "Each of their faces bore a hint of gloom that could not be concealed." We'll produce: "Each of their faces bore a hint of gloom that could not be concealed."

As Di Jun and Taiyi had anticipated.

-> "Just as Di Jun and Taiyi had anticipated." We'll produce: "Just as Di Jun and Taiyi had anticipated."

No one succeeded.

-> "Not a single one succeeded." We'll produce: "Not a single one succeeded."

The path to Hunyuan was already cut off for them.

-> "The path of Primordial Unity, for them, has already been cut off." We'll produce: "The path of Primordial Unity, for them, has already been cut off."

Di Jun's gaze, as substantial as substance, slowly swept over every demon court magnate present.

-> "Di Jun's gaze, substantive as it were, slowly swept over every titan of the Demon Court present." We'll produce: "Di Jun's gaze, substantive as it were, slowly swept over every titan of the Demon Court present."

The atmosphere in the hall was oppressive enough to make one suffocate.

-> "The atmosphere inside the hall was so oppressive it felt suffocating." We'll produce: "The atmosphere inside the hall was so oppressive it felt suffocating."

"The Grand Formation of the Heavenly Stars and Dipper."

"The Grand Formation of the Heavenly Stars and Dipper."

Di Jun's icy voice broke the silence.

-> "Di Jun's icy voice broke the silence." We'll produce: "Di Jun's icy voice broke the silence."

"How have the ordinary demon folk fared in their control?"

-> "\"How far have the ordinary demon folk mastered it? \"" We'll produce: "\"How far have the ordinary demon folk mastered it? \""

Since individual power cannot break through, we can only place all our hopes anew upon this supreme killing formation that suppresses the demon court's fortune.

-> "Since individual power cannot break through, we can only place all our hopes anew upon this supreme killing formation that suppresses the fortune of the Demon Court." We'll produce: "Since individual power cannot break through, we can only place all our hopes anew upon this supreme killing formation that suppresses the fortune of the Demon Court."

This is their last trump card.

-> "This is their last trump card." We'll produce: "This is their last trump card."

And also their greatest reliance.

-> "It is also their greatest reliance." We'll produce: "It is also their greatest reliance."

Upon hearing the question, the demon saint Bai Ze immediately stepped forward.

-> "Upon hearing the question, the demon saint Bai Ze immediately stepped forward, bowing." We'll produce: "Upon hearing the question, the demon saint Bai Ze immediately stepped forward, bowing."

"Your Majesty."

-> "\"Your Majesty. \"" We'll produce: "\"Your Majesty. \""

His voice was respectful and steady, bringing a glimmer of change to the oppressive atmosphere.

-> "His voice was respectful and steady, bringing a hint of change to the oppressive atmosphere." We'll produce: "His voice was respectful and steady, bringing a hint of change to the oppressive atmosphere."

"At present, all demon folk recorded in the heavenly registers, regardless of cultivation level, have mastered the operation of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation!"

-> "\"At present, all demon folk registered with the Heavenly Court, regardless of cultivation level, have become proficient in operating the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation! \"" We'll produce: "\"At present, all demon folk registered with the Heavenly Court, regardless of cultivation level, have become proficient in operating the Grand Formation of the Heavenly Stars and Dipper! \"" Need to keep hyphen? We'll just translate as "Grand Formation of the Heavenly Stars and Dipper". So: "... operating the Grand Formation of the Heavenly Stars and Dipper!"

"Once the formation is deployed, even if some clansmen fall, any demon folk can instantly fill the vacant formation eye, maintaining the formation's stability and operation."

-> "\"Once the formation is activated, even if some clansmen fall, any demon can instantly fill the vacant formation eye, maintaining the formation's stability and operation. \"" We'll produce: "\"Once the formation is activated, even if some clansmen fall, any demon can instantly fill the vacant formation eye, maintaining the formation's stability and operation. \""

"Furthermore, by working together we have re‑derived the formation diagram, increasing its power somewhat."

