The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans' Lost Souls Wail Day and Night!

Deep within the cave abode, all was silent.

Yang Chen sat cross-legged, enveloped in a faint yet pure golden glow – the Heavenly Dao merit not yet fully refined by him.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

For him, it was a complete transformation.

He could clearly "see" the golden river within his body, formed from ten thousand zhang of merit, no longer as turbulent as before. It had become docile and tranquil, like a thoroughly tamed divine dragon, flowing slowly through each of his reshaped, widened, and reinforced meridians, circulating endlessly.

The golden energy finely permeated every inch of his bones, every single particle.

The quality of his bones was changing, transforming from the fragility of the mortal realm towards the lustrous radiance of immortal jade, with natural, subtle Dao patterns even beginning to appear on them.

His Dao Foundation, a base that had been riddled with holes by immeasurable Karmic Force, like a leaky sieve, was now completely filled, bonded, and reinforced by the power of merit.

A sense of solidity, unprecedented, rose from the depths of his Dantian and Qi Sea, supporting the entirety of his existence.

This feeling brought him more peace than any surge in cultivation.

Solid.

This was truly something that belonged to him.

It was something he had won back with his own hands by overturning the chessboard, forcibly taken from the Heavenly Dao and the Six Sages. No one would ever be able to snatch it away.

Peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

Just one step away from the Great Luo Dao Fruit, which was impervious to ten thousand tribulations.

Above his head, the phantom image of the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda perpetually hovered, with myriad strands of profound yellow energy descending, isolating all external killing intent and prying eyes.

Absolute safety.

Utmost comfort.

This feeling of having the entire Primordial World beneath his feet was truly... addictive. So what if they were Saints? So what if it was the Heavenly Dao? Weren't they still obediently offering tribute to him?

Yang Chen had thought that such days could continue for a long time, at least long enough for him to safely harvest the next round of wool.

However, he was wrong.

Just as his mind settled, preparing to further consolidate his cultivation.

Buzz--

A strange sound, not from the outside, but erupting abruptly from the deepest part of his Primordial Spirit, from the ocean of immeasurable Karmic Force that had been forcibly suppressed by the golden light of merit.

That abyss of curses, which should have been utterly silent, suddenly rippled.

Then, a second ripple, a third...

The chaotic, noisy, irrational wails of hundreds of millions of souls that had originally converged there began to change.

A Dragon's Roar, without any warning, pierced through all the extraneous noise.

"Roar--!!"

This was not a roar of power, but a blood-soaked cry of betrayal and unwillingness.

Yang Chen's vision was instantly engulfed by a blood-red illusion.

He "saw" an invincible legion composed of hundreds of millions of dragons, their scales shattered, their horns broken, their noble heads that once ruled the four seas severed, their boiling dragon blood dyeing the entire Primordial World's East Sea red.

A domineering, majestic, yet infinitely enraged will transformed into a black probe, piercing the barrier of the golden merit light, and accurately striking his True Spirit.

[Why! My Dragon Clan was the protagonist of heaven and earth, you inherited its cause, why do you not repay!]

Before the illusion dissipated, a scorching wave followed closely behind.

"Screech--!"

A mournful, high-pitched phoenix cry, carrying the venomous intent to burn everything, seared his Divine Soul.

He "saw" the endless Southern Bright Lihuo extinguished, the magnificent Wutong Divine Wood turned to charcoal, phoenixes of unparalleled pride falling from the sky, their beautiful wings ignited by karmic fire, turning to ashes in despair.

It was an extreme pride, the nobility of the king of birds, now transformed into an unending curse.

[I am the Phoenix! You inherited its fruit, you shall suffer the torment of my clan's karmic fire for ten thousand generations!]

Finally, a will as heavy as the earth pressed down.

There was no sound, only a desolate sorrow.

He "saw" the earth cracking, mountains and rivers shattering, countless benevolent Qilins lying in pools of blood. The eyes that should have borne all things shed not tears, but disappointment and resentment towards the entire world.

The majesty that suppressed mountains and rivers, the benevolence that bore all things, now only held the weight of betrayal and annihilation.

[Guarding the earth, only to be exterminated... This Karma, you must repay!]

Dragon's Roar.

Phoenix Cry.

Qilin's Sorrow.

These three powerful resentments, like three poisoned daggers, completely broke free, weaving into a mental cage specifically targeting him.

They were no longer background noise.

They transformed into substantial spiritual attacks.

Day and night without rest.

Yang Chen was forcibly awakened from his meditation. He slowly opened his eyes, the laziness and comfort he had enjoyed for days in his gaze completely gone.

His brow furrowed.

So noisy. Just as he dealt with the big ones, these small ones couldn't wait to jump out? A bunch of failures whose remains couldn't even be fully found, daring to clamor in my ear?

So that's how it is.

The composition of this immeasurable karma is more complex than I imagined.

The Heavenly Dao and the Six Sages are the biggest creditors, the "main bank."

And below them are countless "subcontractors."

The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans are the three most prominent among them.

He had just used a "table-flipping" tactic to temporarily drive away the "main bank's" collection team, making them obediently hand over their "protection fees."

But these "installment loan" creditors, seeing that the biggest creditor had backed down, became unwilling to be left out and started coming to collect.

This continuous mental harassment, while temporarily unable to cause him fatal damage.

After all, he was protected by the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, impervious to all methods.

But, it was annoying!

So damn annoying!

It was like three flies buzzing in his ear day and night, impossible to drive away or kill, making it impossible for him to calm down.

He had wanted to cultivate peacefully, to experience the thrill of his power surging.

Now, it was all ruined by these failures eliminated in the last epoch.

Yang Chen's expression slowly turned grim.

A trace of cold ferocity flashed in his eyes.

It seems my actions a few days ago weren't impactful enough, only deterring the few surviving Saints.

It made these lonely souls, dead for who knows how many years, harbor some unrealistic fantasies.

These fantasies are terrifying and fatal.

Do they really think they are still the protagonists of heaven and earth? Ridiculous. The rules of the Primordial World have long changed. Now, I am the rule.

Do they really think they are still the protagonists who could shake the Primordial World with a stomp?

Do they really think that with this residual resentment, they can claim blood debts from me, Yang Chen?

Do they really think I, Yang Chen, am a kind person who can be easily manipulated and has a good temper?

Well, I was just wondering how to keep "shaving the sheep," and you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep.

Let me see what good things you, these former overlords, can drop for me.

You overlords are just tools.