Chapter 374: Dao Zu, It's Time to Take Your Medicine [Combined Chapter, 6k, Bonus 3 4]

"Oh right, I almost forgot about this set of deadly weapons."

"Hong Jun Dao Ren," with his meticulous nature, saw that after Luo Hou's death, the Four Swords of Zhuxian and the formation diagram were left unclaimed, floating in the void—he swiftly retrieved them.

Then he looked left and right, but couldn't see where the Shishen Spear was.

"Cough cough~~"

Yu Chuan Dao Jun, seeing this, cleared his throat: "Those are our demonic weapons—Dao Zu, you can't take them!"

"Hong Jun Dao Ren" blinked.

"Aren't we all family? No need to be so formal, right?"

Even so, "Hong Jun Dao Ren" still handed over the Four Swords of Zhuxian and the formation diagram to Yu Chuan Dao Jun.

Oh no—he meant Tong Tian Mo Jun.

"And all the Ling Bao left behind by Hong Pan Gu—collect them all!"

The Three Pure Ones toiled tirelessly, retrieving every Ling Bao scattered across the chaotic spacetime.

"The Hun Yuan Jin Dou? Excellent—it's mine!" Yu Chuan Dao Jun chuckled as he fished the Hun Yuan Jin Dou out from a pocket of spacetime.

"The Jin Jiao Shears are here—but where's the Luo Bao Jin Qian?" Xiang Xuanqing specifically searched for the Luo Bao Jin Qian, only to find it had vanished along with the Shishen Spear.

Tai Shang also picked up plenty of valuable items.

"Come on, come on—Hong Jun still has plenty of fine treasures left; we must chase after him quickly!" Tai Shang urged.

With Dao Zu gone, the Three Pure Ones Heaven Lords are in charge of inheriting the legacy.

With Mo Zu gone, the Three Pure Ones Great Demons are in charge of inheriting the legacy.

Reasonable and lawful!

As for what kind of reason, what kind of law.

Of course—the Great Dao Truth, the Pan Gu Great Law!

Who dares to object?

Defeated!

Defeated so utterly, so cleanly!

Deep in the void, the Tai Ji Tu drifted.

Hong Jun sat within it, his eyes dim and vacant.

Just as Hong Jun's consciousness struggled to coalesce amid endless darkness and chaos, seeking even a sliver of hope.

The wills of a host of chaotic demonic gods, like sharks scenting blood, breached countless layers of spacetime barriers and descended once more into his consciousness.

"Hehehe... Hong Jun, old friend, you... have failed!" A cold, shrill voice rang out first, dripping with unmasked gloating and a touch of morbid excitement.

"Didn't we tell you? We said all along that your so-called Heavenly Order was nothing but a castle in the air—crumbling at the slightest touch! One day, you'd come crawling to us, begging."

Another voice followed, thick with mockery and taunting.

"Tsk tsk tsk—never thought this day would come so soon!"

"Well then, friend? Now, are you willing to put down your pride, sit down, and listen to our terms properly?" Another voice spoke, oozing condescending charity.

A chorus of chilling, cackling laughter pierced Hong Jun's already weakened Yuan Shen like countless steel needles.

One after another, grotesque, chaotic, and ominous entities—indescribable in form—slowly "awoke" within his consciousness, their vast, alien wills casting suffocating shadows.

"Hong Jun, Hong Jun, look at yourself now—how pitiful," whispered a chaotic demonic god seemingly formed of countless writhing tentacles and screaming mouths; its will-projection emitted a nauseating, twisted laugh.

"You've lost—utterly, disgracefully. Now, you have nothing left. That so-called Heavenly Messenger, that revered position of Dao Zu—all vanished like smoke, hahaha!"

"But don't lose hope entirely."

Another voice, seemingly softer, yet radiating deeper malice, added: "You still have a chance to rise again."

"If you're willing to believe in us, to make a little 'cooperation' with us, you can still be reborn—even stronger than before!"

"Exactly!" The earlier shrill voice rang out again, brimming with greed and longing.

"Just... temporarily 'lend' your body to us for a little fun!"

"Don't worry—we'll be very careful."

"The Pan Gu True Body is a rare treasure—we only want to borrow it, to feel what it's like to wield the Hong Huang heavens and earth. We won't go too deep, and we won't fully possess you."

The demonic gods added, as if discussing something trivial.