-> "\"Furthermore, working together, we have once again deduced the formation diagram, increasing its power somewhat. \"" We'll produce: "\"Furthermore, working together, we have once again deduced the formation diagram, increasing its power somewhat. \""

Bai Ze paused, a flash of pride crossing his eyes.

-> "Bai Ze paused, a flash of pride crossing his eyes." We'll produce: "Bai Ze paused, a flash of pride crossing his eyes."

"Now the formation can truly draw upon the primordial power of countless stars, all for the use of our demon court!"

"The great formation can now truly draw upon the primordial power of countless stars, all for the use of our Demon Court!"

Upon hearing this, Di Jun and Taiyi's gloomy faces finally eased slightly.

-> "Upon these words, the grim expressions of Di Jun and Taiyi finally eased slightly." We'll produce: "Upon these words, the grim expressions of Di Jun and Taiyi finally eased slightly."

The formation was enhanced once more.

-> "The formation was enhanced once more." We'll produce: "The formation was enhanced once more."

Countless demon folk can serve as the formation, keeping it from breaking.

Countless demon folk can serve as the formation, keeping it from breaking.

This was indeed the only good news in those long ages.

-> "This is indeed the sole piece of good news in these long ages." We'll produce: "This is indeed the sole piece of good news in these long ages."

Good.

You lot, not bad.

Taiyi also nodded, and a rare hint of approval appeared on the cold, stern face.

Then, his expression shifted, and the supreme majesty belonging to the ancient sovereign erupted, sweeping across the entire scene.

If so!

Quickly muster all combat-capable beings of the Demon Race!

His voice was no longer mere speech, but heavenly law, an imperial decree, echoing endlessly beyond the thirty-three heavens.

We and those Wu Clan brutes who know only slaughter should also carry out the final cleansing.

This battle!

Taiyi's gaze was deep as an abyss, bursting forth with endless cold light, as if it sought to freeze the entire primordial land.

We shall not rest until the Wu Clan is exterminated!

We obey Your Majesty's command!

The ten great demon sages, Kunpeng, and Fuxi all bowed in unison, their voices shaking the universe.

They said no more, turning into streaks of flowing light and hastening away, disappearing into the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

They were to go summon the forces they each commanded.

They were to go awaken this war beast that had slept for countless ages.

That day.

Beyond the thirty-three heavens, a great commotion erupted.

Countless divine mountains floating beyond the heavens began to tremble, and hundreds of millions of demon god palaces simultaneously burst forth with brilliant divine light.

Echoes of ancient, desolate horns rang from all directions of the Heavenly Court, penetrating the boundless void and reaching every corner the Demon Race could touch.

The slumbering demon gods awoke.

The demon kings in seclusion emerged.

Innumerable demon soldiers and generals surged up from their caves, turning into torrents that converged toward the Southern Heaven Gate.

The entire heavenly realm was shrouded in an austere, iron-blooded aura.

War is coming.

……

Elsewhere.

Below the nine heavens lay the primordial earth.

Mount Buzhou towered majestically, its peak reaching the heavens, its roots anchoring the earth, as if it were the sole spine of this vast expanse.

At its foot, the Wu Clan's blood and energy shot to the heavens, their killing intent coalescing into clouds; within a domain of hundreds of millions of miles, only a primitive, ferocious aura prevailed.

Pangu Sacred Hall.

This place is the Wu Clan's highest holy ground; the hall is simple and ancient, yet suffused with a Daoic resonance that suppresses the ages.

Twelve figures sat upright in the hall, their profound aura merging with the very essence of the hall and the entire Mount Buzhou range.

They were the twelve Ancestor Witches of the present Wu Clan.

Leading them were the Space Ancestor Witch Di Jiang and the Time Ancestor Witch Zhu Jiuyin.

Below them were the Water God Gonggong, the Fire God Zhurong, and additionally a newly ascended Ancestor Witch, Xingtian, who wields the law of war.

Each Ancestor Witch was like a universe unto itself, harboring within its body the mighty power to cleave heaven and earth.

