Xuanzheng returned from Zixiao Palace, shattered the void with a single step, and descended upon the Solar Star.
It did not feel like he was a guest; it felt more like a landowner returning to his own estate.
The once-violent Solar True Fire was now as docile as a lapdog licking its master's palm.
A colossal formation enveloping the entire star operated with exquisite precision, like a Heavenly Dao Law Net.
The Water and Fire Laws intertwined within the formation's patterns, bizarrely maintaining a perfect balance as they transformed endless fire poison into the purest Innate Spiritual Energy.
Within Tang Valley, immortal flowers carpeted the ground and auspicious herbs grew in abundance, creating a scene of peace and harmony.
Not far away, the two muscular brutes Zhurong and Gonggong stood with their hands on their hips like two ferocious foremen, supervising a group of Demon Clan mighty figures as they completed the final "renovations."
"Uncle Zhurong! Look at the new Fire Control Technique I learned!"
"Uncle Gonggong, that cool formation feels so nice!"
Several fluffy little Golden Crows circled the two ancestral witches affectionately, chirping away with eyes full of admiration.
Every crisp cry of "Uncle" was like an invisible slap viciously striking the faces of Di Jun and Taiyi in the distance.
The Demon Clan's crown princes had acknowledged the Witch Clan's ancestral witches as their uncles.
This deal had been a catastrophic loss!
Hehehe, Pangu-brand bloodline suppression, combined with my cultivation-style PUA technique—its effects are outstanding! Once these little birds grow up, they'll probably have to ask me who their father is!
Xuanzheng laughed wildly inside, but his face wore a weary expression as though he had exhausted himself for the Primordial World. He strode over in great strides.
"Fellow Daoist Di Jun, Fellow Daoist Taiyi, I did not disgrace my mission!"
Di Jun's face twitched violently as he squeezed out several words through clenched teeth.
"Fellow Daoist Xuanzheng... you have worked hard."
"Ah, it's only right to contribute to the harmony and stability of the Primordial World!"
Xuanzheng waved casually, ignoring him completely. He walked straight to a core node of the formation, extended a finger, and lightly tapped it.
Dong! Dong!
The sound was crisp, as though it were knocking directly upon Di Jun and Taiyi's hearts.
"Hmm... there is still room to optimize the ratio of Mysterious Yellow Mother Qi and Geng Metal Divine Iron used in this 'load-bearing wall.' Remember to upgrade it during the next quarterly maintenance."
He turned to Gonggong, who was recording things nearby, and gave him a serious instruction.
Hehehe, leave me a backdoor with Highest Authority while you're at it, so I can come in anytime to collect 'property fees' and 'heating fees.'
He flew to another location and pointed at a circulating water-and-fire rune, his brow tightly furrowed.
"This energy conversion circuit is designed far too conservatively! Its safety margin is indeed high, but it wastes three-thousandths of the energy for nothing! This is a technological barrier and a core secret. Add it to our Witch Clan Patent Protection Manual later!"
Want to steal our techniques? No chance! Once I apply for a Heavenly Dao Patent, anyone who dares imitate it can be sued into bankruptcy!
Di Jun and Taiyi followed behind him with dark expressions throughout, listening as Xuanzheng used the most professional tone to say the most heart-piercing things.
Every "optimization suggestion" reminded them that the lifeline of the Solar Star had already fallen completely into this witch's hands!
"Acceptance approved!"
After making a round of "inspection," Xuanzheng nodded in satisfaction and drifted back down before Di Jun, like a leader presenting an award certificate.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoists. From this day onward, the Solar Star shall be as secure as an iron fortress, with no more danger of Solar True Fire running out of control!"
Di Jun forcibly suppressed his urge to act and cupped his hands.
"Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist. My Demon Clan shall remember this favor... deeply."
"You!"
Taiyi, who had endured in silence all this time, finally exploded!
He had had enough!
He was the lofty Eastern Emperor, the Demon Clan's God of War. When had he ever suffered such unbearable humiliation?
"Xuan—zheng—!"
A furious roar shook the starry sky!
The Eastern Emperor Bell burst forth, and endless Solar True Fire converged into a Three-legged Golden Crow capable of tearing apart the heavens. Its divine might was overwhelming as it lunged savagely toward Xuanzheng!
"Brother, don't!" Di Jun cried in horror.
But it was too late!
Xuanzheng did not even raise an eyelid. He even dug at his ear with apparent interest.
The world-destroying Three-legged Golden Crow had barely flown a hundred zhang!
Bzzzz—!
The colossal formation enveloping the entire Solar Star activated instantly!
A heavenly curtain woven from billions of water-and-fire runes appeared out of nowhere. Like an invisible hand, it effortlessly seized the frenzied Golden Crow within its palm!
Immediately afterward, the formation spun madly, unleashing a suction force like a whale swallowing the sea!
The towering Solar True Fire was instantly guided, diverted, compressed, and purified... before ultimately transforming into the purest energy and flowing back into the formation's earth-vein nodes!
Boom—!
A muffled blast rang out.
Taiyi's earth-shattering full-force strike did not even raise a ripple. Instead, it made the entire formation's radiance several degrees brighter.
As though... it had merely charged the formation a little.
Taiyi stood frozen in place.