These chaotic demonic gods circled Hong Jun's dying consciousness like vultures feasting on carrion, eager to divide up his last remaining value.

Yet, to their surprise, even reduced to this state, Hong Jun's will, after its initial tremor, gradually regained calm.

"If you don't want to die—get out, all of you!"

A hoarse yet still commanding voice rang out from the core of Hong Jun's consciousness.

Hong Jun had lost patience with these buzzing "flies."

"Why?"

The voices of the chaotic demonic gods fell silent all at once, as if strangled by invisible force.

On their massive will-projections, those indescribable "expressions" seemed frozen.

Why?

Countless enormous question marks rose simultaneously in the minds of these ancient, powerful chaotic demonic gods.

Hong Jun had clearly been utterly defeated—his Yuan Shen shattered, his Dao foundation damaged, barely clinging to life—so why was he still so defiant?

Why did he still have such confidence?

What gave him the right?

Had he not yet realized his own situation at this point?

Without accepting their "help," he had only death ahead!

Did he truly prefer total annihilation rather than bow to these former "kindred"?

"Those who walk different paths cannot cooperate."

Hong Jun's voice, though weak, was crystal clear—like swords piercing the core of the chaotic demonic gods' consciousness.

"Wretches clinging to life, trash stuck in the old age, fools blind to Heaven's design—you're inferior even to Order, to Rebirth, to Fate!"

"At least they know to follow the age, follow the Great Dao, seek new pursuits, new paths—they live far more clearly than you trash!"

BOOM—

Hong Jun's entire consciousness space was instantly flooded with utterly furious chaotic will, surging into a colossal tidal wave!

"Hong—Jun!"

"You seek death!"

"How dare you speak thus!"

The chaotic demonic gods erupted in fury.

They shrieked with sounds sharp enough to tear spacetime apart; the hatred and envy born from the primordial chaos erupted like a volcano, threatening to shatter Hong Jun's already shattered consciousness space completely!

"How dare you? How dare you insult us so?!" roared one demonic god, its will-projection twisting into a bolt of lightning that slashed toward Hong Jun's core.

"You merely got lucky and somehow forged this damn Pan Gu True Body—do you really think you're the real Pan Gu?!" another's voice dripped with contempt.

"You talk of Heaven's design? Where is your Heaven's design?"

"Who was it just now, beaten into ruins, fleeing in panic?"

"We came with good intentions, overlooking past grudges, lowering our wills to help you, offering a sliver of hope—and you still dare refuse?"

"Pah! You ungrateful old bastard!"

All manner of foul language and venomous curses surged toward Hong Jun like a tide.

These chaotic demonic gods, enraged beyond measure by Hong Jun's words, tore off all pretense, revealing their most primal, monstrous faces.

They truly had come to help Hong Jun.

But how much sincerity lay in that help? That was questionable.

Perhaps they were more interested in Hong Jun's already-formed Pan Gu True Body, and his unique status as one intimately bound to the Hong Huang Heavenly Dao.

Yet, facing this storm of rage and assault, Hong Jun's will, after a brief outburst, coalesced once more into an unbreakable wall.

"Hmph! A bunch of cowards who only dare whisper behind backs!"

Hong Jun said calmly: "Who among you dares descend in your true bodies?!"

"If you don't dare—get out, all of you!"

A single command, imbued with the authority of the Heavenly Dao, exploded like thunder in his own mind!

It forcibly expelled those raging chaotic demonic god will-projections from his consciousness space!

"Wum—"

Within the mind-sea, all was calm.

The indescribable chaotic demonic god wills, filled with endless malice and resentment, reluctantly retreated back into the unknowable chaos of the primordial age.

"Huh~" Hong Jun exhaled deeply, his consciousness dimming slightly.

He knew his lapse, his vulnerability to these chaotic demonic gods, stemmed from the earlier defeat—his heart had developed a barely perceptible ripple, giving them an opening.

"In the end... I still can't let go..." he murmured, a complex, unreadable light flickering in his eyes.

But quickly, he forcibly suppressed that ripple.

The urgent task now: heal, gather strength, and... wait for the right moment!

Hong Jun would never sink thus!

"Hong Jun Dao You, are you home? We've come to visit you!"

A warm, familiar voice reached him—Hong Jun's heart sank to the bottom.

【Arrived so quickly?】

“Brother of the Dao, are we really not going to first set up the Zhuxian Sword Array here to seal off this spacetime?”