But at this moment, all of their gazes converged on the center of the hall, their eyes filled with irrepressible shock and fervor.

There, a figure stood.

A figure so majestic it defied description.

Its head seemed to prop up the very heavens, while its feet planted on the earth as if treading the Nine Abysses of the Netherworld.

Pangu's phantom!

This phantom was nearly substantive, its muscles knotted like dragons; every inch of its flesh resembled a surging river of stars, with countless stars born and dying within its flesh.

A pair of eyes, devoid of joy or sorrow, hung high in the heavens; the divine light that poured down from them carried a terrifying power to annihilate all, illuminating the ancient Pangu Sacred Hall down to the finest detail, making the ancient carvings on every stone seem to come alive.

In the phantom's hand, a heaven‑opening divine axe hovered silently.

Though the axe blade retained a hint of illusion, flickering uncertainly, even a single wisp of its escaping edge was enough to rend space with fine black cracks.

Within the hall, even as mighty as the twelve Ancestor Witches, they felt a throbbing arising from deep within their bloodlines.

Their skin prickled, their souls trembled, and every hair stood on end uncontrollably.

This was not fear, but an instinctive awe in the face of the source.

Hahaha!

Good!

Excellent!

A peal of wild, domineering laughter exploded, shaking the entire hall with a hum, and it was none other than the Space Ancestor Witch Di Jiang.

He sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing with divine light, unable to conceal his inner ecstasy.

Brother Xingtian, you have finally mastered the ultimate mystery of the Celestial God‑Slaughter Array!

In Di Jiang's voice lay an excitement never before felt.

Before his words had finished falling, Zhu Jiuyin, who had been meditating with closed eyes beside him, slowly opened his eyes.

Those were eyes that perceived the river of time, and at this moment a ripple of 'surprise' spread across them.

Not only that.

Zhu Jiuyin's voice was steady, yet carried a barely perceptible tremor.

Brother Xingtian has taken the place of the late Earth Goddess Hou Tu with the law of war; we had thought the formation's might would be diminished.

Never expected, this All-Heaven Divine Slaughter Great Formation, not retreating but advancing!

He raised his eyes, gazing deeply at that Pangu phantom, and continued to sigh:

The Father God phantom seems to have grown even more violent and overbearing.

That killing intent is pure to the extreme.

Zhu Jiuyin is usually the most steady, acting only after careful planning.

But today, the light in his eyes revealed the turmoil within his heart.

All the Ancestral Witches understood the meaning of his words.

In the past, they could condense the phantom of Father God Pangu, but to have the phantom wield the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, they needed external aid.

They needed to use one of the three great treasures of opening heaven—the Taiji Diagram, the Pangu Banner, or the Chaos Bell—as the formation's eye to barely manifest the divine axe's might.

That was their inner knot.

But now, relying solely on the power of the twelve Ancestral Witches themselves and the inheritance in their blood, they can already manifest the phantom of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe in the world.

This signifies that the All-Heaven Divine Slaughter Great Formation has been truly completed.

The key to this is Xingtian.

The law of war he controls is inherently known for its ferocity, domineering nature, and pure slaughter.

Now, this power has been perfectly infused into the Pangu phantom, causing the Father God phantom's aggressiveness to reach a new, terrifying height.

Even the Ancestral Witches inside the hall could foresee it.

Once this formation is deployed, the Pangu phantom wielding the divine axe will sweep away all enemies of the present age; its killing power will be unmatched throughout history!

After a long moment.

The hall's fervent atmosphere only then gradually settled.

The Ancestral Witches glanced at each other, each seeing in the other's eyes the confidence capable of burning the heavens.

With a thought, their surging blood qi within gradually retracted.

And in the center of the hall, that immense, unparalleled Pangu phantom likewise dimmed, its body turning into specks of flowing light, finally dissolving into twelve strands of pure, ultimate source killing qi, each entering the bodies of the twelve Ancestral Witches.

