Chapter 15

Every day, quite a few people came to debate the Dao with me and seek opportunities.

I was annoyed beyond measure.

Nuwa smiled until her eyes curved like crescents, stretched out her slender jade hand, and kneaded Lin Fan's face into all sorts of shapes, its touch soft, springy, and smooth.

You little Lin Fan, taking advantage and then pretending to be wronged.

That Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner of yours—did you really think Sister didn't see it?

"Ah, Sister actually found out?" Lin Fan said, feigning surprise.

"Ahem, I really couldn't refuse. They were the ones who insisted on stuffing it into my hands."

Nuwa could not help laughing. She pulled Lin Fan into her arms and, with a delicate laugh, planted a heavy kiss on his face.

He had already been so lovable, and now that he was deliberately acting spoiled, he was even harder to resist.

At the same time, on Western Mount Sumeru.

Jieyin and Zhunti sensed the omen of Yuanshi becoming a Saint, and their expressions dimmed slightly.

It was just as they had guessed before.

The Sanqing shared the same origin. Once Tongtian became a Saint, the other two were probably not far behind.

They, too, were registered ** under the Dao Ancestor, and had once listened to the Great Dao together with the Sanqing and Nuwa in Zixiao Palace.

Now Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Nuwa had all proven the Dao, while they had not even touched the threshold of opportunity. How could they not be burning with anxiety?

After hesitating for a moment, Zhunti said, "Senior Brother, why don't we imitate Yuanshi and Tongtian, establish a teaching, and become Saints?"

Jieyin shook his head and sighed softly. "Difficult. Yuanshi and Tongtian were able to successfully establish teachings and become Saints not only because their aptitude is extraordinary, but also because their bodies are blessed with the great merit from Pangu's creation of the world."

"Even if we imitate them, the merit that descends would likely be insufficient to support our becoming Saints."

When Zhunti heard this, his expression grew even more dejected.

For ten thousand years, the two Senior Brothers had schemed and painstakingly managed their path, sometimes even casting aside face in order to fight for opportunities and treasures.

Wasn't it all for the sake of one day proving the Dao and becoming Saints, changing the West's poor and weak state?

Now that fantasy had all but shattered, and a heavy sense of loss welled up on its own.

Seeing Zhunti so dispirited, Jieyin finally hardened his resolve, his gaze incomparably determined.

"Since we lack the Merit of World Creation, then we shall make a grand vow to the Heavenly Dao and borrow merit to become Saints!"

As soon as these words came out, Zhunti's mind shook violently.

The West's oath to establish a teaching beneath heaven and earth.

With the Heavenly Dao as witness, karma was hard to erase. If one stole Heavenly Virtue, one would have to repay it in the end.

Zhunti recalled the humiliation of the Sanqing trampling through Mount Sumeru. His heart surged, and he no longer had the slightest hesitation.

Mount Sumeru oath.

"I, Jieyin, and Zhunti, seeing today that the West is barren and all living beings are benighted, shall establish a teaching, named the West."

"We vow to revive this land. May the Heavenly Dao bear witness!"

Merit fell like rain, yet it appeared thin and sparse.

Lin Fan gazed toward the West, a spirit fruit in his mouth.

"Establishing a teaching? With that tiny bit of meager merit, how could it be enough to become Saints?"

A different color appeared in Nuwa's eyes. "You can actually see through it?"

The youth tapped the fruit pit lightly with his fingertip.

"The Sanqing bear the Merit of World Creation. Establishing teachings was merely the fuse. The West is barren, and its providence is weak. How could it be enough?"

Nuwa asked with a smile, "Then in your view?"

"Borrowing debt." Lin Fan spat out the fruit pit. "Buying on credit from the heavens, that's all."

The mysterious sound of the Heavenly Dao resounded through the eight wildernesses. In Nuwa's eyes was reflected the youth's profile—so clever and quick-witted that he saved her the effort of thinking.

In the Western Paradise, Buddha-light shone everywhere, and the two of them made solemn vows:

"If, when I prove the Dao, there still exist in the Buddha-land the forms of hells, evil ghosts, beasts, and the like, I vow not to become a Buddha..."