His face was filled with utter disbelief.
In his own home.
Using his strongest divine ability.
He had been... suppressed by the "Security System" his enemy had built for him.
The feeling was more humiliating than being slapped in the face ten thousand times!
Xuanzheng did not even glance at him. He merely took out an extremely condensed Solar True Fire seed from the "final project payment" Di Jun had just delivered and tossed it to Zhurong in the distance.
"Brother Zhurong, catch. Dessert after the meal."
Zhurong grinned and swallowed the fire seed in one bite. The aura of the Law of Fire around him visibly surged by a considerable amount.
Only after finishing all this did Xuanzheng slowly turn around. Looking at Taiyi, whose Dao heart had become unstable, and Di Jun, whose face had gone pale, he let out a heartfelt sigh.
"Ah, Fellow Daoist Taiyi, why must you do this?"
"See? You acted impulsively, didn't you? You nearly caused damage to public facilities. Shouldn't I charge you separately for the repair fees?"
Pfft—!
Taiyi could no longer endure it. He spat out a mouthful of golden divine blood, and his aura instantly withered.
Di Jun hurriedly supported him. The look he gave Xuanzheng was filled with endless killing intent and... deep apprehension.
"Fellow Daoist, you jest."
"I am not joking."
Xuanzheng put away his smile and solemnly pulled out a jade slip formed from Great Dao Runes. Its glittering golden title made the two Demon Emperors' eyes ache.
—<White Paper on the Comprehensive Brand Image Upgrade and System Optimization of the Demon Clan Heavenly Court>.
He handed the jade slip to Di Jun, his expression incomparably "sincere."
"Fellow Daoist Di Jun, I speak bluntly. Please do not take offense."
"I see that your Demon Clan Heavenly Court has sufficient grandeur, but its scope... is far too small! The architectural style is crude, the lines are rigid, and it lacks human warmth and artistic beauty. Simply put, it can be summed up in two words—"
"Hopelessly tacky."
"Our Witch Clan recently happened to establish a brand-new department called the 'Primordial World Strategic Persuasion and Architectural Aesthetics Development Committee.'"
Xuanzheng patted Di Jun on the shoulder, his smile as brilliant as that of a man soliciting investments.
"We can provide your side with a complete solution for 'Heavenly Court Feng Shui Planning and Artistic Image Upgrades'! This includes, but is not limited to, facade reconstruction, optimization of internal traffic flow, energy-saving renovations for the Myriad Stars Array, and one-stop services such as character design packaging for high-end combatants!"
"Since we are Strategic Partners, I'll give you a bargain-basement price!"
Di Jun: "..."
Taiyi: "..."
They felt as though Xuanzheng had pinned their primordial spirits to the ground and repeatedly crushed them with a Wolf Tooth Club.
Seeing their expressions as though they had eaten shit, Xuanzheng prepared to put away the jade slip in satisfaction and turn to leave.
No matter how small a mosquito's leg was, it was still meat. He had harvested enough wool today.
However!
At the instant he turned around!
[Ding—!!!]
Within his mind, the panel of the Primordial World Bug Fixing Manual suddenly flashed with blinding red light!
[An epic major BUG has been detected!!!] [BUG ID: Pangu_LH001] [BUG Name: The Six Paths of Reincarnation are missing! The foundational operating logic of the Primordial World contains a fatal flaw! After death, the true spirits of living beings have nowhere to return. Resentment, baleful energy, and deathly energy are accumulating, forming an 'Abyss Black Hole' capable of contaminating the entire Primordial World! If not repaired in time, heaven and earth will enter the Age of Dharma's End ahead of schedule, tribulations will stack infinitely, and the world will ultimately restart!] [Repair Plan (locked): A being of immense compassion, immense perseverance, and immense merit must transform their body into reincarnation and complete the order of heaven and earth.] [Repair Reward: Immeasurable Heavenly Dao Merit! Immeasurable Pangu's Legacy! Immeasurable Primordial World fortune! And... eligibility to unlock the ultimate authority of the Primordial World Bug Fixing Manual!!!]
Xuanzheng's breathing stopped for an instant.
He suddenly raised his head, and the [Karma Scale] and [Script Mirror] within his eyes began operating frantically!
His gaze pierced through endless space, passed beyond Buzhou Mountain, and locked directly onto that dark, deathly Blood Sea!
There, innumerable resentful souls of the Primordial World were gathering into a sea of despair capable of swallowing everything.
At the center of the Blood Sea, a woman with a compassionate face and the Law of Earth within her body gazed blankly at it all, her brows filled with sorrow and confusion.
Houtu!
Xuanzheng's heart began pounding wildly!
How was this a BUG?!
This was a super buffet the Heavenly Dao had personally delivered to his mouth!
Transform her body into reincarnation?
No, no, no!
That was thinking too small!
How could such a massive project be left to Sister Houtu alone?
It had to be contracted out!
A project team had to be established!
Investments had to be brought in!
The greatest batch of merit since World Creation had to be firmly grasped in the Witch Clan's hands!
Hehehehehe... Hongjun! Heavenly Dao! Your script is terrible! Watch this gold-medal foreman give you a heaven-shaking—Primordial World infrastructure storm!
Before you continue