The holy hall returned to simplicity and tranquility.

But the fighting spirit in everyone's heart had already been completely ignited.

Di Jiang turned, his gaze piercing the holy hall's obstruction, sharply looking toward the direction of the Demon Race's Heavenly Court above the nine heavens.

His voice was filled with icy killing intent, each word as if carved from cold ice.

Now, my Wu Clan's great formation has been reforged and completed.

Those Demon Race beasts with fur and horns, born of moisture and eggs, their doom is not far off.

Di Jiang's words caused the hot-tempered Ancestral Witches like Gonggong and Zhurong to nod repeatedly, their fighting spirit aroused.

However, Zhu Jiuyin was not as optimistic as Di Jiang.

His all-seeing gaze swept over every brother in the hall, his low voice sounding like a bucket of cold water poured onto everyone's boiling hearts.

Brothers, all of you, we must not be careless!

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly fell silent.

Zhu Jiuyin continued:

Do not forget, within the Demon Court there is also the so-called Slay-Wu Sword.

The three words 'Slay-Wu Sword' being spoken made the hall's temperature seem to drop several degrees.

Zhu Jiuyin's gaze became extremely solemn.

In the past, a single Slay-Wu Needle as fine as a hair was enough to pierce the Ancestral Witch body of Brother Xiangliu and annihilate his true spirit.

We have still not found a way to counter it.

If the true Slay-Wu Sword were to appear, how terrifying would its power be?

Zhu Jiuyin's words struck like a heavy hammer, smashing heavily into each Ancestral Witch's heart.

The just-arisen myriad-zhang heroic fervor was instantly shrouded by a gloom.

That's right!

The Demon Race, in order to forge the Slay-Wu Sword, did not hesitate to slaughter billions of humans, causing heaven and earth to erupt in outrage, karmic entanglement ensued.

With such a huge cost, how could the resulting evil weapon be simple?

Until now, that legendary Slay-Wu Sword has never truly revealed its edge.

To the Wu Clan, this is a sword hanging over their heads, a deadly uncertain factor.

Upon this thought, the Ancestral Witches' brows, which had just relaxed, tightened again, their faces showing solemnity.

But solemnity aside, no one retreated.

As the twelve Ancestral Witches officially left seclusion, a silent command spread throughout the Wu Clan's territory.

The vast Wu Clan, this most terrifying war machine of the primordial wilderness, began to slowly turn.

Between the mountains and ravines, heaven-piercing, earth-penetrating giant beasts let out long roars—these are the Wu Clan's war beasts gathering.

In the rivers, lakes, and seas, hulking Wu Clan warriors burst forth from the water, raising towering waves.

Countless Wu Clan great witches and elites who had been wandering abroad sensed the summons in their blood, turning into streams of light that hurried from the eight directions and four extremes of the primordial wilderness back to Mount Buzhou.

On the faces of millions of Wu Clan beings, the innate belligerence and fervor now transformed into an indescribably icy fighting spirit.

Every Wu Clan member knows.

The impending battle is the thorough settlement of the endless grudges between the Wu Clan and the Demon Race that have persisted through countless eons.

This also means that between the two clans, the outcome must be you die or I live.

There is no retreat.

Although the Wu Clan is reckless, facing this ultimate war that decides the survival of the species, no clan dares to underestimate it.

……

In the primordial world, the killing intent grew stronger each day.

The shadow of the Great Calamity silently shrouded the nine heavens and ten earths; that heavy, oppressive aura made all things lose their original colors.

The witch and demon clans, these two mighty powers, were gathering their final strength and facing off.

Countless beings fell silent like cicadas in winter, sealing their caves and cutting off all contact with the outside world, fearing they would be burned to ash by the impending cataclysmic karmic fire.

Even the innate great powers that had survived since the primordial ages chose the utmost silence, sealing their six senses, wandering the Grand Void, trying to hide in a contracted state to avoid the inevitable storm that would sweep everything away.