“What if that old trickster Hong Jun has another trick up his sleeve and slips away again? Wouldn’t that be troublesome?” Yu Chendao Jun asked cautiously.

He gazed at the Taiji Diagram ahead—faintly visible, radiating the supreme Dao-rhythm that balanced myriad laws and suppressed earth, water, fire, and wind—and couldn’t shake the feeling that Hong Jun was unfathomably deep; even defeated as he was, he was far from truly cornered.

“Relax. Hong Jun was always a dignified deity in life.”

Xiang Xuanqing smiled: “If he isn’t dignified, we’ll help him be dignified.”

Saying this, he turned to Tai Shang: “Second brother, are the ingredients for the elixir ready?”

Tai Shang understood at once: “Long prepared. We’ve just been waiting for the right moment!”

The Primordial Great Nine-Transformation Immortal Hunyuan Pill!

This was the very origin of his bond with Hong Jun—now it was time to reap the fruit.

Whoosh~~

Far away, in the chaotic void, golden light flared suddenly, with a thousand auspicious rays!

A Taiji Golden Bridge, entirely formed from yin-yang qi, spanning infinite spacetime and radiating the supreme power to suppress eons and balance the myriad heavens, slowly extended toward them, finally halting not far from the Three Pure Ones.

Upon the golden bridge sat a figure, composed and still, with a simple face and deep eyes.

It was Hong Jun—the Dao Ancestor who had fled in disgrace moments ago.

Though his aura remained somewhat weak, the dignity and unfathomable bearing of the Heavenly Dao’s emissary had reformed upon him.

He sat quietly at the bridge’s center, gazing calmly at the Three Pure Ones before him, as if awaiting their arrival.

Seeing this, the Three Pure Ones did not hesitate; they walked forward to stand before the Taiji Golden Bridge.

“Wait!”

Just as the Three Pure Ones were about to step onto the bridge, Hong Jun suddenly spoke, pointing at the “Hong Jun Dao Ren” formed from Tai Chu Yi Qi.

“Disperse him. Otherwise, no talk.”

Tai Chu Da Luo, formless and imageless, could transform into countless deities and forms.

For Xiang Xuanqing to create a true Dao Ancestor was no great feat.

But Hong Jun never expected these three not only coveted his legacy, but sought to steal his “true name” as well!

That was why Hong Jun had stopped running and agreed to talk.

“Fine.”

Xiang Xuanqing graciously dissolved the “Hong Jun Dao Ren.”

After all, it was merely one qi—easy to recreate when needed. Only then did Hong Jun invite them onto the Taiji Golden Bridge.

“Please.”

“Please.”

Both sides sat down.

Xiang Xuanqing’s first words were: “Dao Ancestor, it’s time to take your medicine.”

Hong Jun leapt to his feet, eyes bulging, hair bristling as if about to lift his crown, pointing at Xiang Xuanqing: “Is this what you call negotiation?”

“What? You object?”

Xiang Xuanqing raised an eyebrow and immediately pulled out the Pangu Banner.

What is negotiation?

I pull out a Primordial Supreme Artifact to talk to you—and in three sentences, I’ve already judged you!

Seeing the Pangu Banner in Xiang Xuanqing’s hand, Hong Jun felt utterly miserable.

Originally, he had only wanted to win Xiang Xuanqing over, so he offered this supreme artifact as bait, just to probe his true nature.

Who could have guessed that this impulsive decision would backfire so badly at the critical moment?

“Pangu Banner, I’ve treated you well!” Hong Jun grew angrier by the moment, losing his composure.

The deity within the Pangu Banner glanced at Hong Jun: “You’ve been good to me—but I belong to the Tian Zun!”

One sentence crushed every hope Hong Jun had.

“Tian Di, you’re formidable!” Hong Jun gritted his teeth and sat back down.

He saw Tai Shang and Yu Chendao Jun watching him like wolves, clearly ready to “send him on his way” if he refused.

These three weren’t even pretending anymore!

“Don’t look at us like that—we’re actually doing you a favor.”

Xiang Xuanqing smiled: “Dao Ancestor, haven’t you been unable to advance beyond your Three Corpses Unification, unable to truly achieve the Ultimate Hunyuan Dao?”

“So what?” Hong Jun shot Xiang Xuanqing a sour look.

Since they weren’t even pretending, there was no need for politeness.

