The Great Desolation Begins

"Dao Ancestor Hongjun has decreed that Saints shall not interfere in the conflict between the Witch and Demon races."

Upon hearing this, Donghuang Taiyi's eyes flashed with joy.

This was precisely the opportunity they needed most.

However, Di Jun still harbored doubts and asked in a deep voice:

"Venerable Taiqing, if Empress Wa insists on intervening, what then?"

Laozi replied calmly:

"Even though Empress Wa is a Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, she would not dare defy the Dao Ancestor's command. You need not worry."

As his words fell, Laozi's figure vanished into the void.

Di Jun's doubts completely dissipated, and he immediately issued an order:

"Issue my decree! The entire Demon Race army shall advance to slay the Human Race, seize their souls and flesh, and forge divine weapons!"

In an instant, the Heavenly Court's demon army poured out, a vast force descending upon the lower realm.

A chilling aura swept across the Great Desolation.

At the same time, in Laozi's dojo, Venerable Yuanshi appeared silently and asked meaningfully:

"Eldest Brother, are you instigating the Demon Race's attack to deal with Lin Fan?"

Although phrased as a question, his words were extremely certain.

Laozi's expression was calm, neither confirming nor denying:

"Why do you say that, Second Brother? I am acting on my master's orders, in accordance with the Heavenly Dao."

Venerable Yuanshi, seeing through everything, declared:

"You resent Lin Fan for seizing the Human Religion's opportunities and wish to use the Demon Race to ensure his demise during the Great Tribulation."

Laozi remained silent, offering no defense.

What Yuanshi said was precisely his plan—Lin Fan, as the leader of the Human Religion, would suffer a great loss of Destiny if he perished. At that time, Laozi could reclaim his authority.

Seeing Laozi's silence, Venerable Yuanshi sighed meaningfully:

"What a pity... Lin Fan's talent is unparalleled throughout history. It would be a disgrace for him to die at the hands of the Demon Race."

Lin Fan possessed exceptional talent and profound fortune. Venerable Yuanshi, who always valued a person's origins, had long intended to recruit him.

Laozi's gaze shifted slightly, and he said indifferently:

"Second Brother need not worry."

"Lin Fan holds the dual roles of Human Religion Leader and Empress Wa's younger brother. It is impossible for him to join your Heavenly Origin Sect."

Venerable Yuanshi fell silent for a long time after hearing this, then finally sighed softly.

Nuwa had always been detached, but she showed particular concern for Lin Fan.

If Lin Fan were forcibly brought into the Heavenly Origin Sect, the sect would likely never know peace again.

Houtu led Lin Fan to the border of Buzhou Mountain.

Suddenly, the Kongtong Seal vibrated inexplicably, and Lin Fan's heart tightened.

Could the Human Race be in trouble?

He used his fingers to divine, but found nothing unusual.

The Kongtong Seal was connected to the Human Race's Destiny and never failed.

Someone must be obscuring the Heavenly Secrets.

Lin Fan suddenly stopped. Houtu, though puzzled, did not disturb him.

He closed his eyes, concentrating, and his divine sense surged into the river of time.

A scene suddenly appeared—

Above the sky, a dense mass of demons descended like a crushing mountain, their wings stirring a foul wind.

The Human Race was being ruthlessly slaughtered.

Wails and cries intertwined, and blood stained the earth.

Corpses piled up like mountains. ** A crimson longsword pierced the sky.

Lin Fan's eyes snapped open: "The Witch-Slaying Sword?"

This sword was forged from the flesh and souls of the Human Race and was specifically designed to counter the Witch Race's bodies.

To forge this sword, the Demon Race had slaughtered billions of beings.

The Kongtong Seal's anomaly was due to this calamity.

If the Heavenly Secrets were disrupted by Hongjun, even Empress Wa might not be able to detect it.

"What happened?" Houtu sensed something was amiss.

"The Demon Race intends to slaughter the Human Race and forge the Witch-Slaying Sword," Lin Fan's gaze turned icy.

Houtu was stunned. "The Witch-Slaying Sword?"

Lin Fan didn't have time for explanations.

"Sister Houtu, the Human Race is in peril. I can't go to Buzhou Mountain."

After saying this, Lin Fan's figure suddenly vanished.

Houtu frowned slightly, her expression grave.

Lin Fan's journey was extremely dangerous.

The Demon Race attacking the Human Race must be a conspiracy. She had to inform her brothers immediately.

After a brief moment of thought, Houtu turned and sped off in the direction of Buzhou Mountain.

Lin Fan traversed space, not having traveled far.

A majestic figure suddenly appeared in the sky.

Its pressure was vast, shaking all directions.

