Along the way, the void continuously shattered. Wherever the Origin Demon Flames passed, even spiritual energy was dyed black, leaving not a blade of grass alive.
"Pfft!" Hongjun's Chaos Qi blade finally pierced one of the Heavenly Demon Pagoda's defenses, grazing past Luohu's shoulder and severing a wisp of his remnant soul.
Yet Luohu did not care in the slightest. Instead, he accelerated toward the Western Land.
There, the Demonic Path marks he had buried long ago had begun to glow. They resonated intensely with the Innate Spiritual Veins underground, and black vein energy surged upward along the marks.
"Boom—!" When Luohu arrived above the Western Territory—
His burning Demonic Path Origin completely linked with the Western Spirit Veins.
Black vein energy erupted from underground, intertwining with the demon flames to form a Black Lotus ten thousand zhang wide.
The lotus petals were covered in law runes of slaughter, destruction, and death. Then, the Black Lotus exploded with a thunderous roar!
The force of the explosion swept across the entire Western Territory almost instantly.
Billions of stars shattered amid the roar. Some became meteors and crashed into the earth, gouging out bottomless craters.
Others were swallowed by the Space Rifts created by the explosion, leaving not even their star cores behind.
The Innate Spiritual Veins once buried beneath the Western Land let out mournful cries before breaking apart inch by inch.
Spiritual energy leaked out like a tide, only to be polluted by the demon flames and transformed into black toxic mist that blanketed the entire Western Land. Wherever the mist passed, mountains and rivers melted, while vegetation withered.
The living beings of the Western Land, whether Golden Immortals, Grand Unity Golden Immortals, or Grand Unity Golden Immortals—
Or Plant Spirits that had only just gained intelligence, were swallowed by the shockwaves without warning. Even their True Spirits were burned away by the demon flames.
Only a tiny number of beings who had been oppressed by Luohu in earlier years and hidden away in mountain chambers barely survived under the protection of Innate Spiritual Treasures.
Even so, every one of them had suffered grave losses of vital energy and curled up inside their chambers, not daring to show themselves.
The aftermath of the explosion even reached the eastern regions.
Many eastern stars near the Western Land shattered, and the Spirit Veins beneath the ground also began to fracture.
Fortunately, powerful Primordial Origin Golden Immortals such as Hongjun, Yang Mei, and Ancestral Dragon joined forces in time.
They activated their laws to form a golden barrier, blocking most of the shockwaves and preventing the east from suffering even greater losses.
When the smoke and dust from the explosion dispersed, the Western Territory had become a silent ruin.
The land was split like a spiderweb, its Spirit Veins severed. Dense demon flames and deathly qi filled the air, and the former haze of spiritual energy was gone.
Hongjun looked upon the horrific scene before him, his heart filled with bitterness.
They had won this War of Dao and Demons, which had lasted ten thousand years, but they had also incurred karma with the Western Land.
They would have to bear this boundless Karmic Debt as well. After all, he had led this great war and gained the most from it.
"Fellow Daoists, now that this battle is over, what are your plans going forward?" Hongjun turned his gaze toward Ancestral Dragon, Primordial Phoenix, and First Qilin.
The Three Clans had all been grievously weakened. Less than one in ten of the Dragon Clan remained, while the Phoenix Clan and Qilin Clan had likewise been reduced to less than a tenth of their former numbers. They no longer had the strength to contend for supremacy over the Primordial Wilderness.
Fresh blood still stained golden dragon scales, fiery phoenix feathers, and dark-yellow qilin armor.
Ancestral Dragon gave a bitter laugh, his voice full of exhaustion.
"What plans could there be? We will lead our clans into seclusion and cease involving ourselves in the affairs of the Primordial Wilderness."
As he spoke, he raised his head to look at Hongjun, a trace of pleading in his eyes.
"We are willing to Swear to Heavenly Dao that we shall forever guard the dangerous regions throughout the Primordial Wilderness, atoning for our clans' sins. We ask only that you look after the surviving members of our Three Clans in the future."
Primordial Phoenix and First Qilin nodded as well, their eyes filled with resolve.
They understood that the era of the Three Clans had long since passed. The Primordial Wilderness was now under Hongjun's control.
Rather than harbor resentment, it was better to yield willingly and leave their clans a chance at survival.