Yu Chendao Jun asked: “Dao Ancestor, haven’t you been eager to merge with the Heavenly Dao but failed, forcing you to seek other methods?”

“Correct!” Hong Jun admitted frankly.

Had he succeeded in merging with the Dao, he’d have crushed Tai Wei Yuan long ago—why would he endure your insults?

Tai Shang chuckled: “As long as the Dao Ancestor’s Dao-heart is firm and he takes the elixir I’m about to prepare, we guarantee his every wish will come true.”

“I want you to get lost!” Hong Jun spoke bluntly.

Whoosh!!

The Pangu Banner in Xiang Xuanqing’s hand stirred without wind, releasing waves of chaotic sword qi that hovered before Hong Jun.

The deity within the Pangu Banner sent a cold, domineering thought: “Little Hong, how dare you speak like that? No respect!”

Hong Jun was speechless.

“What exactly do you want?” Hong Jun asked again.

Xiang Xuanqing extended one finger, gently waving it before Hong Jun, his smile deep and meaningful:

“Simple. Our Tai Wei Divine Court will govern all deities and unify Hong Huang.”

“We don’t just need a complete, orderly Hong Huang Heavenly Dao—we need a qualified one.”

“And you, one of the Heavenly Dao’s proxies, are the most qualified ‘Heavenly Dao Essence’ we’ve found!”

“Insolent!” Hong Jun laughed bitterly.

“I am the founding ancestor of the Immortal Dao—how dare you treat me like a puppet? Make me your ‘Heavenly Dao Essence’?”

“Do I have no dignity?”

His Immortal Dao legacy had been stolen, and now, near death, they still coveted him.

“If this can be tolerated, what cannot?”

Hong Jun rose abruptly: “Then let it be fish dead, net torn!”

“If the fish dies, the net won’t tear,” Yu Chendao Jun said, preparing to summon the Four Zhuxian Swords—but Xiang Xuanqing stopped him.

“Hey, brother, don’t get worked up, don’t get worked up.”

Xiang Xuanqing smiled warmly: “Getting agitated only harms harmony.”

“Come, come, sit down, sit down and talk.”

“Hmph! We have nothing left to say,” Hong Jun said—but his body obediently sat back down.

Xiang Xuanqing spoke earnestly: “You unified your Three Corpses and transformed into ‘Hong Pangu,’ already touching the threshold of Tai Yi Da Luo—so why have you been unable to truly cross that threshold and achieve true Hunyuan? Even your attempt to merge your body with the Dao failed.”

“Why?”

He paused, locking eyes with Hong Jun: “Because you lack an ‘anchor’—a ‘Dao-field’ that lets you draw power while preserving your own identity when striving for higher realms.”

“And the newborn Hong Huang Heavenly Dao—partially guided by your will—is your perfect ‘anchor’ and ‘Dao-field’!”

Tai Shang’s eyes gleamed with wisdom: “Dao Ancestor, you’re not merging with the old, chaotic, unpredictable Heavenly Dao—you’re merging with a new Heavenly Dao, one we at Tai Wei Divine Court are shaping into a fresh order.”

“In this transition from old to new, the Great Dao can be achieved!”

Hearing this, Hong Jun’s eyes finally flickered.

【If I could, as they say, actively integrate into a ‘controllable’ new Heavenly Dao…】

Seeing Hong Jun waver, the Three Pure Ones exchanged knowing smiles.

Yu Chendao Jun spoke: “There’s one more crucial point.”

“After the Hong Huang Cataclysm, heaven and earth are scarred, life is decimated, and karmic threads are tangled. Without a powerful Heavenly Dao will to sort this out and restore balance, how long will it take for Hong Huang to recover its vitality?”

He looked at Hong Jun, eyes sincere: “Dao Ancestor, your lifelong dedication to teaching Hong Huang and protecting all beings—this merit is witnessed by heaven and earth.”

“Now, Hong Huang stands in its greatest need of you.”

“Merge with the Dao. With your profound love for Hong Huang and supreme wisdom, guide its operation, heal its wounds, and reshape its order!”

“This is not only the need of Tai Wei Divine Court, not only the hope of Hong Huang’s beings—but also the inevitable path to your own Dao’s perfection.”

Seeing Hong Jun’s inner struggle intensify, Dao Ran Tian Zun pressed on.

“After merging with the Dao, you will no longer be a solitary seeker—you will be bound inseparably to Hong Huang’s fate.”

