Xuanzheng Takes the Director's Chair: Is This a Scam? The Heavenly Dao Sends Merit, and the Demon Emperor Delivers Heads!

Outside Buzhou Mountain, Demonic Energy billowed.

Led personally by Bai Ze, the Demon Clan's vanguard arrived in grand force beneath the banner of "patrolling the primordial world and proclaiming the majesty of our Heavenly Court."

"Demon Marshal, there seems to be some disturbance at the Wu Clan construction site ahead," a demon general stepped forward to report.

Bai Ze gently waved his feather fan. He did not order a halt, and the demon clouds continued pressing forward.

On the watchtower, the corner of Xuanzheng's lips lifted in an imperceptible curve. They're here.

"Boom—!"

A thunderous explosion erupted from an area at the very front of the Demon Clan vanguard, accompanied by a blinding flash and several screams.

Several magical treasures that could not be withdrawn in time instantly dimmed, while more than a dozen demon soldiers were sent flying, coughing up demon blood.

"What happened?!" Bai Ze's expression darkened. With a flicker of his body, he had already arrived at the scene.

The ground had collapsed into a massive pit, with incomplete array patterns remaining around its edges and flickering with unstable light.

"Report—! Demon Marshal, we accidentally triggered an unfinished defensive array of the Wu Clan!" a surviving demon soldier crawled over in panic.

At just the right moment, Xuanzheng "rushed" over from the distant construction site, his face filled with "panic."

"Oh dear, oh dear! What happened?!" He ran over, saw the battered demon soldiers and scattered fragments of magical treasures, and beat his chest in anguish. "Which damned Construction Team did this work?! Shoddy! This is a downright Shoddy Project!"

He pointed at the Great Witches responsible for the nearby area, looking heartbroken. "What were you doing? How many times have I told you? Safety first! Safety first! And now look, you injured our Demon Clan fellow Daoists! How am I supposed to explain this to His Majesty the Demon Emperor?!"

The Great Witches looked at one another, lowered their heads, and put on expressions of "admitting their mistakes," though they were secretly laughing inside. The Thirteenth Ancestral Witch's acting was simply incredible.

Bai Ze watched Xuanzheng's "heartbroken" appearance, as though he "wanted to execute the Construction Team on the spot," and frowned slightly. This reaction was a little too much.

In Xuanzheng's mind, the [Karma Scale] trembled lightly. The karma of those "losses" was swiftly magnified, while lines of text rapidly appeared on the [Script Mirror]: "Due to negligent Wu Clan construction, an unfinished array was accidentally activated, exposing what seemed to be the aura of a buried secret treasure. The Demon Clan vanguard was affected by the array's aftermath while patrolling, nearly triggering a conflict. Heavenly Dao ruling: the Wu Clan was at fault, but also had a duty to protect the construction site; the Demon Clan suffered accidental injuries, but was also suspected of excessive investigation. Merit reward: Construction site safety reinforcement has achieved minor results. Unlocked: 'Reasonable Self-Defense' authority (Beginner)."

[ Ding! Obtained three hundred strands of Heavenly Dao Merit. ]

Xuanzheng secretly rejoiced, but his face grew even more "grief-stricken." "Demon Marshal, this was entirely caused by our Wu Clan's poor supervision. I, Xuanzheng, am willing to bear full responsibility! These losses, our Wu Clan..."

"No need." Bai Ze interrupted him in an even tone. "When patrolling the primordial world, all manner of accidents may occur. Let this be a lesson."

He gave Xuanzheng a deep look, then swept his gaze over the "dejected" Great Witches. The doubts in his heart only grew stronger.

Since when had these Wu Clan members become so reasonable?

"It was also an unintentional mistake on our part. Fellow Daoist Xuanzheng, please do not blame yourself too much," Bai Ze said politely before immediately issuing an order. "The entire army is to withdraw thirty li and set up camp! Remain on high alert!"

The Demon Clan army slowly retreated.

Xuanzheng watched their departing backs. The "grief" on his face gradually faded, replaced by a smile of successful calculation.

"Everyone, you've worked hard." He cupped his hands toward the Great Witches. "You acted well. Keep it up next time."

"Lord Ancestral Witch, did the Demon Clan really just retreat like that?" The Great Witches were somewhat puzzled.

"Retreat? This is only the beginning." Xuanzheng smiled mysteriously. "The big fish hasn't taken the bait yet."

He spent a small amount of merit to activate the [Script Mirror], making "artistic" adjustments and amplifications to several known "small geological structure BUGs" and "geomagnetic anomaly BUGs" near Buzhou Mountain. Those BUGs had already been on the repair list in the Manual, so this was the perfect chance for Waste Utilization.

The night grew deeper.

Inside the central command tent of the Demon Clan camp.

Bai Ze studied the map in thought.

"Demon Marshal, General Ying Zhao has returned!" a personal guard announced.

A moment later, the bedraggled demon god Ying Zhao rushed in, followed by several scouts who were equally shaken.

"Demon Marshal!" Ying Zhao's voice trembled.

"Why are you so panicked?" Bai Ze set down his feather fan.

"I... I led a scout team into the depths of Buzhou Mountain to investigate, and we encountered... encountered something utterly terrifying!" Ying Zhao swallowed hard.

He began recounting his experience.

"We had just entered a dense forest when the ground beneath our feet suddenly split open without warning, forming a bottomless fissure!"

One scout added, "That fissure was pitch-black and emitted freezing air. Little Six could not dodge in time and fell straight in. He barely even had time to scream!"