Yet, beneath this utter silence where ten thousand horses held their breath, a pure land flourished ever more vibrantly.

To the west, Mount Sumeru.

Boundless auspicious light poured down from the nine heavens, bathing the divine mountain in brilliant radiance; the vast qi condensed into a jeweled canopy, protecting this realm.

The Buddhist sect was growing wildly, in a manner utterly opposite to the state of the primordial world.

Young Chen Ku's instruction from Mílè, Dàshìzhì, Jīnchì Dàpéng, and others never ceased.

The vast territory beneath Mount Sumeru had long become a huge training ground.

Each day, as the sun rose, the grand chanting would cease, replaced by earth-shaking clashes.

「Boom! 」

Mílè Buddha bared his chest and belly, smiling broadly; his palm seemed to lightly pat out, yet within it unfolded a complete world—sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, flora—all contained therein.

Buddha's Kingdom in the Palm!

Opposite him, Dàshìzhì Bodhisattva radiated boundless light from his entire body, his steps steady; with each step, golden lotuses seemed to bloom beneath his feet. He likewise pushed out a palm, not to clash head-on, but by a mysterious trajectory, drawing the power of the 'Buddha's Kingdom in the Palm' to glide past.

On the other side, the Jīnchì Dàpéng bird let out a fierce cry, flapped its wings, and instantly vanished from its spot; the next moment it appeared atop a Buddhist vajra, its talons rending the void as it struck down with unmatched sharpness.

That vajra neither dodged nor avoided, suddenly erupting from his mouth a vast, boundless syllable.

「Om! 」

The first syllable of the six-syllable mantra turned into visible golden ripples, spreading layer upon layer; the Jīnchì Dàpéng's form stalled, its invincible talons crumbling inch by inch under the sound's vibration.

Such sparring filled every corner of Mount Sumeru.

The newly transmitted great Buddhist arts blossomed with dazzling brilliance in the disciples' hands.

Above the high heavens, at the summit of the sea of clouds.

Young Chen Ku sat cross-legged, his gaze calmly overlooking everything below.

His gaze swept over every battle, every disciple's movement, every subtle expression, all clearly reflected in his heart-mind.

When he saw Mílè's Buddha's Kingdom in the Palm becoming ever more perfect, not just in form but also in spirit, he would give a slight nod.

When he saw the Jīnchì Dàpéng bird, even at critical moments, still unable to hide its innate ferocity, he would also frown slightly.

These disciples are the future of the Buddhist sect.

Their foundations, their hearts of the Dao, and their divine abilities will determine how high the Buddhist sect can rise after this Great Calamity.

With the flourishing of the Buddhist sect's qi fortune, more and more disciples have already touched that threshold.

The Dao of Primordial Unity.

That realm once belonged exclusively to sages, but now, under Young Chen Ku's guidance, it is no longer an unattainable legend.

The old path of severing the three corpses can now be abandoned by these exceptionally talented Buddhist core disciples.

A more direct, overbearing, and also more arduous Great Dao that reaches the heavens lay before them.

To this end, Young Chen Ku imparted nearly all his knowledge.

From the domineering Tathagata's Divine Palm to the profound Six-Syllable Mantra, and then to the supreme method of condensing the Three Bodies of Buddha, he transmitted each according to each individual's aptitude and path.

This unreserved transmission plunged all disciples into a near-frenzy of cultivation zeal.

The entire Mount Sumeru burned with fervent cultivation, even surpassing the Three Pure Ones' orthodoxy of Kunlun Mountain.

That day, Young Chen Ku continued to observe the disciples' cultivation.

His mind immersed therein, he deduced the flaws in each divine ability, contemplating how to tailor the most suitable growth path for each disciple.

Time flowed by in the daily calm and clamor.

Suddenly.

At a certain moment.

Young Chen Ku's indifferent expression twitched slightly.

His gaze instantly withdrew from the grand scene of millions of disciples sparring below, turning toward the deepest part of Mount Sumeru, that hall eternally shrouded in endless Buddha-light.