“You will bear its rise and fall, and steer its future.”

Xiang Xuanqing’s voice grew increasingly seductive in Hong Jun’s ears: “Merging is not destruction—it is rebirth. Not bondage—it is transcendence.”

“You will continue to protect what you cherish about Hong Huang—in another form—and within the Heavenly Dao, find your personal Dao’s ultimate destination.”

“This is a win-win, beneficial to all—please, Dao Ancestor, consider carefully.”

Each of the Three Pure Ones spoke one sentence, laying out Hong Jun’s reasons to merge with the Dao with perfect clarity.

These reasons combined Tai Wei Divine Court’s strategic interests, precisely targeted Hong Jun’s personal cultivation bottleneck, and elevated the argument to the moral height of protecting Hong Huang and completing his merit.

This was no longer mere coercion or bribery.

Hong Jun fell silent.

His mind was a tangle—he felt the Three Pure Ones were right, yet also wrong.

Refuse? Does he even have the capital to refuse now?

His own primordial energy is severely damaged; with these three working together, he has no strength to resist.

Accept? It seems... not entirely without benefit.

If it truly works as they say—actively integrating into a controllable new Dao of Heaven, drawing upon Heaven’s Dao to cultivate—perhaps he can truly break through his current predicament, even glimpse the legendary higher realm.

Moreover, he truly has an irreplaceable emotional bond with this land of Honghuang and its countless beings.

If he can continue protecting them in this way, it seems... not entirely unacceptable.

【Comrade, begin refining the pills!】 Xiang Xuanqing gave Tai Shang a meaningful glance.

Tai Shang immediately lit the furnace to refine pills.

With a wave of his hand, Xiang Xuanqing built a palace within the chaos, inscribed with “Zi Xiao Palace.”

Xiang Yuchen saw it and nearly burst out laughing.

Zi Xiao? Isn’t that Meng Wuyou’s alias?

Watching Hong Jun’s shifting expression, Xiang Xuanqing knew his spirit was already wavering, and continued to deceive: “Master Dao, rest assured, taking this pill won’t immediately merge you with the Dao.”

“Master Dao, you bear the responsibility of cultivating Honghuang—you must spread the Dao throughout the world before you can depart in peace.”

Hong Jun’s expression grew noticeably dazed: “Yes, I hold the sacred vessel of teaching; I ought to spread the Dao throughout the world.”

“Only by spreading the Dao can you better merge with it!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Hong Jun’s thoughts grew increasingly chaotic, yet his expression grew ever more resolute.

Soon, auspicious light drifted faintly, and the aroma of pills filled the air.

Xiang Xuanqing’s tone was gentle but carried absolute finality: “Master Dao, it’s time to take your medicine!”

“The ‘Primordial Great Dao Nine-Turn Immortal Hunyuan Pill’ has been prepared for you.”

“Swallow this pill, and we shall assist you in merging with the Dao.”

“This is an act in harmony with Heaven and the people—it is the only path to resolve all karmic ties between us and forge a bright future for Honghuang.”

Hong Jun asked: “Where is the pill?”

Xiang Xuanqing said: “The pill... is inside the furnace.”

Hong Jun’s gaze followed to the purple-gold Bagua furnace.

Tai Shang retrieved the purple-gold gourd, collected the Hunyuan Pill, and handed it before Hong Jun.

“Merge with the Dao. Merge with the Dao.” Hong Jun’s gaze grew ever more determined.

He poured out the Hunyuan Pill.

“What the hell are you guys doing?!”

At the final moment, a flicker of clarity passed through Hong Jun’s eyes.

He flung the red pill from his hand and turned to leave.

“Master Dao, where are you going?!” Xiang Xuanqing grabbed his sleeve and hurled the Soul-Stealing Chain, yanking him back.

“Master Dao, take this hammer!” Xiang Yuchen seized his other hand, pulled out a Primordial Wuji Purple Lightning Hammer, and struck Hong Jun down with one blow.

Tai Shang retrieved the pill, rushed forward, and shoved the Hunyuan Pill into Hong Jun’s mouth.

“Master Dao, it’s time to take your medicine!”

【You... you wait. Don’t think I won’t find my chance!】

Hong Jun met his end—or perhaps his rebirth—in a way he had never imagined.

Because the pill’s effect had begun.

【Nine-Turn Immortal?】 Hong Jun’s vision went black.

————

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There’s more tonight.

(End of Chapter)