It was Laozi.

Lin Fan's gaze sharpened.

Laozi had long since sensed his presence.

"Lin Fan, hand over the Kongtong Seal!"

He transformed his palm into heaven and earth, descending upon Lin Fan.

Rules intertwined to form a giant net, about to imprison him. In a flash, Lin Fan's figure suddenly dissipated, even the traces of heavenly secrets vanishing with it.

Laozi's expression changed drastically, shock flashing in his eyes.

How was this possible?

With the power of a Saint, Lin Fan could actually escape?

Laozi was utterly bewildered.

At this moment, Lin Fan had already hidden within the Primordial Pearl. The treasure pearl transformed into a boat of time, traversing the endless void, speeding towards the Human Race's territory.

Above the Human Race's territory.

Billions of demons covered the sky, their colossal bodies like mountains and peaks, obscuring the heavens.

The immense pressure made countless humans tremble.

Panic and despair spread through the human tribes.

The entire land of the Human Race was plunged into endless darkness.

"Di Jun! Taiyi! How dare you defy the will of Saint Nuwa and attack the Human Race without authorization!"

Hongyun's furious roar echoed in all directions.

In the past, the Demon Race occasionally hunted humans, but their actions were always scattered.

Never before had they launched such a full-scale assault.

A strong sense of unease surged in Hongyun's heart.

Donghuang Taiyi said coldly:

"Daoist Hongyun, we act under heaven's mandate. Even Empress Wa cannot stop us. Do not try to stop a chariot with a mantis's arms."

"Hongyun, you fool, today is the day you die."

Kunpeng shouted sternly.

Hongyun revealed his true form and lunged at his opponents.

Ji Meng, Bai Ze, and other demon saints followed closely, joining Kunpeng in attacking Hongyun.

The void shattered, laws overflowed, and the world was filled with endless terror.

Donghuang Taiyi raised his hand and pressed down.

A sky-covering palm print condensed, fiercely striking the three ancestors of the Human Race.

If this palm fell, millions of mortals would be instantly annihilated.

Just as the humans were filled with terror, the Five Elements Great Formation suddenly activated, weaving a net of profound laws.

That heaven-shattering palm print was instantly annihilated, leaving no trace.

"It's a formation left by the Holy Venerable!"

The three ancestors of the Human Race rejoiced, as if reborn.

"A mere Human Race actually has a formation protecting it?"

Di Jun's brow furrowed slightly.

Could it be from Empress Wa?

Donghuang Taiyi speculated.

Di Jun shook his head and denied, "Empress Wa is not skilled in this path."

He could see that this Five Elements Great Array was a top-tier innate formation, its defense nearly insurmountable. Without a master of formations or a Quasi-Saint expert, it would be impossible to set up.

Naturally, it had nothing to do with Lin Fan either.

Since they couldn't figure it out, the two decided to stop digging. Refining the Witch-Slaying Sword was a matter of great importance and had to be done quickly before the Witch Race noticed.

The Eastern Emperor Bell and the River Diagram and Luo Script struck the great array simultaneously. Trillions of demons displayed their spiritual powers, their treasures' brilliance tearing through the sky.

Demons at the Golden Immortal realm and above unleashed their full strength, their might shaking the heavens and earth. Under the bombardment, the Five Elements Great Array gradually showed signs of weakness, and finally, it collapsed with a roar.

Suiren Shi's hair stood on end in fury: "Even if we die, we will not surrender to the Demon Race!"

Tens of thousands of humans roared in unison, their voices shaking the nine heavens: "Kill! Fight to the death!"

Though they were but ants, they possessed unyielding will. In their desperate situation, the bloodline of the Human Race erupted with soaring battle intent.

Human history had witnessed countless heroic deeds, but in the face of such a vast disparity in strength, all courage seemed so futile.

When the defensive barrier of the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth finally collapsed, the entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence. The oppressive aura from the Demon Race descended like mountains, and many mortals who had not yet cultivated the Great Dao instantly turned into bloody mist.

The faces of the three Ancestors of the Human Race were gaunt, their eyes filled only with despair. Taiyi stood in the clouds, the second palm carrying world-destroying might descending with a roar.

At this critical moment, a piercing roar shook the four directions. A golden divine seal cut through the sky, instantly dissolving the fatal blow. Immediately after, a black and white interwoven sacred seal swept across the battlefield, and the Demon Master who was besieging Hongyun was repelled like falling leaves.

"Fellow Daoist Lin Fan!" Hongyun, after breaking free, quickly moved closer, unable to hide his joy.