The Mahavira Hall.

"Master and the others, are they finally coming out of seclusion?!"

Young Chen Ku's lips moved slightly, a barely audible murmur escaping, yet it carried an irrepressible undulation.

Yes!

In that very instant, he perceived it.

A distinctly different aura began to emanate from the direction of the Mahavira Hall.

No.

It is not just one.

It is two.

Two auras, mighty beyond words, vast enough to stall the river of time, a terrifying presence.

This aura did not appear out of thin air; it was more like two ancient beasts that had slept for endless ages, finally opening their eyes after a long slumber.

Within this aura there was no earth-shaking majesty, no overbearing sweep.

All there was, was an ultimate sense of existence.

It seemed that from this moment onward, this world and universe became whole only because these two auras had awakened.

Without a doubt, this is Jieyin, Zhunti, and company about to leave seclusion.

Indeed!

Little Chen Ku's words had just fallen.

Time, as if in this instant gripped by an invisible big hand, suddenly stalled.

The wind ceased, the clouds dispersed.

Even the ten-thousand-year ever-burning lamp hanging beneath the eaves of Mahavira Hall, the ever-leaping Buddha fire, at this moment solidified into a glass sculpture, motionless.

All living beings' heartbeats were forcibly pressed onto a pause in this instant.

An indescribable stillness enveloped the entire Western Pure Land.

This stillness, however, made one's mind and spirit tenser than any thunder.

The next moment!

Boom!

Not a sound audible to the eardrum.

That was a primordial Dao tone originating from the primordial heavens and earth, the cosmic wilderness, a heavy hammer directly striking the origin of the soul.

A tremendous heavenly tone exploded from the depths of Mahavira Hall.

The invisible sound waves turned into visible ripples, spreading outward in circles.

The void, visibly twisting and folding, revealed its deep, dark chaotic undertone.

Usually hidden and untraceable, only a Grand Luo Golden Immortal could barely touch the legal order, which now turned into myriad violent electric snakes surging and flowing in the void, emitting an unbearable sharp hiss.

The sky of this pure land collapsed.

No, not a collapse.

But a will more majestic, more ancient, more supreme forcibly covered the original Heavenly Dao, trampling it underfoot!

"What... what is that?"

A demon king who had just taken refuge, whose cultivation had reached Taiyi Golden Immortal, now had weak legs, his teeth uncontrollably clacking, emitting a broken, discordant sound.

Beside him, the multitude of ordinary beings had already collapsed limp on the ground, prostrating themselves, facing this incomprehensible, irresistible divine might with their most primal instinct.

Even Chen Ku, with a steadfast Dao heart, couldn't help but have his pupils contract.

He raised his head.

His gaze pierced through layers of distorted space.

Then, everyone clearly saw a figure gradually manifesting above the high heavens.

Jieyin!

He appeared.

Without any earth-shaking motion, merely by existing, he became the sole entity of the universe.

Endless holy light gushed from every pore of his, not warm light but blazing, domineering light capable of burning away all impurity and heterodoxy.

The light blazed to the extreme, turning into pure 'nothingness', swallowing all color, making the whole world a monotonous white.

An absolute, unquestionable majesty swept out with the light.

That is the majesty of a saint.

Even the orthodox inheritors of the Buddhist Sect, Maitreya and Mahasthamaprapta, who were long accustomed to the saint's aura, couldn't help but narrow their eyes, golden Buddhist blood seeping from the corners.

Their eyes stung.

Their divine sense, upon contacting that holy light domain, was instantly evaporated to nothing.

They dared not gaze directly.

They could not even see Jieyin's true form clearly.

In that ocean of light, there was only a vague humanoid outline, yet it gave people an illusion.

He seemed to fill the entire firmament.

He seemed to be the firmament itself.

After Jieyin, another heavenly tone exploded.

Boom!

This Dao tone, intertwining with the previous one, was not a simple superposition but produced some mysterious resonance.

If the first heavenly tone was the creation of heaven and earth, then the second was the genesis of all things.