"If, when I prove the Dao, the beings of the Pure Land fall into the three evil paths, I vow not to become a Buddha..."

Each time a vow resounded through the clouds, vast merit poured down like the Heavenly River and merged into Jieyin and Zhunti's bodies.

Their realms climbed step by step, and the strand of world-opening purple qi within their Primordial Spirits trembled violently.

When the four ** vows were complete, purple qi surged thirty thousand li across the East, heavenly flowers fell in riotous profusion, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth.

Jieyin and Zhunti finally proved the Hunyuan Dao Fruit, and the might of Saints shook the three thousand worlds.

One saw the Seven-Treasure Bodhi Tree release brilliant light, while the Twelve-Petal Lotus Throne blossomed with radiant splendor, suppressing the wavering providence of the Western lands.

All beings of the Primordial World were shocked.

Only then did the cultivators of the Three Realms recall the mystery of the purple qi bestowed by the Dao Ancestor in Zixiao Palace.

Could it be that Hongmeng Purple Qi was the key to the path of sainthood?

The guests of Zixiao Palace in the past all stamped their feet and heaved long sighs.

In the past, when the Dao Ancestor divided the treasures, all cultivators had only seen the seven streams of purple qi find their own owners, never knowing that they secretly contained the heavenly secret of saintly seats.

Since there was a method to prove the Dao through borrowed vows, then even if one's merit was insufficient, one could still imitate the Two Sages of the West.

At this thought, the great powers could not help turning their gazes toward Wuzhuang Temple.

Among the owners of the seven streams of purple qi, only Old Ancestor Hongyun had shallow foundations.

In the Demon Master Palace of the Northern Underworld, Patriarch Kunpeng slammed his palm angrily onto the jade table.

"Hongyun, you bastard! If not for your meddling back then, how would I have missed my sacred opportunity!"

A cold gleam flashed like lightning in the Demon Master's eyes. In former years, inside Zixiao Palace, he could have sat steadily upon the honored seat of becoming a saint, yet because of a single mistaken thought from Hongyun...

Blood Feud

Because Hongyun foolishly trusted Jieyin and Zhunti's pitiful act, not only did he give up ** himself, he even bewitched others into yielding. In the end, all the mighty figures condemned him one after another, making him a public enemy, and he ultimately lost ** in agony.

How precious was a saintly seat! How could this not drive Kunpeng mad with hatred?

Yet because Lin Fan had disrupted the situation, Demon Master Kunpeng's opportunity had instead been seized by Fuxi. Now his cultivation had suffered a great loss, and even against Hongyun, he had no certainty of victory—but the Hongmeng Purple Qi had to be taken back!

A flash crossed his blood-red pupils, and Kunpeng charged straight into the Demon Emperor's Palace.

After Di Jun heard his purpose, he clapped his hands and laughed. "Daoist Friend, since you are an important minister of the Heavenly Court, this emperor should naturally help you settle this karma."

He exchanged a look with Donghuang Taiyi. The Hongmeng Purple Qi on Hongyun had long been something they coveted.

"I only want Hongyun's life." Cold light burst from Kunpeng's fingertips. "If the purple qi is obtained, I am willing to present it to Your Majesty."

Di Jun smiled without speaking. Who would believe such nonsense? With a saintly seat before them, even a father and son could turn against each other.

Donghuang Taiyi suddenly laughed aloud. "If this matter succeeds, Daoist Friend shall take the greatest credit!"

In secret, Kunpeng had already calculated everything:

"With the fastest speed under heaven, I'll seize the purple qi and flee ten thousand miles away. When the day comes that I attain the saintly seat—" He glanced at the two men on the golden throne. "A mere Demon Emperor will be nothing but an ant."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's great grace!" Kunpeng bowed respectfully.

Inside the hall, the three of them drank together with smiles, each harboring murderous intent.

The Demon Emperor Punishes Rebellion

Above the firmament, demon qi surged and churned. Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi personally led the Thirty-Six Demon Marshals and the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings, riding demon clouds that blotted out the sky and covered the sun as they pressed down on the border. The great ** of the Primordial World trembled without end, as if fearing the heaven-shaking killing calamity about to erupt.