Donghuang's sharp eyes, like lightning, stared intently at the figure that had suddenly appeared. The guardian, who looked like a young man, had a cold expression, and everywhere his gaze landed, it froze into frost.

At this moment, countless humans were moved to tears.

"It's the Dao Protector Venerable!"

"The Venerable has arrived!"

"The heavens have eyes!"

In the hearts of all, this figure who had always silently protected the Human Race had long surpassed the status of the creation goddess. It was precisely because of his existence that the weak Human Race could retain its last shred of dignity amidst the bullying of all races.

At another end of the battlefield, the Demon Sages' faces turned ashen.

"Seeking death!"

"Today, he will be utterly annihilated!"

Beyond the thirty-three heavens, Venerable Yuanshi watched the changes in the lower realm, looking slightly surprised: "He came alone?"

Laojun said coldly, "He brought it upon himself."

Facing an army of tens of thousands of demons, that slender figure stood proudly in the midst of them. This scene made all spectators hold their breath, and heaven and earth fell silent.

Beneath the vast black sky, a tiny figure hung in the void, facing the countless demon armies.

Donghuang Taiyi's gaze, sharp as a blade, fixed on Lin Fan.

He then let out a command that echoed through the heavens:

"Attack!"

Instantly, the overwhelming demon army charged towards the human formation like dark clouds pressing down. A dense demonic aura erupted, and various spiritual powers and spells intertwined, pouring down like a torrential rain.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Fan's eyes. He raised his hand and invoked the laws of the stars. The Primordial Stars in the nine heavens immediately responded, erupting with vast starlight, like a cascading galaxy, illuminating the entire world. Countless brilliant starlights fell like rain, each beam transforming into a blade that severed the void.

Those demon powerhouses struck by the starlight, even great demons at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, had their bodies shatter in an instant. In just a moment, tens of millions of demons turned into bloody mist, utterly annihilated. Among them were dozens of Demon Kings at the Great Luo Golden Immortal level.

Such a shocking scene caused heaven and earth to fall silent. The once aggressive demon army halted in its tracks, their gazes towards Lin Fan filled with terror.

"How can such spiritual power be so terrifying?"

"To be able to control the power of the stars is truly unheard of!"

Di Jun watched Lin Fan with a grave expression. The last time they met, the other party was still a mere child, with a cultivation no higher than the Grand Unity realm. Now, he had already broken through to Great Luo Golden Immortal—a breakthrough across major realms was by no means easy. Especially since only a blink of an eye had passed since their last meeting; for ordinary great powers, it was barely enough time to comprehend a single common spiritual power, yet Lin Fan had managed to break through his shackles in such a short period and master such a world-shattering spiritual power. Such talent was truly unprecedented.

The entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence, countless demons filled with fear, none daring to make another move.

"Supreme Holy Venerable, your might shakes the universe!"

"[Battle Intent Boils]"

"The Demon Race is brutal, how dare they contend with the Holy Venerable?!"

"The Holy Venerable is peerless!"

Tens of thousands of humans cheered, their voices like thunder, their eyes burning like fierce flames.

Hongyun clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoist Lin Fan, your spiritual power is world-shattering!"

Seeing the might that intimidated the Demon Race with a mere flip of his hand, his chest surged with heroic spirit, and even his cheeks flushed with excitement.

Who would have thought—in such a short time, Lin Fan had comprehended another astonishing technique!

Di Jun's eyes turned icy, his pressure sweeping across the eight desolate lands, "Lin Fan, how dare you go against the general trend?!"

Lin Fan sneered, hooking his lips, "The Demon Race slaughtered the Human Race, and that's considered the 'general trend'?"

"Such despicable deeds, and you dare speak of the Heavenly Dao?!"

Donghuang Taiyi stepped forward menacingly, "The heavenly mandate set by the Saints, how can ants **!"

"Saints?" Lin Fan pointed his sword at the sky, each word piercing to the heart, "Colluding with you all, you are nothing but despicable wretches!"

Di Jun laughed in extreme anger, "Digging your own grave!"

A fierce roar suddenly erupted from the demon clouds, "Today, your head will surely be severed to consecrate the banner!"

(

Chapter

Kunpeng roared, instantly revealing his true form. His wings, which blotted out the sky, spanned the firmament, unleashing a world-shattering spiritual power to attack Lin Fan.

Noisy birds, how dare they bark here!

Lin Fan didn't even lift the corner of his eye. As the Sacred Emperor Golden Body Technique circulated, his body naturally formed a realm of laws, and vast Golden Light of Merit flowed incessantly.

With a backhand, he threw a punch.

In an instant, the void collapsed, the universe trembled, and countless microscopic worlds were annihilated.

Rumble--