One yin, one yang, one stillness, one motion, together constructed a new order.

Zhunti also emerged from seclusion.

He stood beside Jieyin, his body likewise suffused with flowing light.

But that was not holy light, but a more lively, ever-changing immortal light.

Within that immortal light, countless worlds seemed to arise and perish, a bodhi ancient tree swayed, a seven-jeweled wondrous tree shed myriad divine blossoms.

Likewise, that light made it impossible to see his face clearly.

Yet that faint yet palpable aura emanating from the immortal light was far more terrifying than the Zhunti everyone remembered before his retreat.

Initially, his aura was vast as the sea.

Now, his aura encompassed the heavenly constellations, forming a universe of its own.

Even more vast.

Even more soul‑clutching!

The two great saints stood side by side upon the Nine Heavens.

No words.

No action.

Their mere existence made this heaven and earth groan in submission.

Sun and moon lost their light; heaven and earth hung upside down.

This is the might of a sage.

This is the power of the Buddhist Sect!

Master!

The Buddha is merciful!

After a brief silence, countless Buddhist disciples below erupted in a roar like mountains shouting and seas roaring.

On their faces was no longer mere ecstasy.

It was a complex emotion mixed with excitement, reverence, devotion, and pride.

Many disciples' bodies trembled violently, not from fear, but from a resonance deep in their souls and bloodlines, from the supreme honor stemming from the same orthodox tradition.

Golden Buddhist tears streamed from their eye sockets, dripping onto the ground and splashing out tiny pits that glittered with Buddhist light.

They straightened their backs.

An unprecedented straightening.

As if to release, at this moment, all the repression and suffocation they had endured over the years.

But this was not over.

Anomaly occurred again.

Not in the Mahavira Hall.

But rather, atop another hall enshrining another existence.

There was no earth-shaking Daoic resonance.

No overbearing, peerless holy light.

The changes there were silent and nourishing, yet even more grand and inconceivable.

Suddenly, boundless rainbow light and auspicious clouds burst forth from atop that hall.

One strand.

A hundred strands.

Hundreds of millions of strands!

Endless rainbow light instantly blanketed the entire sky, tinting the holy radiance of Jieyin and Zhunti with a seven‑colored edge.

Auspicious clouds layered upon layered, hovering high above the nine heavens, evolving into supreme phenomena such as dragons, phoenixes, qilins, and celestial maidens scattering flowers.

Immediately after, celestial rosy light fell downward.

Visible strands of rosy light, condensed from the purest primordial immortal qi, poured down like a heavenly river, gently sprinkling the mortal realm.

There was no pressure.

There was no compulsion.

But when the first wisp of celestial rosy light landed on someone, everyone froze.

A disciple instinctively circulated his cultivation method, and his complexion drastically changed.

A cultivation bottleneck that had plagued him for thousands of years silently melted away under the bath of this celestial rosy light.

This is precisely the fluctuation of Hongyun emerging from seclusion.

That celestial rosy light is his Dao, his Law, and his gift to the beings of this world.

All disciples immersed in the celestial rosy light clearly felt their divine awareness being repeatedly refined and purified, becoming unprecedentedly lucid and pure.

Dust deep in the soul was brushed away, and the Dao heart grew ever clearer.

An indescribable sense of sublimation surged from every cell and the depths of every thought.

This is supreme fortune!

A sage is using his own primordial essence to wash the meridians and marrow of his disciples, elevating their Dao foundations.

The Three Great Sages of the Buddhist Sect.

Jieyin represents the Buddhist Sect's 'stillness' and 'stabilization'.

Zhunti represents the Buddhist Sect's 'change' and 'contention'.

And Hongyun represents the Buddhist Sect's 'tolerance' and 'virtue'.

The three are one, perfect and flawless.

At this moment, they have all emerged from seclusion.

Watching this scene, Chen Ku's tensed mouth corners finally eased upward, forming an arc on his face.

His face also broke into a knowing smile.