Hongjun nodded slightly, his gaze seeming to drift over Haotian in the distance.
Haotian was startled at first, but then he gradually understood.
Master must have already vaguely sensed that I would take over the order of the Primordial Wilderness in the future.
Turning his gaze toward me as the Three Ancestors swear to guard the dangerous lands may also be his way of paving the road for my future.
Having figured this out, Haotian felt grateful, but outwardly, he merely lowered his eyes, careful not to reveal anything.
The Three Ancestors were exceedingly shrewd and instantly understood Hongjun's gaze.
When they turned to Haotian, their eyes held more solemnity and appreciation.
Ancestral Dragon spoke first, a trace of goodwill in his golden dragon eyes.
"Little Friend Haotian performed astonishingly in this battle. With the cultivation of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, you slew numerous Grand Unity Golden Immortals of the demon race. With such strength and judgment, you will surely achieve great things in the future."
"If the opportunity arises, you may visit the Dragon Clan. The Dragon Clan will welcome you with the utmost hospitality."
Primordial Phoenix and First Qilin also voiced their agreement, their words full of goodwill.
Though they were going into seclusion, they still wished to forge a connection for their clans with a future powerhouse.
Haotian hurriedly bowed in return, his tone humble. "Thank you for your esteem, Seniors. If fate permits, this junior will certainly pay you a visit in the future."
He did not agree immediately. The Three Clans had just suffered a crushing defeat and were at their most disheartened.
Visiting them now would only make them feel awkward. It would be better to wait until the Three Clans had settled down before finding an opportunity to visit.
The Three Ancestors nodded inwardly and were just about to depart when a sudden rumble came from the sky.
Golden rosy light poured down from the depths of the Heavenly Dao, covering the entire Cangwu Plain like a waterfall.
Its warm radiance dispersed the blood stench and Demonic Qi in the air.
This was the Heavenly Dao's reward for pacifying the demon race and protecting the Primordial Wilderness—the Merit countless living beings dreamed of!
The Merit split into several portions. The two largest shares, accounting for roughly sixty percent, fell respectively into Hongjun and Yang Mei.
Hongjun did not refine it immediately, instead temporarily storing the Merit within the Fragment of the Jade Plate of Creation.
Yang Mei also put away his Merit. Heavenly Dao Merit was of little use to him; keeping some was enough, while the rest could be given to several young friends of an old friend.
Ten percent of the Merit transformed into countless tiny streams of light and flew toward all corners of the Primordial Wilderness.
They went to the nominal disciples Old Ancestor Yin Yang and Old Ancestor Qiankun had accepted during their lifetimes. The Heavenly Dao used this to compensate for the legacy left by the two Innate Great Powers and help them stabilize their cultivation.
Twenty percent of the Merit was distributed among Rogue Cultivators and forces such as Daoist Cangxuan, who had come to aid in the battle.
Haotian alone received five percent. Golden Merit descended upon his head and surged into his body through the crown of his head.
Like Hongjun and Yang Mei, he temporarily suppressed the Merit deep within his primordial spirit, intending to refine it when he broke through to the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm in the future, thereby strengthening his foundation.
The final ten percent of the Heavenly Dao Merit fell upon Ancestral Dragon, Primordial Phoenix, First Qilin, and the remnants of the Three Clans.
But this Merit was far too meager. Compared with the boundless Karmic Debt owed by the Three Clans, it was merely a drop in the ocean.
At most, it could slightly ease the backlash of their Karmic Debt and prevent them from being immediately consumed by it.
Ancestral Dragon and the other two wore bitter expressions. After exchanging glances, determination flashed in their eyes.
They turned and began making final arrangements with the elders of their respective clans.
Ancestral Dragon instructed Zhu Rong to lead the Dragon Clan into seclusion in the East Sea, guard the sea eyes of the Four Seas, and never again involve themselves in the conflicts of the Primordial Wilderness.
Primordial Phoenix instructed Yun Feng to lead the Phoenix Clan's survivors to the Southern Volcano, hide away to cultivate, and carefully watch over the young of the clan.
First Qilin instructed Golden Qilin to lead the Qilin Clan throughout the Primordial Wilderness. In the future, they would use their auspicious nature to resolve some of the clan's Karmic Debt and accumulate Merit for the clan.
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