Ying Zhao continued, "We realized something was wrong and immediately took a detour. But before we had gone far, we entered another strange area. Everyone lost their sense of direction, and the needles on our magical treasures spun wildly as if they had gone mad. We circled the same place at least seven or eight times!"

Bai Ze's brows knitted tightly. Those phenomena did not seem naturally formed.

"Could it have been a Wu Clan array?"

"That was exactly what I thought!" Ying Zhao nodded sharply. "So I ordered my men to use their Truth-Breaking Demon Eyes to see through the illusion."

A deep terror appeared on his face. "But... but what we saw was more terrifying than any array!"

"What did you see?"

"Countless Wu Clan experts! At least a hundred Great Witches, and even the auras of several Ancestral Witches!" Ying Zhao's voice turned shrill with fear. "They surrounded a massive altar, and the offerings... the offerings were actually rocks, plants, and trees! They chanted incantations, causing the entire earth vein of Buzhou Mountain to tremble, as if... as if they were awakening some slumbering terrifying existence!"

Naturally, this was an illusion Xuanzheng had projected remotely through the Dragon Vein Ancestral Source, using the [Script Mirror] combined with some of the power leaking from Pangu Hall. It had been specially prepared for these "spectators."

The scouts all chimed in, describing the details of that bizarre ritual, their faces pale as paper.

"Awakening a terrifying existence?" Bai Ze's heart stirred. "Could it be... Pangu's lingering will?"

"More than that!" Ying Zhao's body shook even harder. "Just when we thought it was merely some ritual, within the illusion, a... a Pangu Phantom towering over heaven and earth slowly opened its eyes!"

"What?!" Bai Ze abruptly rose to his feet, while the other demon generals in the tent Gasped in Cold Air.

"That phantom... that phantom gave us a cold glance!" Ying Zhao was almost in tears. "Just that one glance! It seemed to cross the ages and space itself, containing the supreme pressure of World Creation! Our souls nearly collapsed on the spot!"

"What happened next?"

"How could we have dared to remain another moment?! We scrambled and crawled, risking our lives to escape!" Ying Zhao still trembled with lingering fear. "Demon Marshal! The Wu Clan... the Wu Clan must be conducting some forbidden evil ritual at Buzhou Mountain! They want to awaken Pangu's True Spirit! The scale of their scheme is simply horrifying! Their momentum is overwhelming, terrifying beyond measure!"

Deathly Silence filled the tent.

Bai Ze remained silent for a long time. He looked at the unfeigned terror of Ying Zhao and the others, then recalled Xuanzheng's abnormal behavior during the day.

"Pass on my order. Report everything seen and heard here to the Heavenly Court immediately, without omitting a single word, and inform His Majesty!"

Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

After Di Jun heard Bai Ze's detailed report transmitted through a secret technique, his expression was as dark as water.

Taiyi burned with rage at his side. "What a Wu Clan! As expected, they harbor sinister intentions! They actually dare to covet Pangu Power! They are simply courting death!"

"Brother, this cannot be tolerated! I'll gather the demon gods at once and flatten Buzhou Mountain. Let's see what kind of demon spawn they can summon!" Solar True Fire blazed fiercely around Taiyi.

"Remain calm." Di Jun raised a hand, stopping Taiyi.

He looked toward Demon Master Kunpeng. "What does the Demon Master think?"

Kunpeng's gloomy face also carried a trace of solemnity. "If Bai Ze's report is true, then the Wu Clan's actions are no trivial matter. Pangu Power is the origin of the primordial world. If they truly gain control of it..."

The consequences would be unthinkable.

"Hmph. A pack of barbarians without even primordial spirits think they deserve to control Pangu Power?" Di Jun sneered, murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "The more they act this way, the more it proves they have a guilty conscience, and the more it proves Buzhou Mountain holds a great secret!"

"Bai Ze's preliminary probe suffered little loss, but it did alert the enemy." Di Jun tapped the armrest of his throne with his fingers. "Still, it allowed us to see their claws clearly."

"Brother, then we..."

"Increase the pressure!" Di Jun said decisively. "Since they want to hide, we will force them into the open!"

"Transmit my decree. Order Bai Ze to continue his 'patrol.' If the Wu Clan shows any 'unusual movement,' he may act as he sees fit! I want to see exactly what medicine they are selling in that gourd!"

"Additionally, mobilize three routes of demon god armies and establish defenses within a million li around Buzhou Mountain, forming an encirclement! If the Wu Clan truly dares make any major move, wipe them out in one stroke!"

Di Jun's order was swiftly delivered to the Demon Clan camp outside Buzhou Mountain.

On Buzhou Mountain's watchtower.

The [Script Mirror] in Xuanzheng's hand grew faintly warm, its surface clearly displaying the Demon Clan Heavenly Court's latest movements.

The "innocent" smile on his face appeared especially radiant.

"His Majesty the Demon Emperor really delivers." Xuanzheng muttered to himself. "This first batch of Seed Funding and free actors has arrived in excess."

Houtu appeared behind him.

"Thirteenth Brother, the Demon Clan army is pressing in. Yet you seem... not worried at all?"

Xuanzheng Turned around and casually tossed the [Script Mirror] in his hand.

"What is there to worry about? Sister, our 'Buzhou Mountain Super Invincible Impregnable PLUS Reinforcement Project' is in need of high-grade materials and more manpower."

He grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth.

"See? Haven't they delivered themselves right to our door?"