Zixiao Palace.
Hongjun frowned deeply.
What had gone wrong?
Why had Nüwa and Fuxi joined the Demon Court at such a critical moment?
According to the Heavenly Dao's grand course, the two of them should only have chosen to join after the Demon Court began to show signs of decline and Dijun personally paid them a visit.
Yet now, the Demon Court was at the height of its power, completely crushing the Immortal Court. There was no need for them to wade into this mess at all!
Where exactly had things gone wrong?
For a moment, Hongjun felt his scalp go numb.
Dijun and Taiyi eventually unifying the Primordial World was an outcome he could never accept.
Those two brothers were both Pangu's descendants. Who knew whether Pangu had left behind some unknown contingency before his death?
Even if a race truly was destined to become the protagonist of heaven and earth, it had to remain within his control!
He took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward Haotian, who was wandering around Yaochi in Zixiao Palace.
Although Haotian's aptitude was mediocre, he was obedient and easy to control. He might still prove useful in the future.
After a moment, Hongjun seemed to make up his mind.
He withdrew his gaze and looked into the depths of the void. His lips moved slightly, as though he were silently communicating with something.
Over the following moments, Hongjun's expression changed unpredictably. At times he was solemn, at times conflicted, and at times a pained look flickered across his face.
In the end, he seemed to reach some sort of agreement with the void and nodded slightly with an agonized expression.
Immediately afterward, across the Primordial Continent, the solemn and majestic voice of the Heavenly Dao rang in the ears of countless mighty figures:
"The demon race ravages the Primordial World, massacring living beings and defying heaven! Any living being of the Primordial World who joins the Immortal Court and kills demons shall receive Heavenly Dao Merit!"
In an instant, the entire Primordial World erupted!
Heavenly Dao Merit!
What an incomparably precious thing that was!
It could not only aid cultivation and raise one's realm, but also eliminate one's Karma and spare one from the entanglements of cause and effect.
For a time, countless Primordial Chaos mighty figures who had previously stood by and watched the conflict between the Immortal Court and Demon Court now had their eyes gleaming. They could no longer sit still.
They rose one after another, transforming into streams of light as they sped toward the East Sea!
Demon Court.
Nüwa and Fuxi were utterly stunned!
What was this supposed to mean?
They had only just joined the Demon Court.
And the Demon Court had already become the public enemy of the Primordial World?
Dijun and Taiyi were even more dumbfounded.
Wasn't this supposed to be a struggle for destiny and enlightenment?
On Mount Sumeru.
Jieyin's eyes lit up. He turned to Zhunti beside him.
"Junior Brother, merit!"
"Are we doing this?"
A meaningful look flashed across Zhunti's face. He rubbed his bald head and chuckled.
"Senior Brother, we still owe Duke Dong karma..."
The two exchanged a smile, as though they shared the same thought, and nodded in tacit understanding.
The next moment, two streaks of escaping light rose from Mount Sumeru and likewise headed toward the East Sea.
At the same time, on Penglai Island in the East Sea.
Duke Dong had already begun packing his things, preparing to flee with all his belongings.
Qin Xuan's slap had thoroughly awakened him.
He clearly realized that his strength was simply not among the top tier in the Primordial World.
And now, the Demon Court had gained two mighty figures, Nüwa and Fuxi.
If he still did not run now, was he really going to wait for the Demon Court to come knocking?
Though the position of leader of the immortals was comfortable, letting him command the winds and rain while ten thousand immortals paid homage, he had to be alive to enjoy it!
He told no one. He only intended to quietly pack up his possessions, then slip away unnoticed.
However, just as he was about to flee, the void before him suddenly twisted violently, ripples spreading through it.
The next instant, an aged figure carrying boundless pressure appeared out of thin air before him.
Duke Dong was startled on the spot. His knees gave way, and he hurriedly fell to the ground in worship.
"Greetings, Dao Ancestor!"
Hongjun nodded slightly, his expression as placid as an ancient well, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Duke Dong, where are you planning to go?"
Duke Dong's heart jolted. He knew that the Dao Ancestor had seen through his little scheme completely.
A fierce struggle appeared on his face.
In the end, he gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and forced himself to say,
"Dao Ancestor, this disciple is lacking in talent and virtue, unworthy of his position. I truly cannot bear the role of leader of the Immortal Court. The Demon Court is powerful now, and this disciple fears... fears that I cannot shoulder such a heavy responsibility."
Upon hearing this,
Hongjun did not grow angry. Instead, he smiled faintly.
Then, he gently turned over his palm.
The next moment, four divine swords wreathed in terrifying baleful aura and overwhelming killing intent, along with an ancient formation diagram, appeared in his hand out of thin air.
The sharp aura rushing toward him made Duke Dong's heart tremble.
Hongjun said,
"These are the Four Swords of Zhuxian. Combined with the Zhuxian Formation Diagram, they can form the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, the greatest killing formation since the creation of heaven and earth."
"This formation cannot be broken without four cultivators of the same realm."
"With these treasures, why fear the demon race?"
As he spoke, he handed the Four Swords of Zhuxian and the formation diagram to Duke Dong.
Holding the immensely powerful Four Swords of Zhuxian, Duke Dong was completely dumbfounded.
He knew that since Hongjun had personally brought such supreme treasures, he could no longer refuse the position of leader of the Immortal Court just because he did not want it.
This was not bestowing treasures at all. Hongjun was clearly binding him tightly to the Immortal Court!
Thus, he suppressed the countless helpless thoughts in his heart, bowed deeply, and respectfully said,
"Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for bestowing these treasures! This disciple... accepts the order!"
Hongjun looked at Duke Dong's reaction and nodded in satisfaction.
With the Four Swords of Zhuxian, along with the aid of countless mighty figures who had heard the Heavenly Dao's proclamation and come to join the Immortal Court, the Immortal Court and Demon Court should now be evenly matched.
As for what Tongtian would do without the Four Swords of Zhuxian when Hongjun accepted disciples in the future?
He could not worry about that now.
He had already given the Taiji Diagram to Qin Xuan, so one more sword formation made little difference.
The more debts one had, the less one worried; the more lice one had, the less they itched.
Besides, he still had quite a few Innate Spiritual Treasures on Treasure Distribution Rock. He could simply give out a few when the time came.
Furthermore, once the future tribulation ended and Duke Dong died...
Wouldn't the Four Swords of Zhuxian simply return to him?
At that thought, he gave Duke Dong a deep look, then reached out and patted his shoulder with seeming warmth.
"Duke Dong, rest assured, this poor Daoist... will always stand behind you!"
Afterward, Dao Ancestor Hongjun's figure slowly faded into the twisted void.
After Hongjun left, Duke Dong stood alone on the island, looking at the Four Swords of Zhuxian in his hands and sighing helplessly.
At the same time, within Pangu Temple.
Qin Xuan and the Ancestral Witches all watched Hou Tu with worried expressions as she sat cross-legged between the Three Lights Divine Water pool and the Chaos Spirit Liquid pool.
Over these tens of thousands of years, aside from going to the summit of Buzhou Mountain once, Hou Tu had never left. She had cultivated beside the two spirit pools all this time.
Just then.
At the center of Hou Tu's tightly shut brow, a faint point of light began to flicker...
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