As wind and clouds gathered, the divine senses of quasi-saint great powers from every path wove into a net in the void. Everyone knew clearly—one who carried a jade disk was guilty, and that stream of Hongmeng Purple Qi was the very core of this killing trap.

Daoist Hongyun was now secluded deep within Wuzhuang Temple. Zhenyuanzi unfurled the Book of Earth and stirred the dragon veins of the mountains and rivers; the entire Daoist temple was enveloped in thick wu-earth essence, forming an Innate Grand Formation as solid as a fortress of gold and a moat of boiling water. Those figures outside eyeing it like tigers watching their prey, even with heaven-piercing abilities, could not cross the thunder pool by half a step.

In the demon army camp, Old Ancestor Kunpeng's face was as dark as still water. After three days of siege failed to force out that red figure, he could no longer suppress himself and bellowed, "Hongyun, you brat! Don't be some coward who hides his head and shows his tail!" His voice was like thunder from the ninth heaven, shaking the surrounding mountains until stones fell with a rustle.

Unexpectedly, a mocking reply came from within the temple: "Flat-feathered beast! I am right here inside this innate formation. If you have the guts, why not come in and chat?"

"Do you dare come out and fight!"

"If you've got the seed, come into the formation!"

This absurd long-distance cursing battle continued for a full seven days. The watching great powers of the Primordial World looked at one another in dismay. Who would have thought that a life-and-death struggle would become such a farce? Zhenyuanzi looked at his old friend dancing and gesticulating atop the formation eye, and the horsetail whisk in his hand nearly fell—how was this an accomplished true cultivator? He was clearly a marketplace shrew!

If he fled and was captured, he would likely be smashed to powder and bones.

Nuwa felt something in her heart and frowned as she looked toward Wuzhuang Temple.

"Sister, what happened?" Lin Fan looked up and asked.

"The Demon Race is actually besieging Wuzhuang Temple." Nuwa's tone carried surprise.

"So impatient?"

Lin Fan was slightly surprised, but he did not pay it too much attention. He closed his eyes and focused, beginning to refine the restrictions of the Primordial Pearl.

The Wu Race likewise perceived this prolonged siege.

Houtu pondered and said, "For the Demon Race to mobilize so many forces, they must have come for the Hongmeng Purple Qi."

Ever since the Four Saints appeared, all beings knew that Hongmeng Purple Qi meant a saintly seat. But this thing was of no use at all to the Wu Race, who had no Primordial Spirit.

"What Hongmeng Purple Qi? We don't care for it at all," Gonggong said with a snort of contempt.

Zhurong's fighting spirit soared. "Elder brother, the Demon Race has poured out in full force, and the Heavenly Court is empty. This is precisely the time to attack them unprepared."

"That suits my intention exactly." Dijiang considered briefly, then agreed.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches moved like the wind, heading straight for the Heavenly Court.

When the demon kings saw the Ancestral Witches attacking, all their faces changed. After Di Jun had drawn away the elites, the Demon Race left behind was hard-pressed to withstand the Wu Race's sharp edge.

The Ancestral Witches' offensive was like thunder. Wherever Di Jun's fist wind reached, Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal-level great demons were annihilated in an instant. A bloody battle in the Heavenly Court suddenly arose, and divine abilities raged.

Not good! The Heavenly Court was under attack! Donghuang Taiyi's expression suddenly changed.

Di Jun's face was as heavy as water. "Hateful brute!"

"Your Majesty, please return to the Heavenly Court at once. Leave this place for me to guard." A sharp glint flickered in Kunpeng's eyes as he hurriedly offered counsel.

Though Di Jun still harbored doubts toward Kunpeng, the Heavenly Court was in crisis, and there was no other way. He could only lead the Demon Gods back to the heavenly realm.

Before leaving, he kept a precaution in mind and ordered Bai Ze to remain behind and watch Kunpeng. As the Demon Race army withdrew, the various mighty beings of the Primordial World gradually began to lose patience as well.

Time flew like a shuttle; the Primordial World kept no calendar.

On this day, Venerable Yuanshi set up a Hunyuan **, and Zhenyuanzi went to listen to the Dao. Seeing his Dao Brother depart, Hongyun finally could no longer hold himself back—the wisp of Hongmeng Purple Qi pulsing on his Spiritual Platform was constantly pointing toward an opportunity outside Wuzhuang Temple. If he missed this moment, he feared he would be trapped here for all eternity.

At that thought, Hongyun turned the earth beneath him into a rainbow and shot through the air.

Kunpeng and Bai Ze, who had lain low for a long time, immediately appeared and gave chase. With a spread of his wings, Kunpeng had already cut off the way forward, while Bai Ze fell a thousand li behind and could only send a message to report to Di Jun.

"If not for you blindly trusting Jieyin and Zhunti back then, how could this seat have lost the saintly position!" Kunpeng's killing intent surged to the heavens. His ten-thousand-zhang true body blotted out the firmament, and the Demon Master Palace came smashing down with a force of ten thousand jun.

Hongyun sneered and brought out the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd. Cinnabar filled the sky, shaking Kunpeng's divine soul until it trembled.

Hongyun unleashed all manner of divine abilities to block him, and the Soul Scattering Gourd burst with boundless crimson light, spreading out until it covered heaven and earth.

Demon Master Kunpeng found it hard to withstand him, and in the blink of an eye he was forced back step by step.

Suddenly, a deafening rumble came from the sky.

A giant golden bell appeared out of thin air, carrying the pressure of ** through the ages, making the stars of the heavens tremble.

The bell's toll resounded through the cosmos, shaking heaven and earth; all things lost their luster.

"Demon Emperor Di Jun! Donghuang Taiyi!"

Hongyun's face changed sharply.

He had not expected the two emperors of the Heavenly Court to arrive so swiftly.

Before he could respond, the Chaos Bell had already descended over his head with world-destroying might.

The River Diagram and Luo Script manifested at the same time, attacking to kill.

Under the bombardment of the two Innate Supreme Treasures, Hongyun's immortal body instantly cracked apart, and a rain of blood spilled across the sky.

As his fleshly body collapsed, Hongyun was overcome with terror.

There was already no time to use a rebirth divine ability.

His remnant soul hastily slipped into the Soul Scattering Gourd and fled in panic.

"Old thief Hongyun, don't run!"

Amid Kunpeng's furious shout, he joined forces with the two emperors and gave chase.

Behind him, divine lights of slaughter wove into a net.

At the critical moment, Hongyun, in his panic, plunged into the Netherworld and mistakenly entered the depths of the Sea of Blood.

This scarlet ** was precisely the cultivation ground of Old Ancestor Minghe.

Deep within the Sea of Blood, Minghe suddenly sensed a spatial disturbance.

He abruptly opened his eyes and shouted, "Daoist Friend Hongyun, why have you trespassed into the Sea of Blood?"

"Please save me, Old Ancestor!"

Hongyun's remnant soul cried for help without a second thought.

He had always formed good ties far and wide, and aside from his grudge with Kunpeng, he had never offended anyone.

He fully believed Daoist Friend Minghe would surely lend him a hand.

Minghe's divine sense swept over and immediately perceived the auras of the Heavenly Court's two emperors and Kunpeng.

Then, seeing that Hongyun had only a remnant soul left, he understood at once.

Heaven had bestowed the Hongmeng Purple Qi; by rights, it should belong to me!

Minghe did not show joy, but instead smiled.

Not only did he have no intention of helping, covetous thoughts arose in him instead.

At once, he reached out through the air with a blood-colored hand, grabbing straight for Hongyun's Primordial Spirit.

In the depths of that bloody **, boiling blood qi surged without end, turning into a scarlet cage that blotted out the sky and covered the sun, surrounding Daoist Hongyun on all sides.

A sticky burning sensation came from Hongyun's skin, and negative energy that covered heaven and earth eroded his meridians. In his eyes, two clusters of crimson flame immediately ignited.

"Old Devil Minghe! You actually dare..."

Before his words fell, two blood-colored startling rainbows tore through space. The Yuantu Sword carried the vicious aura of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, while the Abi Sword was wreathed in the resentment of ten thousand ghosts wailing, crossing as they slashed toward the red-robed Daoist.